This is by no means an exhaustive list but signs your character isn't strong enough include the following.
1. Forgetting their name! It can happen. It's bad enough when a reader does it but if the writer does so, then the character is in real trouble. If they're not memorable enough to you, they certainly won't be to anyone else.
2. Running out of things for them to do. Yet the plot is strong, the other characters are ticking along very nicely with plenty of dialogue, action etc. You need to ask yourself whether you really need this character in the story after all. If you feel you do, look at why. Could this character be combined with another in the tale to make one really strong creation that keeps the reader's (and writer's) interest? You need to keep in anything and anyone that moves your story onwards. You also need to ruthlessly cut what you really don't need.
3. Their dialogue isn't distinctive enough. Your reader should be able to tell who is speaking in a story by the style of the language used by the characters. Character A talks in clipped tones, Character B tends to laugh a lot after talking, Character C has a lisp, Character D has a strong northern accent (as someone once said, everywhere has a north!). If you can't tell your characters apart by how they speak, they're not distinctive enough and again I would look at whether you really need them in the story.
1. Forgetting their name! It can happen. It's bad enough when a reader does it but if the writer does so, then the character is in real trouble. If they're not memorable enough to you, they certainly won't be to anyone else.
2. Running out of things for them to do. Yet the plot is strong, the other characters are ticking along very nicely with plenty of dialogue, action etc. You need to ask yourself whether you really need this character in the story after all. If you feel you do, look at why. Could this character be combined with another in the tale to make one really strong creation that keeps the reader's (and writer's) interest? You need to keep in anything and anyone that moves your story onwards. You also need to ruthlessly cut what you really don't need.
3. Their dialogue isn't distinctive enough. Your reader should be able to tell who is speaking in a story by the style of the language used by the characters. Character A talks in clipped tones, Character B tends to laugh a lot after talking, Character C has a lisp, Character D has a strong northern accent (as someone once said, everywhere has a north!). If you can't tell your characters apart by how they speak, they're not distinctive enough and again I would look at whether you really need them in the story.
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