˒⠀S O T T . . . 𝙲𝙰𝚁𝙳𝙸𝙸𝙰𝙲
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❛ JUST 𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑷 YOUR CRYING,
IT'S A 𝑺𝑰𝑮𝑵 OF THE 𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑬𝑺. ❜
creating depth & development! ━━ no. 027
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OH, DO I WISH A GUIDE LIKE THIS EXISTED WHEN I FIRST BEGAN WRITING. However, I don't think my third-grade self would have understood any of what I'm about to discuss.
Today, we are going to talk about one of my favorite topics when it comes to characters: how to create character depth and development. This chapter is going to be split into two sections to keep everything more organized. Depth, and then development.
Let's get started!
♡⩩ ', '' 𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝙾𝙽𝙴 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙳𝙴𝙿𝚃𝙷 ''
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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐇? ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ This section is from TV Tropes. Credit for this portion goes to them.
╰─── "This is how "deep" a character is. It involves questions like why the character does what the character does, what the character thinks, feels, desires, and hates, Backstory, and/or how the character sees the world. It may be there in the subtext, but it still affects the depth of the character. This is often known as a character being One-Dimensional, Two-Dimensional, or Three-Dimensional. Keep in mind that not all characters have to be three-dimensional, nor is there necessarily something wrong with a character who is not. The genre, audience, plot, and role of the character affect the minimum depth needed for the character to maintain the willing suspension of disbelief. Go at least that far, and you're good with the audience."
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐃𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ This section is inspired by an article from Katie Ganshert. Credit for this portion goes to them. Disclaimer: I have added my own words, advice, and paraphrased sections of the article.
❝ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘁. 𝗧𝘄𝗼-𝗱𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹. 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀. ❞
How many times have you heard this about your work or someone else's? How many times have we thought this about somebody else's? How many times have we secretly wondered, "What in the heck is a three-dimensional character, anyway?"
I mean, sure. We know in theory. And we know when we find one. It's a character brought to life. A character that lives and breathes on the page. But how do we do that?
Down below are the three dimensions defined that create a three-dimensional character.
━━ 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧-𝗗𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡: "The first dimension is anything we can see."
➳❥ 𝙁𝙐𝙍𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙈𝙊𝙍𝙀. . . "The character's looks, style choices, quirks, mannerisms, speech patterns, etc. Basically, this is how the character looks and how the character acts. It's surface stuff. Sometimes it hints at who the character truly is. And sometimes it's all just a smokescreen. Something to cover up what's lurking inside."
━━ 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗-𝗗𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡: "The second dimension is backstory."
➳❥ 𝙁𝙐𝙍𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙈𝙊𝙍𝙀. . . "The character's past. Family of origin. Childhood memories. Where he grew up. How he grew up. Disappointments. Failures. Accomplishments. Fears. Inner demons and insecurities. Basically, anything that happened before the story that makes your character who he is today."
━━ 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗗-𝗗𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡: "The third dimension is the character's choices."
➳❥ 𝙁𝙐𝙍𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙈𝙊𝙍𝙀. . . "This is who the character truly is. True character emerges, eventually, through a character's choices when something is at stake... ...who that person really is, at their core, is the stuff that resides at the heart of the third dimension of character."
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑? ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ This section is inspired by AutoCrit and Liternauts. Credit for this portion goes to them. Disclaimer: I have added my own words, advice, and paraphrased sections of the article.
So, what is a flat character, exactly?
Indiana Jones. Sherlock Holmes. Juliet Capulet. None of these could be accused of being flat.
"The dream of every writer is to create a character that is so real — so believable — they take on a life of their own. From a commercial perspective, a great character will drive demand for more stories with that character in them. From a personal perspective, imagine how it would feel to create a fictional character in which people get so emotionally invested that they spawn fan art and fan fiction, and tourists flock to see where they 'lived.'
"Such goals are certainly possible – 221B Baker Street is a museum dedicated to Holmes, and tourists in Verona can visit Juliet's balcony. All this despite the fact these people never existed.
"But is there a fool-proof way to avoid having a flat protagonist lead your story? Frankly, no — otherwise everyone who put pen to paper would be doing it. What makes a fictitious person real in the eyes of the public is as easy to lay bare as quantum physics. There's a strange interplay between pop culture and public mood, niche demands, and creative rebellion. The one thing all 'famous' characters have in common, though, is that they're believable. They have virtues, but they also have flaws — in short, they have depth."
