How do I make my book characters real?

[Grease Is The Word]

I have a problem "fleshing out" my characters. I'm currently writing a book with 7 main characters, written in the 1st person view of 1 of them. So far 4 of them have been introduced. I know what they all look like and some of their skills. However most of them have known each other for years and all their personalities are quite alike. Every time one of them speaks i only write what i would say and all the things they do in the book don't seem to be their tasks. The fact that they are all so friendly and want exactly the same thing does not exactly help me expand on their personalities. How can i make my characters stand apart?

Also does anyone have any tips on writing action scenes?

Thanks lots for your time, effort and help!

 

[Exosus]

The key to making your characters feel real is to think like them. Before you even start writing for a given character, sit down and think about what you want that person to be. Think about them as if they were an acquaintance of yours, and when you write them don't have them say or do what you think they should, but instead what you think they WOULD. Predict what the character would do; don't invent it.

As for action scenes, the key is to make it work logistically, then go back and flesh out. Make sure that the things could all happen before you start adding adjectives. If a wolf in your story is jumping 12 feet in the air to attack a chopper, it isn't really relevant what color the wolf is - the scene is still going to ruin immersion. I try never to do the framework before the "meat" but in the case of heavy action scenes I find it helpful. Once you have it such that it makes sense, you can add descriptions and details. If you try to do it all at once, it can be overwhelming.

 

[Made Of Sunshine]

It's human nature to fall into certain categories when your in a group or team; everybody takes on a role in the group. Look up the 'Belbin Team Inventory', and you'll se the nine different roles people fall into when in a group.
Also, you could create their history and relationships with other people and just include little facts about them so the reader knows where they fit in.

What I do to make sure I have a balancing variety, is separate my characters in four groups: earth, water, fire and air.

Earth people are serene, protective, leavel headed, logical, stubborn, easy going and "down-to-earth".
Water people are moody, loving, creative, insitful, motherly, deep and easily offended and kind.
Fire people are assertive, powerful, energetic, dynamic, passionate, selfish, urgent and fiery.
Air people are fickle, sociable, versitile, light-hearted, silly, harmonic, witty and capricious.

I just find that as long as I can balance out characters in a group, they have enough diversity to make the characters individual but still work. Also, be sure to show their flaws so the characters are relateable.

 

[ℓιℓιαηα]

You could always base some of your characters off of real people you know. Of course you could change anything you like about them. Try and imagine that person and what they would say or do in that particular situation and write it down. As your story develops, it will become easier and easier for you to automatically know what your character will say next and your character might have even evolved from that real person.

Just a suggestion, good luck!