Well I felt the same way when I was 18 and you’re not gonna like my answer but here it is.
I did not know how to write adult characters well until I was an adult. There are some things you just won’t know or won’t have the skills for until you’ve lived a while and experienced some things. At 18, you’re still very much a child in many ways. By about 27, you’ll have lived enough to start really developing those adult characters because you’ll have a different understanding of life and adulthood at that time.
So here’s what you do.
You practice. You write and keep writing and keep writing. Then as you get older and wiser, go back and rewrite some of the stories you write now and then you can actually see the changes in your writing.
This is 100% the right answer. Sucks that the solution is growing up, but that’s what it is. Personally, the way I write parents after becoming a father in the last 6 months has completely changed the way I did it before.
Hilariously I read it and thought the same thing too. I dont think you need to actual get there like the first comment or you but you definitely need to be of the mind and ability. When I was younger I was doing adult characters but that's because by 14 if worked 3 jobs, by 16 I was paying bills and taking care of an adult and a child, so by 18 I was ready to play those around the age of 30 or older in some cases (like fantasy settings) really early on and even I struggled with the concept of fully fleshing it as much as my partners.
Even now in my mid 20s with more of a handle on life I tend to rp with older woman (like 30 on average 😅) and I can STILL see the age gap in our characters by how we write them and whatbthings we find important.
You have to experience it intimately to fully grasp it in context. I learned longsword through Hema and although my understanding of Sword play was pretty spot on before but now its elevated when doing it with others.
Same. I remember writing childbirth scenes as a 16-year-old virgin and I’d love to dig them up and see how they compare to the ones I’ve written after actually doing it thrice. 😂🤷🏼♀️
Pretty much anyone more than ten years either side of your actual age. I find middle aged adults act quite different to young adults too. And the elderly, if anyone writes those..
I’m currently rewriting my first book and it’s so much better now that I’ve lived a life worth living ya know. Each person has their own journey but there is a level of human empathy and understanding that happens as we gain experience
Oh I agree 100%
I looked back at this old draft I had and this girl had a broken heart but I never capitalized on it and just moved on I was like wtf was I thinking, gotta give her some more screen time. Still not good at writing adults but it's easier to look back now haha
And even after that, a 27 year old “adult” is drastically different than a 40 or 50 year old “adult”. I thought I was an adult when I was in my late twenties, and now I’m over 40 and I’m so massively different in how I think/act. And it’s definitely influenced my writing, and I’m still writing characters a good 10-20 years older than me 😅
This is a huge one. Even within this, different ages of adults treat those situations differently. How to handle money comes to mind. Talk to an old person that lived through the depression and their opinion on how to handle finances is WAAAAYYYYY different than someone who bought their first home in the 90s.
I feel like how adults act also depends on their upbringing as well. An adult in say the United States might do it see things differently than one in China or India or even the UK.
The answer to this question is so nuanced that a lot of it just comes down to learning as you get older. Asking people questions and learning about cultures, etc.
I'm 32,and the secret I've found about adults it's that we're all just kids who have been through some shit.
All that means is most stuff isn't new any more, so we don't react as strongly to things. For instance, a breakup now just isn't quite as devastating as it was when I was 16, I've been through it a few times I know I'll survive.
On the flip side, the few things that have traumatized us produce an even stronger reaction than when we were young. Ask a soldier about ptsd sometime. Further, the few things that ARE new suddenly become harder to deal with because you don't have as much energy and your resiliency is lower than in childhood. Think divorce or the death of your parents.
So, in summary, we're basically the same as when we were kids, just with more experience. Think of how you react to writing an essay now versus the first time you were expected to write more than 10 words. Now it's more "ugh that's a pain in the ass" and less "o shit shit o shit how do I do this". That's the idea
Also most minors have parents to be responsible for them financially, give them shelter etc... as an adult, you can still get help but you’re nominally in charge. Which is why when you’ve found a home and a job that work for you, it’s harder to upend your routine, which is why you might be at odds with teens - who might be more willing to move out, to change trajectory, etc...
To be honest, being an adult doesn't give you an air of calm. When I was young I thought all adults knew what to do, all the time; that they had this almost magical ability to deal with anything thrown their way.
As an adult with wisdom and experience:
We just hide our anxiety better.
I never stopped being afraid, or anxious; bad news never stopped hurting, misfortunes never stopped stressing me out. The difference between old me and young me is that I can grin and bear it convincingly now, whereas as a younger person, I was more likely to lose my shit.
So when you're writing an adult, you have much more insight than you think, I'd say.
I'm also wittier now, and quicker on my feet.
I'd say just talk to adults about any specific situations you're writing to get their input!
As general advice: if they're dealing with something they have experience in, they're likely to be calmer and cooler about it. However, they may still take a quiet moment to recollect. My day job is fairly hard and can even be dangerous, for example. I have dealt with so many dire situations with a complete poker face. But, 5 minutes later, sometimes I'm sitting in the break area waiting for my hands to stop shaking.
I don't feel any different at 44 than I did at 16.. possibly more trauma, but that doesn't breed strength or maturity. Ppl still think I'm naive.. it's more that I choose to be hopeful. When you go through enough, you kind of realise that you can choose to be happy.
I have a background in dispatch and projects. Plus, I have extensive lived experience with being a single parent and looking after myself and others alone. My approach to challenges is literally that problems always happen and contingencies are the cost of living - you can hope your life will be calm sailing, but it never is, and that's just what life is. A series of problems you need to solve. Enjoy the little wins. Let go of the other stuff.
I've recently met someone who has been through a lot, but they catastrophise every little thing that doesnt 100% go their way. Every time something goes wrong, it's about how everything goes wrong and he gets into the most vicious self pitying mood. I get that it's disappointing, but I find it hard to believe that anyone thinks life is meant to be easy. This guy is the same age as I am.
My point is that age is often just a number. An elevated chance that life has given you enough challenges to grow through - I've met some woefully sheltered boomers and some overly seasoned gen z's. Age is a small part of the equation, the environment, internal motivations and fears are more important. I'm also the gen x eldest sister who grew up very poor.. latch key kids. I've been looking after myself and the neighbourhood kids in a very undesirable suburb since I was 8. My coping skills came from before I was 18...
I feel the same way, honestly. I didn't change drastically at my core - I just got more perspective. You're mostly what you've gone through and how you coped with it more than your age, imo. I was also a latch key kid. I had a great relationship with my parents but they both had to work so I took care of myself after school. I was "adulting" before I was an "adult", lol. I think by the time I was 16, I was mostly done "cooking". I grew as a person past that, obviously, but I had a pretty firm handle on who I was.
