Revive flat, boring characters with 9 proven techniques. Learn how to add depth, personality, and life to characters who aren’t working—complete with examples and exercises.
The Character Emergency
You’re halfway through your manuscript when you realize:
“This character is boring.”
Or worse, your beta readers tell you:
“I just couldn’t connect with [main character].” “The protagonist felt kind of… flat?” “They all sounded the same to me.”
Panic sets in:
“Do I have to start over? Scrap the whole thing? Create a completely new character?”
Take a breath.
Flat characters are not terminal. They’re fixable.
Think of this as character CPR—or better yet, a complete makeover.
Your character isn’t dead. They’re just sleeping. Waiting for you to give them what they need to wake up and come alive on the page.
The good news: You don’t need to start over. You need specific, targeted interventions that transform flat characters into vivid ones.
The better news: These techniques work whether you’re in first draft (prevention) or revision (rescue).
This guide provides nine proven techniques to spice up flat characters, complete with diagnostic questions to identify which technique you need, contemporary examples showing each in action, and specific exercises to implement immediately.
Understanding Character Flatness
Why Characters Go Flat
Common scenarios:
Scenario 1: Character started vivid but faded during drafting Scenario 2: Character never came alive, felt like placeholder from start Scenario 3: Character works in your head but not on page Scenario 4: Side character eclipsing protagonist in interest
All fixable with right intervention.
The Spice Principle
Flat character = Bland meal
You have all the basic ingredients (person, actions, dialogue) but missing the spices that make it memorable.
Spices for characters:
- Specific wants (gives direction)
- Active pursuit (creates movement)
- Obstacles (reveals character)
- Unique expression (creates distinctiveness)
- Rich backstory (provides depth)
- Emotional authenticity (creates connection)
- Complexity (adds realism)
- Personal style (makes them specific)
- Time and patience (allows discovery)
Each technique adds different flavor.
Technique 1: Give Them Specific Wants
The Diagnostic
Your character feels flat if:
- You can’t state in one sentence what they want
- They drift through scenes without clear purpose
- Their actions don’t connect to larger goals
- You’re not sure what they’re trying to achieve
The core issue: No desire = No direction = Flat character
Why This Works
Want creates:
- Direction: Where character is headed
- Stakes: What happens if they fail
- Choices: What they’ll sacrifice to succeed
- Personality: What their want reveals about values
Readers invest in characters pursuing something specific.
The Implementation
Level 1: Single Want (Minimum requirement)
For every character, even minor ones:
“This character wants [specific thing] because [personal reason].”
Example:
Weak: “The barista wants to be successful” Strong: “The barista wants to save $30,000 to open a coffee shop in her hometown that closed its last café five years ago when her father died”
Even minor character has specific want with emotional weight.
Level 2: Multiple Wants (Major characters)
Give protagonist 3-5 competing wants:
Example – Protagonist wants:
- Professional: Win the case that will make her partner
- Personal: Repair relationship with estranged sister
- Internal: Prove she’s not like her manipulative mother
- Romantic: Win back ex-boyfriend who left because she worked too much
- Secret: Protect the truth about what really happened at law school
Competing wants create internal conflict and complexity.
Level 3: Wants at Odds (Maximum effect)
Make wants contradict each other:
Example:
- Wants to win case (requires 80-hour weeks)
- BUT wants to repair relationship with sister (requires presence and time)
- CAN’T do both fully—choices reveal character
The Exercise
For each major character:
- List everything they want (big and small)
- Identify which wants compete or contradict
- Rank wants by priority (what would they sacrifice?)
- Ensure reader knows top 2-3 wants by page 30
Contemporary Example: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Evelyn wants:
- Fame and control (achieved through marriages)
- To be with Celia (her true love)
- To protect Celia from publicity
- To control her narrative before dying
- To make peace with her past
Multiple, often contradictory wants create rich complexity.
Technique 2: Make Them Actively Pursue Their Wants
The Diagnostic
Your character feels flat if:
- They want something but don’t actively pursue it
- Things happen TO them more than they make things happen
- They wait for others to act first
- Plot would continue without their choices
The core issue: Passive character = Boring character
Why This Works
Active pursuit reveals:
- Determination: How much they care
- Resourcefulness: How they solve problems
- Personality: Their approach to obstacles
- Values: What they’ll do (or won’t do) to succeed
We learn who people are through watching them try.
