Developing Characters

After you have constructed your character, it’s time to develop them in the narrative. Sure, you could have a story where the character remains flat and unchanged, but that certainly won’t get readers excited. For short stories, it’s possible for the characters to be stagnant, but in a novel, characters that don’t change should be scarce.

There are a few necessary steps in the development of a character. But even the most general of outlines can prove difficult if you don’t know the ways to implement change. First, you need to set up how the character thinks and behaves at the start of the story:

Described by him/herself- People know their likes and dislikes and what sort of people they enjoy being around. Let your character speak for him/herself. Having your character describe themselves isn’t entirely unbelievable, especially if your narrative is written in the first person.

Described by others– Friends, family and even outsiders will have an opinion of your character, so be sure to include those comments as ways of setting up their personality and mannerisms. Often, readers will take best to how others describe them.

Next, you need to involve moments of development through major events:

Change created through external actions– Events that your character experiences can have as much or as little affect on them in way of development. The key is to stay consistent with their personality type regarding what would leave an impression.

Change created through internal actions– Thoughts or feelings can also promote change in your character. A shift in their emotional reaction is another prime area to highlight their evolution.

Finally, the character should recognize their development over the course of the story. However, unless it is in their character to be introspective and reflexive, it might not be the best idea for them to formally acknowledge they’ve changed.  I’m partial to showcasing the character’s comprehension of the change as an indirect form of characterization rather than directly stating what has come to pass. The manner in which your character develops will be different for every individual in your story, so be sure to vary the means of change as well as the results. A greater variety in characters and their development will impart a realistic depth to your tale.