The BEST Way to Craft Complex Characters (Easy Exercise!)

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At the heart of every great story is a complex protagonist, who the reader can't help but invest emotionally in. But writing strong characters that feel like real living, breathing people takes a lot of thought and care — you might know them inside and out, but do they feel well-developed to the reader? With this easy exercise, you'll be able to craft complex, layered, authentic-feeling characters that your readers will never forget.
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GREAT BOOKS ABOUT WRITING/PUBLISHING:
Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer / https://amzn.to/3VE8dtt
Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody / https://amzn.to/3Vyk2Bn
Before and After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum / https://amzn.to/3Z4at03

SOME OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS:
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones / https://amzn.to/3vvWItt
Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips / https://amzn.to/3CFz4Pt
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid / https://amzn.to/3CjFFi5
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MORE WRITING AND PUBLISHING ADVICE:
Does Your Main Character Suck?    • Does Your Main Character Suck?  
The Key to a Compelling Protagonist:    • The Key to a Compelling Protagonist  

CRAFT COMPLEX CHARACTERS WITH THIS EXERCISE:
00:58 – What do they want?
02:37 – Reimagine a familiar trope
04:03 – What is their deepest secret?
05:34 – How did they get here?
07:04 – How will they change?
08:30 – Example: Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)
09:29 – Example: Rhaenyra Targaryen (Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon)

ABOUT ME:
My name is Alyssa Matesic, and I’m a professional book editor with nearly a decade of book publishing and editorial experience. Throughout my career, I’ve held editorial roles across both sides of the publishing industry: Big Five publishing houses and literary agencies. The goal of this channel is to help writers throughout the book writing journey—whether you're working on your manuscript or you're looking for publishing advice.

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