Cooking up a character is relatively easy, not entirely
dissimilar from cooking up a meal. Doing it well is another matter entirely. Too little
spice and the food dries out—too much and it smolders in your mouth. Some
flavors and textures complement each other, and others do not. Some are niche
and some are staples.
Writing a good character is hard enough as it is. It becomes harder, though,
when people mix up the components into a hodge-podge and expect it to work on
its own. Some people have an iron gut for characters—anything will do—but a
balanced and believable character is hard to come by, and, when you do, it’s even harder to go back. Character traits are essential for breathing life into your
character, but it’s important to know what you’re using, before you mix it into
the bowl. I'd love to talk about a lot of them, but one at a time will do for now.
