The Secret to Writing Characters That Feel Real

If you’ve ever lost yourself in a book, you know the power of a well-written character. Not just the ones who slay dragons or save worlds, but the ones who whisper their fears, wrestle with impossible choices, and somehow feel like they’re sitting beside you, telling their story.

Over the years, I’ve written hundreds of characters: some brave, some flawed, some magical, and some achingly human. And if there’s one truth I’ve learned about how to write characters that feel real, it’s this: you don’t just invent them… you discover them.

They live inside you already, waiting to be found.

And once you find them — really find them — they’ll begin to breathe, speak, and even surprise you.

Realistic Characters Matter More Than Perfect Ones

Characters are the emotional heartbeat of a story. Without that pulse, everything else — even the most epic fantasy battle or sweeping romance — falls flat.

Why? Because a good character reflects us. Our hopes. Our struggles. Our dreams. Our humanity.

A story can have dazzling settings and clever plot twists… but if the characters don’t feel alive, the reader won’t care what happens to them.

Perfect characters tend to fade. But real ones — messy, conflicted, kind, uncertain, brave, broken, resilient — are the ones who stay with you.

So… How Do You Write Characters That Feel Real?

Let me share something I’ve learned along the way:

For a character to truly come alive, they must rise up and speak to me. They need to share their innermost secrets: their fears, their hopes, and even their flaws. Only then can I stop guiding the process and let that character meet you, the intelligent reader, in full authenticity and on their own terms.

It’s not a technical exercise. It’s a layered, intuitive process. But when it works, it’s nothing short of magic. I come to know these wondrous beings not as inventions, but as companions. And my job, as the storyteller, is simply to listen… and then get out of their way so they can show us who they really are.

Here are a few of my tips for how to write characters that feel real:

 

1. Know Their Wounds, Not Just Their Wants

Every character wants something. That’s Storytelling 101.

But here’s Storytelling 202: every character is carrying something. A wound. A regret. A fear. A secret.

When you write from that deeper place — when you let their pain shape their choices — suddenly your character begins to move with a life of their own.

Take Merlin, for example. Sure, he’s powerful. But what truly defines him isn’t his magic. It’s his yearning to understand who he is, and where he belongs. That emotional wound becomes the compass of his journey.

So ask your characters: What hurts? What haunts them? What haven’t they told anyone… not even themselves?

That’s where the soul of your story lives.

 

2. Let Them Surprise You

Your job isn’t to control your characters or chart their destinies. Your job is to trust them and let them lead the way.

You might think your character will make one decision — but then, suddenly, they veer off course and choose something else entirely. That’s not a mistake. That’s discovery.

Characters are like rivers. They find their own paths. Let them.

And when they reveal something unexpected — a hidden strength, a buried fear, a quiet moment of grace — lean into it. Those are the moments that stay with readers long after the final page.

 

3. Give Them Contradictions

Real people are contradictions. We can be brave and terrified at the same time. Loyal and selfish. Optimistic and heartbroken.

So should your characters.

Don’t just write the loyal friend or the ruthless villain. Instead, write the friend who’s loyal… but terrified of being abandoned, and the villain who’s ruthless… but secretly longs to be seen.

These contradictions aren’t weaknesses; they’re what make characters human.

 

4. Anchor Them in the Senses

Want to make a character unforgettable? Let readers experience the world through the characters’ senses. Hear what they hear. Smell the rain-soaked earth after a storm. Feel the ache in their chest when they lose someone.

The more sensory and specific you are, the more your characters will step off the page and into the reader’s world.

It’s one thing to say your character is nervous. It’s another to show the quiet ways that nervousness shows up — a restless hand, a wandering gaze, or a breath that’s held just a second too long.

Those small, concrete details build trust with your reader. They send a subtle message: This character is real.

 

5. Ask Yourself: Would I Follow This Person Into the Unknown?

At the heart of every great story is a journey. And the question readers subconsciously ask on page one is: Am I drawn to this person enough to follow them into the unknown?

That doesn’t mean your character has to be likable. But they do need to be compelling. Complex. Worth the time.

Whether your character is saving a kingdom or just trying to survive middle school, your reader needs a reason to care about them.

So give your characters stakes. Give them dreams. Give them someone to love. And above all, give them the courage to grow.

 

Where Do These Characters Come From?

Here’s the funny thing: you’re not actually making them up. You’re remembering them.

Sometimes they’re pieces of people you’ve met: a friend’s laugh, a stranger’s kindness, your mother’s curiosity.

Other times, they’re pieces of yourself. The parts you’ve hidden, the parts you’ve healed, and the parts still finding their way.

That’s why writing characters can feel so vulnerable — and so powerful.

Readers don’t just want a story — they want to feel something true. Something that reminds them they’re not alone.

Writing With Courage (and Heart)

Writing characters that feel real takes courage.

It means being honest. Being open. Letting yourself feel everything your character feels: the joy, the grief, the doubt.

But when you do, something remarkable happens.

A reader, maybe halfway around the world, picks up your story. And in the quiet of their room, something clicks.

They think, “I know this person.”

Not because your character is perfect, but because they’re real.

And in that moment, you’ve done something extraordinary. You’ve reached across time and space and made a connection that’s as magical as anything I could conjure in the Merlin Saga.

So write bravely. Write with your whole heart. And most of all, write characters who remind us what it means to be beautifully, imperfectly, gloriously human.

Want More Tips on Storytelling?

If you’d like to hear more about crafting unforgettable characters (including an inspiring conversation I had with the brilliant author and editor Jill Santopolo), I invite you to listen to Season 2, Episode 6 of my podcast, Magic & Mountains.

Until next time, fellow storytellers… keep writing with wonder.

Recent Posts The Secret to Writing Characters That Feel Real Public Land Goes Back on the Chopping Block, Needs Our Continued Support Why Save Our Public Lands? What It Truly Means to Be a Hero Today Why I Wrote “The Lost Years of Merlin”

The post The Secret to Writing Characters That Feel Real appeared first on TABarron.com.