Hello fellow writers,
It is I again, Angelina, and I am here to help rid the world of... I cannot bring myself to type those two dreadful words... WB. You know what those two initials stand for, those daunting words. But I am here to try help it vanish for, hopefully, a long while. This is only one out of the many posts that I will be submitting to help out our characters. Here we go...
Probably the most easiest thing when writing a novel is character development. Well that's a big stinky lie. While character development might be fun, it can be boring and frustrating at times. I know when I start to think about writing a new novel, the first thing that's really developed in my mind is the main character, the sidekick, or the villain.
Most of the time it's the main character, or the hero of the story. So this is the perfect time to reach into the area of your brain labeled, "forgotten but still loved characters who have never been developed," and remodel, revamp, renovate, change, and/or improve someone that is neglected and overlooked for a long time. Pull out that disregarded character and give it some love! Once your character is revived, I'm pretty sure that you will get some inspiration and momentarily defeat writers block! (Can I get an amen? Anyone?) Are you ready?
1. The Hero
We will start with the protagonist, or, as I like to call it, the hero. Our hero starts out as just a little idea, something really small and unimportant. But we see something in the tiny thought and think about it. And as we think, it starts to grow, and grow, and grow, and grow, until finally the idea is big enough to be a character!
Our hero!
Now our hero can be two things. Either a flat, boring, and very predictable character, or... an original, awesome, and not so much predicable character. I don't know about you, but I prefer the second of the two choices any day. So once we have decided which you want your character to become, then the real fun begins.
2. The Original vs. the Flat
A lot of what makes a good plot is a good character. Most people would disagree and say that a good plot makes the character good. But it's the opposite. So it is absolutely critical that your hero (or any character for that matter) has a good foundation. Original... not flat. Compare.
Flat: Bobby never missed a day volunteering at the hospital and he had a nice summer job at the local cafe. He was well mannered, polite, and always made good grades in school. Everyone loved the outstanding teenager Bobby.
Original: Bobby never missed a day volunteering at the hospital and he had a nice summer job at the local cafe. He was well mannered, polite, and always made A's in school. Everyone loved the outstanding teenager Bobby. But no one really knew the real Bobby. While at home, he stole other people's credit card numbers and maxed them out, buying things for his own pleasure. He sold pirated movies for extra cash and made fake i.d.'s, vending them to criminals and other online hackers.
Let's compare the flat version of Bobby's life, to the original version. In the flat version, Bobby's a good kid. He volunteer's at the hospital, he works a summer job, and he gets good grades at school. End of story. Not much of a novel there. In the original version, Bobby's secret life is unknown. He's a hacker and a criminal. Now there's something that would catch the attention of a reader.
Let's just put it this way. Which version would you rather read about? Which one would you rather write? Which one catches your attention? The original is so much more intriguing than the flat, and there is a lot more depth to the character. Depth is all about a good plot. And beneath a good plot is an even better character.
3. Flat or Original, Your Choice
Now let's decide about our own hero. Will he/she be a flat character, or an original? That is the beginning of character development, and the most important and critical point of it. Once you have decided the life for your character, then their personalities will surface.
I hope this post has helped you. There is so much more to character development, but I couldn't put it all in one post. I will have more, though, so do not despair. And remember to keep your forgotten character in hand, for in the next couple of posts, you might just get some inspiration for your... HERO!
Until the next post!
-Angelina Zoe
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