A mysterious character can occur in every genre and every story. It's impoartnt to keep in mind how people in general fear the unknwown, so this fear is a lovely tool to play with while creating and writing such a character.
1. Secrets
Usually with most mysterious characters there are cretain secrets about them. These can be harmless or harmful, depending on the kind of character you wish o write and the kind of story you wish to tell.
It can be something complex, affecting other characters and the entire plot or something as simple as having a hobby that others don't know about. Remember to give your character a reason, or at least an end goal, behind why they're hiding secrets from others.
It's not necessary for them to have secrets, but simply the fact they they don't reveal much about themselves could hint on something bigger going on with them.
For example, knowing the information that only certain types of people know, a hairdressrs knowing and explaning into detail how to break a lock.
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2. A Put-on Act
A mysterious character might put on a cretain act when being around others. Their persona can fall after interacting with person, animal or an action they care about. It might fall only when they're completely alone. You can make their act obvious or believable, subtle, depenmding on the kind of story you're writing.
3. Coldness
Coldness and cold exterior is one of the most common ways to show a mysterious character. Espeically if they have a rich inner world. Therefore, they might have a lot of stuff to process the daily.
This might make them appear cold and uncaring, but it can be also used a way to slowly introduce this character's secrets, hidden things they never speak about. Coldness could be considered the opposite of putting on an act, however these two ideas can overlap and compliment each other as well.
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4. Vulnerability
Any sort of vulnerability, intimacy, fears or deeper inner thoughts can be shown within the character. This can happen when they're getting to know someone, when they're trying to warm up to them. These things could manifest only with characters such as trusted friends or family memebers. It could be interseting to explore these concepts over the course of the story.
This part of them should serve as to explain why they act, behave, speak in the presenterd ways. It can be tied to their secrets, putting on an act, remanining cold, all of these concepts can be helpful to you while writing your charfacters. Feel free to explore and find interesting ways to make their mysteriousness stand out.
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Other tips
- Character's secrets and mysteriousness is slowly explained and revealed (for a slow burn story). The reasons behind it can even be used as a plot twist if you wish.
- You can use other characters to explain, introduce or simply interact with your mysterious character. Their relations could be interesting, dynamic or even hostile, depending on the kind of story you're writing.
- Double lives: A character can live double lives, having different friends, family members or anything in between.
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by: Nili
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