Note: Unfortunately, PurdueOwl is currently going through a website redesign. You may have to scroll down to get to the resources mentioned below.
These useful resources on the Purdue Online Writing Lab (Purdue OWL) break down the importance of understanding character from the point of view of the writer, which is in some ways different than how we analyze characters in a traditional English or literature class.
A Brief Introduction to Writing Characters includes helpful questions or a “heuristic” for character development.
There is a a guide for Types of Characters. This resources covers terms you may have already heard: antagonist, protagonist, flat and round characters. As they create, writers don’t often think about these terms, but it’s helpful to understand these concepts in order to get a sense of where to focus your detail as you write. This resources also discusses the use of archetypes for creating characters.
Lastly, a Guide to Writing Compelling Characters discusses the importance of developing characters with goals. Characters have to want something! This “something” is often directly related to the story plot. There is also a discussion of developing characters that are believable (you might also think of this as relatability), and giving your characters personality.
