How to Write Compelling Characters From the Inside Out

Most people, whether they realize it not, are writing their novels in a very inefficient way.
They wonder why they get stuck partway through a scene, why the middle of their novel sags, Or why the ending is anticlimactic.
Really, it’s because the characters aren’t nearly as developed and three-dimensional as they need to be. When creating a story, you need to start developing the characters first. Before plot, before theme, before setting.
If you have an idea for a plot, put it aside until you have your POV characters down pat.
Why? Characters are at the heart of any story. They’re the reader’s point of connection with your novel and they will see all the events of the story through the characters’ eyes.
What Makes a Compelling Character?
Before we get into how to build characters, let’s establish what makes a character compelling in the first place. A compelling character is:
- Sympathetic (different from likable)
- Nuanced (they have layers)
- Flawed (they’re not perfect)
- Active (they go after what they want)
Now I want you to forget everything you know about how to build characters because frankly, the way most writing coaches and story theorists will tell you to do it is next to useless. They’ll ask you to start with your character’s “story goal” (a vague term I’m not fond of) or devise a backstory for them.
But in order to truly have characters that jump off the page and feel alive to your readers, you have to go much deeper than that.
Where to Start
I believe in starting from the core—get to the very heart of your character, and then build them from the inside out.
How does this produce better characters? Well, the problem I see often in manuscripts is that A. the protagonist has no defined personality and therefore is bland as boiled chicken. B. the protagonist has no defined personality and so swings wildly from one extreme to the other C. the protagonist does not have a unique personality and so multiple characters act and talk the exact same.
Why does this happen? It’s because they have no idea why their characters act the way they do; they have no idea how their characters see the world. As you’re about to see there are certain key factors that determine a person’s beliefs, worldview, and course of action. These are your character’s why’s.

The 9 Avatars
What if I told you there was a secret shortcut that can help you build a strong foundation for your characters in just 5 minutes? Well, it’s real, and it’s called The Enneagram.
Don’t get scared by the New Age-y name. I promise this isn’t like astrology or horoscopes, it’s just a social psychology system. Borne out of ancient traditions thousands of years old, it was synthesized into a harmonious system by philosopher George Gurdjieff. It’s based on the premise that there are 9 different fundamental personality types in the world.
While it’s common for people to see a little of themselves in all the different types there will always be 1 type that is scarily accurate.
Now the Enneagram doesn’t encompass a person’s entire personality. The Enneagram is laser-focused on the universal core fear, core motivation, and core values that are inherent to each personality type. If that sounds like French to you, let’s illustrate the concept through an example. Let’s look at Type 2: The Helper. This personality type tends to be very empathetic and warm-hearted. Their values are self-sacrifice, generosity, friendliness, helpfulness, and altruism. However, they can also be self-righteous, hypocritical, sentimental, and people-pleasing. They tend to always put the needs of others before their own to sate their subconscious desire to “earn” love, which can cause resentment.
Core Fear: Being unwanted or unworthy of love
Core Motivation: To feel loved, to be needed, and appreciated
Not all Type 2s will be the exact same. One Type 2 could be a yuppie financial analyst named Joe who loves the color blue and another could be a nursing student named Tracy from the wrong side of the tracks who’s obsessed with learning guitar. The superficial likes, quirks, and traits can differ, but at the end of the day, Joe and Tracy are both driven by the same things because they have the same core fear, core motivations, and core values.
The whole goal is to make our characters feel human, and the best way to do that is to give them one of the nine basic personality types that all humans fall into. I can’t recommend Don Riso’s book, Personality Types: Using the Enneagram for Self-Discovery enough. It’s practically a character creation cheat code and goes very in-depth, breaking down how each type’s behavior and mindset changes as they grow and as they deteriorate. If you don’t have time to read a whole book (though please do, it’ll change your writing forever) then you can go over to Personality Path and take their Enneagram Type test—just answer the questions as the character you’re trying to develop. To get even more in-depth (which is always a good thing) also determine your character’s wing. Each Personality Type has 2 wings or two different variations.
