Character development

 When I feel disconnected from my character what I try to do is get closer. I try to walk into a room through his/her eyes, hear what he/she hears, think what he/she would think. For example, you could write "John walked into the room and saw his girlfriend talking to his worst enemy. She laughed at something he said. John became angry." It gives information but it's kind of boring. If you get closer, sometimes you can find a specificity of details that brings a scene  to life. "John moved into the crowded room, sliding between bodies and voices, coughing because someone blew smoke in his face. Who were these people? He didn't recognize one face. Across the room he finally saw Gwen. She had a drink in her hand. She was smoking. When did she start smoking? She was talking in an animated way, swinging her arm and spilling her drink, making a point to someone. At first, he couldn't see who she was talking to because the people were packed so tight in the small low-ceilinged room he could hardly see about three feet in front of him.  He leaned left and right to catch sight of Gwen again. Then he saw who Gwen was talking to, laughing with. He couldn't believe it. He felt sweat from his brow drip down in his right eye. It stung. Carl Anderson. It was him all right. John started pushing his way through the crowd." 

I am adding details.  But I'm adding them because I'm in that crowded room right there with my narrator. If I was back trying to see him from a distance I'd have a harder time coming up with authentic details. For me, anyway, a close POV narration gives me a better chance at making a scene come to life and making the right choices.