A fully-formed, well fleshed out character doesn’t happen overnight. Much like meeting someone at a party, it takes time to get to know them. They all <\/em>start two-dimensional and then you add layers to them \u2013 it’s like growing little onion-people! (Sorry for that strange insight into my brain.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n A reader wants to care about your rounded characters, will want to be surprised by them, and will want to follow them on their journeys. The more we explain why someone is the way they are or acts the way they do, the more complex they become, and that’s the beauty of a rounded character. A good tip is to spend time getting to know the characters that you need to be rounded, and this can be super beneficial before <\/em>you start writing because that knowledge can influence and better shape your writing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some tips on how to create them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A reader cares more when they understand our characters, and the key here is to ensure our reader knows what motivations are driving our character’s decisions throughout the story. These motivations can be based on good reasons or bad, and will apply to both the protagonist and the antagonist. It seems that the appetite for understanding motivations has increased in storytelling, and so it\u2019s worth looking at two beloved characters who\u2019ve recently had their motivations brought to the big screen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n JAMES BOND<\/strong> THE JOKER<\/strong> Conflict is not only a tool to drive the plot forward, but also shows a reader how your character will respond to a given circumstance. That in turn is interesting to a reader because it will show up traits in a character like their moral standing, etc. We can use another character to demonstrate conflict, or use an internal conflict, or even both. Take Woody from Toy Story <\/em>as an example of both. <\/em>He was Andy’s most cherished toy until Buzz Lightyear came and took pride of place on Andy’s bed (and heart). Note that introducing Buzz into the story \u2013 who posed no threat to Woody physically because they didn’t have any historical conflict \u2013 had a knock-on effect to the internal conflict within Woody. Woody’s insecurities and fear of being replaced meant his ‘good guy’ persona was rattled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A rounded character will learn something throughout the story, and they\u2019ll be different by the end than they were at the start. Using Woody in Toy Story<\/em> as an example again, his acceptance of Buzz by the end of the film \u2013 and his willingness to understand what it means to share Andy\u2019s attention — leaves him in a far different place from where he was at the beginning of the movie. You<\/em> are a different person from who you were when you started your journey; shouldn\u2019t your characters be, too?<\/p>\n\n\n\n A flat character is two-dimensional and uncomplicated. They are often minor characters (though not always) and their role in the story is usually a perfunctory one. It\u2019s rare for a flat character to undergo any kind of development over the course of the story \u2013 usually because their development isn\u2019t the point<\/em> of the story. But that\u2019s not to say that flat characters are a bad thing, or even something to avoid!<\/p>\n\n\n\n They can be used for enhancing rounded characters and interaction between the two can reinforce the rounded character’s strengths, traits and values. Think about The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz<\/em>: she’s simply evil and not given any backstory, but she makes Dorothy look like a saint with awesome morals via the ways in which she provokes conflict. Your flat characters might also be supporting roles like Miss Stephanie Crawford, the town gossip in To Kill a Mockingbird<\/em>: someone who can help deliver the novel\u2019s message and who can help spur the revelations of the rounded characters, but whose story doesn\u2019t need to be filled out for the reader\u2019s enjoyment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s get into some tips on writing your flat characters:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I tend to give my flat characters forgettable, common names, or even no name at all \u2013 sometimes a job reference will even do, eg. ‘the waiter’ if they’re just in one scene and delivering a cup of tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your flat characters can have quirks that will delight a reader but won\u2019t distract them. For example, you can have a clown who’s not funny, or a dentist with bad teeth. Tom Bombadil is one of Tolkien\u2019s most memorable inventions, but he serves a purpose in The Hobbit<\/em>, not a distraction \u2013 or think about Dame Judi Dench\u2019s performance in Shakespeare in Love<\/em>, which won her an Oscar and she was on-screen for eight minutes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you feel confused about whether a flat character needs more to them, the likelihood is that the reader will also feel confused about their role. Don\u2019t let that compelling quirky weirdo who shows up in one scene take over the rest of your book (unless, you know, you want them to) \u2013 again, you don\u2019t want your flat characters to be a distraction. That\u2019s why they\u2019re flat! Determine their relevance to the scene and then focus on