So to recap, by now you should already know the most important things about your character: their deepest fear, core motivation, and values. You should have an idea of what they're like at their best, and what they’re like at their worst. This is the scaffolding, the infrastructure upon which you build.

The Lie Your Character Believes
The next step is to decide the Lie Your Character Believes. Everyone consciously or subconsciously tells themselves various “stories” about people and the world every day. These stories are shaped by our past experiences. For example, a person who has been burned by love in the past might tell themselves that true love does not exist. Every compelling character has one dominant narrative, one overarching story that is the lens through which they see the world. It could be, “Kindness is weakness” or “Only successful people are valuable” or anything else, but there are two important caveats 1) it should be very much related to the character’s fear, motivation, and values 2) it isn’t actually true.
That’s right, the narrative your character is telling themselves must be false.
This is what K.M. Weiland says in, Creating Character Arcs: "Your character is incomplete on the inside. He is harboring some deeply held misconception about either himself, the world, or probably both." How about some examples? I’ll be sticking with Pixar movies to illustrate this concept as Pixar is an absolute master at storytelling and story structure.
In Toy Story, Woody’s Lie is, “I’m only valuable if I’m Andy’s favorite toy.” This is why the appearance of Buzz Lightyear is so threatening to him. If Buzz takes Woody’s place, Woody believes he’ll be worthless. This drives his increasingly selfish actions throughout the movie.
In Inside Out, Joy believes, “Happiness is the only valuable emotion.” As a result, she’s possessive over Riley’s control center and constantly telling Sadness to stay away. It takes losing her position of power and seeing that sadness has a purpose for her to change.

The Ghost
But where did your character get the Lie from? What originally caused them to believe this? Within the character's backstory, you need to pull out the Ghost. There could be a lot of bad things that have happened to your character but you have to pull out the ONE THING that trumps them all. The one thing your POV character couldn't "get over." That is the Ghost and the cause of the Lie.
The Ghost is almost always a Very Bad Thing that happened to your character. However, to take a backstory from serviceable to great, it’s better to have the characters blame themselves for the Very Bad Thing or make it so the Very Bad Thing happened because of their mistake. As John Truby says, "You can also think of [the Ghost] as the hero's internal opponent. It is the great fear that is holding him back from action. Structurally, the Ghost acts as a counter desire. The hero's desire drives him forward; his Ghost holds him back.”
An example of this in action plays out through Aang’s story in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Aang is the Avatar, and thus has incredible powers, and is destined to save the world. Aang’s Ghost is that he originally ran away after finding out he was the Avatar, froze himself in a block of ice to save him and his pet in a terrible storm. As a result, the Avatar disappeared for a hundred years and the evil Fire Nation conquered most of the world. Aang’s Ghost is so powerful because his disappearance from the world was his own fault, and as a result, he carries a lot of guilt and insecurity.
The Ghost is often kept secret from other characters, and even from the audience (at first). Rather than slapping your audience with a long monologue about how terrible your character’s childhood was, try to give them glimpses or hints about The Ghost before the Big Reveal. As with all aspects of your character, how the character’s Ghost impacts them should influence and be influenced by the character’s fear, motivation, and values. Everything should be symbiotic.

Want and Need
Want and Need are essential aspects of developing a character and character arc. As with the Ghost, both of them are related to the Lie.
Again, returning to K.M. Weiland, “The Lie plays out in your character’s life, and your story, through the conflict between the Thing He Needs (the Truth) and the Thing He Wants (the perceived cure for the symptoms of the Lie).” Your character has a hole within them that they’re trying to fill. The character’s Lie, though they don’t quite realize it yet, is causing problems in their life and as a result, they’re not fulfilled. The Want could be anything tangible: a promotion, a pilot’s license, an award, a car, etc.
The important part is that the Lie is the root of the Want. The Want is the Thing with a capital T that they believe will magically fix their life and make them feel whole. In reality, however, the only thing that will make them complete on the inside is the Truth or the opposite of the Lie.
