CHARACTERS AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT - Megan Turner and Kelley Andrews

Almost all stories that we can think of are fundamentally based around characters. Characters are what make a story flow: through their interactions with another, and through their words and actions. As characters develop and alter their relationships, the story continues onwards with them. They are vital in helping to move the plot forward. The combination of mental characteristics that make up an individual are important to a writer, so they are able to engage a reader through a relatable, or perhaps a more unpredictable persona.

Most characters fall under a certain ‘archetype’. An archetype is a basic model of a person based on both their personality and behaviour. They are personality types that have been observed multiple times, for example the archetype of the bully, who primarily intimidates others.

A ‘stock character’ is very much similar to an archetype, however is more immediately recognisable and narrowed-down, often initially appearing as a stereotype. Stock characters are very familiar and are generally a relatable starting base for an undeveloped character, an example being the atypical ‘dumb blonde’.

More profoundly known and used, however, would be the archetypes, as they are the main tool for creating any story or plot. Different personalities can either clash or agree with another, which creates drama and conflict.

Another important aspect of characters is the idea of protagonists and antagonists. The protagonist is the main character, and is often (but not always) our sole perspective for the majority if not all of the narrative. A protagonist is typically designated as the hero within a story, with their actions and experiences often being at the very core.

The antagonist is usually portrayed as a villain, however they can also be a foil that is merely opposed to whatever the protagonist is trying to achieve. This isn’t always the case with all writers, as protagonists and antagonists are often more complex in their roles and opposition toward one another.

Even so, focusing on these basic roles here, two fundamental characters are already formed and could potentially create a story, regardless of the inclusion of any additional archetypes.

Using Freytag’s Pyramid (pictured below) and the inclusion of some stock characters, we are able to create a basic narrative. By including a female archetype, such as a princess (or damsel in distress) to the mix, we have added to the pre-existing dynamics between our protagonist and antagonist. An example of a story formed with these methods could be:

Our protagonist resolves to rescue the princess who has been locked away in a prison by our antagonist. (exposition)

Our protagonist embarks on their journey and makes efforts to achieve their goal. (rising action)

Reacting to this progress, the antagonist creates obstacles in order to hinder our protagonist. (climax)

Overcoming these challenges, our protagonist directly opposes the antagonist and succeeds. (falling action)

Having defeated the antagonist, our protagonist succeeds in their goal of rescuing the princess. (denoument)

Perhaps one of the best ways to develop a character beyond their archetype or role within a story is to expand on motive. Motive typically comes in three varieties: wants, motivations, and goals. For example:

Maybe our protagonist wants to be widely known for their bravado and sense of adventure. (want)

This could be deep-rooted narcissism, feelings of inadequacy or simply wanting to match the reputations of the heroes that they grew up admiring. (motivation)

To help achieve their established desire for fame, the protagonist resolves to rescue the princess – knowing that it will gain attention and fanfare. (goal)

With these hypothetical motives in mind, we have developed our protagonist from a basic hero/do-gooder into an arrogant glory seeker, an underdog with insecurities, or even a naïve wannabe – although those are only three of many possible outcomes.

Motives are subject to change, multiply, and even be abandoned throughout the course of the story, however, they are initially indicative of backstory. What a character wants can tell us (explicitly or otherwise) about their backstory and serves to flesh them out and make them more realised, for without motive, a character is simply doing things for the sake of doing them.

It is through overcoming obstacles, reaching their goals and interacting with the other characters that our protagonists and antagonists begin to develop further. A protagonist doesn’t have to radically change for the better (or worse) by the end of the story, it could be a choice of the writer, be it realism or otherwise.

Another reason why a character may not transition or develop on a grand scale may be due to the narrative chronology – it may just not make sense for them to go through a noticeable change if the story (or their role in it) only takes place over a short amount of time. 

These two opposing trajectories take the form of static and dynamic characters. For example:

Due to the majority of the story being focused on our protagonist and their journey and growth as a character, it is plausible that the princess may not receive an equal amount of attention. Whilst she may not undergo a noticeable transformation over the course of the story, she may contemplate what life has in store for her now that she has been liberated from her prison. (static) 

Our protagonist however, for example, may achieve self-realisation. Overcoming the obstacles set for them by the antagonist, they may contemplate their motives and have a different perspective by the conclusion of the story. Had they initially been the vain glory seeker, they may have realised the hollowness of their pursuit and chose to abandon their heroics altogether in the hope of truly finding themselves. (dynamic)

Whether or not a character is static or dynamic is not indicative of their development as a whole. A character who stays the same over the duration of the story can be just as interesting or relatable as one who undergoes a compelling or dramatic metamorphosis. It is hopefully through the exploration of motive, structure, expanding beyond set archetypes (although these are not the only tools at the writers disposal) that we can create and develop truly realised characters.