Character Development

There are A LOT of posts, tips, etc. out there about character development. You need to know such in such about your character, you need to know their quirks, you need to know their backstories, so on and so forth.

So why do we STILL get dry characters?

It's probably because we aren't getting far enough inside the characters' head.

Photo by Eutah Mizushima on Unsplash

Obviously it's important to know what your character looks like, what their name is, their backstory. That's o.k. This is your foundation, right? How else would we form characters in the first place?

However, this is not enough. We need to dig deeper, and that is where it gets gritty.

So consider...

• We need the characters to be real. This means more than just their height, weight, quirks, personality and muscle structure. We have to go much deeper than that, I'm afraid.
• What are their motivations? WHY do they do what they do? What are their beliefs?
• What are they afraid of? What are their deepest fears? What can they handle? How far can you push them? 
• What are their desires? Are these desires understandable in relation to the character and his/her status? 
• How does that character relate to their world? 
• Readers need to be able to empathize. The best characters are the ones that are relate-able. This is hard for the authors. We want to put our heart and soul into our work, but we need to make the readers care. Everyone gets bored with a character that they don't care about. 
•  It matters to us, obviously, so how do we make it matter to them (the readers) ?
• Will it matter if this character lives or dies? 
• Characteristic Ups and Downs. There is nothing more boring than a blank slate. Now obviously, we don't need to put tons of thought and detail into "background figures" that say a few lines and fade out of the story. But this is SO IMPORTANT for your leads, and your supporting roles as well. 
• What are their worst moments? Their best moments? 
• Are they supposed to get gradually better or worse throughout the story? And what prompts that? 
• When is their most defining moment? And at what point are they in their life (mentally, spiritually, physically) when they entire the story? What about when the story ends? 

Everything Won't Always Be Blatantly Presented...

What we authors can NOT do (even though we are very often driven to do...) is thrust every tiny little thing at the reader. We can't just go ahead and tell the reader. If you have a truly well-developed character, these deep things about them will become evident through your writing as the story progresses. It becomes a subtle but consistent prodding in the reader's mind so that they recognize this about the character without HAVING to be told so.

It's an interesting concept, but there it is.  

Shallow Characters can turn a beautiful novel into a long, pointless sort of dragging walk. This can also be a source of writer's block, plot holes and much more. 

Strong Characters make good stories great. These are our "literary saints." 

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"If you're struggling with writing a character, write down twenty things that the reader will never know. These will naturally bleed into your writing and provide a richness even though you don't share the detail." -Barbara Poelle 

Let's Chat! 

1. What do you think is important thing in character development? 

2. Who are some of your all-time favorite characters? Who do you think is an excellent example of a well-developed character?