How do I write Normal characters with normal personalities?

=NobleQueenOfLothaire Feb 24, 2013 Hobbyist Writer

Every time I crate a character they always turns out really weird and have too much personality and development.

I would like my characters to be normal and not over the top. I've been reading a book on how to keep your characters "monotone," but I don't think i'm really grasping the concept. I hate having to go back and get rid of character details, but sometimes they are just too developed and I don't want readers to get overwhelmed.

Maybe I should just write it all in dialogue.....

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Devious Comments

~FanaticalPublishing Mar 1, 2013

Write long stories, or even series: that way you can start out giving people a basic description of the character, and as the story develops you can add all the details. Spaced out, as it were.

~Requiemthefallen Feb 27, 2013 Professional General Artist

It's natural, in my experience, to really develop characters. No one is technically "normal", as we all have our quirks. Now, if your characters are exploding with emotion like rabid anime characters, then there's reason to tone them down, but besides that, so long as they can have a moment where they clearly are just a human being like everyone else, they should be fine.

=NobleQueenOfLothaire Feb 25, 2013 Hobbyist Writer

I....oh my.

~Hurricaneclaw Feb 25, 2013 Hobbyist Digital Artist

Well how about picking what makes them too strange and taking those qualities out?

I'm sure you'll be fine. All my characters are weird, so I make the rest of the people strange as well. Better to have every character be strange in some way than have strange MCs and everyone else be perfectly normal Joe.

*Aghorishaivite Feb 25, 2013 Hobbyist Digital Artist

There is no such thing as a normal character.

~Werewolfferret96 Feb 25, 2013

define normal

=Probably-Singed Feb 25, 2013 Hobbyist Writer

Character and normal are antonyms.

~doodlescribble Feb 25, 2013 Student General Artist

Personally, I wouldn't think of making "ordinary" characters, since someone's flaws/weaknesses/strengths/talents make them less than ordinary. That said, never aim for making "ordinary" in anything, since that's nigh impossible.

~Lytrigian Feb 25, 2013 Hobbyist Writer

Make sure they have extra flaws so as to appear inferior to your main character.

~maiquelin Feb 25, 2013

hmmmmm...
normal....
normal people is mostly like cows, the only function is to eat grass and make a lot of poop, the "weird" people normaly is the best for a character

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How do I write Normal characters with normal personalities?

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