Let’s demonstrate this. Continuing the example of Woody, he believes achieving his Want—getting rid of Buzz Lightyear—is what will make his life happy. In reality, he needs to separate his self-worth from being the favorite and be more secure in himself—that’s his Need. The character must satisfy his need in order to be healthy, stable, and whole. If he doesn't satisfy his need, he’ll stay stagnant or even worsen. If the Want is the character’s outer goal then the Need is his inner one. What your character Needs, in most cases, is nothing more than an epiphany or realization that leads him to finally see the Lie for what it is.
As K.M. Weiland says, “He will invariably have to come to a point where he’s willing to sacrifice What He Wants in order to secure What He Needs. Sometimes the story will have to end on that bittersweet note of interior gain and exterior loss. But, other times, once the character has embraced the Thing He Needs, he will then be all the more empowered in his pursuit of What He Wants—allowing him to harmonize both his inner and outer goals in the finale.”
Even if the character doesn’t sacrifice his Want in order to satisfy his Need, he must at least be willing to do so by the climax of the story. To clarify, the Want is always external, while the Need must be internal. The whole goal is for your character to go from chasing after their Want to satisfying their Need.
The plot of the story tends to consist of the character pursuing their Want. They then either realize and accept their Need (in a Positive Character Arc) or reject the Need (in a Negative Character Arc) for the Want.
The Super Objective
Now for the fun part. What is your character’s Super Objective for the narrative as a whole? The Super-Objective (don’t bother looking it up, it’s a term I came up with) is what your character is going to do to get their Want given their specific personality, Ghost, and flaws. The Super-Objective must:
- Be an action verb
- Be very specific
- Be correct for that particular character
So what does this look like? Let’s look at an iconic character—Prince Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Some would mistake his Want to be, “I Want to capture the Avatar.” However, that’s not quite true. Zuko doesn’t want to capture the Avatar because he’s a Fire Nation fanboy. What he wants, is to return home and win his father’s love. Capturing the Avatar is his Super-Objective—it’s the way he intends to get what he wants. There’s a fine distinction between the two, and your plot and character arcs will be muddled if you get the two mixed up.
To be clear: The Want is What they want, the Super Objective is HOW they intend to get it. For those who know a bit about story structure, keep in mind The Want must be established before the Inciting Incident, whereas the Super Objective can only be established after the Inciting Incident.

Creating a Character Profile
This process should be done for every point-of-view character within your story. The best way to organize all this information about your characters is to build a character profile. This is an outline for your character’s personality and arc. In Dabble, go to the “Story Notes” section, and into the “Character” folder. Write down the following:
Enneagram Type:
Core Fear:
Core Motivation:
Core Values:
Lie:
Ghost:
Want:
Need:
Super Objective:
Going through this process ensures you have a well-developed, three-dimensional, unique, and active character. Each element is interconnected with the others so that your character’s traits are coherent and consistent.
This is the foundation upon which to build your story. If you do this for each of your POV characters you will understand them intimately—better than your spouse or your best friend—and therefore be able to ensure their actions are consistent with their personality and goals. The character will be unique by default, as each character’s, Ghost, Want, Need and Super-Objective will be different depending on their Lie and the way they see the world, just like people.
I hope this helps you create a detailed schematic for your character’s arc, which in turn will help you create better, more powerful, more nuanced stories.
TAKE A BREAK FROM WRITING...
Read. Learn. Create.
Characters are the most important part of any story. They are the beating heart and the blood that flows through your novel’s veins. Yes, your plot and world and story structure are also important, but most people will fall in love with a book because they love the characters.
If you’re planning to become an indie author, one of the first things you might be wondering is: how do you price a self-published book?
Can't get a clear answer on how many scenes should be in a chapter? Here's how to calculate the answer for your book.
There's no easy way to determine how many chapters you should have in your book, but let's figure out how many will work for you.
You’ve cobbled together 100K words of sheer brilliance, but now you must tackle the hardest task. How do you write book titles, anyway?
Looking for great writing exercises for fiction writers? We've got you covered with prompts to inspire story, character, and more.
How much do authors make? It's a question every writer asks at least once. We break it down for you in this blog!
Theses six steps can help show you how to become a fiction writer. Figure out what works best for you!
Want to learn the secret of how to overcome writer's block? You've got to get to the root of the problem. We can help.
