Being a Better Writer: Gradual Character Development · 10:13pm Jan 23rd, 2017
Hello readers! I'm back!
I know it was only a week, but honestly, it felt much longer. Funny how time works like that. It feels like forever since I've worked on a Being a Better Writer post, but at the same time, it feels like just yesterday I finished editing Colony ...
Time does weird things. And moves in odd ways. Speaking of which, that's probably a good topic for another BaBW post: Time. That one's on the list now.
Anyway, let's dive right into today's topic: Gradual Character Development.
Character development is usually one of those tricky things for a new writer to nail. Usually. Some get it right off of the bat, others take a bit of time to get it right. But it's something that any story needs.
Yes, I'm going to call a hard specific on this and say that character development is a need, not an optional bit of window dressing. Why?
Because stories are about a progression, a moving from Point A to Point B. Any story—any good one, mind—is made up of moving parts, each grinding, ticking, or in some cases waiting to snap, forward. And, just as a watch would look odd if all of the gears but one were moving, each part of the story should be moving in its own little way. In what direction the reader may not know, but everything should be part of the cohesive whole.
Continue reading this post at Unusual Things!
Good, but I think it could do more with one particular issue that's very important: Having the character arc and the plot arc interact with and affect each other.
Character development is best when it's tied in with plot development.
Say, Protagonist has character flaw A, and when he's faced with his first big challenge, character flaw A is what prevents him from succeeding.
Then, you have character development as he gradually overcomes character flaw A.
Now, when he's faced with a second challenge similar to the first one, he's able to succeed because he's no longer held back by that character flaw.
It's a very effective formula, and you'll find it in a lot of good fiction if you look for it.
(Also, I'm a big fan of the protagonist needing to make some kind of personal sacrifice in order to achieve his goals in the story. That might be worked into it as well.)
4394148
The reason I didn't bring that one up is because I've seen FAR to many stories try too hard to make the two connect when they don't. I agree that it's really nice, but at the same time making the story and the character growth directly correlate to one another isn't always the best answer. Character arc and theme, personally work better.
Again, I see where you're coming from, but I've seen far too many stories force the to together to the detriment of both. A character arc can be a subplot as easily as an element of the main story arc.
Additionally, it's common enough that sometimes, if not written well, we see it coming. It becomes obvious, and drags things down rather than builds them.
Again, I'm not saying you're wrong, just saying why I left that one out.
4394167
Heh, true.
People can try too hard to make that happen, sometimes.
4394172
Yeah, the end result done wrong ends up being those stories that beat you over the head with their obviousness, or worse, their confident "Look how clever I am!"