When writing a novel, how can a character be developed well, but QUICKLY?

“No, about the cat. You don’t need a cat. You remember what happened to your spider plant, right?”

“Nope, I mean a cat followed me home. A black cat, to be exact. All the way from the club. Probably still out there, for all I know.”

May studied the black and white comic panels. “Oh, my. She looks…anatomically implausible. What is she doing to that poor man? Wait, are those cat ears?”

Why do people see porn pics when they can watch porn videos instead?

“Cute girls?”

“I’ll put the kettle on.”

“You know what? Never mind,” May said. “I am way, way too drunk to be having this conversation.”

Overthinking is killing me day-by-day. What should I do?

Here’s how we presented the character Claire when she was introduced, which the agent particularly singled out:

“Why is that always your first suggestion? I do not need some tea. It’s three o’clock in the morning! If I have tea, I’ll never get to sleep.”

“Yep!” Claire chirped. “There’s this schoolboy, see, and he’s homeless, so he lives in this boarding house that used to be a hot springs bathhouse, which is cheap because it’s haunted, so he decides—”

Why is the mainstream media, traditionally liberal except for Fox, not reporting on Trump like he's a traditional candidate who has ideas, values, and a concern for the common good?

“I need to do laundry.”

May pushed Claire’s feet away. Claire rose to peer out the window. “Huh. It’s still there.”

“Thanks. You’re looking pretty ratty yourself. Have you been in that bathrobe all day?”

What is the meanest thing your husband has said to you?

In the kitchen, Claire set out a battered pair of mugs: May’s black, with “PEBKAC: Problem Exists Between Keyboard and Chair” in white letters; Claire’s white, with “This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays” in dark blue. She carried both mugs into the living room. “A moggie followed you home? Is this some weird Internet slang I’m not current on?”

“I’m serious!” Claire said. “It’s staring straight at me.” She let the curtain fall. “Weird.”

“Claire, I—”

Trump says U.S. will get rare earth minerals from China and tariffs on Chinese goods will total 55% under new trade framework - PBS

“But they’re cold!”

“No way.”

“Exactly.”

These glowing axolotls may hold the secret to human limb regeneration - The Washington Post

“Yes way. It’s washing itself under the street light. Uh-oh, I think it spotted me. It knows I’m watching it. I swear it’s looking at me.”

“They are! He broke the rules of the boarding house by petting this character while she was in cat form, so they invoke the ancient rules of single combat via ping-pong, and—”

Engaging in conversation that also shows something about their intelligence, personality, wit (or lack thereof); and

I’ve a dismissive avoidant partner who said that he’s overwhelmed by our relationship and that he wants to break up, how do I get him back?

“None of those either. Look upon the wasteland that is my sex life, and see that it is barren. Naught but a moggie followed me home.”

After Eunice and I finished London Under Veil, I entered the first chapter in a contest at a convention where you could submit something and have it critiqued by a professional book agent.

“Well, maybe if you’d wear more clothes, they wouldn’t feel so cold. Hussy!”

So who has worn a cock cage. One of my guy FWBs put one on me last Sunday and left with the keys? I was very nervous at first but have calmed down. Told me he'll unlock it tomorrow.. Let me know.

Create a context between this character and other characters.

“May! You’re home late! Early, I mean. Well, I mean, it’s early in the morning, but you’re home before I expected. Er, after. Before?”

Doing something they enjoy, that expresses their personality, and that is in some way unusual or noteworthy;

Why do I feel like I want to suck a big dick after injecting meth?

Claire sat back down, legs tucked elegantly beneath her. “You are looking a bit sloppy,” she said, inspecting May through narrowed eyes.

“Nary a cute boy in sight.”

“Tart!”

Increased screen time linked to aggression, anxiety, low self-esteem in kids, study finds - ABC News

“Damn straight. So get to it! This time next week, I want to hear some moans coming through that wall.”

“Number one, it’s not porn, it’s ecchi, and number two, why would I waste a perfectly good Saturday doing anything else?” Claire pulled at her tea and sighed. “The only thing that could make this day better is if you'd come home with some cute boy, so that after you kicked him out tomorrow I could live vicariously through you.”

Essentially, what you do is show the character:

Why does my 5-year-old daughter keep repeating the words 'they will come for us, they will find us and touch us'? I'm quite scared.

“I know! That’s why I’m putting them under you!”

“Perv.”

“From the look of you, if you try to sleep now, you’ll spend the next three hours hanging onto your bed trying to stop the world spinning. Since you’re not going to sleep anyway, you might as well keep me company.”

What is the reason behind some people referring to themselves as "nice guys" instead of simply being nice?

“I try not to, but thank you for reminding me. I know I don’t need a cat. I don’t want a cat. What would I do with a cat?”

“About wearing more clothes? How am I supposed to catch any fish if I don’t show off the bait?”

Do that and you can ground your characters quite quickly.

Is Trump the greatest spiritual leader since Jesus?

“I don’t know. Partying. Going to a pub. Anything besides sitting on the couch reading…” She squinted. “What the hell are you reading?”

“You don’t need a cat. You can’t take care of a cat. You can’t take care of a ficus.” Claire flopped on the other side of the sofa and wriggled her feet beneath May.

“Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs!” Claire turned the book around.

Is Replika conscious?

“Well, maybe if you didn’t spend all day reading—” May prodded the book with its garishly-coloured cover with her foot. “Bizarre comic book porn…”

Claire, one of May’s three flatmates, former university roommate, and best friend in all the world, shrugged expansively. “It’s a Saturday night. What else would I be doing?”

“I’m just a fan of your catch and release program.”

Why did my bipolar girlfriend split up with me?

“Claire! Why are you still up?”

“It’s not looking at you.”

“Fine.” May collapsed into the warm spot Claire had just vacated.

“So you didn’t meet any cute boys at the club tonight?” Claire called as she bustled about the small kitchen.

They both burst out laughing. “I’m right, though,” Claire went on.

May yelped. “Hey! Your feet are cold!”

“You need some tea!”

The agent had only one bad thing to say (the synopsis was crap; writing synopses is hard!), but praised the characterization and particularly how well we introduced a character’s personality quickly.

“Exactly.”

“It’s a cat. All cats are weird.” May sipped from her mug, inhaling the warmth. She closed her eyes. The room spun. She opened them again. “Ugh. I think I drank too much.”

“I’m glad my sex life is so entertaining.”

“Hang on, are they playing ping-pong?”