How Do Authors Present And Develop Characters? Trust The Answer

Three points of view

The three points of view from which an author writes are first person, second person, and third person.

A story in the first-person perspective is told with “I”, “me” and “mine”. The narrator is the main character in the story. The events and thoughts described are those that the narrator saw or experienced first-hand from his or her perspective. In Stephenie Meyer’s hugely successful teenage vampire novel Twilight, the main character and first-person narrator, Bella, describes herself in the first chapter. I wore it as a parting gesture. My carry-on was a parka.” The description is told from Bella’s perspective using the first-person pronouns “I” and “my”. The first-person perspective is widespread in young adult literature.

In contemplating viewpoint, readers should be careful not to confuse it with perspective. Viewpoint is how the story is told (first person, second person, or third person), while perspective is more related to who is telling the story and how they experience it. For example, Stephenie Meyer wrote Twilight in the first person from the perspective of her narrator, Bella. Writers can use characters’ perspectives, attitudes, and personalities to develop their point of view.

Second-person stories, which are the least common, use “you” to tell a story about the reader. For example, the “Choose Your Own Adventure” stories written for children allow the readers to decide how the story about “them” will continue. Because it can be pretentious for an author to pretend to know a reader’s thoughts and actions, books written in the second person are not very common.

The most common point of view of storytelling is the third person, talking about the characters with the third person pronouns “he”, “she”, “it” and “they”. The third-person view is divided into two categories: limited and omniscient.

The restricted third-person point of view is shaped by the perspective of one or more characters. In third-person omniscient, a narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of every character in the story. Some well-known examples are Harry Potter (told from Harry’s perspective) and Lord of the Rings, in which the narrator communicates the thoughts and feelings of most of the story’s main characters to the reader.

Character development in your story is critical to sales.

After all, one doesn’t always love and rave about books because of the story itself…

But because of the characters they fell in love with.

However…this is actually much more difficult to achieve as a writer than it seems, even if writing and self-publishing a successful book depends on it.

In fact, it’s specifically because someone has fallen in love with the characters and cares enough about them and their journey that they’re willing to follow them through it all.

As we often say, a bad storyline can be saved by amazing characters, but the best storyline in the world won’t save a book with bad character development.

Here’s your 12-step guide to good character development:

Stay with us on this post and you will learn exactly how to achieve character development in a way that makes readers think about your characters as if they were real people.

Once you master all of this, you’ll be writing powerful characters in no time.

Get your character development sheet

Sometimes it pays to have a character development sheet to keep track of your characters. Not only can you keep track, but you can zoom out and get a better look if you’re creating two character archetypes that are too similar.

Ready to get started now? Download your free character development sheet to keep track of every character you write.

Character Development Cheat Sheet [printable too!] Accelerate your character development in HALF the time. Make your characters feel REAL and organized at the same time with a fully customizable and printable character development worksheet that will make your characters shine! Where should we send it to? I’M WRITING MY TO… I’m writing a book to grow my business. I’m not interested in starting a business. I am writing a book to make a difference. I want to write a quality novel that will entertain people. SUBMIT

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What is character development?

Character development is the process and execution of creating a fully rounded, complex, and true-to-life character in your fictional writing with the goal of making readers invest in you and your life or journey.

Think of character development like the paper of your book. Without them you just don’t have a book at all – you just have a mess of ink smeared between two covers.

But before we get into the extensive details, I’ll cover what makes a well-developed character, as well as the different types of character development you can consider.

What is a well developed character?

A well-developed character needs a full backstory, personality traits that reflect it, realistic plots and emotions, along with a high level of relevance to the average reader and as complex as a real person.

If you can’t picture your characters as real people, they’re not complex enough to be well developed. The key to character development is making your characters feel like they are people you know who live far away.

Get used to believing them to be real, and you’ll almost always end up with a well-developed character.

types of character development

When it comes to learning how to write characters—and how to write them well—you need to understand what type of character you are dealing with.

These are the different types of characters that need to be written:

protagonist

Opponent

Secondary

Static

thwart

share

Dynamic/round

Don’t be alarmed if you think that these are many different types of characters. After all, we all have people in our real lives who would fill in these character “types,” so it’s important that your book accommodates them.

Without them, you can’t do the character development and expect an engaging cast.

But let us help you understand what each character type brings to the story.

With this information, you can better understand what character development to focus on for each of the fictional characters you create.

