The Art of Character Development: How to Breathe Life into Your Fiction
Are you ready to breathe life into your characters and have them leap from the page into the hearts of your readers? Good! Developing characters is one of the greatest enjoyments for writing fiction. So let's get started on this great journey of discovery!
1. Get to Know Your Characters
Before you write convincing characters, you need to really know them. Think of your characters as human beings with past histories, dreams, and flaws. Here are some ways to get to know them better:
What in their past has made them who they are?
Did they have a happy childhood?
Were there any traumatizing events?
This will often determine motivations and actions.
For example, if your character has been brought up in an orphanage, they may have trust issues or perhaps independence.
Are they introverted or extroverted, pessimistic or optimistic?
Knowing their core personality will help project what their actions and reactions would be like in a given set of circumstances.
Perhaps your protagonist, Emma, is an extroverted optimist who lights up a room with brightness, even in dire situations.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Nobody is perfect, and your characters shouldn't be either.
Make the characters more human by giving them something both admirable and a flaw that rounds them out.
Emma can be wonderfully brave but very impulsive, leading her sometimes to heroism and other times to disastrous folly.
2. Establish Clear Goals and Motivation:
Characters need goals for the plot to have direction and motivations to explain why they pursue those goals. Ask yourself:
Their wants vary from saving the world to searching for love to achieving personal redemption.
Emily, a draftsman, aches to be a famous explorer, a dream her long-dead father never attained.
This can be found in their backstory and personality.
Perhaps Emma's father was an explorer who went missing on a wild search, and now she feels a deep need to carry on his legacy and find out what happened to him.
3. Show People, Activities, and Scenery
Dynamic characters tend to rebuild and alter throughout the story. This is often based on life's complications and conflicts. Here's how to effectively outline your character growth:
Put your characters in situations that push them as far as possible.
These challenges force them to make uncomfortable choices and face their flaws.
For example, Emma has to decide whether to save a friend, testing her bravery and impulsiveness.
Show how your characters react to these challenges.
Do they rise to the occasion, or do they struggle and fail? Both outcomes can lead to growth.
Emma might fail to save her friend due to her impulsive nature, marking a turning point for her.
Allow these moments of introspection to your characters.
They allow readers to understand the change in them.
Emma could sit near a bonfire and reflect on her father's legacy and how to become a better leader.
4. Cultivate Relationships
People's relationships with others often define their personality. It might be a friendship bond, family attachment, or enmity; all reveal different dimensions of personality and contribute to character development. Consider:
Allies and friends usually have your best interest at heart, but sometimes they could work in opposition to you.
How would they impact your protagonist's decisions and developments over time?
Emma's best friend, Leo, might argue with a lot of her decisions, making her more thoughtful.
Opponents and Antagonists:
An antagonist challenges the characters, putting them in situations where growth comes from unexpected places.
A realistic rival for Emma could be a highly skilled but ruthless explorer who pushes Emma to reconsider her methods.
Romantic relationships show vulnerability and may drive change.
Falling in love with a local guide might teach Emma the importance of patience and planning.
5. Use Dialogue Effectively
Dialogue is a great way to develop a character. It reveals personality, conveys emotions, and shows growth. Consider:
Each character should have a distinct voice corresponding to their background, personality, and state of mind.
Emma might use exuberant, adventurous language while Leo might be cautious and thoughtful.
Sometimes the unspoken part holds more meaning than what is said.
Use subtext to add depth to your dialogue.
For instance, when Emma says, "I don't need help," it could mean she's afraid of showing weakness.
Show characters responding to conflict through dialogue and illustrate how interactions escalate.
Emma and Leo can argue about the best way forward, expressing their viewpoints and eventually finding a resolution.
Instead of telling readers about a character's trait, show it through actions, dialogue, and inner thoughts. For instance:
Showing: John entered the dark alley; his heart was pounding, but his will remained unflinching.
7. Ensure Consistency and Believability
Make sure your characters act within the line of their personalities and motivations. If they do something that feels unnatural, believe there are reasons for the change. This makes the development of the characters organic and reliable. If Emma becomes reserved, note the experiences that lead to the change.
8. Reflect Real Human Experience
Great characters reflect the complexity of real human experience. They have doubts, make mistakes, and aren't always likable. This complexity makes them richer and more engaging. Perhaps Emma makes a selfish decision that puts her team at risk, creating tension and growth.
Foils are characters set against your main character, highlighting their traits and growth. By setting a character with opposite traits next to the protagonist, you highlight their development. Zara's ruthlessness can highlight Emma's growing sense of responsibility and ethics.
Sometimes your characters develop in unexpected ways. Allow this evolution and let your characters tell you who they are. This elasticity can lead to more authentic and surprising growth. If Emma's journey shifts from being an explorer to a leader, embrace it!
