How to create layered realistic and compelling characters

A critical part of creating a character in a story is to develop his or her main premise and then concretize it with its logically related traits and actions.

Remember that in motivation a premise is a belief that a person chooses to act on. And a trait is an ethical or personality attribute of a person.

Let’s look briefly at Rick Blaine,the protagonist in the classic film Casablanca, to see how to create layered and believable characters. We will examine Rick’s dominant premise and trait, and their key actions and consequences:

Rick’s main premise is that because he believes he has been betrayed by the woman he loves, he rejects his ideals and values of freedom and love (while in part secretly still wanting them.)

Flowing from this premise, Rick’s dominant trait is that he is cynical and bitter about the world and love. (He has repressed his love of freedom and need to love.)

Flowing from that trait, Rick’s main action (and choice) is to isolate himself from people and World War Two.

Rick therefore runs a saloon infar away Casablanca during the height of the war, sticks his neck out for no one, and won’t fight the Nazis or ever love a woman.

Rick’s looks, behaviors, and mannerisms are logical expressions of his traits and attitudes. He has a grimface, cynical wit, and plays chess against himself, for example. (But he is also lonely, does secretly care for some people, and still loves Ilsa, the woman who “betrayed” him.)  

Because Rick has clear and logically related premises, traits, key actions, and emotional attitudes and looks, he is a layered and captivating character. He jumps from the screen and we feel for him. We all have been betrayed, been hurt by lovers, felt bitter and cynical. And have all deeply wished for a grand love or great cause to be our best selves, even if we hide them under a mass of silent hurt.

Here is one scene of Rick Blaine from Casablanca. When watching it, see that this visual and sound expression of Rick Blaine is only possible because his soul has been captured on the page.

Actionable Creative Takeaway

The key point here about Rick Blaine as a 3D character is that all his attributes flow logically from his main premise of him cynically and bitterly believing he’s been betrayed. That is the principle of his soul and his motivation. All the concrete expressions of his soul that we see and hear onscreen flow from that principle.

The great lesson here for creatives is that revealing a character’s main premise and then concretizing it with its most logical and expressive layers creates a memorable and real character.

The opposite (naturalistic) method of character creation so often espoused in writing guides is for the writer tocreate lists and lists of unrelated facts about the character. That is note ssential nor helpful. And certainly not logical.

Also note that it is three dimensional “real” characters who speak in engaging, revealing, and individualized voices. Read more about that here.

To emphasise in a different way the main premise of this article:

You the creative must work expertly on the deepest level of human motivation: A character’s basic ideas or premises.Then you will have defined that character and can logically create the realistic and compelling layers that flow from this!

That is how you can create three-dimensional characters and more marketable and memorable stories.

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Scott McConnell is a story coach who helps his clients create layered characters and compelling plots.  

“I would recommend Scott to any writer and/or Producer wishing to engage an expert Story Consultant.”  John Hipwell, producer, director,writer

Read recommendations of my work here.   

                             “Stories are ideas in action!”

© 2023 COPYRIGHT SCOTT MCCONNELL