The Pillars of Literature—Pillar One: Character · 3:58am Jan 14th, 2014
Today, I’m starting a little blog series here both to sharpen my own skills with these terms, and to share them with you all. There are many things that writers still seem to miss, particularly when it comes to subjects such as the established POV’s, Character development, and the very nature of what grammar is to us when writing a story. These are all matters that we try to focus all our effort at perfecting, sometimes with mixed results.
The Four Pillars of Literature refer to the four aspects that all good writing not only relies on for support, but often expands on to further the message and/or narration. All writing has the four pillars in some way, but only the best of works can utilize all four to create a balanced tale able to support not only a large ‘infrastructure’ over it, but survive almost any type of attack and criticism to it. The pillars are as follows:
1. Character
2. Vision
3. Substance
4. Structure
Keep in mind that while each pillar is powerful on its own, the best of tales find a way to balance all four in a way that no single element can be considered weak.
The first pillar I will talk about is Character. To understand character is to forge a tale that not only draws the reader in via its portrayal of live individuals we feel for, root for, or sometimes even come to despise. To know character is to know the very essence of what it means to be human. We achieve this goal via a Complex Character. The question of course, becomes, “What is a complex character?”
A complex character is one that both normal readers and fellow authors feel rises above the norms of what is usually expected in a story. These are characters that evoke in us emotional responses that we may not entirely expect, making even a grouch laugh or the toughest “macho man” cry. Forging a complex character is both simple and complex. It can be as easy as simply giving said character issues you and I would face on a daily basis. It can also be as complex as giving this character a detailed past, aspirations, and challenges that stand in his way.
The very essence of a complex and well-written character is the very drive that we, as people, feel: dreams, hopes, and aspirations. Without these, we have nothing to push us forward, and the same goes for any character forged by a writer. Without hopes, dreams, and aspirations of their own, they are nothing. The tale can be as simple as being stuck inside of a small box with nothing but a small trinket for company, or as complex as two rival nations embroiled in a hundred-year long war. In both of those cases, character/s, and how they are used, dictates just how much of an investment we as readers will have with the narration. If we do not feel invested in any of the protagonists or antagonists, then we will not read. If we find no point to cheering on the hero or scorning the villain, then we will not read. If we cannot cheer when the hero cheers or laugh when the villain laughs, then we will not read. Strong characters with personalities that feel human are what tie us to a narrative. They are the ones that hold our hands and tell us, “Hey, it’s alright! Our world’s isn’t that different that yours.” They ease us into a world that would otherwise be alien and unforgiving.
Here is an example: There is this radiant and developed world perhaps millions of light years away from our own. We are seeing it through the lenses of a probe, for the environment may be too toxic for plain humans. In this world, we find a race of small sentient mushrooms that don’t seem all that intelligent. If we were to just toss character out the window and just go with plot and structure, the story would end up suffering, as there would be nothing to attach the feelings of humanity to.
Now, say you give these little mushrooms a personality. You give them the ability to emote—albeit within their limited range of intellect. Sure, they may be just as ready to walk into a cliff as they are to eat, but if you really show how these small mushrooms can emote feelings that we as humans feel, an attachment is formed. Next thing you know, you feel sad for those mushrooms that choose to walk off a cliff. You pity its lack of intellect, and even may wish to do something about it. By adding a dash of humanity, you have broken the alien barrier and allowed the reader to not only see the world from the viewpoint of the small mushrooms, but you’ve also formed an attachment that will allow you to work further emotions into the mix.
But Garnot, how can we give characters the necessary depth to create a complex character?
You do so with character flaws. Flaws are what make us human after all. No one’s perfect, and it’s in our imperfections that the beauty of who we are lies. All characters need flaws to overcome. Without them, they are static individuals that literally have no heaven to strive for, and no hell to avoid. Flaws, and how they overcome them, are what makes characters endearing and memorable.
However, not all flaws are created equal. Flaws can be used to create a sue-type character. This occurs when you give these characters flaws they can easily overcome. A vampire that is weak to sunlight, but has a ring that can let him cast a shadow over himself, or a blind swordsman that has always been able to use some type of extra-sensory power to paint a mental image of his surroundings. These are examples of characters that have flaws, yet overcome them in ways that do not contribute to their growth as characters—or at worst, turns them into outright sues. Flaws have to mean something to both the character and the reader. They have to not only limit what a character can or can’t do, but they also have to shape them in some way. A boy that, while brilliant, is an extreme introvert that also happens to suffer from a fear of wide open spaces, or a girl that, while outgoing and peppy, is in fact a depressive mess that only puts on a façade—these are examples of flaws that both shape a character and have meaning to the reader. These are the types of flaws that make us see characters as human and make us root for them through thick and thin.
