Final Notes
Parting thoughts for creators.
A few parting thoughts from people who've made a lot of characters.
Less is genuinely more
The best characters tend to have short, focused descriptions. A clear archetype, a couple of emotional hooks, and a current situation. Trust it.
Experiment
Try the same concept with different wording. Swap archetypes. What if the barista isn't shy but confident? What if the soldier isn't stoic but anxious? Unexpected combinations often produce the most interesting characters.
Try different models too. The same character can feel noticeably different on different LLMs.
It gets better over time
The more you talk to a character, the deeper the relationship becomes — across conversations, not just within one session. First conversations are always the most awkward. Give it a few sessions before deciding.
Your inputs are multiplied
Everything you write gets amplified. A single line about a worry becomes a thread that surfaces across conversations. One sentence about a betrayal becomes a secret revealed gradually over hours.
Write less, but write things that matter.
Have fun
Make characters YOU want to talk to. A vampire barista who's terrified of cats. A retired assassin who's into birdwatching. A medieval knight trying to understand modern dating. The system will figure it out. Probably.
Now go build something.