Character Development: 12 Steps, Sheets, and Instructions [Worksheet]

Now that you know what type of character you’re focusing on here when writing your book, let’s dive deeper into the character development methods you can use and exercises to help you get it right.

#1 – Create a background for each character

Our realities are shaped by where we have been, where we are, and where we want to go.

That being said, the one that affects our lives the most is where we’ve been – our past.

The same probably applies to your character. They will have different interests, quirks, fears and more based on what their life was like before the start of your novel.

Your task is to fill in what your life was like up until the beginning of your book.

Character Development Exercise: Complete a character development sheet so you can understand your characters as full human beings and not just two-dimensional beings that you created. When designing your character’s background, consider these main ideas: your childhood (good, bad, poverty-stricken, spoiled, etc.)

Her parents (divorced, unmarried, one missing, both missing)

your friendships

Your hobbies and interests as a child compared to today

Their motivations for how they behave in a given situation

Your personality type and how it influences your actions

These are some basic elements to understand about your character in order to shape their personality, opinions and actions that are appropriate to their background.

#2 – Know your characters strengths and weaknesses

One of the biggest influences on your characters is their strengths or weaknesses.

We humans are confronted with our strengths and weaknesses every day, even in the smallest of forms.

What your characters are good at and not particularly good at affects how they perceive various events, the actions they take, and can affect their entire character arc (which we’ll get to later).

If your character’s strength is speaking to strangers and gaining their trust, it could be beneficial to them throughout their journey. However, if this is your character’s weakness and he is forced to do it, it can cause conflict for him.

These strengths and weaknesses will shape your character arc and the storyline as a whole, so be sure to know them well before you write.

Character Development Exercise: Make a list of 3 strengths and 3 weaknesses for your characters. Make sure these flow into the plot to create conflict and gain sympathy from readers who can relate.

#3 – Create nervous tics or habits

If you’ve paid attention to people long enough, you know that we all have certain habits we don’t even know we do when we’re nervous.

Me? I pick at the skin around my nails. It’s a pain (literally) and I only realize later that I’m doing it.

This can be a key feature that will help make your characters feel more real and help make them feel more relatable to your readers, which will make them want to give you those 5-star ratings.

Character Development Exercise: Make a small list for each of your characters. For each of them, write down two odd habits and decide which one they prefer (the one they do without thinking about it) and which one is made worse by nervousness or anxiety.

#4 – No character can be perfect

It can be really hard to blame your favorite fictional character for faults. After all, we want people to love them, right?

But a “perfect” character isn’t lovable – it’s hateful because it’s not realistic. These are often referred to as Mary Sue characters.

The more you try to make your character “flawless,” the less readers will be able to relate to it and therefore like it less. You need to build flaws into your character as we all have flaws in reality. You must fail your characters.

Character Development Exercise: List 3 main flaws in your character that can actually become problems in your storyline. Think of any bad habits they have, situations they don’t like, or even personality traits that aren’t considered “good” to realistically work out those flaws.

#5 – All characters need realistic subjects

No matter what character they are or what they want in your story, they need to have a real and valid reason to feel that way.

Take, for example, “He Who Shall Not Be Named” from Harry Potter.

Voldemort (woops!) wants to kill Harry. We should all know that much – even if you’ve never read the books or seen the movies. But if he was just trying to kill Harry Potter to murder a child, it wouldn’t make any sense.

Yes, he’s evil, but he also has a valid reason to want him dead, right?

He must kill Harry Potter because he is the only person who has been able to defeat him before – and because the prophecy says so.

If your characters – no matter how insignificant – don’t have a meaningful motive, readers will be pulled out of the story and end up questioning what’s happening, and not in a good way.

In this way, mostly plot holes arise. To avoid them, stick to this character development method.

Character Development Exercise: As you come up with your antagonist’s motives, list at least 2 ways in which they are valid. For Voldemort it would be the fact that Harry can kill him and that he wants to rule the wizarding world. Your bad character needs to have at least 2 strong reasons to oppose your protagonist and they should make sense given their story.

#6 – Give each character a unique trait

This is especially true for those of you writing Game of Thrones-like novels with a large cast of characters, but it’s important for others as well.

When you’re writing a book, you want your readers to be able to easily visualize and distinguish the cast. You want each character to stand out as an individual.

A perfect way to do this is to give each person an identifiable trait.

For example, let’s use Harry Potter again because you probably know what the main characters look like.