Before continuing on, let's establish a few things.
━━ 𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗧 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: "Only a few features (usually based on clichés) are necessary to create flat characters; they're generally static characters meant to serve the story."
➳❥ 𝘞𝘏𝘌𝘕 𝘚𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘓𝘋 𝘠𝘖𝘜 𝘜𝘚𝘌 𝘍𝘓𝘈𝘛 𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘚 𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘞𝘏𝘠. . . "Flat characters are often used in TV comedies (30-minute sitcoms with canned laughter) because comedic stories usually focus on the anecdote and the joke. Thanks to their commonplace situations and characters, sitcoms are able to transmit a sense of familiarity to the spectator. Flat characters also have a supporting role in stories with round main characters in order to achieve one of these effects:"
*˚‧ 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝖸𝗈𝗎 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌/𝖺𝗎𝖽𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝖾𝖺𝗌𝗂𝗅𝗒 𝗋𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗀𝗇𝗂𝗓𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗒𝗉𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗌𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀.
*˚‧ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭: 𝖥𝗅𝖺𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽/𝗈𝗋 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗍𝗂𝖼 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝗁𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗅𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗇𝖺𝗅 𝗈𝗋 𝖾𝗑𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗇𝖺𝗅 𝖾𝗏𝗈𝗅𝗎𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗈𝖿 𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌.
➳❥ 𝘞𝘏𝘌𝘕 𝘚𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘓𝘋 𝘠𝘖𝘜 𝘈𝘝𝘖𝘐𝘋 𝘍𝘓𝘈𝘛 𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘚. . . "Unless you're specifically looking for one of the previous effects listed for flat characters, it's best that your characters (especially the protagonists) are round in order for your readers to identify with them."
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑? ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ This section is inspired by AutoCrit and Liternauts. Credit for this portion goes to them. Disclaimer: I have added my own words, advice, and paraphrased sections of the article.
"As a simple definition, critics might say a poorly written character is flat, while a well-written one is rounded." So, what is a round character, exactly?
━━ 𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: "A round character is one that has depth; they have weaknesses, strengths, flaws, fears, tastes, and dreams; they are well characterized in order to seem real."
➳❥ 𝙁𝙐𝙍𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙈𝙊𝙍𝙀. . . "A round character is not static or inconsistent; it's dynamic and changes over time. Round characters feel affected by the story's events because they suffer their consequences and learn from them which makes them more realistic and believable."
"Essentially, a flat character will only have a few specific features that differentiate them from others. These are usually something trivial like a unique scar or a strong accent, perhaps. A rounded character will have a more detailed personality, packed with more varied traits — even on the purely physical level."
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ This section is inspired by AutoCrit and Liternauts. Credit for this portion goes to them. Disclaimer: I have added my own words, advice, and paraphrased sections of the article.
So, what's the secret to creating round characters? Let's find out.
╰─── 𝟬𝟭. Internal Changes. "Do your characters undergo any internal changes throughout the story? Think about their situation at the beginning of the story. Is it the same as it is at the end? It shouldn't be. They can be worse or better, but the story's events should have affected them in some way."
╰─── 𝟬𝟮. External Changes. "Do the external circumstances surrounding your characters change throughout the story? Just as their personalities suffer variations, their external conditions should as well. For example, one of your characters could be a farmer at the beginning of the story and then become a warrior by the end."
╰─── 𝟬𝟯. Goals. "What do your characters want? They should have a conscious desire — something that moves them into action. Anyone reading your book should be able to explain the goal of your protagonist. It can be a large goal (to save the world from aliens), or smaller in scale (to finish a half marathon). Just make sure you're explicit about what the goal is, and what's at stake should they fail."
╰─── 𝟬𝟰. Wishes. "What do your characters need? Regardless of what they think they want, there's something they need at an unconscious level — something different from what they consciously desire. That contradiction will bring depth to your fictional heroes."
╰─── 𝟬𝟱. Achievements. "What do your characters attain? Do they achieve any of their goals? How does that affect them? If you have the answer to the last question, you'll have a clearer idea of how the story's events have changed their way of facing life. For instance, if they achieve what they wanted at the beginning of the tale but that's not what they really need, they can learn from their mistakes and try to correct them. However, they might also give into frustration."
