One of the best ways to get to know your characters is to spend time with them. Usually, it takes a bit of the story before the characters take hold of their own actions and responses, but if I do my prep work beforehand, I can have that character driving the plot from page one on.
If you want an easy/fun exercise, write your character’s best day.
Asking a child what their favorite part of the day is always very telling. It could be as simple as: PIZZA! But then think about your day, what was the best part: the moment you got in and kicked off your shoes, or when you finally got to crawl into bed?
This can help understand their voice, interests, and relationships. It’s not something that needs to end up in your story, but it is a great way to let them come alive. If you try to expand it briefly, you’ll get a broader sense of how they handle problems or value the people, places, and things around them. Once a character is realized in our minds, it’s easier to write confidently what they would do, and the more vivid that realization is, the less likely you’ll find your character acting out of character on your next draft.
Feeling like going deeper?
What are they like on their worst day?
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