The Implementation
The 50% Rule:
In first 100 pages, character should INITIATE at least 50% of scenes.
Passive scene: Boss calls meeting → Character attends → Boss makes announcement → Character reacts
Active scene: Character requests meeting → Pitches idea → Boss resists → Character persuades/negotiates
The active version reveals so much more about character.
The Exercise
The Activity Audit:
- Mark every scene: I (character initiates) or R (character reacts)
- Calculate percentage of I scenes
- If below 50%, reframe R scenes to give character initiative
Example transformation:
Passive: Character learns about murder (told by friend) Active: Character investigates murder (asks questions, follows leads)
Passive: Character gets job offer (employer calls) Active: Character pursues job offer (networks, applies, interviews)
Contemporary Example: Where the Crawdads Sing
Kya actively:
- Teaches herself to read and write
- Publishes marsh guides
- Pursues relationships (cautiously but actively)
- Makes choices about testifying at trial
- [Spoiler: Takes justice into own hands]
Never passive, even in isolation.
Technique 3: Throw Bigger, Better Obstacles in Their Way
The Diagnostic
Your character feels flat if:
- They achieve goals too easily
- Obstacles feel minor or quickly resolved
- No sense of genuine struggle
- Victory feels unearned
The core issue: Easy success = No character revelation
Why This Works
Obstacles test and reveal:
- Limits: What character can/can’t do
- Values: What they’ll sacrifice for success
- Resourcefulness: How they adapt when plans fail
- Breaking points: Where they crack or rally
We don’t know what characters are made of until they’re tested.
The Implementation
The Escalation Framework:
Obstacle Level 1: Character uses usual approach (reveals baseline) Obstacle Level 2: Usual approach fails, must adapt (reveals flexibility) Obstacle Level 3: New approach also fails, must get creative (reveals resourcefulness) Obstacle Level 4: Creative approach partially works but creates new problem (reveals persistence) Obstacle Level 5: Multiple failures, must make hard choice (reveals true character)
Each level adds depth and reveals new facets.
The Exercise
For character’s main goal:
- List current obstacles they face
- Rate each obstacle: Easy/Medium/Hard to overcome
- If mostly Easy, upgrade to Medium or Hard
- Ensure final obstacle before climax is genuinely difficult
Transformation example:
Weak obstacle: Character wants promotion, boss says yes Medium obstacle: Character wants promotion, must compete with colleague, works hard, gets it Strong obstacle: Character wants promotion, discovers boss already promised it to someone else, must decide whether to expose corruption or accept defeat, choice has major consequences
Contemporary Example: The Silent Patient
Theo’s escalating obstacles:
- Alicia won’t speak (initial challenge)
- Colleagues don’t support his approach (professional obstacle)
- His marriage deteriorates (personal consequence)
- His own psychology complicates treatment (internal obstacle)
- The truth about his connection to Alicia (ultimate revelation)
Each obstacle reveals new layer of character.
Technique 4: Give Them Unique Voice and Gestures
The Diagnostic
Your character feels flat if:
- Dialogue sounds interchangeable with other characters
- All characters gesture/react the same way
- You could swap character names without noticing
- No distinct verbal or physical signature
The core issue: Generic expression = Generic character
Why This Works
Distinct voice and gestures create:
- Immediate recognition: Reader knows who’s speaking/acting
- Personality: How they present themselves reveals who they are
- Memorability: Specific details stick in reader’s mind
- Realism: Real people have unique speech/movement patterns
Specificity creates life.
The Implementation
Voice Elements:
Vocabulary level: Formal vs. casual vs. slang Sentence structure: Long complex vs. short fragments Speech patterns: Interrupts self, rhetorical questions, declarations Verbal tics: Specific phrases they repeat, filler words References: What they reference (books, movies, personal history)
Example – Three characters discussing same event:
Character A (formal, precise): “The incident occurred at approximately 3:47 PM. I was positioned near the north entrance when I observed the individual in question.”
Character B (casual, fragmented): “Yeah, so, like, three-ish? Maybe later? I was just standing there and this guy, right, this total weirdo…”
Character C (sarcastic, pop culture): “Picture this: me, minding my business like some NPC in a video game, when Captain Sketchy decides to make his grand entrance.”
