Liza Lysko asked Jennifer A. Nielsen:

How do you find diversity in your characters? I’ve realized I only use my same basic personalities that I fall back on (jock, nerd, hero, shy kid, etc.) How do I create meaningful, loveable characters, and not have them all be the same?

Jennifer A. Nielsen If you feel you are creating similar characters in your writing, try delving deeper into their backgrounds and motivations, and how those two factors shape who they are.

Someone who comes from a life of poverty will see the world very differently from someone who comes from privilege and wealth. They will access the world differently, engage differently with people of power, trust and mistrust different groups, etc.

And work to think of your characters as distinct individuals. For example, you likely have a group of friends who are very similar to each other, but now note what makes them different. Even if you create similar characters, look at creating distinct differences that uniquely define them.

Good luck!

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