Fight scenes are what some readers live for, but writing them can be tough. Let's dissect how to write a fight scene in your novel.
Romance tropes are the heartbeat of what makes romance novels feel like cozy sweaters you want to snuggle into.
Not sure how to describe clothing writing? It's easier (and more fun) than you might think. Here's everything you need to know.
Character motivation is essential in creating characters your readers will care about. Learn about the types of motivation with Dabble!
How to start a first chapter: include action, character, plot, emotion, and motivation or you’re going to lose your reader.
Want to learn how to write exposition that's not so explainy? Divulge compelling backstory using these tried-and-true tips.
English is whack. Let's make something better. Here's how to create a fictional language in four simple steps.
How long should your chapters be? On average, chapters tend to range from 1,000-5,000 words, with most falling in the 2,000-4,000 range.
Need original character questions to inspire your work in progress? Dig deep with these one-of-a-kind character interview questions.
It isn't easy to write a good villain, at least not without the right ingredients. Let Dabble give you the perfect recipe for a villain!
There are a lot of pieces of writing advice you can ignore, but here’s one you shouldn’t: you need to include character goals in your story.
Why does character motivation matter? Find out why a thrilling plot is not enough and how to design motivation that resonates with readers.
Outlining your future bestseller isn't easy! But we break it down for you so you can plan a novel that rocks.
You might be wondering: how long does it take to write a book? The answer depends on a variety of factors.
Here are sixty-five character development questions, plus tips on how and when to interview your characters. Get inspired and get unstuck!
Conflict is what makes books worth reading. Join us as we explore the four types of conflict you can use to make you story memorable!
Do you have a writer in your life who needs a gift? Check out this list of 61 gifts for writers that will help them with their author dreams.
Need character ideas for your next story? Find a ton of original ideas and brainstorming questions right here!
The words you use to start a story are some of the most important you'll write. We'll help make sure you get them right!
A character flaw is a fault, limitation, or weakness that can be internal or external factors that affect your character and their life.
The Seducer/Seductress archetype can help you craft unforgettable villains and surprisingly sympathetic anti-heroes. Learn how.
The Orphan archetype makes for both inspiring heroes and unsettlingly sympathetic villains. Learn how to use this archetype in your story.
Explore the fundamentals of the Outlaw Archetype and how they serve your story. Explore famous examples of Outlaws in popular media.
The Common Person or Everyman is a powerful archetype that can instantly relate to your readers. Learn how to use it in your writing!
The caregiver archetype is more than a saint. Learn how to craft a fascinating, flawed, and deep-souled caregiver for your story.
The Ruler archetype is one of the most recognizable and is about stability and maintaining order through control and power.
The Creator Archetype breathes life into their art, often to an obsessive level. Learn all about using this archetype in your writing!
Get to know the Innocent archetype, from Buddy the Elf to Andy Dwyer. Learn how to write this lovable (and sometimes chaotic) character.
The Sage archetype is an important one in all storytelling—one that can either help or hinder the protagonist's journey in your book.
Explorer Archetypes long for adventure and seek out new places, ideas, and experiences to live a thrilling, exciting, and fulfilling life.
What is the Jester archetype? Find out what you need to know to give your funniest character true purpose and depth.
Lover archetypes embrace the love they hold for friends, family, their gods, or simply the world around them.
The Magician archetype is one of the most popular archetypes in writing. In this blog, we explain everything you need to know about Magicians!
What is the hero archetype? From epic heroes to anti-heroes, here's everything you need to know about crafting a compelling hero.
The seven basic plot points offer perhaps what is the most open-ended of the structure archetypes with broad, high-level descriptions.
Chekhov's Gun is a fundamental principle in writing. Join us as we examine what this principle is so you can apply it to your own writing.
What is three-act structure? Learn why this story structure is so effective and whether it can help you plot your novel.
Save the Cat is one of the most popular ways of drafting screenplays and novels in modern storytelling.
The Hero's Journey is a classic story structure. Learn why it's so popular among writers and how to apply it to your own storytelling.
We call it John Gardner's aquatic monstrosity, the Fichtean Curve is a narrative structure that can help you easily plan out your novel.