Garnot, what about morality? Flaws are fine and all, but I don’t know how to best display morality with a character.
That’s part of what makes the character human. Just like in real life, a good story shouldn’t be confined to black and white rails, people in real life jump around morality after all. A complex character should be no different; he should be confronted with the moral choices, as well as their consequences. He should be able to one day play the baddies against each other, only to do a switch of sides and play for the good guys later, followed by another shift where he plays the good guys against one another before jumping to his own side. Granted, this is an extreme example of morality jumping, even in real life, but a complex character should have no issue reaping the benefits of this choice of actions, as well as suffering the consequences of the choices made.
Morality can also be used to make a character weaker overall. Again, the trait of a sue is that he or she is able to always come out on top regardless of what kind of moral choices they may make. If you have a morally white character that never seems to get punished for transgressions, or even pauses to consider how having killed a busload of baddies turned into an equally malicious individual as the bad guys, is a sign that you may be doing something that could potentially harm the narrative. Just like in real life, moral choices must come with some type of repercussion, one the character/s has to live with. And just like in real life, this means that you sometimes have to let the baddie get away, or you have to allow your hero to suffer. Life’s not black and white after all. It’s a mess of colors that sometimes makes no sense at all.
What about motivation? Is that a big factor in character development?
Motivation is the drive a character/s feels to move ahead, thus furthering the plot. It’s the desire to see change in their world, or save a loved one from a terrible fate, or even just saving or conquering the world. If every character’s morality is what colors them, motivation is what fuels them. Without a proper motivation, a character is essentially a statue that can never really grow. This in itself can be a character’s motivation: the desire to stay unchanged, but that’s by no means the only form of motivation: A soldier that fights because he is motivated by his cause, or a boyfriend that is willing to give up his very life to save his kidnapped love, or a villain that can do horrible things if it means achieving his goal—all examples of great motivations.
One has to be wary of extreme motivations however, for a character that has way too much desire for a single object can come off as sue-ish, especially if he gets all of his desire with little effort. For motivations to mean something, they have to cause the character/s to struggle in some way, physical or emotional. The stronger the motivation, the stronger the character’s growth, while the weaker the motivation, the less character growth.
Morality and depth has gotten me quite far, by my character still feels flat, underdeveloped—almost like he’s stuck in a glass cube. What have I done wrong?
The answer is both simple and difficult. Even the most complex of characters needs something to happen for their very beings to actually come into play. After all, you can’t judge a car unless you drive it first. Characters need to be put through their paces and given something to prove their worth. This is where conflict comes into play. A character cannot exist in a vacuum, he must have something barring his way: a challenge he has to overcome, a foil that constantly stands opposed to him, or any number of flaws that keep him front being the ideal individual. As the story progresses, he must adapt, evolve, and learn to accept who he before facing that which stands in his way. The lessons he learns along the way serve to empower him, or perhaps the flaws that he accumulated finally weigh him down. A character is victorious or is a failure as a result of his conflicts and how he resolves them.
Once again though, I should point out that conflict can be used to weaken a character. If the conflict/s only serve to constantly show how ‘cool’ a character is, then he is heading down the road to sue-ism. Conflicts should always challenge a character/s. The more they struggle to stay who they are, the more we cheer for them.
Garnot, all you’ve said is nice and all, but what does it mean for me? Why can’t I just make a simple character and just write the story I wish?
Careful plot development will ensure an eventful tale. Good pacing will mean that the story, regardless of how dull some moments may be in reality, can be played in a way that makes them interesting rides. But character is perhaps the one piece that, while still not as important as the other pillars, can have the largest effect on the overall story. Skimping on character is, in my opinion, one of the great flaws any author can make—one I’ve committed myself on several occasions no less. Plot holes can be worked out, grammar can be ironed out, and even world building can be sprinkled on as the story progresses, but a character that does not grow, does not fall, and does not exist beyond a vacuum is a dead character, and they bring down the rest of the story with them.
That covers my first foray into the matter of a story’s support structure. Join me next time as I talk about another aspect of the four pillars, that of Vision.
For now, have a good day, and never ever stop writing.
Oh, there you are! Good to have you back. And with an excellent column, too.
This is one great informational blog! I've been trying to shape a character recently. This helps. Thanks! Good work too!
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Done, it would seem.
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I try my beast. For you guys, anything.
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Glad It's been of help to you. Keep an eye out for the other volumes of this mini-series.
1723383 For sure!
Following you JUST because you wrote this. It's a very good piece of writing, and I can't wait for the other three. Brilliant show, good chap.
I have to agree with Celestial, actually. I'm following you for this and future blog posts. Though, now that I'm here, I might check out a story or two.