╰─── 𝟬𝟲. Weaknesses. "What are their weaknesses? Everybody makes mistakes and has fears and flaws, so if you want your characters to be more believable, they'd better have weak points and see themselves in need of facing them if possible. Your characters overcome these weaknesses or not depends on the story you want to tell and on the type of evolution, you want them to experience. Look, there are some characters that must face their flaws. Some overcome them and progress while others don't and fail. The contrast between them is what makes the story more believable."
╰─── 𝟬𝟳. Strengths. "What are their strengths? Apart from weaknesses, your characters can have strong points they may or may not know about. Sometimes, they discover them and learn how to make the most of them. Other times, they do not know, and it leads them to failure. You, as a writer, should be clear about those strengths and so should your readers be in order to better understand your characters."
╰─── 𝟬𝟴. Conflicts. "What are your characters' inner conflicts? I've chosen this to be the last question to consider because once you've answered the previous seven areas of the question, you'll find this one easier to answer. Every good character must deal with an inner conflict throughout the story such as a mental debate between what they need and what they want or a moral struggle between what they're trying to attain and what they consider correct. This type of dilemma makes your characters interesting, and their experiences can turn into life lessons for your readers."
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐕𝐒. 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐓: 𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐑𝐍? ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ This section is inspired by AutoCrit and Liternauts. Credit for this portion goes to them. Disclaimer: I have added my own words, advice, and paraphrased sections of the article.
╰─── "One thing to keep in mind is that it isn't possible to add true depth to every character in your novel, nor is it a good idea to try. To make a character rounded, you need to give the reader time to learn details about them and that takes up space on the page. If you gave this attention and time to every character you introduced, you'd have a hard time managing your pacing. Bogging scenes down with detail that won't matter just a few pages later isn't a very good approach. Because of this, most great books will have a cast of both flat and rounded characters. In fact, minor flat characters can be a bonus, as they amplify the rounded appearance of your main character in comparison. The trick is to find a balance between the two."
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝟕 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐇 ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ This section is inspired by an article from Kristen Koster. Credit for this portion goes to them. Disclaimer: I have added my own words, advice, and paraphrased sections of the article.
Why do we want to read about these characters, spend time with them, and even revisit some of them? And why will we identify with them and care about their successes and failures? And, what can writers do when building characters so that they come alive on the page for readers? Down below are seven ways that we, as authors, can create more depth for our characters.
╰─── 𝟬𝟭. Not just Faults, but Contradictions. "Perfect characters are boring! But in addition to giving them some quirks and character flaws, go further. Give them contradictory details. Make the bad guy have a soft spot for small helpless fuzzy things. Too easy? Make your main character hold a strong opinion about something and then act in a hypocritical fashion."
╰─── 𝟬𝟮. Go Beyond Stereotypes & Archetypes. "Yes, they exist because they're familiar and recognizable. Are they interesting? Where's the surprise? Where's the mystery? Most people don't like cardboard pizza. They don't like cardboard characters either."
╰─── 𝟬𝟯. Go Beyond GMC. "Deb Dixon's idea of Goal, Motivation, and Conflict works well at a larger scale. But how many authors drill down with it to a smaller scale? How do those three elements color even their smallest actions and decisions? Weave it in, so it's an integral part of the story fabric."
╰─── 𝟬𝟰. Vocations & Avocations. "So, your character has a job or a hobby. That's nice. Go deeper. How does that influence their vocabulary, their insights, their relationship with others, their smaller actions, and their decisions? Do they live and breathe it? Or is it just another gloss coat? How does this profession or passion affect the plot? Why did they/you make this choice? If you can swap it out easily, consequently you haven't gone deep enough."
╰─── 𝟬𝟱. Use Varying Degrees of Focus and Distance. "You know how some photographs are more interesting because not everything is sharp and competing for your attention? Think of the difference between your mental definitions of "snapshot" and "photograph". Good photos tell stories too. They also leave a bit of mystery and interpretation to the viewer. Writers can do similar things. By focusing on different aspects of your character at different times in the book, you can draw the reader in and let them explore what makes your characters tick. Then, only when you absolutely need to, reveal what you've hinted at in the shadows and the murky background to bring the whole picture into sharp focus when it will mean the most to the reader."
