How to Create Immersive and Realistic Characters in Your Novel
When it comes to immersion in The Three Kingdoms, here are some key aspects:
Zhuge Liang, who commands with unparalleled wisdom; Guan Yu, known for his unparalleled martial arts and loyalty; Zhao Zilong, whose bravery and unwavering loyalty lead him to charge alone into Cao Cao’s camp, fighting through a million soldiers, three times…
These are characters that readers are deeply drawn to. After reading The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, who wouldn’t want to be like them—heroes, paragons of wisdom, courage, and loyalty?
This is the psychological immersion, a sense of identification with these characters. This kind of immersion is very satisfying for the reader. In fact, immersion doesn’t necessarily mean characters who are ordinary or realistic, like people from the reader’s life. In real life, the reader might be timid, but their ideal might be to become a hero admired by everyone. Perhaps they often fail exams, but deep down, they want to get into top universities like Tsinghua or Peking University. Maybe they aren’t a billionaire, but they aspire to be like Bill Gates or Warren Buffett.
Another thing to avoid is making characters too stereotypical. Don’t put all the “good” and “bad” traits on their “faces.” Good people don’t have to be perfect, and bad people aren’t necessarily pure evil. Human nature is full of contradictions—there’s no absolute good or absolute evil. Everyone has both angelic and demonic thoughts. The key lies in which side dominates their heart.
Thus, the most important aspect of character creation is ensuring that the character’s thoughts, words, and actions make sense and align with the readers’ spiritual pursuits.
For the protagonist, the first supporting character, the female lead, and the ultimate villain, I always focus on their personality, background, preferences, and skills. When necessary, I imagine what they look like, their favorite colors, catchphrases, blood types, favorite activities, reading preferences, and even small quirks. In short, I try to picture them as living, breathing individuals. If you really understand a character, the plot will unfold on its own. I truly believe that a great story is one where the characters walk out of the narrative on their own, and the author is merely a guide.