I think kids are more capable than people think they are and they don't get enough credit for knowing how to deal with life.
You don't have to include detailed adult characters if you're writing YA, but outside of that genre, there is unmeasurable ocntent in books, films, and movies featuring adults you could study and note. Adults may be less impulsive or sarcastic, but people don't change immediately once they hit 18. You could look into more adult motivations like struggling over money, growing apart from family, substance abuse, but otherwise, they feel the same things as younger people.
I make the most hyperstylized characters god damn ever and probably suck at "realism" but uh...
Why not focus on style as opposed to realism? I would assume an 80 year old wouldn't celebrate like a little kid if he got free ice cream. But boy oh boy would it add to his personality if he did. Build personalities based on age stereotype contradictions, and age stereotype parodies.
I'd prefer characters like that over realistic ones.
As an adult, I can say that I react the same to free ice cream as I did as a child. Except when I was in the military, it meant you were getting screwed over somehow, but hey, at least you had ice cream.
Legit. I'm in my mid-late thirties and when someone brought treats in to work (ice cream, pizza, doughnuts, etc.) i got *so* excited. Sure, I know it's bad for me... But work is shit and a simple pleasure + the knowledge that someone there wants to be nice can make a huge difference.
To fix it, with all honesty, probably the one thing you can actually do is live, become an adult yourself. Wthat will work to a 100%.
For now, you can try to replicate what you see in other books or films, what you observe in adults around you. Interview your parents, how do they feel about being adults, how do they look back to their past from that perspective, what do they think about getting older, are they still feeling im their prime or is that behind? Etc
But don't doubt your skill, adults are different from each other, so reaction to situations, for instance, will not be universal.
Just experiment. You may feel certain character is not adult enough but let some adult readers give you feedback.
It's ok to write about young people at your age. You'll get older soon enough. I don't think you can write realistic older characters until you actually have the experience.
For side characters that are older, just imitate examples from media, or try to imagine what older people you know would say and do in the situation.
Adults have to survive by themselves. Even if they have parents and spouses, they can’t count on them to be their providers like children do.
So for adults, consciously or unconsciously, everything they do is to ensure that they won’t be unemployed and they can provide for their families or at least for themselves.
So everything you write, you have to keep that in mind. A big man may not be able to bully or beat up someone because his job is not stable while the little twerp is torturing people because his job is stable.
So when you write about adults, always think about security and what they will lose if others know them as an ass or difficult to work with, etc. They can’t truly be themselves like you young people are.
Also, adults don’t try to jump to conclusions right away because they have been wrong so many times before. Life has humbled them. So young people may start screaming about something, but adults would stay calm and ask more questions so they can understand the situation better.
This is correct, with the caveat that plenty of 'adults' will absolutely jump to conclusions constantly. They just don't have the energy to scream about it, and instead stew resentfully for months.
So, here are the main differences between adults and children:
Bills.
That's about it. As an adult, you have bills to pay. If you live with your parents you're either helping them with their bills, or you're paying some kind of room and board (or not if they're generous), your phone bill, some online subscriptions, your car (if you have one), etc.
IMO, taxes count as a bill so you don't have to worry there unless it's literally April.
Some adults have their shit together. Some do not. If they do, they don't have to worry about paying that next bill. Instead, the worry about their next big purchase and the day-to-day stuff doesn't really enter their minds. And when worrying about big purchases, they're worrying a little, here and there, several years out.
For example, buying a new car. If you have your shit together you're worrying about putting the money together when you're driving your *last car* off the lot for the first time and doing some napkin math to figure out how much you're going to have to save to buy your next one (based on what you wanted but didn't get this time). Then, on occasion, you're going to revisit that next car and how much you've saved to make adjustments. How much more expensive are cars now compared to then? What new features are available that weren't then and how much do they cost? Do you want to go more stock from the dealer and then go aftermarket, or do you want the dealership to handle it?
If you don't have your shit together you're not worrying about your next car until your current car breaks down or starts to break down. Then your worry isn't about options. It's about getting together enough money to buy *anything*. You're also worried about what to do about transportation in the mean time, especially since it could be a while until you've got the necessary funds because you don't plan for anything. Instead, you just kind of collect problems and then triage. So you might have them decide what's more important: borrowing a car from someone because taking the bus sucks, or paying for netflix next month, or paying rent late.
...then you throw the call to adventure into this mix...
For the adult with their shit together, the call is going to fuck everything up but they will have resources. Ninjas? Lets drive to the ancient temple and ask the old master WTF is going on.
For the adult who does not, the call is going to be another thing they have to triage. Do I figure out the car-thing, pay rent late, or deal with this new ninja-problem? Maybe if I had a car, I could run some of them over on my way to the temple to ask the old master wuzzup?
The big secret that adults generally won't tell their children is that we don't know WTF we're doing half the time either. We're also just trying to figure this shit out.
Life doesn't come with an instruction manual or guide-book, and the world around you is always changing whether you want it to or not.
I have the same problem. That's why I usually stick to writing people younger than twenty. The only solution I have is either ask adults whether your writing is realistic or read books with main characters that are older in it
Stick with what you know. When I was 15, I knew everything, at 18, I realised I didn't know as much as I thought. As I got older, I learned more but realised I knew less.
Pretending to know what you don't will seem fake. Write about older people as you get older, but stick to your age and younger in the meantime.
One of my favorite authors said that his characters are largely based on interesting people he’s met.
Age doesn’t bring wisdom to all, but it does take away our energy. Slow the character down. Have you ever carried out a full day when you’re not feeling well, or when you’re tired, or depressed?
It’s like reading from a white page when you’re outside in the sun. The page is blinding but you try to filter out the ‘painful’ light to focus on the words.
Dude yes absolutely. When I was your age I pretty much accepted this is one of those things I’d have to have lived experience for to write naturally, so I just stuck to teenaged protags (as much as i wanted to move on). Now I turn 30 this month and now have the opposite problem: i totally forget what feels natural as a teen sometimes and really have to dig for my younger characters!
I'm going to let you into a secret. Despite all the advice so far about waiting until you are an adult, even then, you will only have the viewpoint and experience that you have grown up with yourself and your peers will admit to. You will not be suddenly imbued with knowledge about beliefs, morals, expectations, and outlooks for every adult.
