USING AI TO REVISE YOUR FICTIONAL CHARACTERS [Post 20-A]
Letting AI Review Your Character Traits and Progression Before You Publish
(To read these posts in chronological order, visit our Table of Contents page.)
Understanding the Psychology Behind Memorable Characters
What makes readers connect deeply with fictional characters? Beyond interesting backstories and clever dialogue, it's psychological authenticity that transforms characters from mere plot vehicles into people readers care about. During first drafts, we typically focus on what characters do to move the story forward. Now in revision, it's time to refine who they are beneath the surface.
In this newsletter, I'll introduce you to the concept of character psychology and show you how AI can help identify and enhance the psychological depth of your characters during revision.
Recognizing Character Inconsistencies
One of the most common issues in early drafts is character inconsistency—when characters behave in ways that contradict their established traits, values, or motivations. These contradictions can confuse readers and undermine the believability of your story.
Character inconsistencies often emerge as your characters evolve. The confident protagonist you introduced in Chapter 1 might have transformed into someone more vulnerable by Chapter 10, creating disconnects in how they behave throughout the manuscript.
Here's a simple way to use AI to spot these inconsistencies:
PROMPT:
Claude, I need help identifying potential character inconsistencies in my manuscript. Here's a brief description of my character [Name]: [Insert 2-3 sentence description]. In the following scenes, does this character behave consistently with this description? [Insert 2-3 short scenes featuring this character] Please identify any actions, dialogue, or decisions that seem inconsistent with their established traits.
CLAUDE'S RESPONSE:
When analyzing character consistency, I look for alignment between established traits and behaviors. Based on the scenes you've provided, I notice:
[The AI would identify specific inconsistencies, if present]
For example, in one fantasy novel, a character established as deeply afraid of magic due to childhood trauma casually suggested using a magical solution without any hesitation or internal conflict. This inconsistency undermined her psychological believability and needed addressing during revision.
Try This Simple Analysis:
Write a brief description of your protagonist's key traits and values
Select three scenes from different parts of your manuscript
Ask Claude to analyze these scenes for character consistency
Note any contradictions that need addressing in revision
Remember that not all inconsistencies need fixing—sometimes they indicate character growth. The key is ensuring significant contradictions are intentional and psychologically justified.
Deepening Character Motivations
Characters who act without clear motivations feel hollow and contrived. During revision, look for scenes where your characters make important decisions or take significant actions, then ensure their motivations are sufficiently developed.
Effective character motivations operate on multiple levels:
Surface motivation (what they consciously want)
Underlying motivation (the deeper psychological need)
Conflicting desires (what creates internal tension)
Here's how AI can help enhance your character motivations:
PROMPT:
Claude, I need to deepen my character's motivations. My character [Name] is [brief description]. In this scene, they decide to [describe key decision or action], but the motivation feels shallow. Please suggest more complex, layered motivations that would make this decision more psychologically compelling.
CLAUDE'S RESPONSE:
To create more compelling motivations, consider layering these elements:
[The AI would suggest deeper motivations for your specific character]
Consider the difference between these character motivations:
Shallow: "Jack investigates the abandoned house because he's curious."
Deepened: "Jack investigates the abandoned house driven by professional ambition (surface), a need to prove himself to his dismissive father (underlying), and conflicting fear that taking unnecessary risks makes him like his reckless brother who died young (internal conflict)."
The second version creates a psychologically complex character whose actions emerge from a rich internal landscape.
Enhance Your Character's Motivations:
Identify scenes where character decisions feel unmotivated
Ask what your character consciously wants in each scene
Determine what deeper needs drive their surface wants
Ask Claude to help you create tension by adding conflicting desires
Connect current motivations to significant past experiences
Revealing Psychology Through Action
Character psychology isn't just established through thoughts and dialogue—it's revealed through how characters interact with their world. During revision, look for opportunities to show psychological traits through:
Physical mannerisms and habitual behaviors
What characters notice or ignore in their environment
How they position themselves relative to others
Their physical responses to emotional triggers
These behavioral details can convey psychological traits more effectively than direct statements.
PROMPT:
Claude, I want to show my character's [specific trait] through their behavior rather than stating it directly. My character is [brief description]. Please suggest 5-7 specific actions, mannerisms, or perceptual patterns that would subtly reveal this aspect of their psychology.
CLAUDE'S RESPONSE:
Here are specific behavioral cues that could reveal your character's psychology:
[The AI would suggest actions specific to your character's traits]
For example, a character with hypervigilance from military service might:
Automatically scan for exit points when entering rooms
Position themselves with their back to walls in public spaces
Flinch at sudden movements in peripheral vision
Notice specific details about strangers that could indicate threats
Unconsciously move to shield others when startled
These actions show the character's psychology without explicitly stating "he was hypervigilant due to his military service."
The Power of Showing Psychology:
The most powerful character psychology is revealed through subtle behavioral cues rather than explicit explanation. Look for opportunities to transform "telling" statements about character psychology into "showing" moments that allow readers to experience a character's inner world.
Looking Ahead to Thursday's Premium Content
In Thursday's paid newsletter, we'll dive deeper into character psychology with advanced techniques for:
Conducting a comprehensive psychological consistency analysis across your manuscript
Adding meaningful contradictions that create compelling complexity
Developing psychologically authentic dialogue patterns
Developing how each character uniquely sees the world based on their background and psychology
Implementing systematic character psychology revisions
You'll receive practical prompts for each technique, along with a Character Psychology Revision Template to guide your revision process.
Understanding your characters' psychological makeup is essential for creating fiction that resonates deeply with readers. With AI as your revision partner, you'll gain insights that help transform flat characters into psychologically rich, compelling people that readers will remember long after finishing your book.
Next Tuesday, we'll explore "Narrative Pacing: Fixing Flow Problems" to help you identify and address sections that drag or feel rushed in your manuscript.
Are You Ready to Get Valuable Help Revising Your Fictional Characters?
Here's what you can do right now:
1. If you haven't done so, sign up for Claude AI 3.7 Sonnet Pro (or the latest version) at Anthropic's website. You want the option that says "Meet Claude 3.7 Sonnet."
2. Subscribe to this newsletter if you haven't already: Don't miss out on future tips and tricks for using AI to write better and faster. Hit the subscribe button below to get The Writer's AI Companion newsletter delivered straight to your inbox.
3. Share your thoughts: What's your most significant (or current) writing challenge? Comment below and tell me what AI writing tips you'd like to see in future newsletters.
4. Spread the word: Do you know a fellow writer who could use a brainstorming partner? Please share this newsletter with them, and let's grow our AI writing community together.
Until next time, let's stay creative and organized,
-Elaine
P.S. Feel free to email me at Elaine@TheWrittenLink.com. Please put "Companion" in the subject line.
© Elaine Foster, The Writer's AI Companion