One Small Rule Can Reveal a Character

When I sketch a fictional character, one clear rule can reveal more than a page of biography—because it gives the character a choice to make.

Try this thought experiment: they repair only objects they didn’t break. Someone brings them a cracked cup. They mend it carefully, but won’t fix their own damaged chair. Suddenly there’s a tension to explore: is the rule about fairness, guilt, or something else? The answer can emerge through later choices, not a block of explanation.

A useful character seed doesn’t have to explain a whole person. It just needs to create one interesting decision. Start with a rule, put it under gentle pressure, and see what the character does.