To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them. — Montesquieu
One of the most common pitfalls in writing characters is a lack of nuance. Characters that are perfectly angelic or totally dreadful quickly become tedious.
Think of the people you most admire, both currently and from when you were growing up, and the truth of human nature becomes obvious. The most influential leaders, the greatest teachers, the most trusted friends, and the best colleagues in life aren’t and never were super human. They’re the ones who share their knowledge and strengths but also acknowledge their mistakes and weaknesses. Truly great people often have some unusual and impressive characteristics, but they are always human to their core.
- Pick one person you consider truly great and make a bullet-pointed list of that person’s strengths and weaknesses, even if it feels disloyal, brutal, or unkind. (You can always shred it afterwards.)
- Do the same for a person you consider generally sub-par as a human being. Set aside your personal feelings and note three positive characteristics or strengths. Note any reluctance you feel to see beyond your poor opinion of them.
- Now pick your most wooden character and give them a bit of realistic humanity.