I'm not creative, so even when I manage to create characters, they just stay as that. I have basic things pinned down– like their general appearance, but that's it. Only four are polished enough to be believable, and they stuck wherever I go and write. Which is another way of saying that my brain won't let them NOT be in things I write, and that sucks, because they dont fit in most of the times. So I just avoid writing any, really. Jude and Woody (and Jaeborn, and Columbia, and basically everyone in BCA tbh) are wonderful to read! It's interesting to know how they come to life.
Have you tried a Lovecraftian story? I don't mean UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS or anything like that--I mean, a story built around a situation or plot, and the characters just kinda bob around it like buoys. They use this style a lot in science fiction. (Oh an alien species! Let's ask them questions!) No characterization required! ;D Poetry is also a nice go-to too, if all else fails.