You’ve got a great premise. You’ve outlined a killer plot. But your characters? They’re… fine.
They’re saying all the right things, but somehow, it’s just not clicking. It’s like they’re reading cue cards instead of living inside the world of your play or musical.
And delivering over your message? Well … they sort of feel lost. (What message?)
Here’s the truth: characters aren’t just there to deliver information. The best characters change things. They drive the action forward. And when they speak? What they say shifts the story and holds your attention through the rest of the play.
Often writers tell me that they write “character-driven” plays. That’s great – but sometimes your characters can write themselves into a corner and leave you stuck figuring how to get them out.
Or characters can act erratically, even in character, but still not help you deliver over the message you need to give to the audience at the end.
So, how to write characters that embody your action and are able to deliver over the message at the end?
Start incorporating character development not as a one-time brainstorm—but as a daily habit.
Spend 10 minutes every day talking with one of your characters. Live with them. Make them real.
Are Your Characters Are Just Mouthpieces or Real People?
If your characters feel flat, check for these red flags:
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Every character sounds the same
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They speak (or worse yet, sing) in exposition—telling the audience what’s happening instead of showing us through their active choices
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One’s dialogue could be swapped into another character’s dialogue – and no one would notice
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They never make decisions that impact the course of the story or drive the action forward.
If that sounds familiar, don’t worry—it’s fixable. Definitely fixable!
Here’s where to start.
Daily Character Interrogation Prompts
Get into the habit of checking in with your characters daily. See what’s going on with them.
Ask them questions as if they’re real people—because in the world of your story, they are. And you have to know them intimately.
Try asking them one of these questions each day while you’re plotting out your play:
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What are you most afraid of right now?
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What’s your secret that nobody knows?
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Who in this story do you love—and why haven’t you said it?
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What do you want from this next scene?
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What lie are you telling yourself?
You don’t need perfect answers. The goal is to listen—not force a response. Let them reveal themselves to you.
Exercises to Let Your Characters Surprise You
Sometimes we try to control our characters too tightly. Loosen your grip! Let them surprise you.
Try this:
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Write a scene you would never include in the show—a dream sequence, an imaginary fight, a childhood memory. See what comes out.
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Monologue from the antagonist’s POV. What do they think the story is about?
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Put your character in a modern-day situation (e.g. at the DMV, on a dating app, stuck in traffic). How do they behave?
The goal isn’t formula — it’s discovery.
Use Dialogue as Action
In theatre, sometimes dialogue is the action. It should do more than express thoughts—it should create tension, reveal stakes, and push decisions.
Before you write a scene, ask yourself:
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What does each character want in this moment?
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How are they using their words to get it?
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What’s at risk if they don’t? In other words, what are the stakes?
If characters are truly pursuing goals that are important to them, their dialogue becomes active—even explosive.
That’s what you want, because that’s what makes your play interesting.
(You can also read another blog post “Writing Active Dialogue” here.)
Tie Character Arcs to Plot Structure
A story isn’t just about what happens. It’s about who it happens to—and how it changes them, moment by moment. And how the audience follows the action.
As you build your plot beats moment to moment, track your character arcs alongside them:
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What belief or behavior must your protagonist unlearn?
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Where in the story does that belief get tested?
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Where’s the point of no return when they make a choice they can’t take back, and must plow ahead no matter the cost?
When character transformation is tied to your structure, revealed moment by moment, scene by scene, the audience understands the character and the journey.
Final Thoughts
Characters shouldn’t just talk—they should take up space, demand things, break things, fix things, move the whole story forward. They should be interesting. And the more time you spend with them—not just writing them, but living with them and listening to them—the more alive they become, for the other characters and for your audience.
So try this: Spend 10 minutes today talking to one of your characters. Ask them what they want. Then put something in their way. See what happens next.
Make them real enough to pay rent (in NYC).
That’s when the real fun begins.