advice for writing interesting introverted characters?

[Diggon]

HI! I'm writing some scripts for an upcoming personal project of mine-- it'll be an animated series type thing, and I'm a little concerned about one of the characters...

The series will follow two best friends:
1. one is very skeptical, outgoing, accusatory
2. the other likes to stick to herself, mellow, imaginative

And while I've found these archetypes to be very funny, and a great vessel for jokes, I'm unsure if people will connect with the second character so much if only the first one drives the plot forward.

What are some ways to make an introverted character, such as the one I describe, go out and interact with the world and story? Do you have any good examples of introverted characters done right? I would love to hear what everyone has to say about this topic!

[sword-of-stabbing]

Uhh well I consider myself an introverted character and I only go out into the world if necessary or if engaging with one of my interests. Maybe give the introvert a hobby that they have to go out to engage in. Also, even though I am a bit of a shut-in, I still hang out with my friends in person willingly and join voice chat 45% of the time they do.
So basically they can still be active but won't be as outwardly social and will probably be dragged into something more often than they start something

Also, this sounds familiar.

[soapfriendo]

as an introvert myself i think smth important to know is that introverted and insecure aren't the same thing, someone can be happy and confident with who they are as a person but still be introverted. in my instance it's due to struggling a lot with finding ppl i can click with irl and mayb ur character managed to find the one person that she actually enjoys hanging around. that's just my idea tho

Also, this sounds familiar.

also. i can't believe u

[tertiaryapocalypse]

i think a possible avenue to explore would be to make the introverted character very introspective and -- as you said -- imaginative! whilst she may not be super talkative, the things she does say always manage to be interesting or informative etc... i know a lot of introverts and i am one myself and something i notice is a lot of us tend to spend a LOT of time speculating, so basically everything we talk about is super heavy-handed or niche. maybe she knows a lot of obscure references, or maybe she brings a perspective to life that very few people have! not sure how much this helps, but i think its something to play with 

[Memory]

Maybe Phineas and Pherb are a good example for a good introvert-extrovert duo? One has the crazy ideas, the other is so crazy to do the crazy ideas. Result: Lots of fun for the two and their friends. Certainly a strong synergy between an introvert and an extrovert.

Did any media tried to transport the message that being an extrovert can be difficult as well? Like having to deal with people constantly. Getting a 100 messages per day. What can an extrovert learn from an introvert? Vice versa as well.

The struggle of an introvert to make friends can be an interesting topic for the story as well. Thinking about Onada from Yowamushi Pedal... or Hitoe from Wicross...

[Biggus]

Everyone here has been pretty spot on so far. Give your character a quirk or trait they might unintentionally let slip out if they are the self-aware insecure introvert type. A quick Google search led me to this site that might be of use. This one too regarding speech patterns!

Your more outgoing character is the primary plot-pusher, but the mellow guy here can still be a surrogate for audience reaction. Even if they don't speak up, facial expressions and subtle movements can still be very telling. You said they were imaginative too, and that the two characters are best friends! Let this character be the silent but curious one, sticking close to their friend but sometimes pointing at something or getting lost in something that interests them. I instantly think of Haru from Free!, if you're into that; very quiet but that doesn't stop audiences from connecting with him.

Another person here also said that introvert =/= insecure necessarily. I used to be super shy towards everyone else, but with my best friend I unveiled an arrogance and somewhat of a leadership role. You don't have to apply this to your mellow character, but maybe they feel more comfortable revealing parts of their personality (maybe a fanaticism for something, or hopeless romanticism) around their best friend. For example, maybe they stay quiet while someone else is around, but then later reveals some information to their best friend, like calling to attention a detail from that third party that then pushes the story forward.

[bear]

If you're only worried about audiences not connecting with the character, the solution to your problem is to make them more specific.

A lot of folks trip themsleves up trying to make characters that are relatable by making them an every-man with no character traits that make them stand out. The thing you need is to make them feel REAL. That will make people enjoy them and relate to them in some way even if they don't see themselves in the character--they may see their friend, their family member, or someone they know. A few great animated examples:

Rigby from The Regular Show is not someone people like to see themselves in, but he's incredibly lovable because he's specific. He's irrational, immature, and emotional. Over the course of the show, we see him mature and recognize what matters most to him, changing his behavior in order to achieve his goals.

Tina Belcher from Bob's Burgers is an introvert, but she's relatable and fun because of how weird she is. She's a typical awkward teen-- a bit boy crazy, socially inept, niave, selfish-- the list goes on, but she's lovable because she feels REAL. We watch her learn and grow (or fail to learn and grow sometimes) and that endears us to her.

Tulip Olsen from Infinity Train is an introvert and huge nerd. She's an extremely logical, rational person thrown into a very illogical and irrational situation. The audience feels for her (or gets lovingly frustrated with her) because she struggles against her surroundings in ways that align with her very strong sense of logic, while she ignores all signs that these situations may not be able to be approached or solved in that way.

Find an entry point into your character. What makes them struggle? What is the conflict they face? How do they approach it in a unique way? What would make YOU angry with them if you knew them in real life? How do they interact with their extraverted friend? Do the two get tired of eachother or annoy each other at all? These are all questions you should know the answers to when you start writing a character. You should have an idea of how you want them to grow or what you want them to learn over the course of the story you're about to tell.

I recommend stealing quirks and personality traits from people you know in real life. It works wonders.

Some ideas from your short description:

Likes to stick to herself: Is she irritable? Does she get annoyed with people on public transit or in crowded hallways? Does she hate being in large crowds? Does she get jealous when her extraverted friends go do fun things without her? Does she get jealous of her friends' friends? How does this effect her relationships?

Mellow: Is she TOO go-with-the-flow? Does she refuse to give opinions or make decisions? Is she actually mellow, or is she worried that if she spoke her mind, people would dislike her?

Imaginative: Does she get lost in her own world? Does she zone out when people are speaking to her? Does she forget important dates or responsibilities? Does she get bored easily? Is she accidentally selfish, only ever talking or asking about her own interests, while never being curious about her friends' lives? Does she come up with convoluted solutions to problems--is she scheming?

I hope these spark some ideas for you on how to add interest to your characters. Flawed characters are more interesting--no one wants to watch or read something about someone who's already perfect--we want to watch them grow and learn!