We break down Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method, a type of outlining that can make writing your book much easier and faster.
A New York City story coach shares her best tips on how to create compelling characters. She walks through each step in the process.
Learn about Dan Harmon's Story Circle—what it is, how it can help you plot your novel, and whether it's right for you.
One of the original story structures, Freytag's Pyramid is the foundation for dramatic stories and tragedies. Learn all about it with Dabble!
Learn how to write a children's book with this ultimate guide and template for designing a story that resonates with young readers.
In this article, we’ll explore what active and passive writing is and when you should use them. Contrary to some beliefs, sometimes passive voice does make sense. Not everything you write should or needs to be active (though it should be most of the time).
Editing your book can be a daunting task. In this article, we breakdown the different types of editing and when you should apply them.
Learn how to write a book synopsis that gets the attention of agents and publishers. It's easier than you think.
3rd-person limited or 1st-person epistolary? Here is what you need to know about narrative point of view and your story.
Story structures are the frameworks that tie your story together. A story structure can help guide your book to be the best it can be!
Bestselling author Kristina Stanley breaks down the three questions you need to ask to self-edit your book's characters, plot, and setting.
Which of the four character arc types is right for your story? And what is a character arc?
To write a romance you need to manage three separate arcs: your main character, your love interest, and the romance itself.
Character archetypes can help you write complex, three-dimensional characters. Learn more about them, including 14 common types, with Dabble.
Learn how to write a book in this ultimate guide. Plus find editing tips, map out a publishing journey, & download a free outlining template.
Unsure of how to start writing? This easy guide and checklist will help you turn your writing dreams into a reality.
Writing with proper punctuation can feel like the hardest part of writing. Don't worry, we've made a Beginner's Guide to Punctuation to help!
Plot is pretty much everything that happens in your story. So let's look at some methods that can help map out your story.
Snag this free, downloadable character development worksheet, designed to help you craft compelling characters and write an unputdownable story.
Finishing your first draft is quite possibly the biggest challenge you'll face as a fiction writer. To be successful, where should you start?
The publishing landscape is always changing, so many writers wonder: should I pay a publisher? Let's take a look at all your publishing options.
Time to learn one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. Welcome to the Plot Grid.
Author's tone is an abstract, slippery concept. But once you've mastered this skill in your writing, you'll have a powerful tool for captivating readers.
It's time to start writing. Get started by setting goals, and removing some sneaky myths from your mind.
If you’re embarking on a topic that requires a lot of research, you might wonder where you even begin. How do you make use of all those juicy tidbits, and what kind of process should you use to ensure complete and total accuracy?
Writing well requires preparation. Set up your space, gather your tools, and adjust your mindset to crush your writing goals.
You have the knowledge and you have the tools. Time to become the writer you want to be. You got this!
Today we’re going to look at story beats to help craft your romance novel. Beats are specific points of significance that occur in stories that a) help keep the tension up and b) help drive the story forward. They can also be extremely useful in helping you map out your story before you dive into your first draft.
Not sure how to become a successful author—or if it's even possible? Learn exactly what it takes to make it as a writer.
Your writing method will determine a lot about your process. Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?
Have you every wondered whether you can make a living as a writer? It is far from easy, but we break down the way you can achieve your dreams as a career author.
Antagonists are some of the most important types of characters in stories, but also some of the most difficult to write. Let's breakdown what makes a good antagonist.
Prose describes how you write your book, and it can be challenging to get right. So, in this article, we cover what makes good prose.
Characters are the heart of a story. Let's talk about arcs, conflict, and growth.
Theme is subtle, tricky, and will likely be the most effective way to get your audience emotionally engaged. So how do you do it?
First person narrative is when you write using the words “I”, “us”, or “we”. It’s when your story is told through the eyes of one person and we spend time in their head, hearing their thoughts and seeing what they see.
Creating character arcs isn't for the faint of heart. You've got to be ruthless. You've got to be strategic. And it also helps to read this step-by-step guide.
We've got you covered with the best character template ever to help bring your story's characters to life!
Characters come with traits, flaws, problems and much more. Time to dig into those and start giving some depth to them.