So how to do create realistic characters that will jump off the page and have tea with you? You watch the world around you.
Creating Characters Out of the People You Know
Great fictional characters stay with the reader long after the book has closed. Think of the best books you've ever read. Who were the characters? Can you remember the details of the main characters? I'm betting you can. There are great books of every genre that are just full of wonderful characters. And these characters stay with you.
But here's the secret: Most of these characters are, at least in part, real people the author knew. The crotchety old man? Possibly a neighbor or grandfather. The sweet and innocent woman? Maybe a daughter, niece, or another young woman. The powerful and invincible man? Perhaps modeled a father figure.
So look around your own world and find inspiration. I don't just mean friends and family. Go to your local coffee shop or park and take a notebook with you. Observe the wide variety of people who frequent these places. Write down bits of conversation and physical descriptions that you can use later. Do this quickly and quietly though or you risk irritating everyone in the area. Once you get home, you can exaggerate or tone down your notes until they match the story you're writing.
Be careful not to model characters directly after people you know. Your sister probably doesn't want to be in your novel, so if you're basing characters on family (as I am wont to do) you'll have to change details. I tend to mix traits until the characters aren't recognizable as immediate family. If people can recognize themselves, you're opening a can of worms. Some authors have even been sued for this very reason.
Creating the Emotions for Your Characters
The characters in your book have to have physical traits, yes, but they also have to have substance. Characters have feelings, and these feelings determine how they react in any given situation. So you have to come up with a way to convey these feelings to your readers.
Do this through characterization. Action, conversation, and body language are all powerful tools for revealing how a character feels about something. Instead of writing, "he was angry," think of a way to convey this without referring to anger at all. Perhaps the following passage would be more effective:
He clenched his fists at his sides. His body began to vibrate with barely suppressed rage. Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths and tried to think soothing thoughts.
This passage tells us the character is angry, but it also does more than that. It gives us some insight into his character. Read the passage and see what you can infer about the character. He has certain physical responses to anger, notably the clenched fists and the trembling. But we can see that he doesn't just let his anger fly. He tries to control it. Not everyone would, but this character does.
You must use prose to create the substance of your characters. It is only through the power of the written word that we can begin to know and understand your characters. Spend some times observing the world, make sure you use your knowledge of the written word to help the reader understand your characters, and your halfway toward creating characters who will leave an impression.
