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@elizabeth Hmm.

Yeah.

Let me just say ‘hmm’ because I’m still thinking.

Okay.

She’s a ‘huge, shapeless mess’, so I think in that case she needs some focus. If dear Evyn is too sprawling, try cutting down her character to two or three of her most essential traits. The things that hold up the foundations of her entire personality, and then work up from there. Foundation first. If you don’t know what those are, then… 😀 invent them.

Also, this is something else I’ve thought of; yearning. What are her goals on the outside and what is the one thing on the inside deep down she wants most? If you figure that out and then have her looking for that, searching for that, and trying to get that, Evyn will get a lot more focus and will feel like less of a mess

Lastly, it sounds like you sort of tore her apart (*cough* that sounded morbid) and reinvented her for your rebooted WIP but you haven’t fully met her yet for the new version. Is she still quiet and shy around her mother and father? And if so, why? That must have something to do with her personality or backstory, and imply some kind of conflict that needs to be resolved. You could try having her write a character monologue, where Evyn just talks for awhile, to help you nail her down. Another thing is (although I don’t know much about this) is asking ‘what is her Experiment in Living in relation to the story’s theme?’ That’s important because your story’s theme should have questions, and each character should be an experiment with those questions. If that all fits together it should sculpt something definitive out of Evyn. I’m hoping another Emberling can talk a bit more about that who can give you some expert tips