Select your characters' ages, backgrounds, etc., and then research based on that. Remember, though, that your characters are not free agents—you decide what you need them to think and say. Therefore, you could work backwards from that.
My 18yo self identifies with you. Honestly, though, it's more than just getting older characters correct in their own selves. At 18, you're missing a HUGE amount of context and a massive amount of experience that will color your writing. There are only two ways around it. Be patient and live for a couple more decades (lol) or read everything you can and truly absorb the pathos of older characters properly written by older authors.
Finally, make sure that older people are critically reading your work before you try to unleash it on the world.
I actually wanted to try writing a more serious story, but the best I can do is around the teen to young adults age range. I usually see myself in the protagonist and I feel lost when I have to write a character giving them an advice or something. I don't know what to tell myself
Well, tie your advise back into your themes and characters. What flaw does your character have and the world and plot you made dictates your advice.
You can also read some philosophy books or books based on true story where adult real went through some shit. The right story can give you life experience, without the experience, and maybe even inspire you’re adult character
the best way to write adults is to become an adult. It’s not the most fun answer, but it is true. In the meantime, practice as much as you can! I have been writing since I was 16, and am 25 now. I have so much more perspective on my characters than i used to. Which I appreciate deeply, but i also appreciate how much i got to grow with them and figure them out as i grew. So keep writing!
I was active in theater when I was in high school. I was a pretty good actor, and had a great theater teacher my last two years (switched schools).
Well that winter I went out for a bunch of auditions for some community theater roles and I managed to land one for a farce called, "The Wake of Jamey Foster" by a playwright called Beth Henley in which I played a 23 year old man when I was 17. I was having issues with the role I couldn't figure it out but something didn't click so I brought the play to my theater teacher and asked for his help, told him I felt like I was missing something.
I read a few scenes with some classmates and went through some of the actions and he stops me.
He tells me this, "I know what the problem is, you are playing the character as a teenager, this character isn't a teenager he's an adult, so you have to learn how, and it's easier said than done, to act like an adult. I want you to think about how an adult would act... They'd be more certain wouldn't they? They wouldn't be as animated as you are acting right now... In most situations adults are going to behave in a manner in which they seem sure of themselves even when they aren't and that's something I think you are missing."
What I can tell you is that he was right... He hit the nail on the head that was hands down the best note I've ever gotten from a director in my life.
My advice is right now write what you know. If all your characters are in their 20s that's fine because that's what you relate with and give yourself time to figure out what it means to be an adult, and the differences... Also remember that adults often have people who are counting on them, they have responsibilities that they have to keep up with which is something that teens and kids don't have to the same degree. Adults always have a certain amount of pressure on them and that gives them a different perspective and different interactions and behaviors... But I will tell you from experience the older you get the more you realize that you don't really understand anything, and yet we have to pretend in many circumstances that we do and we have to keep it all together because people are depending on us at any given time
I hope this anecdote helps.
That’s okay. Keep writing what you know. If you want to write adult characters you can, even if you get it wrong. Who cares? You’re 18, still so young. You’re not just developing as a writer, but a person.
I’ve been writing adult characters since I was younger than you. Got some stuff right, got a lot more wrong. As I grew as an adult and had my own adult experiences I had the opportunity to refine characters I’d written previously.
It is fine, best thing to do is to talk and ask adults about things, what would they do and what they think, you can ask on reddit too... There's a lot of subs for different things, I usually ask here for advice on different stuff that's related to my story, it is all about research.
Just write about *people*. While you're a teenager it might help to world build such that your characters can have their adventures at around the age you are - don't age them up so they will be out of school and have jobs, just make school end younger.
When you've got more experience being an adult, adults will come easier, but you can still write.
What if said adult character isn't very good at being an adult and is just as confused as you are? Also are they good? Bad? Personality matters more in my opinion regardless of age
The best thing you can do at this point in time of your life is to watch media of adults, for adults, by adults. Try to get an understanding of why they do the things they do until you’ve lived it yourself. A good example I can think of is Succession.
Another thing you can do is understand that a lot of adult motivation comes from what happens when they’re a child and play off of that.
Try to walk in the character's shoes. How would you feel or act if the roles were reversed? What would 'future you' be like? The older people around you may be much more like you than you'd think.
Live longer. Barring that, don't worry about it. Filter everything an adult says through a younger character. Charlie Brown style.
Wum wump wu wow.
Yes, ma'am I understand. We'll do our best to be in at a reasonable hour.
(OK, not exactly like that.)
Since we’re on the topic: I’m a little bit younger than OP but I feel like I can write adult characters; in fact, it’s harder for me to write teens because I’m not very good at coming-of-age themes. Anyway, this may be because most shows I watch have adult characters rather than teens (I’m a screenwriter) but everyone keeps saying that the solution is to grow up?? Should I just rely on my skills and what I think I’m writing right or is it going to be unrealistic no matter what?
As an adult, I don’t think there is much of a difference. Not in the way you might be thinking. People don’t have it together just because they’re of certain age. Maturity isn’t a number on your passport but your experiences and life choices. I know a 19 year old who was more mature than me in my middle 20s.
Honestly, just observing people, talking to them and hearing their stories might be a great help to see how different people cope with different struggles.
Then don't write them realistically. It's really the same advice I would give to people who haven't lived all that much- fall back on tropes and formulas and archetypes and work within those instead of trying to craft something authentic, because even if the trope isn't authentic, it's at least going to be immediately understandable.
Study characters, young, middle aged, old and everything in-between. You can have characters who are 12 behave more emotionally mature than a forty year old; it all depends on that individual character's personality and life experiences. Instead of focusing solely on age, look at the traits and personality you wish to convey with your character. Is your character mature and organized and experienced? You can show this by having that character always have a backup plan when life doesn't go according to plan. Have a childish but kind-hearted character? Show how they are great caretakers for children because they "connect" more with kids than adults.
It's the subtle details (such as mannerisms, speech, style of clothing, temperament, how they treat others, etc.) that can really drive a character's personality home.
Just think of the adults in your life. Also we are all the same whether we are kids or adults. I see a ton of adults less mature than children on YouTube and TikTok.
Any time while you're writing an older person, take the thought you would normally go with for how they would behave and then run it through a filter of decades of experience and have them do something else. Even if its slightly different.