Gesture Elements:
Nervous habits: What they do when anxious Confident behaviors: How they present when self-assured Emotional tells: Physical manifestations of feelings Signature movements: Distinctive actions reader associates with them
Example:
Character A: Adjusts glasses, speaks precisely, stands very still Character B: Bounces on toes, gestures wildly, invades personal space Character C: Crosses arms, leans against walls, makes constant eye contact
The Exercise
For each major character, document:
- Three verbal tics (phrases, patterns, quirks)
- Three physical signatures (gestures, movements, habits)
- One thing they’d never say/do
Then write same scene from each character’s POV—voices should be totally distinct.
Contemporary Example: The Hating Game
Lucy’s voice:
- Self-deprecating humor
- Internal metaphors about color and height
- Precise observations
- Anxious overthinking visible in narration
Joshua’s voice (in his scenes):
- Economical speech
- Dry humor
- Control and precision
- Few words but each chosen carefully
Completely distinct, instantly recognizable.
Technique 5: Develop Their Backstory
The Diagnostic
Your character feels flat if:
- You don’t know where they came from
- Their personality seems random or unjustified
- Can’t explain why they are the way they are
- No sense of life before the novel begins
The core issue: No history = No depth
Why This Works
Backstory provides:
- Motivation foundation: Why they want what they want
- Personality explanation: Why they act how they act
- Wound source: What shaped their fears/defenses
- Relationship context: How they connect (or don’t) with others
People are products of their past—so are characters.
The Implementation
Essential backstory elements:
Childhood:
- Where did they grow up? (Place influences perspective)
- Family dynamics? (Parents, siblings, dysfunction)
- Formative experiences? (Trauma, joy, defining moments)
- Early dreams? (What did young them want to be?)
Adolescence:
- Key friendships/relationships?
- Defining failures or successes?
- When did they become who they are now?
Recent history:
- How did they get to where novel starts?
- What happened right before?
- What are they running from/toward?
The Exercise
The Life Timeline:
Create timeline for character from birth to novel’s start:
Ages 0-10: Key family events, formative experiences Ages 11-18: Defining adolescent moments Ages 19-30: Major life choices and turning points Pre-novel: Events that led directly to novel’s opening
Don’t put all this in the book—but YOU need to know it.
Contemporary Example: A Little Life
Jude’s backstory:
- Horrific childhood abuse (shapes entire personality)
- Monastery, then social services
- College friendship formation
- Law school success
- Ongoing struggle with self-worth
Backstory explains every aspect of his character—fear of intimacy, self-harm, inability to accept love.
Technique 6: Show Their Emotions Specifically
The Diagnostic
Your character feels flat if:
- You tell emotions: “She felt sad/angry/scared”
- All characters express feelings the same way
- Emotions stated but not demonstrated
- No physical or behavioral manifestation
The core issue: Generic emotions = Generic character
Why This Works
Everyone feels emotions. How we EXPRESS them makes us unique.
Same emotion, different expressions:
Three characters experience heartbreak:
Character A: Silent shutdown, stops eating, sleeps 16 hours, won’t answer calls Character B: Rage-cleans apartment, boxes up everything related to ex, texts mutual friends for dirt Character C: Throws herself into work, 80-hour weeks, overly bright smile, “I’m totally fine!”
Three completely different people.
The Implementation
The Emotion Translation:
Instead of TELLING emotion: “Marcus was angry.”
SHOW character-specific expression: “Marcus’s jaw clenched. His hands, usually gesturing wildly when he talked, went still. When he spoke, his voice was too quiet—the dangerous quiet his kids knew meant Dad had reached his limit.”
We infer anger from specific behaviors unique to Marcus.
The Exercise
For your protagonist, map how THEY specifically express:
Joy: [Physical behaviors, actions, what they do] Sadness: [Their unique grief response] Anger: [How their rage manifests] Fear: [Their anxiety tells] Love: [How they show affection]
Make each distinct from how other characters express same emotions.
Contemporary Example: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
Eleanor’s unique emotional expressions:
Loneliness: Excessive vodka, one-sided conversations with plants, elaborately planned solo weekends Social anxiety: Overly formal speech, detailed internal preparation for basic interactions Trauma: Complete dissociation, matter-of-fact description of horrific events Emerging happiness: Small, specific joys (new clothes, pizza with Raymond)
Every emotion is distinctly Eleanor.
