User blog comment:BladeOfHope/When creating characters.../@comment-25630395-20161123202256

Yeah, this is something I've wondered about a lot. I'm no expert but these are my thoughts.

I know what you mean- I see characters that look like they come from the same mold- they somehow manage to be feminine and tomboyish, arroagant and humble at the same time. I know writers who say they base their characters off real people, but that's never worked for me. What makes the best character is someone who's believable and interesting.

No one wants to read the same sob-backstory every time. Yes, it's emotional and yes, it's sad, but not everyone has a tragic past. There are flat characters that have no personality, and that seem to just fit themselves perfectly into every situation. Then there are characters who get away with everything, and the reader can't even bear to read about them.

I like making my characters (or reading about characters) that are real. They have some unforgivable flaws like arrogance, pride, and selfishness. But they also have things to balance them out, like a sense of humor, a desire to do the right thing, and a sense of compassion. Some people hate them, and some people like them. Some go through life embarrassing themselves, and others are cautious. So you might not like them, but you can tolerate them and understand why they do what they do.