that before getting on with your day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you’re not sure if you need a round or flat character in any given scene, ask yourself a simple question \u2013 do I need the reader to care about them here, or in the story as a whole? If the answer is yes, you need to give them some complexity. If not, they’re the flat ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider a classic battle scene in The Return of the King:<\/em> The Ride of the Rohirrim<\/em>, a last ditch attempt against all odds to save Middle Earth (no pressure). The sequence has both flat and rounded characters within it. We care about the collective force because they are representing the microcosm of the entire trilogy \u2013 good vs evil \u2013 in a spectacular and emotive way, but do we care about each and every one of the six thousand riders? Nope. We care about Theoden, Eowyn, and Merry \u2013 because those are the characters that have been given layers. We\u2019ve spent time with them, seen their lives upended, witnessed their doubts and insecurities, seen their moral and emotional growth, and have agonised alongside them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And while we\u2019re talking about speculative fiction, let\u2019s use a role-playing game example: your well-rounded characters are, well, the characters you\u2019re playing \u2013 while your flat characters are your NPCs, your non-player-characters. They\u2019re the ones your main characters interact with along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A note: some main characters, including some quite famous ones, are decidedly static characters \u2013 by which we mean that they don\u2019t change, even as they\u2019re quite memorable and even by many respects \u2018well-rounded\u2019 characters. Remember what we were saying about the Joker earlier? Remove that 2019 film from your brain and think about the character again: we often don\u2019t know his name, his motivations are unclear, and he serves mostly as a foil to our protagonist. Another, more literary, example would be Bertie Wooster (and Jeeves, for that matter!) from P. G. Woodhouse\u2019s Jeeves and Wooster<\/em> stories. The relationship between Bertie and Jeeves will always be the same, those two men themselves will always be the same, and that\u2019s really part of the joy of reading those stories: that those characters do not change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your characters are the beating heart of your novel or story, and it\u2019s crucial to make sure that you\u2019ve invested them with the time and attention they deserve. Some of them might be well-rounded characters and some of them might be flat \u2013 but hopefully these tips and tricks will help you determine which should be which! <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re writing fiction, developing your characters is a crucial point in the writing process. You might have the most compelling plot in the world, full of romance and action and intrigue \u2013 but if your characters feel more like paper dolls than people, chances are your book isn\u2019t ready yet. It\u2019s important to be<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17952,"featured_media":446255,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[27492],"class_list":["post-437619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-character-creation","tag-character-builder"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOutline Their Goals And Motivations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Over decades, we\u2019ve seen a host of Bond films where he\u2019s more or less the same character: a charmer and a killer. This had a certain appeal, to be sure, but it also made him rather two-dimensional. When producers decided to adapt the 1953 novel Casino Royale<\/em> in 2006, we were suddenly shown insight into how Bond became a killer (that brilliant black-and-white opening sequence) and what motivated his callous charm (falling in love, discovering her deception, watching her drown). Now we understood why he behaved the way that he did, which made him far more human than he\u2019d been before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Part of the Joker\u2019s appeal in every Batman appearance prior to Todd Phillips\u2019 2019 film Joker<\/em> was that he was a madman. He represented anarchy to Batman\u2019s order \u2013 very archetypal, comic book stuff. But Joaquin Phoenix\u2019s award-winning performance revealed a failed clown whose inner turmoil gave rise to the chaotic villain we\u2019ve all come to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBring Conflict Into Your Character’s <\/strong>Life<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Let Your Character Evolve<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat Is A Flat Character?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Flat Characters Get Flat Names<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Flat Doesn\u2019t Mean Boring<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Enjoy Them But Don’t Spend Lots Of Energy On Them<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Difference Between Flat And Round Characters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What Is A Static Character?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Without Character You Have No Story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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