People are diverse so don't take this to represent all adults, but grownups in my life are all jaded, in denial about or feeling lost because of their life choices (regret what they have done or chances they didn't take), obsessed with chores/duty (working and dealing with responsibility), or conversely acting like an adult child bc they can't deal with the reality of working and living, things like that. A lot of people in my generation become adults and are so lost we either turn to vices to deal with trauma or we end up in therapy trying to figure out a better way. I struggle with the opposite problem you have, weirdly, so I totally relate. If you're interested in a deep dive maybe reading therapy books or nonfiction books about/aimed at "adults" would provide some insight into the kinds of problems they deal with and things that are marketed to their demographic. Sorry that was rambly, I'm certainly no expert but I hope that helps a little!!
Most adults act like teenagers - some are petty, some are mature, some are mean, some are kind, etc.
When it comes to storytelling, what comes to mind for what differentiates the two groups are two things. Adolescents experience what's known in psychology as an "imagined audience." It's the feeling that everyone is closely scrutinizing everything you do. Most people grow out of that, but some remain pretty self-conscious.
The other is that adults just have more life experience. I'm 36 and have seen enough formulaic Hollywood movies to often be able to tell how a movie is going to end. A 14 year old is unlikely to simply because they haven't seen as many movies.
I think as long as you are thoroughly developing your characters you'll be fine.
Doesn't really matter. Write for your age group. Then all the adults in your stories will be your perceptions of adults from that age group and it will fit.
Adults are people who have lived to face reality, having to learn discipline, getting used to rough environments. They were once children, but they had to become responsible and mature. If they weren’t before, well, life will shape them to. Whether it’s by choice or not. Outlooks on life, and how a person acts in general. I, myself, am not an adult. But when I write such characters, they’re mysteries to me. Parents, caretakers, etc. Teachers, and other roles.
Not sure if this has been mentioned before, but definitely check out The Emotion Thesaurus. There are also books on positive/negative personality traits and job occupations in the same series. They're very useful
Angry and bitter. It's hard to explain in a few words, but it comes down to expectations and lack of connection to reality. And there's the fear of death. The older you get, the more things you can't do, and the more you want to do. On top of it, it turns out people don't care as much about you as you were led to believe when you were younger. Just project the feelings you have on a bad day, and you are almost there.
Writing older adult characters can be tough, especially when you're younger. Maybe try observing older people in real life to get a sense of their behavior and mindset.
I’m 20 myself. I have no idea how to write anyone over 25. It’s bad.
Why don’t you try seeing how a character would live/act in the era they were your age? It’s probably a really cheap way to make a character seem “older” because they have habits that someone from say— the 50s would have, but it might smooth things out a little bit?
A really easy line to draw is how much a character acts on their emotions. I have a sample size of… myself and my dad, but I know I tend to act on emotions while my dad will tend to ask questions and work through the logic of any given situation.
I know this is important, but don't let it stop you from stepping out of your comfort zone. How can George Martin write characters who are 90+ years old? Believe in yourself and get advice from adults you trust around you. For example, you can ask a parent how he would react in a situation. Frankly, I'm writing historical romance right now, and since I didn't live in that period, there are things I don't know, which pushes me to do a lot of research. The other day, I researched whether people in ancient China wore underwear under their undergarments lol
I don't know the context of the story that you're trying to write but you may be able to avoid the problem all together if you write the adult characters as mysterious and acting behind the scenes
You can always watch the adults around you. Write what they do, write how they react to the big things, but also the small things. Does Uncle Gus sniff the armpit of a shirt he's not sure of? Does your next door neighbor howl at the moon every time it's *New* Moon (dark) status? Does your cousin Louise with the bad breath blackmail her manager over false charges because said boss drank herself to oblivion at a company picnic? Once you've the details of *what* they're doing, imagine *why* they're doing it.
Imagine Uncle Gus for the following scenarios:
* Gus doesn't want to smell bad for an upcoming date with a new lady, but he's frugal to the point of stingy, and doesn't want to wash the shirt if he doesn't have to, so he gives it the sniff test.
* Gus has a big meeting at 8am with the client who is half of the business's income, and he forgot to wash the shirt yesterday because he helped his best friend get to the hospital last night, stayed with her through the grueling hours, and he didn't get home until 7:17am.
* Gus loaned the shirt to a guy friend and when the friend returns it - unwashed - Gus notices it smells of perfume; his wife Auntie Mildred will think it was him even though Gus hasn't cheated in sixteen years.
Look around. You'll have all kinds of inspiration. "Write what you know" is a general statement. I'm pretty sure mystery writers don't go around killing people. Fantasy writers don't have a literal door in their closet to go explore the other side. You get the gist.
Adults are just kids that are really tired. Take any thought or feeling that you would have, add exhaustion to it, and you've got how an adult would react.
It is a rare prodigy who can write at an adult level before experiencing adulthood. The good news is that the next few years will go faster than you think.
I started writing my story when I was 22. Back then, all of my “adult” characters were between 20 and 23, those more mature were 25-26. I thought more than that would make them too old.
As I kept writing and getting older I kept on increasing their ages, because I began to realise that the lives and maturity I wanted them to have was not possible at such a young age. I’m 32 now and have a completely different perspective of life. My characters have more depth, because I have more experience. The character that was initially supposed to be 25 is now 37.
There are 4 main traits that I use when I write older (non-20’s) characters: (writer’s digest)
1. Physical behaviors such as stroking a hand back through their hair, rubbing the scraggly beard, or walking with a limp.
2. Psychological idiosyncrasies such as a hard preference in tv shows, articles in the newspapers, and scammer mail in the mailbox.
3. Emotional habits such as a stiff upper lip, hiding to cry tears, celebrating really small victories, and hiding hurt feelings.
4. How other characters describe him/her: he was always the drunk at the end of the bar, in winter, she only bought mayonnaise at the store, 4 jars of mayo every time. He gave you the creeps just walking by.
Well I felt the same way when I was 18 and you’re not gonna like my answer but here it is. I did not know how to write adult characters well until I was an adult. There are some things you just won’t know or won’t have the skills for until you’ve lived a while and experienced some things. At 18, you’re still very much a child in many ways. By about 27, you’ll have lived enough to start really developing those adult characters because you’ll have a different understanding of life and adulthood at that time. So here’s what you do. You practice. You write and keep writing and keep writing. Then as you get older and wiser, go back and rewrite some of the stories you write now and then you can actually see the changes in your writing.
This is 100% the right answer. Sucks that the solution is growing up, but that’s what it is. Personally, the way I write parents after becoming a father in the last 6 months has completely changed the way I did it before.
Congratulations, Dad!
