What is a Character's Psychology?
A character's psychology is shaped by their background, motivations, and traits. It is destined to evolve throughout your story as the character faces challenges that will impact them.
At the beginning of your narrative, a character's psychology largely reflects the past events that have shaped them. These experiences determine their motivations and personality.
β’ The Disruptive Element
Beyond the main plot, a disruptive element will significantly alter the character's psychology. They will need to confront their fears, traumas, and internal barriers to resolve the conflict.
During the various turning points in the story, the character's psychology should evolve the most. These challenges will help them grow, enabling them to face the final trial during the climax.
β’ Donβt Rush the Development!
To maintain coherence, each evolution must be justified by specific events. A turning point can serve as a crucial element in this development. If your character changes too quickly, the story may reach its climax prematurely, reducing the overall tension.
To assist in this process, establish a starting point and an endpoint for your charactersβ psychology, along with the events that will facilitate their growth.
How to Achieve It?
The key to deep psychology is justification. Every action of your hero should be backed by some aspect of their psychology to create a coherent whole. While this justification doesn't need to be explicitly stated in the narrative, it should be clear to you to ensure the credibility of the character's actions.
A character's psychology encompasses many crucial aspects, such as their moods, emotions, and motivations. To create a well-rounded and believable character, it is essential that their psychology is as rich and thorough as possible. However, keep in mind that "deep" doesn't necessarily mean "complex," though complex characters can be more engaging to read about.
