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

“No way.”

“Nary a cute boy in sight.”

Create a context between this character and other characters.

What is the best/cute/funny/playful chat/conversation between brother and sister?

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?”

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

“It’s not looking at you.”

Why does Russia and many parts of Eastern Europe strangely have a high percentage of female doctors and physicians (~70%)?

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

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

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

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“You need some tea!”

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

“Cute girls?”

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

“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.”

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

I am still studying engineering. I feel worried being an average student. Can I get a good job in placement, buy a house, and a car? I don't know why I feel this.

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

“Claire! Why are you still up?”

“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?”

What was the weakest period in US history in terms of military strength? Was it during World War II or the Vietnam War?

“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.

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

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

Do you as a gay male enjoy the feeling of getting a penis in your anus?

“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.”

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

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

Why did losers ban TikTok?

Essentially, what you do is show the character:

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.”

What is one thing you've learned from life?

Do that and you can ground your characters quite quickly.

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

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

Why do most people care so much about what others think? Are they afraid of society norms?

“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.”

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

“Claire, I—”

Since the rise of feminism, the dating market has shifted to the disadvantage of men and that is causing this incel phenomenon. Why do women not understand how lonely the majority of men are?

“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.”

“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—”

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

Was Jimmy Carter a good President of the United States?

“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.”

“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.”

“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?”

How severely should I get punished? Please describe throughly. Today I got my result of my test nd I found out that I failed in 2 subjects, my parents are currently in abroad nd I lied to them about the fail but I feel guilty now.

“I’ll put the kettle on.”

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

“Tart!”

Why would a girl not want you to know she has a crush on you?

“Perv.”

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

“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.”

Why does the UK Labour MP Jess Philips seem to be such a divisive figure?

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

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

“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—”

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

“I need to do laundry.”

“But they’re cold!”

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

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?”

“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…”

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?”

“Exactly.”

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.