: Re: What meta-properties should a character have in general? What are the properties a generic main character from a character-driven/psychological novel should have? E.g. relations, motives, personality,

@Megan928

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If you view characters as a discrete set of properties, especially in a psychological novel/story, then frankly, you're not going to succeed. Can you summarise your mother as a discrete set of properties? Your father, your best friend, any siblings you might have?

If you can, then you think in a very different way to most people.

The most effective way to build a character is to form a full person; they, like any real person, were formed by their childhood experiences, their parents, even their genetics to some extent. They may have hope and dreams, or they could be a defeated cynic. They might be good at life, they might be loser.

But what's important is that you write them as a person, not a stat list. Perhaps DeviantArt will accept character creation done in this manner, but if you intend to write a psychological novel, try giving your characters a psyche worth analysing.

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