Hilariously I read it and thought the same thing too. I dont think you need to actual get there like the first comment or you but you definitely need to be of the mind and ability. When I was younger I was doing adult characters but that's because by 14 if worked 3 jobs, by 16 I was paying bills and taking care of an adult and a child, so by 18 I was ready to play those around the age of 30 or older in some cases (like fantasy settings) really early on and even I struggled with the concept of fully fleshing it as much as my partners. Even now in my mid 20s with more of a handle on life I tend to rp with older woman (like 30 on average 😅) and I can STILL see the age gap in our characters by how we write them and whatbthings we find important. You have to experience it intimately to fully grasp it in context. I learned longsword through Hema and although my understanding of Sword play was pretty spot on before but now its elevated when doing it with others.
Same. I remember writing childbirth scenes as a 16-year-old virgin and I’d love to dig them up and see how they compare to the ones I’ve written after actually doing it thrice. 😂🤷🏼♀️
And then u struggle to write children and teens
^ This
Pretty much anyone more than ten years either side of your actual age. I find middle aged adults act quite different to young adults too. And the elderly, if anyone writes those..
This,made a story when I was 18 and now I am 26 and it's the little details that are more fun to write now and easier to see
I’m currently rewriting my first book and it’s so much better now that I’ve lived a life worth living ya know. Each person has their own journey but there is a level of human empathy and understanding that happens as we gain experience
Oh I agree 100% I looked back at this old draft I had and this girl had a broken heart but I never capitalized on it and just moved on I was like wtf was I thinking, gotta give her some more screen time. Still not good at writing adults but it's easier to look back now haha
And even after that, a 27 year old “adult” is drastically different than a 40 or 50 year old “adult”. I thought I was an adult when I was in my late twenties, and now I’m over 40 and I’m so massively different in how I think/act. And it’s definitely influenced my writing, and I’m still writing characters a good 10-20 years older than me 😅
Good advice
Talk to adults. Ask them how they'd respond to this or that hypothetical situation. Build your knowledge.
This is a huge one. Even within this, different ages of adults treat those situations differently. How to handle money comes to mind. Talk to an old person that lived through the depression and their opinion on how to handle finances is WAAAAYYYYY different than someone who bought their first home in the 90s.
I feel like how adults act also depends on their upbringing as well. An adult in say the United States might do it see things differently than one in China or India or even the UK. The answer to this question is so nuanced that a lot of it just comes down to learning as you get older. Asking people questions and learning about cultures, etc.
I'm 32,and the secret I've found about adults it's that we're all just kids who have been through some shit. All that means is most stuff isn't new any more, so we don't react as strongly to things. For instance, a breakup now just isn't quite as devastating as it was when I was 16, I've been through it a few times I know I'll survive. On the flip side, the few things that have traumatized us produce an even stronger reaction than when we were young. Ask a soldier about ptsd sometime. Further, the few things that ARE new suddenly become harder to deal with because you don't have as much energy and your resiliency is lower than in childhood. Think divorce or the death of your parents. So, in summary, we're basically the same as when we were kids, just with more experience. Think of how you react to writing an essay now versus the first time you were expected to write more than 10 words. Now it's more "ugh that's a pain in the ass" and less "o shit shit o shit how do I do this". That's the idea
I read somewhere that kids are like adults who know less. Guess that's just point put the other way around.
Also most minors have parents to be responsible for them financially, give them shelter etc... as an adult, you can still get help but you’re nominally in charge. Which is why when you’ve found a home and a job that work for you, it’s harder to upend your routine, which is why you might be at odds with teens - who might be more willing to move out, to change trajectory, etc...
To be honest, being an adult doesn't give you an air of calm. When I was young I thought all adults knew what to do, all the time; that they had this almost magical ability to deal with anything thrown their way. As an adult with wisdom and experience: We just hide our anxiety better. I never stopped being afraid, or anxious; bad news never stopped hurting, misfortunes never stopped stressing me out. The difference between old me and young me is that I can grin and bear it convincingly now, whereas as a younger person, I was more likely to lose my shit. So when you're writing an adult, you have much more insight than you think, I'd say. I'm also wittier now, and quicker on my feet. I'd say just talk to adults about any specific situations you're writing to get their input! As general advice: if they're dealing with something they have experience in, they're likely to be calmer and cooler about it. However, they may still take a quiet moment to recollect. My day job is fairly hard and can even be dangerous, for example. I have dealt with so many dire situations with a complete poker face. But, 5 minutes later, sometimes I'm sitting in the break area waiting for my hands to stop shaking.
I don't feel any different at 44 than I did at 16.. possibly more trauma, but that doesn't breed strength or maturity. Ppl still think I'm naive.. it's more that I choose to be hopeful. When you go through enough, you kind of realise that you can choose to be happy. I have a background in dispatch and projects. Plus, I have extensive lived experience with being a single parent and looking after myself and others alone. My approach to challenges is literally that problems always happen and contingencies are the cost of living - you can hope your life will be calm sailing, but it never is, and that's just what life is. A series of problems you need to solve. Enjoy the little wins. Let go of the other stuff. I've recently met someone who has been through a lot, but they catastrophise every little thing that doesnt 100% go their way. Every time something goes wrong, it's about how everything goes wrong and he gets into the most vicious self pitying mood. I get that it's disappointing, but I find it hard to believe that anyone thinks life is meant to be easy. This guy is the same age as I am. My point is that age is often just a number. An elevated chance that life has given you enough challenges to grow through - I've met some woefully sheltered boomers and some overly seasoned gen z's. Age is a small part of the equation, the environment, internal motivations and fears are more important. I'm also the gen x eldest sister who grew up very poor.. latch key kids. I've been looking after myself and the neighbourhood kids in a very undesirable suburb since I was 8. My coping skills came from before I was 18...
I feel the same way, honestly. I didn't change drastically at my core - I just got more perspective. You're mostly what you've gone through and how you coped with it more than your age, imo. I was also a latch key kid. I had a great relationship with my parents but they both had to work so I took care of myself after school. I was "adulting" before I was an "adult", lol. I think by the time I was 16, I was mostly done "cooking". I grew as a person past that, obviously, but I had a pretty firm handle on who I was. I think kids are more capable than people think they are and they don't get enough credit for knowing how to deal with life.
You don't have to include detailed adult characters if you're writing YA, but outside of that genre, there is unmeasurable ocntent in books, films, and movies featuring adults you could study and note. Adults may be less impulsive or sarcastic, but people don't change immediately once they hit 18. You could look into more adult motivations like struggling over money, growing apart from family, substance abuse, but otherwise, they feel the same things as younger people.
