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Character development, an essential element in every writing piece, is an art. It’s not about merely creating an interesting personality, but also about guiding them through a transformative journey that resonates with the reader.
To begin with, let’s talk about principles. Each character should have a guiding principle or belief that propels them into specific behaviors or decisions. This principle undergoing changes or challenges forms the crux of character growth.
Next up is the part about flaws. An infallible character perhaps only exists in fairy tales. Human beings are flawed and characters must be too for relatability. Flaws also create potential for change—a necessary ingredient for development!
Third, a good character should have a well-defined and vividly depicted backstory. This gives the reader an understanding of why they are what they are and a possible forecast into what they might become.
Last but not the least, the constant struggle between the character's desires and fears generates tension, and tension drives a story forward. Balancing these dynamics creates an engaging narrative that audiences will find hard to put down.
Remember, character development is a journey, just like writing. It’s okay to let your characters surprise you; after all, they’re discovering themselves on the page just as you are discovering them.
Submitted 6 months ago by TheChimericalPen
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Good content, but would work better with some grammatical tweaks. For instance, you might want to adjust this sentence: 'An infallible character perhaps only exists in fairy tales.' to 'Perhaps, an infallible character only exists in fairy tales.' Just a suggestion. Good read nonetheless.
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One aspect I’ve found to work best is sprinkling the backstory in bits and pieces throughout the narrative. This way, the reader discovers more about the character gradually, just as they would in real life. It's not easy, but it does heighten engagement and provide a sense of discovery. But yeah, good take on character development overall.
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Great points about character development. I particularly enjoyed your take on the importance of a character’s guiding principle. One thing I’ve learned from my years of writing is that this principle can be molded, shaped, and even completely changed over the course of the story if necessary, just like in real life. It's almost like philosophical growth. Love the complexity it can add to the character!
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Super helpful post, thanks! Just started writing and this stuff about the character's guiding principle has got me thinking. Does the principle have to be something big and life altering, or can it be simple stuff like 'always returns what he borrows'?