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@scribbles, if that’s not a waffley answer, I’ve never heard one.

Um… Characters are hard wow… okay I have two opposite pieces of advice that I give equally.  (And to prologue this, I’d say stop letting your character do what you expect.  You can tone down crazy later, but they need to act outside the lines to come alive.)  Anyway, here are the things:
1. Plan ahead.  Think about what your character’s motivation is and what they would do in the situations your story puts them in.  Be unexpected and ignore what the story wants.  If you find that you don’t know much about the character, make something up.  (I recommend reading the first half of Jeff Gerke’s Plot vs Character, personally.  It’s fab.)  Hopefully this will give you a better idea of what your character will do and that will make you feel like you know the character.

2. Play off the cuff of your sleeve.  Once you have it all figured out, don’t stop you character from doing stupid unplanned things.  You can backspace.  Allow you character to be unexpected in the moment and things should really start to come alive.

Also, find a somebody to read some of it and find out how they would have reacted in those situations.  How would you have reacted?  What about your Mom?  Your pastor?  etc etc.  Use that input to influence you character.

idk, that’s all I’ve got for now.  This may be helpful: http://kingdompen.org/engage-readers-by-giving-your-characters-unfulfilled-motivations/