Complex character traits.

[The Dark One]

Complexity in fiction is the same as complexity in real life.

It's all about layers of meaning. Someone responds to stimulus A with response B... no complexity. But if they respond to stimulus A with response M... or even response X... the readers will wonder why.

 

[Arielcat]

Hey. I think you stole those trees.

From my own smartphone.
How is that stealing?
(Hmmm, speaking/writing of thievery and suchlike. )

 

[Arielcat]

I’m not the OP. ChatGPT gives pretty generic responses but it’s still interesting to see what it would come up with in terms what this AI model sees as a complex description. It has a heavy bias - so that’s it’s major flaw.

Sorry. I know you're not the OP.
Saw yours and went, gee, I could've done that days ago but I wasn't sure at the time if the OP wanted it done.
Hope that clarifies things just a tad bit.

 

[pmmg]

I'd take Arielcat and Finch over the AI anyway. The OP was hard to interpret in this one, but some good comments followed.

 

[pmmg]

From my own smartphone.
How is that stealing?
(Hmmm, speaking/writing of thievery and suchlike. )

You're probably tricky. I am sure you could manage it.

 

[Arielcat]

I'd take Arielcat and Finch over the AI anyway. The OP was hard to interpret in this one, but some good comments followed.

You may actually have a point there.
I remember I wanted to know did the person want us to add to the original description or what.
I mean I could have done that, no problem, but it was somewhat difficult to tell what did the original poster even want.
Or, what was the original intention, or whatever.

 

[Queshire]

Looking at some of the other threads the OP posted I think that's just their style.

 

[Arielcat]

You're probably tricky. I am sure you could manage it.

Okay.
(Am I that thief character now or what? )
(Character in search of an author.)
(The play, Six Characters in Search of an Author. In an old book of plays. At my elderly parents' elderly house.)

 

[Finchbearer]

Sorry. I know you're not the OP.
Saw yours and went, gee, I could've done that days ago but I wasn't sure at the time if the OP wanted it done.
Hope that clarifies things just a tad bit.

I just went rogue. I was curious to see what ChatGPT thought a complex character was made up of.

 

[pmmg]

Wow, a rogue and a theif. This thread just gets better as it goes.

I am not sure he was not just posting a poem and their never was a question.

 

[Super Fantasy]

Create a meaningful character.
The character might be extroverted, although with few friends because he or she might be busy very often or prefers to adventure alone while meeting a variety of people.
Combining traits like this can lead to great success in character creation.

 

[Super Fantasy]

A character might be shy, and prefer rainy weather.
She might go out in such weather, whether or not there is lightning.

 

[Jackarandajam]

Personality. That's what I try to capture. That's why I often get frustrated with the character questionnaires (if your character had a pet rabbit, which color pattern and species would they pick and why?).
I wouldn't know the answer to that question about my own mother. There are way too many variables that could determine the answer at the time.
I do know my mother pretty well though. Why? Because I know her personality.

Give your characters personality. When learning how to do this, pick someone you know and make the character think and act like them as accurately as possible. Give them the same mannerisms, worldview, and speech patterns. Eventually you will be able to create believable personalities by cobbling together aspects of different people you've met.
Even the greatest master writers are famous for basing characters off of real people. Personality is hard to manifest. steal it and bring your characters to life.

 

[LittleOwlbear]

I like to build characters on the experiences I made with real people (and myself). A list of character traits and put on backstory doesn't make someone believable, but how they act and interact with others.