Character Development by Alexandra Clifford, Sophie Holmes and Victoria Vinet

Have you ever wondered how authors create characters that keep you reading? Characters you fall in love with or wish you could punch in the face? It's all in the development! 

Creating your character(s)

When creating your character(s) it is imperative to develop them in such a way that will connect with the reader. That is, whether the readers love or hate them, your character(s) need to get under their skin. So long as you steer clear of clichés and stereotypes, and keep the people in your story relatable and imperfect, you’ve got a chance at creating an interesting character, and a worthwhile read.

"Interesting flaws humanize a character who is challenged to overcome inner doubts, errors in thinking, guilt or trauma from the past, or fear of and hopes for the future. Weaknesses, imperfections, quirks, and vices make a character more real and appealing. The audience can identify with the character." - Elizabeth English

Tips for developing character(s):

1.        Know your character.
   There is a relationship between the characters you create, and the readers whom they’re for; and theirs is a co-dependent one. The key to building rapport here is to know your character(s) in as much detail as possible. How old is your character? What do they desire? What are their habits – their routines? Who are their friends – what are their relationships like? Essentially, get to know them, like you know yourself.Understand your character(s) behaviors, tendencies, even if their tendency is to be inconsistent. Pay close attention to the way they react to situations, do they crack their knuckles when nervous? Do they bite their lips when frustrated? Be consistent in their speech and body language – familiarise your readers with them, it’ll make for better story telling if you decide to turn their world upside down.
   
   You don’t have to know everything about your character straight off the bat; some things will unfold in the process. The more knowledgeable you are of your character(s), the more you are able to exercise them in your writing, and so they become worthy of your reader’s attention, empathy and curiosity.
2.      Your character(s) purpose.What is the function of your character within your story? Why are they in the novel? What is their motivation? What is their goal for the end of the novel? Your audience will continue to read a novel if the character want’s something so bad they decide to step out of their comfort zone to begin their quest to success.
3.  .  Vulnerability.
   Showing a venerable side to your character(s) creates a personal connection to the reader. Allowing the reader to see your character(s) expose themselves with emotion hooks the reader. If you create a cantankerous character - for example ‘Carl Fredricksen’ (the old man from the Disney Pixar movie ‘UP’) - and do not expose his vulnerability to the audience, the audience will fail to connect to Carl. However, because the creators of ‘UP’ exposed the character of Carl in previous scenes of the movie, weeping over the loss of his wife, the audience are able to connect with Carl. Not only do they connect to Carl, they defend him and understand why he is so grumpy, and that he has the right to be.  

Character Development in Relation to Plot

Your main character must be challenged by the events of the plot. The best piece of advice I’ve been given regarding character development is to keep in mind that the characters we create are not like real people – they’re a great deal more complicated! Developing a character is, though, a lot like developing one’s own character in real life. These developments are chiselled into the grand sculpture that is your story, they’re determined by their decisions of your character(s); their subtleties and/or habits – whether physical or in speech – their wants, needs and motivations. Most importantly is what, when and how you choose to share these aspects of your character(s) with your reader.

Character development is entwined with a story’s plot – each is dependent on the other. If, for the purpose of a short story, I wrote about my journey to University in the literal way that I experience it, I would probably lose the reader’s interest. Why should they care? If, however, I wrote about the same journey more personable, I’m more likely to hold the reader’s attention. This is because in the latter approach I’m offering well-rounded information, not just an itinerary; whether this information is emotional, thoughtful, funny, it becomes substantial – something for the reader to unveil as a part of the bigger picture and on a smaller scale, to relate to.

“There are plenty of ways we can have people around us and not feel connected to them. Imagine you’re squashed up against commuters in a rush-hour train, or crowding into a lift, or standing in a queue. They’re bodies, not people - unless something breaks the ice. The same happens with characters in novels. Until the writer reveals a character’s humanity, they are just a name on a page, or a job description.”- Roz Morris

Our character(s) must function to relate to the events of the plot, and vice versa. One way to do this is to keep your attention on how each event makes your characters feel, and to express it in one or another. If you placed Oliver Twist and Beowulf in the event of a post-nuclear war-torn America, you will get two identifiable individual outcomes, this is because these are well-developed characters – the key to keeping a reader reading is the sustainability of the character(s) through changes within the plot.

Character development in relation to the reader

One of the most important things to consider when creating and developing a character is their rapport with the reader. The main thing to consider is how you want the character to be perceived by the reader, if for example you want the reader to feel empathetic towards a character, you could put your character in a situation that will reveal a weakness of theirs – making them a more accessible personality. Think carefully about their traits, their actions and the reasons behind their actions. Even the smallest detail can change a reader's mind, so it’s important to be precise. Another thing to think about the reader’s relationship with your character(s) is how they interact with the other characters.

There are various archetypes to choose or to stem from when creating your character(s). Your 'round' character, commonly referred to as the protagonist, is the most important. There are also 'static', ‘dynamic’ and/or 'flat' characters (see image description below). All three types can be pivotal to the story. An author should know their main characters the way they know a real person, the reader should be able to recognise or relate to such a character. Focus on dialogue and description, give the reader as much information as possible about your main character.

You would also have to consider what would makes said character a 'round' character, and what response you want readers to have. As previously mentioned, when it comes to round characters, they are your focus; they are the story’s focus. Most if not all of the events of the story should relate to or affect them in some way. Who your character is as a person will be what allows the readers to make their judgments – will they like or dislike them? How does this affect the plot, and why does it matter?

Character development is important when it comes to creating a story. To know and understand your character(s) and what type of character(s) they are, as well as how they relate to the story and the readers, is crucial to dynamic and creative writing.