Writer's Fallout Shelter

Well, a lot of the time I'll be watching a movie and think of a really neat character. I typically think of it in terms of the different stories. The story of the guy who looks on as the hero does heroic stuff is often more interesting to me than the story of the hero. I've invented whole stories about extras in movies, and through that process made them unique and totally removed from the world of the movie.

Sometimes I look at it from almost a completely different direction: hearing a story, and building a character around it. Like, think about who a pair of high school age friends who practice obscure forms of witchcraft might be. And then, of course, I have to answer questions like who else touches their lives, whether or not the magic is "real" (although "literal" may be a better word), etc.

How do I bring them out? That's a really big question, and one I can't fully answer. I typically tend to show characterization by their actions. I also create stories for my characters in my mind, playing them through. They're not always things I'd write, but it helps me get a handle on who they are.