: Re: How to write a socially awkward, anxious character without them ending up like Bella Swan? I'm trying to write a character who is shy and awkward and has anxiety so she would stutter or have

@Speyer920

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Making a socially anxious character is very simple in design. I myself am quite socially awkward at times. But I also enjoy engaging in social activities, have quite a few hobbies, and can speak very well when I need to.
Now, Twilight, from what little I read, is very much fanfiction-esque. It features a bland protagonist that is supposed to fill in for the reader to be able to assimilate themselves into, a love interest that is pretty much perfect (to the author) and is basically wish-fulfillment in a book. One very common flaw people have is social awkwardness. It's easy to identify with because we've all been there.
As an avid reader and budding author myself, social awkwardness is a flaw we all suffer for to some degree. What you 're really looking to do is make you character believable in another way. I personally like to have awkward moments for all my characters, so I try to develop my characters in other ways, like giving them anger issues, or having them be the overprotective mother, etc.
So, what I think you should do is observe people in awkward situations (romcoms are gold for this type of stuff.) and see how they react. That, although exaggerated, is very human and can be used for development.
It's not really social awkwardness that you should be looking into, it's the other things that make them human. Hope this helps, and isn't just me rambling.

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