Can I ask T-T how do you write manipulative characters? Like the charming and smooth-talker type? Thank you! 😅
Manipulative characters are really fun to write actually! There are so many different ways to manipulate people, whether they're overt, subtle, or even subliminal. So it depends on what you're going for. (Yes, I know it sounds bad that writing manipulation is fun but we manipulate our characters all the time into thinking we'll give them a happy ending so it's fine-)
And it depends on what kind of character you're writing, because a coward can be manipulative, as can a confrontational person.
PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS ON REAL PEOPLE - WRITING ONLY PLS
I do not want to be the reason ppl become master manipulators, so maybe if you see this you'll recognise if you're being manipulated
If your manipulator is in person they're more likely to use gestures and wording to manipulate thoughts (like a mentalist: mentalism is a performing art in which its practitioners, known as mentalists, appear to demonstrate highly developed mental or intuitive abilities) and behaviour. So subliminal messages.
Definition of: manipulation (noun)
"Controlling someone or something to your own advantage, often unfairly or dishonestly." (Cambridge Dictionary)
A charmer and smooth talker is similar in the way that if they want someone to do something for them they'll try and make things seem like their target's idea, and are likely to heavily utilise psychological concepts like reciprocity ("The norm of reciprocity is a social convention that compels people to return a favor when someone has helped them..." (Waude, 2017)). This allows them to shift blame if it's an illegal action that their target commits, and even if they've been manipulated into it the perpetrator can say "I never asked you to do that" or "I never told you to repay me". Even using guilt from the action or shame to say "oh well you've done it now, might as well do similar actions" etc...
Their kindess is often quite strategic.
Think of Ted Bundy (unfortunate that a serial killer is an effective example) if you want a manipulative smooth talker, he wasn't exceptionally good looking but preyed on innate kindnesses and emotional triggers like helping someone who is injured. Lots of serial offenders utilise psychological theories and concepts to lure victims.
Manipulators, in order to be effective, have to be able to read people and their tells, and be observant.
So a checklist?
☆ Give them social intelligence, make them say what their target wants to hear.
☆ Avoid making them speak in direct terms, manipulation works best when the target is guided there, because the suggestion is much more powerful when the person finds it themself
☆ Have them mirror their target, familar behavious and speech patterns, logical target needs logical guidance, emotional targets need emotional guidance.
☆ Selective honesty, so partial truths, omit key details, and frame it so they hear what the target hears what they want to hear or it is in the target's favour.
☆ Imply so they can infer. Especially with reciprocity and guilt. E.g. instead of a direct "you hurt me" say something like "It's fine. I thought we were closer, but I guess I misread things" because then the perpetrator is framing it as the victims fault.
☆ Write them as calm when they're challenged, because becoming defensive often portrays that they're hiding something.
☆ Gaslighting; it's an effective way (if done right) to make the victim doubt reality and their memory and senses, and makes them easier to manipulate into remembering things that didn't happen. (There are some very good studies on the suggestability and ease in which memories can be planted, specifically one by Elizabeth Loftus)
☆ Lastly, don't make them too perfect, because then it's not realistic. Have them slip a few things especially if their target isn't as 'malluable' as they wanted or the half truths are getting hard to hide.
I am putting a a few links to some things if yall want to read a transcript or study or so relating to this stuff
Subliminal manipulation is often considered harmless because its effects typically decay within a second. So far, subliminal long-term effec
Read the full transcript for the Lost in the Mall (False Memory) video
References
(cause yes i like psychology and it's good to read things like this when they are written in easily understandable language, and it's good to understand concepts like these, and I want yall to be able to read stuff yourself because then you can deepen your understanding and know how you want to write things better, instead of me telling you)
Waude, A. (2017, January 23). Norm Of Reciprocity: Persuasion Using The Social Norm Of Rewarding Positive Behavior. Psychologistworld.com; Psychologist World. https://www.psychologistworld.com/behavior/compliance/strategies/norm-of-reciprocity
Luna, K. (2019, October). Speaking of Psychology: How Memory Can Be Manipulated. Apa.org; American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/memory-manipulated
What is an expert witness? (2025). Derby.ac.uk; University of Derby. https://www.derby.ac.uk/online/course-taster/forensic-psychology-masters-msc-online/issues-with-expert-witnessestestimony/lost-in-the-mall-false-memory.php
Ruch, S., Züst, M. A., & Henke, K. (2016). Subliminal messages exert long-term effects on decision-making. Neuroscience of Consciousness, 2016(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/nc/niw013