╰─── 𝟬𝟲. Go Big or Go Home. "Don't settle for making average characters do ordinary things. What can you do to pump them up and make it so the reader believes they may not overcome the high stakes they're up against? What about your characters keeps the reader's hope burning that they will succeed? This is where many characters who are deemed Too Stupid To Live (TSTL) fail the reader. The reader, therefore, has lost all hope for this character and may actually be rooting against them."
╰─── 𝟬𝟳. Dig Deep, Put Yourself In There. "This is probably the hardest one for me to do personally. It doesn't have to be the biggest, most traumatic event in your life, but we all share common experiences: happiness, sorrow, regret, hope, frustration, and anger. Find ways to channel situations you know into your writing. The story details don't have to be autobiographical but use the feelings, both emotional and physical to connect your characters to your reader."
♡⩩ ', '' 𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝚃𝚆𝙾 𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙳𝙴𝚅𝙴𝙻𝙾𝙿𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃 ''
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ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓? ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ This section is from Reedsy Blog and Master Class. Credit for this portion goes to them.
╰─── "For any novel to truly connect with readers, the author needs to pay close attention to character development. Even if you're writing an action-packed, plot-driven book where the characters are robots, it's the human element that will resonate with readers." So, what is character development, exactly?"In fiction writing, character development is the process of building a unique, three-dimensional character with depth, personality, and clear motivations. Character development can also refer to the changes a character undergoes over the course of a story as a result of their actions and experiences."
➳❥ Example: In my book 𝐀𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞, the main character, Cara Valentine, is portrayed as a closed-off, emotionless, and cold woman. She didn't talk about her past, kept her feelings to herself, and doesn't trust anyone. She's sneaky, clever, manipulative, lacks empathy, is reserved, impassive, and difficult to read. However, throughout the duration of the book, she begins to change due to the people around her, her experiences, and her emotions. She begins to open up and trust others. By the end of the book, she's an entirely different woman.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓? ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ This section is from Master Class. Credit for this portion goes to them.
╰─── "A novel consists of a character interacting with events over time. Character and plot are inseparable because a person is what happens to them. Without a clear sense of who a character is, what they value, and what they're afraid of, the reader will be unable to appreciate the significance of your events, and your story will have no impact. Like real people, fictional characters have hobbies, pets, histories, ruminations, and obsessions. These characteristics inform how a character reacts to and feels about the things that happen to them. It's essential to your novel that you understand all aspects of your characters so that you are equipped to understand how they may react under the pressures of events they encounter."
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐀 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘? ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ This section is from Master Class. Credit for this portion goes to them.
╰─── "Your main character's goal sets the stakes in your story. It doesn't matter whether your story stakes are big or small, as long as they matter deeply to your protagonist. Your character doesn't have to save the world: perhaps they are trying to save their family from an eviction or fighting to keep their business from going bankrupt. Your job is to establish what's important to your character (ideally, it's something that your audience can relate to), and help the reader imagine what might happen if they lose that important thing."
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐓𝐎: 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏 𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ This section is from Master Class. Credit for this portion goes to them.
"Stories have different kinds of characters. Every story has a main character, called the hero or protagonist. Many stories have a bad guy: the villain or antagonist. Secondary characters round out the story. These characters may help the main characters, oppose them, or be completely neutral, so long as they help the reader understand the protagonist or antagonist in deeper ways."
╰─── 𝟬𝟭. Guidelines for developing a protagonist include:
➳❥ 𝙂𝙄𝙑𝙀 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙏𝘼𝙂𝙊𝙉𝙄𝙎𝙏 𝙁𝙇𝘼𝙒𝙎. . . "Protagonists or heroes don't have to be perfect specimens of humanity. In fact, those protagonists tend to be boring. Great characters emerge from the trials they encounter, and believable characters have human flaws, just like people in real life."
➳❥ 𝙂𝙄𝙑𝙀 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙏𝘼𝙂𝙊𝙉𝙄𝙎𝙏 𝘼𝙉 𝘼𝙍𝘾. . . "A good character undergoes some sort of change over the course of the story. That change is called the character arc. You can also choose to create a main character who doesn't change, but that decision should be intentional."
