How to Write the Damn Characters

(Like, scream-into-a-pillow, “where’s book two” characters)

Let’s talk about the real reason readers stay up until 3 a.m. with your book clutched in their hands like it’s the last slice of pizza: your characters.

Sure, we love the (insert number of chili peppers) plot and swoony setting—but what we actually connect to?

People. People who feel real. People who remind us of ourselves, or who embody something we crave. People who make us laugh, ache, and scream, “JUST KISS ALREADY.”

Here’s the science-y secret sauce:

When you write emotionally layered characters, you tap into the psychology of connection. Our brains literally light up when we recognize emotional patterns, personal struggles, or unmet needs in someone, even if that someone is fictional.

So, how do you take your characters from “okay, sure” to “I would tattoo their name on my soul”?

1. What Makes a Great Character?

Hint: it’s not high cheekbones or a knack for brooding.

Our brains literally light up when we recognize emotional patterns

Here’s what makes readers cling to your characters:

The Psychology Bit:

Humans are hardwired for emotional mirroring. When we see someone’s inner life unfold on the page, we subconsciously reflect it. That’s why we cry when they cry. That’s why we ship them like it’s our full-time job.

We also connect more deeply when we see ourselves in the mess. Readers aren’t looking for perfection. They’re looking for someone who makes them feel seen.

Cheat sheet:

Flaws that make them human

Not “she cares too much” nonsense—give us real vulnerability. Maybe she pushes people away when she needs them most. Maybe he avoids connection because he was abandoned once and never recovered. Flaws are the hook.

Goals that hit emotionally

Wanting to save the family estate? Cool. Wanting to prove to herself she’s not a failure like her dad said? Now we’re in business.

Quirks that create texture

Can’t fall asleep without a specific Spotify playlist. Cuts their toast diagonally. Obsessed with fixing broken things because it makes them feel less broken themselves. Tiny details, huge payoff.

Straight Talk Moment:

Perfect people are boring. Readers want characters they could trauma-bond with at brunch.

2. Flaws, Goals & Backstory = Emotional Recipe

(Your character’s ingredients. Time to shake and bake.)

Think of your character like a gorgeous emotional burrito: Their flaws, dreams, fears, and messy past are all wrapped up in one delicious, chaotic package.

The Psychology Bit:

Every character has a core wound—something that shaped how they move through the world.

Their goals are often rooted in trying to prove that wound wrong.

And readers? We’re drawn to that cycle like Mama Flo to a brownie, because we’re wired to seek meaning in patterns and emotional payoff.

How to tap in:

• Flaws – They aren’t just character flavor. They’re how the character protects their soft underbelly. Let them make mistakes. Let them avoid the very thing they need.
• Goals – What do they want more than anything, and what are they trying to prove? Think less “external win,” more “emotional closure.”
• Backstory – The origin story matters. Show us what shaped their defenses. Childhood loss, betrayal, high-stakes pressure—whatever carved their edges, we want to feel it.

Editor’s Trick:

Write a “therapy transcript” where your character explains why they self-sabotage. You’ll be amazed what spills out.

3. Flat Characters = Flat Brain Response

(Read: Your reader’s brain checks out.)

The Psychology Bit:

Characters who don’t change create low engagement. Why? Because our brains crave constant movement, transformation, and resolution.

Seeing a character grow, fail, and choose differently activates our reward systems. It’s why we love the glow-up, the redemption arc, the “oh my god they finally admitted it” moment.

So, how do you write that satisfying transformation?

• Start with resistance: He doesn’t believe in love. She refuses help. Great. That’s the tension. Now build toward breaking it open.
• Let the romance dig deep: The love interest should poke at the sore spots. Challenge the status quo. Stir up the inner “what if I’m wrong about myself?” questions.
• Don’t skip the mess: Growth requires friction. Let them fail. Let them backslide. Let them make choices that make readers yell at the page.

Bonus Tip:

Tie your character’s emotional arc to their attachment style. Avoidant? Show them struggling to let someone in. Anxious? Let them learn that love isn’t earned through over-functioning. That’s the stuff that sticks.

Stir up the inner “what if I’m wrong about myself?” questions.

Final Pep Talk (Psych-Edition):

Here’s the truth bomb:

Your characters are emotional mirrors.

Readers don’t just want to observe—they want to feel. They want to be understood. And they want your characters to fight for something they’ve been afraid to claim for themselves.

So give us characters who ache. Who grow. Who screw it up and still find their way back to love.

Make us care—and we’ll follow you to every prequel, bonus chapter, epilogue, and series along the way.

Want help pulling all this out of your head and onto the page?

Snag my free [Character Deep Dive Worksheet]—a guided worksheet that helps you get into your character’s emotional core and build someone your readers will cling to.

And if you’re feeling stuck, spiraling, or avoiding writing by deep-cleaning your kitchen cabinets? Come hang out on Instagram. I’m there with memes, pep talks, and probably a rant about the miscommunication trope.

Now go write the next character we’re ready to obsess over.

Until next time, keep writing, say sassy, and know you've got this.