How to develop characters

with STEAL ....

Speech 

What someone says reveal their character, intelligence and mentality. If they swear they are angry. If they sigh, sad!. If they clutter, nervous! and so on...

When they say nothing also also says something about them. When they avoid talking about a crime, could be guilty!
Speech also matter how they say it.
Characters vocal tone, speed, cluttering tells much about a character. A rich person speak clearly and arrogantly. If someone hesitates, he is unsure or lying.

Thoughts
A person's thoughts tells about the person. Monologues are used in plays and movies to expose thoughts. (Self expression). Thinking is based someones beliefs and values.

Emotions
Emotions are outcome of internal thoughts. Emotions expose someones inner feelings. Emotions most expressed in body language and voice tones. Crying, Anger, Looks, Postures Feelings expose emotions of the character. Emotions are results of external effects on characters personality and personal goals, ambitions and aspirations. Creating emotions creates emotions in audience. It is the essence of a story and your plot.

 Effects on others
The interactions with others shows a great deal about a character.
Personal, Social and Business interactions may based on empathy and social understanding. The effect on others shown with reactions   of others to a character. It says a lot about them. Are they friends or enemies. They they care for each other or not?

Actions

The actions of the character is driven by their inner feelings, how they react to a situation and relationship with other characters they are interacting with. A mother will blame talented daughter and praise some one opposite. A may boast about favourite teacher and bully an innocent girl. From the actions the true character emerges, like in real world.Actions under stress changes a person. Stress is test of personality and help audience reveals more of the character.

Looks
Looks of a person exposes the character. Yet appearances can be made deceptive in characters. A person may look like a girl to gain access to girls school. Looks are not only dress.  Facial expressions and  body language reveals intentions of the character fear, happiness and loneliness are shown from eyes. Looks also created with dress and outfit.  It can reveal social class, occupation, locality, values as well as sense of passion.


The characters that appear in stories described 2D or 3D. The 3D character is more realistic. The 2D  character is flat and relatively lifeless.

Character types in Movies

These are some titanic characters

Think of a story, a movie or a novel touched your heart
and identify these characters.

Heroic
Posses strong values with higher ideologies. They put others needs first. Have high personal integrity. We respect heroic characters. We want to be like them. They protect and rescue us.  Very good, Brave, Caring, Devoted, Risk Taking, Intelligent, Friendly,  Strong, Careful, Alert 


Villain
They are viscous Power hungry, break laws, selfish purpose. Harm others. we find them wrong. We hate them. They hate heros. They abuse sympathetic characters and the innocent. We like to see them punished.

Wise

They are knowledgeable. They know what do do in difficult situations. Great advisers. Act as mentors to the heroes. Well read, visionary, parents, teachers.

Faithful
Take duty serious. Trustworthy and followers of the heroic character no matter what. Ones faithful to the villain become unwise. We respect faithful characters for their devotion.


Innocent
They become victim of the plot, easily become hurt by unsympathetic people. The audience feels sympathy for them. Probably remind our own experiences of getting hurt. No one to talk to, restricted, work for others happyness.

Sympathetic
We associate them forming a bonds and share experiences. We share some common attributes. Devoted and Caring,  

Unsympathetic characters
They have qualities that we dislike. Friends of  villain. Take sides for own benefits. Liars, Cheaters. Not caring. Loves money.  

Human
Very human. Fragile and weaknesses leads to unwise choices. They are not bad but not like heroic people. They are shameful, Jelouss as well as loving and caring. Difficult to predict and they remind us of our own shortcomings.



Foolish
They are the opposite of wise characters. They get into trouble and unable to use knowledge be to good effect. We laugh at the fool. We secretly grateful that there are more foolish than us.
False
They pretends to be someone who they are actually not. They deceive people and untruthful. We like to see them exposed and become ashamed.

Selfish
Selfish only focus on their own benefit.  Careless of others who are affected by their choices. There selfishness goes beyond social acceptance.  

Animal
Opposite of human characters. Show inhuman characteristics. Savageness is common. Audience become shocked for the lack of humanity in them. Animals used by Villains against heroic characters.

Neutral characters
They are neither sympathetic not sympathetic. They do their duty of their roles without taking any interest of right or wrong. They are more observers, serves anyone.

Guardians
Guardians have access to some treasure. They make hero take some challenges. Hero can reach treasure after a task done or solve a problem or have to fight the guardian. Guardians provides a entertainment as hero who must get past them.

Enforcers
Police officers, soldiers, law makers who ensure law and order. They capture and punish the offenders. Enforces could be with the Hero or with villain.

Bystanders
They are not really in the story as important characters. They are not typically neutral, sometimes take sides of hero or villain.  They are many in the cast.

Ambiguous characters
They keep us guessing whether they will be good or bad.

Uncertain
Uncertain characters act in random ways. We can never tell what they would do next. Their actions are difficult to predict.

Flawed
Flawed characters are good in many ways but have some weaknesses. They are never on time. Never resist a drink or a pretty woman. They get into trouble easy. But they reach their goal at the end. We sympathize flawed characters and forgive them. Sympathetic antagonists are created this way.

Fickle
They are funny. The add tension or fun to the story. Their help us  discover important details and clues in the story. They have a sense of perfection. They are the friend of hero and help find the short comings of villain.

Two-dimensional characters
They are perfect. They fit neatly in story with  no history and predictable, quite non-social and stereo type.
 

Three-dimensional characters
They are flawed and have their own stories within the story. They have a unique past and unpredictable, acts illogically, Quirky, a social person.