Creativity in Writing (3): Create a Main Character with Feelings

Here are seven fun and creative ways to help young writers “Create a Main Character with Feelings” in their short stories. Each method is explained in simple, friendly language, with a clear reason why it matters, a short example to spark ideas, and three easy-to-remember cautions. These tips guide young minds to build characters who feel real—full of emotions like joy, fear, hope, or kindness. When readers connect with a character’s feelings, the story becomes more powerful and meaningful. A thoughtful conclusion is also included to inspire and remind young storytellers that emotions are the heart of every great tale.

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1. Imagine the Character as Your Friend

Pretend your character is your best friend. Think about how they would talk, what they like or dislike, how they dress, and what makes them happy or sad. Ask yourself questions: What are their fears? What are their dreams? What do they love to do? This helps you build a full picture of the character with real emotions. When you see the character as someone close to you, you start to care about them more — and so will the reader. This method helps you give your character a unique personality and voice, not just actions.

Readers connect with characters who feel real, and making them feel like a friend adds heart to the story.

Example:
You imagine your shy classmate as a boy who secretly writes superhero stories but is scared to share.

Cautions:

1. Don’t copy your real friend exactly.
2. Avoid making the character too perfect.
3. Don’t forget to include emotions and struggles.

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2. Use a Character Emotion Map

Draw a simple map or list showing your character’s emotions in different parts of the story. For example: “Beginning – nervous,” “Middle – excited but unsure,” “End – proud and confident.” This helps you understand your character’s emotional journey and keeps their feelings clear and realistic. You can also add what caused each feeling and how the character shows it through actions or words. The emotion map keeps your story connected to the heart of the character.

Emotions are what make characters come alive and help readers feel what the character feels.

Example:
A girl starts off afraid to dance, then slowly gains confidence, and ends with joy on stage.

Cautions:

1. Don’t repeat the same emotion too often.
2. Avoid emotions that don’t match the situation.
3. Don’t forget to show the emotion in action, not just words.

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3. Give Your Character a Secret

A great way to make your character feel real is to give them a secret. It could be a fear, a dream, or something they did in the past. The secret adds depth and mystery and explains why your character acts the way they do. The reader gets curious and wants to know more. The secret should also affect the story — maybe the character is hiding it or learns to share it. This builds tension and emotion throughout the story.

Secrets add depth and help readers understand and care about the character’s inner world.

Example:
A boy who is always quiet hides the fact that he is a great singer, but afraid of being judged.

Cautions:

1. Don’t make the secret too confusing.
2. Avoid secrets that are too dark or don’t fit the story tone.
3. Don’t forget to reveal the secret at the right time.

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4. Use Role Reversal Technique

Imagine your character doing something opposite of their usual behavior. A brave girl suddenly feels fear, or a shy boy becomes a leader for a day. This role reversal makes the character more interesting and shows different sides of their personality. You can explore how the character feels when put in a new, uncomfortable situation. This shows real emotions like surprise, fear, courage, or joy and helps the character grow during the story.

It helps reveal a fuller, more human character by showing how they react to change or challenge.

Example:
A quiet girl becomes the only one who speaks up when her friend is treated unfairly.

Cautions:

1. Don’t make the change feel sudden or unnatural.
2. Avoid making the reversal just for shock — it should help the story.
3. Don’t forget to show how the change affects their emotions.

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5. Use Character Strengths from Positive Psychology

Start by choosing one core strength for your character from positive psychology — like kindness, bravery, curiosity, or honesty. Build your character’s actions and choices around that strength. This gives your character inner power and helps them grow during the story. Characters with strengths feel inspiring and real, and readers enjoy watching them succeed or struggle using those strengths. This method helps you give meaning to your story.

Stories with strengths teach valuable lessons and connect deeply with readers emotionally.

Example:
A boy with kindness helps a lonely classmate and in return learns how to believe in himself.

Cautions:

1. Don’t make the strength too perfect — show some struggle too.
2. Avoid choosing a strength that doesn’t match your story.
3. Don’t forget to show the strength through action, not just words.

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6. Let the Character Ask “Why Me?”

Make your character question their role in the story. Let them ask: “Why is this happening to me?” This method shows your character’s confusion, doubt, or frustration, which are normal human feelings. It also helps the character reflect and grow. The story then becomes a journey of finding purpose or courage. This technique brings out real emotions that readers relate to and care about.

Self-doubt makes characters relatable and shows real emotional growth during the story.

Example:
A girl chosen to lead a school event wonders, “Why me? I’m always in the background.”

Cautions:

1. Don’t let the character stay stuck in doubt.
2. Avoid making the story too negative.
3. Don’t forget to show how the character finds their strength.

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7. Base the Character on an Object

Pick a favorite object — like a kite, a pair of old shoes, or a music box — and imagine your character is like that object. What emotions or personality would that object have? A kite may be free but sometimes gets tangled. An old shoe might be tired but loyal. This method helps you build characters with unique traits and feelings using symbolism and metaphor. It’s a creative and fun way to begin shaping your main character.

It helps you create deeper characters by thinking symbolically and emotionally.

Example:
A boy like a kite — full of dreams, but always pulled back by fear of failure.

Cautions:

1. Don’t stretch the object comparison too far.
2. Avoid making everything about the object — the character is still a person.
3. Don’t forget to show how the “object feeling” changes by the end.

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Conclusion

Creating a main character with real emotions is the heart of short story writing. The reader wants to feel what the character feels — to laugh, worry, dream, or cry along with them. These seven creative methods — imagining the character as a friend, using emotion maps, giving them a secret, trying role reversals, building on strengths, asking “why me?”, and comparing to objects — help young writers dive deeper into the emotional world of their character. When characters have strong feelings, they come alive on the page. Readers care more, and the story becomes meaningful, memorable, and inspiring. Good characters don’t have to be perfect; they just have to feel real. By exploring emotions honestly and creatively, you not only write better stories but also learn more about yourself and others. So go ahead — breathe life into your character, and your story will surely shine with heart and soul.