I’m a character-focused writer. While my stories typically begin with an intriguing setting, the heart of each tale quickly becomes about the characters who bring that world to life. Understanding their struggles, hopes, and desires is what truly drives my storytelling process.
When the idea for Realmspire first came to mind, I immediately fell in love with the concept: a futuristic school where students learn to travel between dimensions. Think Dr. Strange vibes, minus the rigorous science. My imagination adored the idea, but my brain couldn’t handle the intricate physics behind dimensional theory. Hard sci-fi is definitely out of my league.
But if I was going to wrestle with complicated science, why not create characters who were just as lost as I was? Fish out of water stories have always resonated with me. The next step was clear: figure out how exactly my fish would flounder.
That’s when I decided to use character interviews. It’s a common method writers use to better understand their characters, but this time, I put a twist on it by using an AI character generator to role-play the dialogue. It was ridiculously fun, and after two days of interviews, Core and Nova rose to the top. As you read their transcript, you’ll probably see why these two made the final cut.
Excerpt from my interviews for the protagonist role
Me: Hi there! I’ll be recording this interview. Could you state your full name, age, and where you’re from?
Core: Oh! Uh—sure. (She clears her throat, nudges her notebook into place, and tries to sound confident.)
My full name is Cordelia Solace. I’m 18, and I’m from Port Meridian. You’ve probably never heard of it—one of those planned tech hubs where everything is unnervingly perfect and identical. My family’s kind of a big deal there. (She shifts awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with that fact.)
Should I… keep going? Or stick to basics?
Me: That’s fine, Core. Thank you. Core is an unusual name.
Core: Oh—yeah. It’s not the name I was born with. (She fiddles with her notebook’s corner, avoiding eye contact.)
I changed it when I was twelve. Cordelia felt… I don’t know, like someone else’s name. And my family always called me “a little soft in the center,” like it was an insult. So I leaned into it. Core. Soft center, solid shell. (She forces a smile.)
Plus, it’s easier to write on forms. Fewer letters.
(Note: I’m skipping ahead a bit here. There were a lot of questions.)
Me: What’s your biggest secret that you’d hate anyone to know?
Core: (She freezes, eyes darting, clearly weighing her options.) Oh… wow. That’s… personal. (She shifts in her seat, hugs her notebook to her chest, then sighs.)
My biggest secret—the one I’d really hate for anyone to know—is that sometimes… I think they made a mistake letting me in here. Not just imposter syndrome—well, okay, yes, exactly imposter syndrome—but worse. I’m afraid if people knew how often I’m just winging it, they’d realize I don’t belong. (She looks down, tracing the edge of the page.)
And part of me wonders if the only reason I’m here is my family’s name—someone pulled strings. If that’s true, I didn’t just stumble into this spot—I took it from someone who deserved it more. (Her voice drops to a whisper.)
I think about that a lot more than I probably should.
Me: Thank you, Core. I appreciate your openness. One last question: What do you do for fun when you’re not studying?
Core: (Her shoulders relax, grateful for an easier question.) Oh! When I’m not drowning in assignments or trying to decode quantum diagrams—which seriously look like someone’s bad handwriting—I read old adventure stories. The kind with treasure maps, hidden doors, and heroes who argue the whole way but secretly adore each other.
And I fence—not professionally, but my grandfather was obsessed with old Earth swordplay, so he made all us grandkids learn. I’m actually kinda good at it? One of the few things I don’t overthink. (She smiles, more genuinely now.)
And I collect weird facts. Like, did you know some mushrooms glow in the dark? Or there’s a shrimp that punches so fast it boils water? Completely useless, but my brain loves them. (She tilts her head, considering.)
Books, swords, trivia—I’m basically one bad decision away from becoming the eccentric tavern-dweller in a fantasy novel. (She grins.)
(Note: After I dismissed Core, I interviewed Nova Callisto. Different character, but potentially another protagonist candidate.)
Me (to Nova): Do you have a big family?
Nova: Oh yeah. Huge. Loud. Opinionated.
Let’s see—there’s Mom, who runs the main repair bay and could rebuild a fusion core blindfolded. Dad’s always off-station doing salvage runs, or home asleep in his recliner, beer balanced on his stomach.
Then there are my three older brothers—all mechanics, all convinced I’m a walking disaster. Which, fair, but rude.
And don’t forget Uncle Taz—he pulled strings to get me into Realmspire. Technically, he’s a janitor, but he calls himself a “Facilities Operations Specialist.” (She air quotes dramatically.)
Big family. Lots of grease, shouting, and love—usually shouted across a repair bay.
Me: What’s your biggest strength and weakness?
Nova: Easy. Strength? I’m ridiculously adaptable. Drop me anywhere and I’ll survive—probably badly, but alive until smarter people show up.
Plus, I’m charming as hell. I can talk my way out of anything, or at least into a better seat to watch it unfold.
Weakness? (She leans in conspiratorially.) Attention span of a caffeinated squirrel. Lectures? Nope. Homework? Double nope. Diagrams? Brain goes bye-bye. I like doing stuff, not talking about doing stuff.
Also, slight authority issue—not rebellion, exactly, I just forget rules exist until someone shouts them at me. (She sits back, grinning.) Work in progress, right?
The Test
After this playful exchange, I tested Core and Nova together. They clicked immediately—in the most chaotic way possible. I told them they were in a lab, observing a blob of goo from another dimension. I wanted to see how they related to one another while doing something unusual.
The lab session spiraled hilariously out of control almost immediately. Core was diligently taking notes, treating the blob like it might detonate if she blinked too hard. Nova, meanwhile, treated the lab as her personal playground. It started innocently enough with Nova introducing a gummy bear for “cultural exchange,” and things quickly escalated from there.
The blob itself split, changed color, vibrated wildly, and, astonishingly, began humming pop songs after consuming candy. Core frantically recorded observations, her notes increasingly panicked, especially when the blob evolved into a beach-ball-sized, rainbow-colored megablob loudly singing “GUMMY GUMMY GUMMYYYYYY!”
The chaos peaked when the lab’s containment system activated, showering everyone—including a horrified Professor Nivins—in sparkly foam glitter. Nova cheerfully declared the experiment a success and suggested they might now need both a mop and possibly an exorcist. Core, meanwhile, furiously typed, “Lab partner may also need containment.”
After this memorable lab session, I knew Core would be my protagonist—awkward, earnest, completely out of her depth—and Nova her hilarious, troublemaking sidekick. It’s a classic fish-out-of-water story set against a backdrop of interdimensional madness.
And working with the AI generator helped me “see” my characters as people before I wrote word 1. I may not use the details it provided, but I have a pretty good idea of the personalities that I’ll be using.
I hope you will enjoy their adventures as much as I’m already enjoying bringing them to life! Do you use AI to develop characters? I’m curious about how other writers learn about their characters.
