Date
5-22-2024
Department
College of Arts and Sciences
Degree
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Chair
Karen Dodson
Keywords
character creation, psychology, personality, social, development, realism, relatability
Disciplines
Creative Writing
Recommended Citation
Holmes, Sophie McFarlane, "The Psychology of Realistic Characters: Utilizing Psychological Theory in the Character Creation Process" (2024). Masters Theses. 1156.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/1156
Abstract
When creating characters for a story, authors should seek to make them as realistic and relatable as possible to their respective audiences. In order to achieve that, authors need to understand humanity and why humans behave the way they do. Psychology offers insight into the human mind, and covers all aspects of personality, socialization, and development within humanity. These same three areas can be used when crafting characters for a story. By utilizing personality tests, social backgrounds, and developmental life stages, authors gain an understanding of how and why people may act the way they do. This knowledge can in turn be used toward the creation and development of characters throughout a story’s plot. While writing, authors can continue to utilize psychological theories to maintain realism and relatability for their target audience.
