Spoiler alert: I have a shitton of characters. I have a lot of projects and I tend to end up with bigger casts. I like writing characters! It’s one of my strong suits, and a preferred suit, so may as well play like hell to my strengths.
That said, there are really only so many character archetypes in the world. How do you differentiate characters, especially ones that may be similar-ish?
First: please recognize that a) there will always be overlap, and b) readers are going to read your characters how they will. You can only play god within your stories; readers will do what they like outside them.
Characters are pretty easily separated in readers’ minds, if that’s any consolation. Names, obviously, play a huge part in that. If it’s a comic or illustrated, then they have appearance to keep in mind, too.
One of your best friends in quick and easy character differentiation is going to be speech patterns. That is a HUGE descriptor for characters, honestly, and one that readers don’t really think about unless it’s slapping them in their faces. It can be subtle and used to great effect.
But past that—don’t overthink this. Your readers won’t notice as much as you’re worrying, and even if your characters are similar…
So what?
Look at it this way:
You have a character who is loud, proud, quick to anger/annoyance, prone to physical responses, but who has a vulnerable side they’re desperately trying to hide from others.
I just described Donald Duck (from Disney fame), Rocket Raccoon (Guardians of the Galaxy), Asuka Langley Soryu (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Bakugou Katsuki (My Hero Academia) and I’m sure fifty billion other shounen anime characters. It’s a character archetype you’ll find in a lot of anime and Western kid’s cartoons. But would you say those characters are actually all that similar?
Base personality accounts for little in characters’ grand schemes, because it’s their actions, thoughts, and words that are what the readers actually interact with. Yes, obviously that has A LOT to do with personality, but at the same time… does it? (Well, yes, but bear with me.)
Two characters who are soft-spoken and book smart can react radically different in any scenario. Maybe one coos over the kitten and tries to get it adopted, and maybe the other runs away because they’re deathly allergic.
Don’t try too hard to make each character completely, uniquely, distinct. It is far too easy to get caught up in that trap, especially if you’re juggling large casts. Don’t overthink your characters, and pay more attention to what they’re actually doing rather than what they are in your head.
Your characters will evolve into themselves as you write them. You’d be surprised what actually gets translated to the story itself. (I always am. Like, always.) Don’t sweat planning this sort of thing out too much—just get to that happy writing!