Harry has glasses. Hermione has buck teeth (until she trimmed them a bit too much – and that’s only in the books for those of you who’ll argue) and Ron has fiery red hair.

These are very different traits that can help you visualize them as completely different characters.

Now you don’t have to give every single character a crazy hair color or style, but try not to make your entire cast look the same.

If you have one main character with brown, wavy hair, have the next one with blonde, curly hair, etc.

Remember that siblings can look alike!

Character Development Exercise: Create a spreadsheet or other document that lists all of your characters and documents their traits. If you have two characters in your book who spend a lot of time together and you see that they look alike, change their looks until they are distinguishable. Take my own spreadsheet for my work in progress below as an example.

#7 – Develop a variety of personality types

That said, don’t create all your characters to be dark and sarcastic type or tough guy type.

You have to have very different personalities – just like in the real world.

They can even underpin their personality with real-world psychology. As an example, I have two characters that both have a tragic background.

However, they do not process this trauma in the same way. One character is very withdrawn, while the other hides his pain behind humor. This gives them very different personalities despite similar stories.

Character Development Exercise: Refer to your character’s backstories and do a little research on possible coping mechanisms and how this can affect their personality. Develop it from there to have realistic personalities that differ.

Character Development Cheat Sheet [printable too!] Accelerate your character development in HALF the time. Make your characters feel REAL and organized at the same time with a fully customizable and printable character development worksheet that will make your characters shine! Where should we send it to? I’M WRITING MY TO… I’m writing a book to grow my business. I’m not interested in starting a business. I am writing a book to make a difference. I want to write a quality novel that will entertain people. SUBMIT

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#8 – Match your character’s story to impact

This is when some research comes into play, which should be required anyway. Looking at some of the psychological effects of trauma can help you dive into character development accurately and realistically.

Now, not all characters go through trauma, but there are other major life events that can affect their behavior.

If you have a character whose parents were raised very strict, he might be a bit rebellious and lack the ability to make choices that others have – mostly because he’s never learned how, since his parents made those choices for him hit.

Character Development Exercise: Now that you know your character’s backstory, do a little research on how these specific struggles or realities can shape a person’s psyche to make their behavior accurate and realistic.

#9 – Create foil types for secondary characters

This is mainly to improve the personality contrast in your novel. Most of the time this happens naturally as you give each character a unique personality, but it’s still great to keep in mind.

If you have supporting characters (characters who get a decent amount of side time but aren’t main characters), shape their personality types to show the opposite of the main characters.

Why? Because, first, you want to create more variety, and second, you want to create some non-plot specific conflicts.

Character Development Exercise: Set and develop your supporting characters to clash or oppose your main characters in specific ways. Think about what might annoy your main character the most, and instill some of those habits or personality traits into your supporting characters.

#10 – Give each character their own voice

We all speak differently and that means your characters should too. Depending on where they’re from, they can have different accents, slang, and even phrases they use regularly.

Think of a friend of yours for a minute. What are some specific phrases that you use frequently?

It’s likely that something came to your mind in just a few seconds because it’s so unique to them and something they say a lot.

Your characters should be developed in the same way.

If you write two characters from very different parts of the world and they have the same speaking style, your audience will be drawn out of the story because it isn’t realistic. Your votes must be consistent and not the same.

Character Development Exercise These tips can ensure your characters speak differently: Choose a slang word that each character enjoys using

Use different wording for the same meaning like “sorry” versus “I’m sorry” or “My fault”.

Use unique sentence structures to give each character a unique speaking rhythm

Make sure your more educated characters speak like this and your less educated characters use simpler words and phrases

Create phrases similar to “knee high as a grasshopper” with unique meanings for your characters’ specific regions

Read their dialogue aloud in the voice you imagine and make changes if necessary

When giving your characters unique voices, you want to make sure your readers picture them as real people and not as two-dimensional beings living on paper.

#11 – Create a diverse cast in every way

I’ll be honest, there’s a very real problem in the literature when it comes to diversity.

You can debate this all you want, but coming from someone who reads a lot of books, it’s a very real problem that only you and other future writers can correct.

Your book should be as diverse as the real world.

If you don’t have characters with different skin, hair, or eye colors, as well as different body types, disabilities, and even mental illnesses, your characters aren’t diverse enough.

You don’t have to write a book about these things to include them in your novel.

For example, one of my main characters has high levels of anxiety. His plot isn’t about that mental illness, but it’s there, visible, and can affect his plot.

