There’s nothing I love more than a smart character, a character capable of solving impossible mysteries, mastering difficult spells, or navigating complex political games. You know the characters I’m talking about, the ones that pull out the solution from nowhere. The character that restores the last bit of hope you have when everything seems dark.
However, the issue that many writers have with writing smart characters is that they think they have to be smarter than those characters; they don’t. I’m more than happy to tell you that it’s more than possible to write a smart character without having to identify as a genius.
In this guide, we talk about what makes a character smart, what to avoid, and how to write a smart character.
What Makes a Character Seem Smart?
The common misconception with smart characters is that people think they know everything, which they don’t. In fact, believing you know everything is a sign of unintelligence.
Intelligent characters are the ones who have the:
- Ability and will to learn.
- Adapt.
- Recognize patterns.
- Solve problems.
- Understand people in different circumstances.
What makes a character seem smart is how they think and how they solve problems.
For example, there are two characters in the same class, Antoine and Edward. Antoine has memorized different historical dates, events, and figures. He always brags about how many historical facts he knows. However, Antoine fails to reflect on historical events, how they happened, and how they affect him today.
Edward, on the other hand, is more than capable of doing that; he also asks relevant questions in class to get a better understanding of the topic. Who seems smarter, Antoine or Edward?
You may argue that both boys are smart, which they may very well be. However, memorizing facts like Antoine did doesn’t make you smart. It’s about the way you think. Edward didn’t know everything, and he doesn’t have to do that to be smart. He just has to think like a smart person: asking questions, solving problems, etc.
How to Write Smart Characters Readers Believe
I promised to teach you how to write a smart character, and I’m keeping that promise. Here’s a simple approach on how to write smart characters.
Recognize Patterns
One of the clearest signs someone is intelligent is that they’re able to see the connection between two things other people often miss. Smart people don’t actually pull information from some storage in their brains. Instead, they have an eye for detail.
Do you remember when you were in school and had to show your calculations on the math tests? The reason was always that your teacher wanted to see if you used the right method to reach the right conclusion. It’s like that for readers. They want to see a logical thought process on how your character reaches their own conclusion.
When you show your character is smart by using pattern recognition, you’re not saying this character is smart because I said so. Their intelligence is earned. It also feels genuine, instead of being made for the convenience of the plot.
Stay Curios
The ability and will to learn are among the most important factors in smart characters. Just to get this straight, no one is born with knowledge; it’s learned. Smart characters don’t assume they know everything; they ask.
They want to understand why something happened, how it works, whether there’s another explanation.
For example, a scientist does everything in their power to disprove their hypothesis. A top-performing student studies long after class ended. A good detective searches the crime scene a million times.
The point is, curiosity leads to answers the person who never asked the questions will never find. Not only will curious characters come across as smart, but it will also make them even smarter because they’re constantly searching for knowledge.
Adapt to Changes
You might have heard the saying, “What doesn’t bend, breaks.” Adapting is one of humanity’s best gifts, and our best survival tactic. When something doesn’t work, we change our strategy to ensure our species survives.
This also indicates personal intelligence. Smart characters are willing to revise their conclusions when new evidence emerges. Instead of trying to make old theories or outdated methods work, they look for new solutions.
The ability to adapt is also deeply rooted in admitting when you’re wrong, which brings us to our next point.
Possess Intellectual Humility
There’s something powerful in admitting that you were wrong. Many, if not most, of us lack that courage. To be very honest, I don’t know if there’s a better way to write smart characters than letting them admit they were wrong.
Ironically, smart people realize how much they don’t know. They’re comfortable saying, “I don’t know,” and “I could be wrong.”
With that said, don’t be afraid to let your smart characters be wrong. In fact, weaponize it. Let them use their miscalculation as a way to portray the depths of their minds.
Master Emotional Intelligence
There are different ways to be smart. Some people are good at solving equations; others are good at solving people. Both require the brain to sweat a little.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize other people’s thoughts, emotions, and motivations. Characters with strong emotional intelligence can read body language, notice changes in tone, sense when someone is lying, and understand why people behave the way they do. Instead of focusing only on what someone says, they pay attention to how they say it.
This makes them excellent negotiators, leaders, manipulators, and problem-solvers because they know how people are likely to react before anyone else does. They understand the people creating the problems.
Emotional intelligence requires pattern recognition and curiosity. You might notice that a smart person has various skills. They can use the different skills to read people or solve mysteries.
Let Their Action Speak for Themselves
Do I need to tell you I’m good at baking if I run the bestselling bakery in town? The answer is no; my actions are speaking for themselves.
The same principle applies when writing intelligent characters. You don’t need to repeatedly tell readers they’re the smartest person in the room if their actions consistently demonstrate it.
One of the advantages of using actions is that you’re showing instead of telling (something writers constantly strive to do). Rather than having another character announce that your protagonist is a genius, let readers watch them ask insightful questions, solve difficult problems, connect patterns, or think several steps ahead.
Their intelligence becomes something readers experience instead of something they’re simply told to believe.
How to Write a Character Smarter Than You
If there’s one thing I can tell you in this guide on how to write a smart character, it’s that you don’t have to be smarter than them. Do you know why? You already got the best weapons up your sleeve: Time.
Your smart character might have to find the murderer before they strike again, but you, my dear writer, have months, if not years. You got time.
In addition, you don’t have to be smarter than your characters; you just need to know the things that make them seem smart, whether that be the answer to the mystery or the correct medical procedure.
All you need to do is research the subject you’ll mention in the novel. Revise the conversation until they sound intellectually stimulating. Work backward from the solution to find the right order to solve the mystery.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Although there might not be a singular correct way to write smart characters, there’s definitively somethings that you want to avoid.
Here are common mistakes to avoid:
- Confusing intelligence with knowing lots of facts.
- Giving them all the answers without showing their reasoning.
- Making every other character dumb just to make them look smarter.
- Having them use overcomplicated language.
- Making them arrogant simply because they’re intelligent.
- Letting other characters constantly tell readers they’re a genius instead of proving it through their actions
Final Thoughts on How to Write a Smart Character
In this guide on how to write smart characters, we talked about what makes a character seem smart, how to write a smart character, why you don’t need to be smarter than your smart character, and common mistakes to avoid.
This is one guide of many; therefore, take it with a grain of salt. However, it’s an effective way to write smart characters without necessarily telling the readers your character is smart.