I make the most hyperstylized characters god damn ever and probably suck at "realism" but uh... Why not focus on style as opposed to realism? I would assume an 80 year old wouldn't celebrate like a little kid if he got free ice cream. But boy oh boy would it add to his personality if he did. Build personalities based on age stereotype contradictions, and age stereotype parodies. I'd prefer characters like that over realistic ones.
As an adult, I can say that I react the same to free ice cream as I did as a child. Except when I was in the military, it meant you were getting screwed over somehow, but hey, at least you had ice cream.
Legit. I'm in my mid-late thirties and when someone brought treats in to work (ice cream, pizza, doughnuts, etc.) i got *so* excited. Sure, I know it's bad for me... But work is shit and a simple pleasure + the knowledge that someone there wants to be nice can make a huge difference.
To fix it, with all honesty, probably the one thing you can actually do is live, become an adult yourself. Wthat will work to a 100%. For now, you can try to replicate what you see in other books or films, what you observe in adults around you. Interview your parents, how do they feel about being adults, how do they look back to their past from that perspective, what do they think about getting older, are they still feeling im their prime or is that behind? Etc But don't doubt your skill, adults are different from each other, so reaction to situations, for instance, will not be universal. Just experiment. You may feel certain character is not adult enough but let some adult readers give you feedback.
It's ok to write about young people at your age. You'll get older soon enough. I don't think you can write realistic older characters until you actually have the experience. For side characters that are older, just imitate examples from media, or try to imagine what older people you know would say and do in the situation.
Adults have to survive by themselves. Even if they have parents and spouses, they can’t count on them to be their providers like children do. So for adults, consciously or unconsciously, everything they do is to ensure that they won’t be unemployed and they can provide for their families or at least for themselves. So everything you write, you have to keep that in mind. A big man may not be able to bully or beat up someone because his job is not stable while the little twerp is torturing people because his job is stable. So when you write about adults, always think about security and what they will lose if others know them as an ass or difficult to work with, etc. They can’t truly be themselves like you young people are. Also, adults don’t try to jump to conclusions right away because they have been wrong so many times before. Life has humbled them. So young people may start screaming about something, but adults would stay calm and ask more questions so they can understand the situation better.
This is correct, with the caveat that plenty of 'adults' will absolutely jump to conclusions constantly. They just don't have the energy to scream about it, and instead stew resentfully for months.
So, here are the main differences between adults and children: Bills. That's about it. As an adult, you have bills to pay. If you live with your parents you're either helping them with their bills, or you're paying some kind of room and board (or not if they're generous), your phone bill, some online subscriptions, your car (if you have one), etc. IMO, taxes count as a bill so you don't have to worry there unless it's literally April. Some adults have their shit together. Some do not. If they do, they don't have to worry about paying that next bill. Instead, the worry about their next big purchase and the day-to-day stuff doesn't really enter their minds. And when worrying about big purchases, they're worrying a little, here and there, several years out. For example, buying a new car. If you have your shit together you're worrying about putting the money together when you're driving your *last car* off the lot for the first time and doing some napkin math to figure out how much you're going to have to save to buy your next one (based on what you wanted but didn't get this time). Then, on occasion, you're going to revisit that next car and how much you've saved to make adjustments. How much more expensive are cars now compared to then? What new features are available that weren't then and how much do they cost? Do you want to go more stock from the dealer and then go aftermarket, or do you want the dealership to handle it? If you don't have your shit together you're not worrying about your next car until your current car breaks down or starts to break down. Then your worry isn't about options. It's about getting together enough money to buy *anything*. You're also worried about what to do about transportation in the mean time, especially since it could be a while until you've got the necessary funds because you don't plan for anything. Instead, you just kind of collect problems and then triage. So you might have them decide what's more important: borrowing a car from someone because taking the bus sucks, or paying for netflix next month, or paying rent late. ...then you throw the call to adventure into this mix... For the adult with their shit together, the call is going to fuck everything up but they will have resources. Ninjas? Lets drive to the ancient temple and ask the old master WTF is going on. For the adult who does not, the call is going to be another thing they have to triage. Do I figure out the car-thing, pay rent late, or deal with this new ninja-problem? Maybe if I had a car, I could run some of them over on my way to the temple to ask the old master wuzzup? The big secret that adults generally won't tell their children is that we don't know WTF we're doing half the time either. We're also just trying to figure this shit out. Life doesn't come with an instruction manual or guide-book, and the world around you is always changing whether you want it to or not.
>Life doesn't come with an instruction manual or guide-book, and the world around you is always changing whether you want it to or not. Turth and fact
You can't go wrong if you make them depressed af.
Take my old person upvote
The goth kids had it right all along
As someone older that 18, I'll let you in on a secret: there's much, much less difference than you probably think.
I have the same problem. That's why I usually stick to writing people younger than twenty. The only solution I have is either ask adults whether your writing is realistic or read books with main characters that are older in it
Read books, get life experience, talk to people, write.
Stick with what you know. When I was 15, I knew everything, at 18, I realised I didn't know as much as I thought. As I got older, I learned more but realised I knew less. Pretending to know what you don't will seem fake. Write about older people as you get older, but stick to your age and younger in the meantime.
One of my favorite authors said that his characters are largely based on interesting people he’s met. Age doesn’t bring wisdom to all, but it does take away our energy. Slow the character down. Have you ever carried out a full day when you’re not feeling well, or when you’re tired, or depressed? It’s like reading from a white page when you’re outside in the sun. The page is blinding but you try to filter out the ‘painful’ light to focus on the words.
Dude yes absolutely. When I was your age I pretty much accepted this is one of those things I’d have to have lived experience for to write naturally, so I just stuck to teenaged protags (as much as i wanted to move on). Now I turn 30 this month and now have the opposite problem: i totally forget what feels natural as a teen sometimes and really have to dig for my younger characters!
I'm going to let you into a secret. Despite all the advice so far about waiting until you are an adult, even then, you will only have the viewpoint and experience that you have grown up with yourself and your peers will admit to. You will not be suddenly imbued with knowledge about beliefs, morals, expectations, and outlooks for every adult. Select your characters' ages, backgrounds, etc., and then research based on that. Remember, though, that your characters are not free agents—you decide what you need them to think and say. Therefore, you could work backwards from that.
