Building Your Character’s Foundation
Note: This is the second article in the series. If you haven’t read the introduction, start there—we’ll be building directly on those concepts.
Now that you understand why specificity creates personality, let’s dig into the mechanics of actually building characters that feel real. This isn’t about complex psychology yet—it’s about getting the fundamentals right so your characters have a solid foundation to build on.
What is covered in this article:
- Understanding LLM Character Defaults
- Three Foundation Layers (Why, When, How)
- MBTI and Enneagram: Beyond the Labels
- Voice Construction That Sticks
- Programming Natural Resistance
- The Consistency Paradox Solution
- Common Foundation Mistakes
- Putting It All Together: Building “Alex”