Technique 7: Show Both Strengths and Weaknesses
The Diagnostic
Your character feels flat if:
- They’re all good (too perfect) or all bad (one-note villain)
- No contradictions in personality
- Behavior completely predictable
- No complexity or moral ambiguity
The core issue: One-dimensional = Flat
Why This Works
Real humans contain contradictions:
- Generous and selfish
- Brave and cowardly
- Kind and cruel
- Strong and vulnerable
Often simultaneously. Characters should too.
The Implementation
The Strength-Weakness Mirror:
For every strength, identify context where it becomes weakness:
Example:
Strength: Fiercely loyal Becomes weakness: Enables toxic friend’s bad behavior, can’t see betrayal coming
Strength: Highly organized and prepared Becomes weakness: Paralyzed when plans fall apart, can’t improvise
Strength: Passionate and emotional Becomes weakness: Makes impulsive decisions, hurts people in heat of moment
The flip-side makes character complex and real.
The Exercise
The Complexity Grid:
For each major character:
- List 3 positive traits
- For each, identify situation where it’s a negative
- List 3 negative traits
- For each, identify situation where it’s a positive
- Ensure novel shows both sides
Example:
Positive trait: Extremely honest When it’s negative: Brutal honesty hurts friends, destroys relationships, loses job
Negative trait: Cynical and distrustful When it’s positive: Spots con artist, protects naive friend, isn’t fooled by manipulator
Contemporary Example: Gone Girl
Amy’s traits:
Strength: Brilliant, strategic mind Weakness: Uses brilliance for elaborate revenge, becomes sociopathic
Strength: Independence and self-sufficiency Weakness: Can’t be vulnerable, destroys relationships
The contradictions make her fascinating and terrifying.
Technique 8: Give Them Personal Style
The Diagnostic
Your character feels flat if:
- No sense of their aesthetic preferences
- Generic description (or none at all)
- Don’t know what music they listen to, art they like, clothes they wear
- Their living space could be anyone’s
The core issue: No style = No specificity = Flat
Why This Works
Our aesthetic choices reveal:
- Values: What we prioritize (comfort vs. style, practicality vs. beauty)
- Personality: How we present ourselves to world
- History: What we grew up with, what we’re running from/toward
- Mood: How we feel about ourselves currently
Characters should have specific tastes that reveal character.
The Implementation
The Style Inventory:
Physical appearance:
- Hair: length, color, natural or dyed, styled or messy
- Clothes: style, brands, condition, how they fit
- Accessories: jewelry, bags, watches, shoes
- Grooming: meticulous or casual, specific choices
Living space:
- Furniture: modern/vintage/minimalist/maximalist
- Colors: bright/muted/monochrome
- Art: what’s on walls, what it says about them
- Organization: neat/cluttered/specific systems
Cultural tastes:
- Music: genres, specific artists, how they consume it
- Reading: genres, authors, formats (physical/digital/audio)
- Visual media: movies, TV, art, photography
- Food: cuisines, preparation styles, dining preferences
The Exercise
For each major character, specify:
- What they’re wearing in opening scene (be specific)
- What’s on their walls at home
- What’s on their phone/in their car
- One strong aesthetic preference
- One thing they’d never wear/own/listen to
Example:
Character A’s bedroom: Minimalist white walls, single Rothko print, monochrome bedding, books organized by height, nothing on nightstand, window always open
Character B’s bedroom: Explosion of color, concert posters covering every wall, clothes on floor, guitar in corner, fairy lights, plants dying from neglect, half-finished art projects everywhere
Two completely different people visible in their spaces.
Contemporary Example: The Devil Wears Prada
Miranda Priestly’s style:
- Specific designer preferences (established as character trait)
- Exact aesthetic standards (white napkin scene)
- Lifestyle choices reveal values
- Style is inseparable from character
Andy’s style evolution:
- Starts generic/frumpy (visible transformation)
- Gradual style upgrade shows character change
- Clothes literally show character arc
Technique 9: Keep Writing and Discovering
The Diagnostic
Your character feels flat if:
- They’re not surprising you
- Their voice keeps changing
- You’re not sure what they’d do in situations
- They feel like a stranger
The core issue: You don’t know them well enough yet
Why This Works
Characters often reveal themselves DURING writing, not before.