❪ 𝙿𝙸𝙲𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙴 𝙲𝙾𝚄𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚂𝚈 𝙾𝙵 𝙿𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚃. ❫
╰─── 𝟬𝟮. Guidelines for developing an antagonist include:
➳❥ 𝙂𝙄𝙑𝙀 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘼𝙉𝙏𝘼𝙂𝙊𝙉𝙄𝙎𝙏 𝙈𝙊𝙍𝘼𝙇𝙄𝙏𝙔. . . "A villain's motivations should create a crisis for your protagonist. Every villain needs to have their own morality, however, warped. If a villain spends part of the novel killing people, you need to give him or her believable reasons for doing so. Make the reader understand exactly what desperate need or twisted belief has driven the villain to commit their crimes, and make those motivations personal to their history and upbringing.
➳❥ 𝙈𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘼𝙉𝙏𝘼𝙂𝙊𝙉𝙄𝙎𝙏 𝙋𝙊𝙒𝙀𝙍𝙁𝙐𝙇. . . "Readers want to see your main character succeed—but they don't want it to be easy. Your villain should not only be a match for your hero: they should be even more powerful. This forces your protagonist to collect the skills, items, and allies they'll need to defeat your antagonist, which creates further opportunity for character development."
╰─── 𝟬𝟯. Guidelines for developing secondary characters include:
➳❥ 𝙈𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙈 𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙋𝙇𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏𝘼𝙍𝙔. . . "Secondary characters serve the vital functions of assisting the protagonist with alternate skill sets, giving them a sounding board or emotional support, getting themselves into trouble so that the protagonist can help them, and even providing comic relief."
➳❥ 𝙈𝘼𝙆𝙀 𝙏𝙃𝙀𝙈 𝙊𝙋𝙋𝙊𝙎𝙄𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉𝘼𝙇. . . "Some of the best sidekicks in literature are oppositional, and will even undermine the protagonist. Think of Dr. Watson chastising Sherlock Holmes for his drug use. Giving secondary characters opposing points of view allows you to explore your subjects, settings, and moral gray areas from a wider variety of perspectives, which sustains complexity and keeps the reader interested."
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝟔 𝐓𝐈𝐏𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 ⸝⸝ ⇗
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀→ ⺌ This section is inspired by Master Class. Credit for this portion goes to them. Disclaimer: I have added my own words, advice, and paraphrased sections of the article.
Characters, like people, are imperfect. They don't need to be likable, but they must be interesting. Here are some tips for effective character development.
╰─── 𝟬𝟭. Develop characters who reflect your interests. "You're going to be spending a lot of time with your characters, so the fiction rule "write what you want to know" applies to them as well. Don't be afraid to invest your protagonist with familiar qualities, but prioritize your passions and make sure that your main characters emerge from the setting and topics you've developed so far."
╰─── 𝟬𝟮. Reveal their physical world through detail. "Different writers focus on different details to evoke character, whether deliberately or not. Some writers are interested in revealing character via clothing, while others attend to mannerisms or physical appearance. Whatever details you choose, it's important for you to know your characters' physical world intimately, and how they relate to it."
╰─── 𝟬𝟯. Give them the right skills. "Your characters should have skills that will allow them to function in your setting. If you've chosen to set your novel on the moon, then make sure your character has a spacesuit or learns how to use one."
╰─── 𝟬𝟰. Create memorable characters. "When creating important characters that the reader is going to meet more than once, be sure that they're memorable in some way. Try to give each one a quirk or quality that can be used later to help readers recall who they are. This could be a title like "chief of police" or a physical attribute like "ginger-haired"."
╰─── 𝟬𝟱. Give the reader access to their inner conflict. "One way to create intimacy with your reader — and to get them to care about your main character — is to use internal monologue. This means letting the reader see a character's thoughts as they happen, which exposes that person's inner conflict, motivations, opinions, and personality. Internal monologue not only reveals character: it's a neat way to convey information about your setting, events, and other characters."
╰─── 𝟬𝟲. Subvert your reader's expectations. "The most interesting characters will surprise your readers. Think about it: We don't have to pay attention to things that are stable. But when something unexpected happens — a wolf comes out of the woods, for instance — we pay attention."
I hope these were all helpful and if you have any questions or want more tips on this topic, let me know!
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❛ THEY TOLD ME THAT 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑬𝑵𝑫
IS 𝑵𝑬𝑨𝑹, WE GOTTA GET 𝑨𝑾𝑨𝒀
FROM 𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴. ❜
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