How do you create and develop your characters?

[Pilot]

Do you create one character and then make complementary characters?
Or do you create a couple of characters and tie them together?
or do you do something else?
also how do you make sure your characters are believable?

[A. Thorne]

I begin with the main character, give them a weakness they need to address to complete the overall story goal. I also give them a saving strength that they can employ in the climax if they can just get past their weakness. I then create an opponent who mirrors or attacks that weakness and wants the same goal, but uses other means to get at it. I then create supporting characters who either support or oppose the main character's method of achieving his goal. After that I toss in some minor characters to spice things up or reinforce mood or themes.

As far as believability goes I make sure they have desires, mannerisms and quirks based on their weaknesses and strengths, i.e. a character who is timid and needs to overcome it may have a goal of either staying away from public places or trying to make friends to be more outgoing.

[sensualgruv]

My characters are formulated in my head. Usually in a very superficial way; the same way you meet people. It is their looks and clothing, the way they walk and perhaps interact with other strangers I don't know. It is visual like the opening scene of a movie. I don't know anything except what my senses tell me. From that I can write at least a few pages and even while describing the visual I can learn things. 'She walks as if lost, looking for something'; 'He moves like a tourist on vacation and the other people on the street are annoyed with his wide eyed wonder', 'The group was dressed in the most expensive, current, designer, high end clothing on the market, it wasn't until the guy with the slick hair and tight jeans whipped out a camera that they moved in tandem posing for shot after random shot. Five other guys came out of nowhere with silver umbrellas and discs to direct the light as if the sun wasn't cooperating.'

The more I write about the scene the more I understand what the character is doing in it. The more I learn the more my reader learns. It is a process for both of us and I like it that way. It keeps me interested. When my character begins living in my head at night or when I'm not writing is when it gets really interesting. Those are the moments I learn what they eat, how they spend their alone time, what they watch on television, their favorite piece of furniture, if they can text or have twitter. Other realizations about the plot fall into place now because I begin to understand their motivations and reactions a bit better. I'm getting to know them the way someone gets to know a best buddy. How you catch up with a relative, how you engage an enemy.

My work is character driven so the plot is nothing if my character isn't believable. I normally impress upon them habits I see people in the street with, or some flaw of mine or one of my friends or family something familiar to me so it has a purpose. So it reminds me my character is part me.

[Fearlessbasket428]

I create my personal favorite characters. Then I create the antagonist and protagonist, and then the smaller characters.

I compare the characters to people today. I ask myself, "would someone really say/do that?"

[Jessica Smotherman]

I talk to them. Lol sounds crazy... but it works for me. I pretend Im the main character and i put myself into the scene. I talk to them and without much thought i get a response, which i edit.