P is for Personality

Ana muses crafting the personality of a secondary character.

In the initial character profile of my villain's wife, she was one-dimensional.
Early 40s, short, mousy hair, flat-chested. Family owned a jewelry store. In high school.
she pined for the villain, son of the richest man in town. She didn't think beyond wanting a
huge wedding. When the heroine's mother rebuffed the villain and married the wild artist,
the villain choose her.
It's a loveless marriage. He's a doctor and runs the State Hospital. She serves on volunteer committees, goes to lunch with friends, pretends to be happy. When her husband's new Physician
Assistant comes to town, she tries to arrange a fling with him. But he's going to fall for the heroine.

We probably knew someone like this back in high school. Not destined to change the world.

I've begun to write the story, and she's playing a bigger role. The marriage had faded to loveless.
Her doctor husband thinks of the heroine as the daughter he could have had. The wife is now a daycare inspector who is dedicated and strict. She is protecting children that could be her own.
She is jealous of the heroine's mother, even though the mother is presumed dead, and can't stop herself from redirecting her jealous onto the heroine.

She seems more human here. She copes in an imperfect way-- and has room to grow over the story.
I have no idea if she will become an ally to the heroine or how much she will allow the villain to manipulate her into helping him.

She's definitely becoming a more prominent character with a multi-dimensional personality.