Sometimes it takes:
- 50 pages to find their voice
- 100 pages to understand their quirks
- Entire first draft to truly know them
This is normal and okay.
The Implementation
The Discovery Process:
Phase 1: Keep writing forward
- Don’t stop to perfect flat character mid-draft
- Keep trying different approaches
- Put them in varied situations
- See what emerges
Phase 2: Layer back
- Once you understand character, revise earlier sections
- Add newly-discovered quirks to opening chapters
- Make voice consistent throughout
- Reader shouldn’t see your learning curve
The Exercise
Discovery Techniques:
1. First-person rewrite: Rewrite scene in first person from character’s POV (Even if novel is third person—this is just for you)
2. Interview: Write 20 questions and answer in character’s voice
3. Free-write: Let character talk about anything for 10 minutes
4. Out-of-book scene: Write scene that won’t be in novel but reveals character
5. Change genre: Write character in completely different genre/situation
Each reveals something new.
The Patience Principle
Important truth:
You don’t need perfect character in first draft.
You need:
- Willingness to keep exploring
- Patience with discovery process
- Commitment to layering back
- Trust that they’ll reveal themselves
Characters only need to be fully realized in FINAL draft.
Not first, not second—final.
Your Character Spice-Up Checklist
The Nine-Point Assessment
For each flat character, check which techniques needed:
- [ ] Want: Can I state specifically what they want and why?
- [ ] Activity: Do they actively pursue their wants (50%+ initiative)?
- [ ] Obstacles: Are they genuinely tested by challenges?
- [ ] Voice/Gestures: Do they sound/move distinctly from others?
- [ ] Backstory: Do I know their life story (even if not in book)?
- [ ] Emotions: Do they express feelings in character-specific ways?
- [ ] Complexity: Do they show both strengths and weaknesses?
- [ ] Style: Do they have specific aesthetic preferences?
- [ ] Discovery: Am I still learning about them?
Unchecked boxes = Techniques to apply
The Priority System
If limited time, fix in this order:
1. Want (Foundation—fixes many other issues) 2. Activity (Makes want visible and character dynamic) 3. Voice/Gestures (Creates immediate distinctiveness) 4. Complexity (Adds depth and realism) 5. Everything else (Refinement)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many techniques do I need to use?
Not necessarily all nine. Diagnose which specific issues apply to your character, then apply those techniques. Some characters need 2-3, others need 7-8.
Can I fix a character after finishing the draft?
Absolutely. Often easier after draft completion because you know the full story and can layer character details back consistently.
What if character is still flat after trying everything?
Sometimes character isn’t working because they’re not the right protagonist, or their role in story isn’t clear. Consider: Is this the right POV character? Do they have actual function in plot?
How do I know when character is “spiced up” enough?
Beta readers will tell you. Also: character will start surprising you, dialogue will flow easily, you’ll be able to complete all exercises without struggle.
Should minor characters get full treatment?
No. Minor characters need 1-3 techniques (usually want, voice, one specific detail). Save full development for POV and major supporting characters.
Your Action Plan
This week:
- Identify your flattest character
- Complete nine-point assessment
- Choose top 3 techniques to apply
This month:
- Clarify what character wants (technique 1)
- Make them more active (technique 2)
- Give them distinct voice (technique 4)
- Add one unique style detail (technique 8)
This revision:
- Apply all needed techniques to flat characters
- Layer discoveries back to earlier chapters
- Ensure voice consistency throughout
- Add obstacles that genuinely test characters
Conclusion: From Bland to Bold
Here’s the truth about flat characters:
They’re not irredeemable. They’re under-seasoned.
You have the ingredients:
- A person with a role in your story
- Actions they take
- Dialogue they speak
- Scenes they inhabit
You just need the spices:
- Specific wants (direction)
- Active pursuit (movement)
- Real obstacles (testing)
- Unique expression (voice/gestures)
- Rich backstory (depth)
- Specific emotions (authenticity)
- Complexity (contradictions)
- Personal style (specificity)
- Patient discovery (emergence)
Each technique adds flavor.
Combined, they transform:
- Generic → Specific
- Boring → Fascinating
- Forgettable → Unforgettable
- Flat → Fully alive
Your flat character doesn’t need to be scrapped.
They need to be spiced up.
Nine techniques. One transformation. Characters who leap off the page.