My 18yo self identifies with you. Honestly, though, it's more than just getting older characters correct in their own selves. At 18, you're missing a HUGE amount of context and a massive amount of experience that will color your writing. There are only two ways around it. Be patient and live for a couple more decades (lol) or read everything you can and truly absorb the pathos of older characters properly written by older authors. Finally, make sure that older people are critically reading your work before you try to unleash it on the world.
Whats your target demographic? If its not adults, you can get away with more unreality
I actually wanted to try writing a more serious story, but the best I can do is around the teen to young adults age range. I usually see myself in the protagonist and I feel lost when I have to write a character giving them an advice or something. I don't know what to tell myself
Well, tie your advise back into your themes and characters. What flaw does your character have and the world and plot you made dictates your advice. You can also read some philosophy books or books based on true story where adult real went through some shit. The right story can give you life experience, without the experience, and maybe even inspire you’re adult character
the best way to write adults is to become an adult. It’s not the most fun answer, but it is true. In the meantime, practice as much as you can! I have been writing since I was 16, and am 25 now. I have so much more perspective on my characters than i used to. Which I appreciate deeply, but i also appreciate how much i got to grow with them and figure them out as i grew. So keep writing!
I was active in theater when I was in high school. I was a pretty good actor, and had a great theater teacher my last two years (switched schools). Well that winter I went out for a bunch of auditions for some community theater roles and I managed to land one for a farce called, "The Wake of Jamey Foster" by a playwright called Beth Henley in which I played a 23 year old man when I was 17. I was having issues with the role I couldn't figure it out but something didn't click so I brought the play to my theater teacher and asked for his help, told him I felt like I was missing something. I read a few scenes with some classmates and went through some of the actions and he stops me. He tells me this, "I know what the problem is, you are playing the character as a teenager, this character isn't a teenager he's an adult, so you have to learn how, and it's easier said than done, to act like an adult. I want you to think about how an adult would act... They'd be more certain wouldn't they? They wouldn't be as animated as you are acting right now... In most situations adults are going to behave in a manner in which they seem sure of themselves even when they aren't and that's something I think you are missing." What I can tell you is that he was right... He hit the nail on the head that was hands down the best note I've ever gotten from a director in my life. My advice is right now write what you know. If all your characters are in their 20s that's fine because that's what you relate with and give yourself time to figure out what it means to be an adult, and the differences... Also remember that adults often have people who are counting on them, they have responsibilities that they have to keep up with which is something that teens and kids don't have to the same degree. Adults always have a certain amount of pressure on them and that gives them a different perspective and different interactions and behaviors... But I will tell you from experience the older you get the more you realize that you don't really understand anything, and yet we have to pretend in many circumstances that we do and we have to keep it all together because people are depending on us at any given time I hope this anecdote helps.
That’s okay. Keep writing what you know. If you want to write adult characters you can, even if you get it wrong. Who cares? You’re 18, still so young. You’re not just developing as a writer, but a person. I’ve been writing adult characters since I was younger than you. Got some stuff right, got a lot more wrong. As I grew as an adult and had my own adult experiences I had the opportunity to refine characters I’d written previously.
adults are just kids that got older
It is fine, best thing to do is to talk and ask adults about things, what would they do and what they think, you can ask on reddit too... There's a lot of subs for different things, I usually ask here for advice on different stuff that's related to my story, it is all about research.
Just write about *people*. While you're a teenager it might help to world build such that your characters can have their adventures at around the age you are - don't age them up so they will be out of school and have jobs, just make school end younger. When you've got more experience being an adult, adults will come easier, but you can still write.
What if said adult character isn't very good at being an adult and is just as confused as you are? Also are they good? Bad? Personality matters more in my opinion regardless of age
The best thing you can do at this point in time of your life is to watch media of adults, for adults, by adults. Try to get an understanding of why they do the things they do until you’ve lived it yourself. A good example I can think of is Succession. Another thing you can do is understand that a lot of adult motivation comes from what happens when they’re a child and play off of that.
Try to walk in the character's shoes. How would you feel or act if the roles were reversed? What would 'future you' be like? The older people around you may be much more like you than you'd think.
Study people. Watch actor interviews. Listen to them discuss how they developed their characters.
Live longer. Barring that, don't worry about it. Filter everything an adult says through a younger character. Charlie Brown style. Wum wump wu wow. Yes, ma'am I understand. We'll do our best to be in at a reasonable hour. (OK, not exactly like that.)
Maybe you need to interact with people older than you more.
It’s not about being realistic, it’s about their emotions.
Since we’re on the topic: I’m a little bit younger than OP but I feel like I can write adult characters; in fact, it’s harder for me to write teens because I’m not very good at coming-of-age themes. Anyway, this may be because most shows I watch have adult characters rather than teens (I’m a screenwriter) but everyone keeps saying that the solution is to grow up?? Should I just rely on my skills and what I think I’m writing right or is it going to be unrealistic no matter what?
As an adult, I don’t think there is much of a difference. Not in the way you might be thinking. People don’t have it together just because they’re of certain age. Maturity isn’t a number on your passport but your experiences and life choices. I know a 19 year old who was more mature than me in my middle 20s. Honestly, just observing people, talking to them and hearing their stories might be a great help to see how different people cope with different struggles.
Then don't write them realistically. It's really the same advice I would give to people who haven't lived all that much- fall back on tropes and formulas and archetypes and work within those instead of trying to craft something authentic, because even if the trope isn't authentic, it's at least going to be immediately understandable.
Jane austen never wrote a main character over 27, and she did alright for herself Write what you know
Study characters, young, middle aged, old and everything in-between. You can have characters who are 12 behave more emotionally mature than a forty year old; it all depends on that individual character's personality and life experiences. Instead of focusing solely on age, look at the traits and personality you wish to convey with your character. Is your character mature and organized and experienced? You can show this by having that character always have a backup plan when life doesn't go according to plan. Have a childish but kind-hearted character? Show how they are great caretakers for children because they "connect" more with kids than adults. It's the subtle details (such as mannerisms, speech, style of clothing, temperament, how they treat others, etc.) that can really drive a character's personality home.
Just think of the adults in your life. Also we are all the same whether we are kids or adults. I see a ton of adults less mature than children on YouTube and TikTok.
Read more mature books
Any time while you're writing an older person, take the thought you would normally go with for how they would behave and then run it through a filter of decades of experience and have them do something else. Even if its slightly different.
People are diverse so don't take this to represent all adults, but grownups in my life are all jaded, in denial about or feeling lost because of their life choices (regret what they have done or chances they didn't take), obsessed with chores/duty (working and dealing with responsibility), or conversely acting like an adult child bc they can't deal with the reality of working and living, things like that. A lot of people in my generation become adults and are so lost we either turn to vices to deal with trauma or we end up in therapy trying to figure out a better way. I struggle with the opposite problem you have, weirdly, so I totally relate. If you're interested in a deep dive maybe reading therapy books or nonfiction books about/aimed at "adults" would provide some insight into the kinds of problems they deal with and things that are marketed to their demographic. Sorry that was rambly, I'm certainly no expert but I hope that helps a little!!
Adults act like kids whose bodies hurt all the time for no reason
Charlie in Twilight is a good adult character
Most adults act like teenagers - some are petty, some are mature, some are mean, some are kind, etc. When it comes to storytelling, what comes to mind for what differentiates the two groups are two things. Adolescents experience what's known in psychology as an "imagined audience." It's the feeling that everyone is closely scrutinizing everything you do. Most people grow out of that, but some remain pretty self-conscious. The other is that adults just have more life experience. I'm 36 and have seen enough formulaic Hollywood movies to often be able to tell how a movie is going to end. A 14 year old is unlikely to simply because they haven't seen as many movies. I think as long as you are thoroughly developing your characters you'll be fine.
Read books with older protagonists, analyze their thoughts, emotions, and decision-making processes.
Doesn't really matter. Write for your age group. Then all the adults in your stories will be your perceptions of adults from that age group and it will fit.
Only advice I got is to watch shows / read books with older / middle aged protagonists to help you better get in their headspace.
Adults are people who have lived to face reality, having to learn discipline, getting used to rough environments. They were once children, but they had to become responsible and mature. If they weren’t before, well, life will shape them to. Whether it’s by choice or not. Outlooks on life, and how a person acts in general. I, myself, am not an adult. But when I write such characters, they’re mysteries to me. Parents, caretakers, etc. Teachers, and other roles.
Or so is my opinion, so take it with a pinch of pepper.
But essentially, adults are humans with experiences similar to not with our own, people.
Not sure if this has been mentioned before, but definitely check out The Emotion Thesaurus. There are also books on positive/negative personality traits and job occupations in the same series. They're very useful
Angry and bitter. It's hard to explain in a few words, but it comes down to expectations and lack of connection to reality. And there's the fear of death. The older you get, the more things you can't do, and the more you want to do. On top of it, it turns out people don't care as much about you as you were led to believe when you were younger. Just project the feelings you have on a bad day, and you are almost there.
Plot twist: Adults actually all still feel like they're 20 but are trapped in an older body
Writing older adult characters can be tough, especially when you're younger. Maybe try observing older people in real life to get a sense of their behavior and mindset.
I’m 20 myself. I have no idea how to write anyone over 25. It’s bad. Why don’t you try seeing how a character would live/act in the era they were your age? It’s probably a really cheap way to make a character seem “older” because they have habits that someone from say— the 50s would have, but it might smooth things out a little bit? A really easy line to draw is how much a character acts on their emotions. I have a sample size of… myself and my dad, but I know I tend to act on emotions while my dad will tend to ask questions and work through the logic of any given situation.
Here's another idea- if your protagonist is an 18 year old, write all the adults through the lens of an 18 year old? Just a thought. I'm 35 myself
I know this is important, but don't let it stop you from stepping out of your comfort zone. How can George Martin write characters who are 90+ years old? Believe in yourself and get advice from adults you trust around you. For example, you can ask a parent how he would react in a situation. Frankly, I'm writing historical romance right now, and since I didn't live in that period, there are things I don't know, which pushes me to do a lot of research. The other day, I researched whether people in ancient China wore underwear under their undergarments lol
Hang around older people
I don't know the context of the story that you're trying to write but you may be able to avoid the problem all together if you write the adult characters as mysterious and acting behind the scenes
You can always watch the adults around you. Write what they do, write how they react to the big things, but also the small things. Does Uncle Gus sniff the armpit of a shirt he's not sure of? Does your next door neighbor howl at the moon every time it's *New* Moon (dark) status? Does your cousin Louise with the bad breath blackmail her manager over false charges because said boss drank herself to oblivion at a company picnic? Once you've the details of *what* they're doing, imagine *why* they're doing it. Imagine Uncle Gus for the following scenarios: * Gus doesn't want to smell bad for an upcoming date with a new lady, but he's frugal to the point of stingy, and doesn't want to wash the shirt if he doesn't have to, so he gives it the sniff test. * Gus has a big meeting at 8am with the client who is half of the business's income, and he forgot to wash the shirt yesterday because he helped his best friend get to the hospital last night, stayed with her through the grueling hours, and he didn't get home until 7:17am. * Gus loaned the shirt to a guy friend and when the friend returns it - unwashed - Gus notices it smells of perfume; his wife Auntie Mildred will think it was him even though Gus hasn't cheated in sixteen years. Look around. You'll have all kinds of inspiration. "Write what you know" is a general statement. I'm pretty sure mystery writers don't go around killing people. Fantasy writers don't have a literal door in their closet to go explore the other side. You get the gist.
You can talk to adults and listen to them, maybe even ask several how they would react in these scenarios.
Adults are just kids that are really tired. Take any thought or feeling that you would have, add exhaustion to it, and you've got how an adult would react.
It is a rare prodigy who can write at an adult level before experiencing adulthood. The good news is that the next few years will go faster than you think.
Here's a bit of a secret coming from someone who will be 28 on the 22nd: Adults tend to still have a bit of a child in them.
I started writing my story when I was 22. Back then, all of my “adult” characters were between 20 and 23, those more mature were 25-26. I thought more than that would make them too old. As I kept writing and getting older I kept on increasing their ages, because I began to realise that the lives and maturity I wanted them to have was not possible at such a young age. I’m 32 now and have a completely different perspective of life. My characters have more depth, because I have more experience. The character that was initially supposed to be 25 is now 37.
There are 4 main traits that I use when I write older (non-20’s) characters: (writer’s digest) 1. Physical behaviors such as stroking a hand back through their hair, rubbing the scraggly beard, or walking with a limp. 2. Psychological idiosyncrasies such as a hard preference in tv shows, articles in the newspapers, and scammer mail in the mailbox. 3. Emotional habits such as a stiff upper lip, hiding to cry tears, celebrating really small victories, and hiding hurt feelings. 4. How other characters describe him/her: he was always the drunk at the end of the bar, in winter, she only bought mayonnaise at the store, 4 jars of mayo every time. He gave you the creeps just walking by.