Character Development Exercise: Look at your characters and their looks and personalities. If there is no clear variety among them, create them. You want to make sure different readers feel included, heard, and represented.

#12 – Avoid stereotypes

This is truly a “don’t do” tip versus a “must do” tip. The reason for this is that so many writers feel they need a “supporting character” (or even a main character) but are too lazy to do the actual work.

This means they create a stereotype of a certain type of person, which can often be harmful without the author even knowing it.

A great way to ensure you never have offensive stereotypical characters is to use a sensitivity reader or ensure you have a diverse group of beta readers who can speak on behalf of the characters you are developing.

What is a character sheet?

A character arc is used to describe the inner and even outer journey, which may be physical, mental, emotional, or otherwise, that a character experiences throughout the duration of the story or plot.

You thought you learned enough about character development, right?

You are not! Not only do you have to create well-rounded characters, but you also have to remember to include arcs for them.

How to create a character sheet

Your protagonist or main character needs at least one character arc for their storyline and journey in order to be compelling and satisfying for the readers.

As an example I will use Harry Potter from this series simply because it is well known and its character arc is different even within the first novel.

Harry Potter begins the novel as an 11-year-old child suffering from emotionally abusive relatives who care for him because his parents have died.

But by the end of the movie, Harry has discovered that he’s a wizard, learned of his importance in the wizarding world, and even took on Voldemort himself (well, sort of).

This character arc is different in that his mental and emotional journey is completely different from start to finish. Harry Potter isn’t the same at the end as it was at the beginning – and that goes for every book in the series.

If your character comes out as a transformed person in some sense at the end of the book, that’s a character arc.

Above is an example of what a character sheet looks like on paper and how you can use plot elements to advance your character’s development.

Character development questions

If you’re looking for a way to evolve your characters to create lifelike and realistic personalities, we have a way to help.

Here are 50 character development questions to ask:

What’s her full name? Why did her parents choose this name? How are her parents? Do you have siblings? How are her siblings? Have you been bullied by your siblings? In what order are they in their family (firstborn, middle, etc.)? What do they look like (full appearance)? Do they have quirks or nervous habits? What do they do when they get angry? What do you do when you are happy? Do you have close friends? How are her friends? What’s your worst habit? What’s your best habit? What’s your biggest weakness? What is your biggest strenght? What do you want to improve? How do they excel? Did they go to school or an equivalent school? How were you at school? Do you like to learn? Are you a rebel? Are they a pleasing one (Pleasant one)? Are you internally motivated? Do you seek help from others during stressful times? What is your stress response? Do they think logically or emotionally to make decisions? Are they able to make decisions clearly when they are emotional? What are their beliefs about religion? Do you have a strong moral compass? What do you value most in life (money, happiness, etc.?) What would trigger irrational behavior? Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Are they a troublemaker or do they play by the rules? What does she fulfill? Do you know the meaning of your life? Who causes emotional struggles in their life? Who do they go to when they’re upset? What type of weather do you enjoy the most? What are your sleeping habits like? What are your eating habits like? What could you change about your world if you could? Are you someone who speaks for themselves? Are you a passive person? How are they at their worst? How are they at their best? How do you imagine your life in 10 years? What do they want for their lives when they are old and gray? What does the “perfect” life look like in your eyes?

Now developing your character will be easier than ever!

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For any fiction to resemble real life, it must depict real character development with a compelling character arc. In addition, these characters must have believable character traits that develop as the character grows.

Stories are about people—even if your main character is a cat, tree, or other non-human entity. Great storytellers will capitalize on great character development because the humanity of a story is what every reader will relate to. Great character traits and an entertaining character arc bring a story to life and create windows for the reader to see through.

So what is character development? And what are character traits and what are some good examples of character arcs? In this article we will look at each of these items and more. Creating real people from flesh and blood is essential to great storytelling. So let’s explore the alchemy of turning words into real people – creating characters from characters.

Character Development Definition: What is Character Development?

What is character development? It’s not that different from real life: the goal is to show a character’s growth in the face of adversity, similar to how real people grow and adapt to their own real-life situations.

Character development is the process of creating fictional characters with the same depth and complexity as real people.

Character development is the process of creating fictional characters with the same depth and complexity as real people.

Throughout the story-writing process, the writer will develop any number of character traits to fully flesh out the people who populate their stories. Good character development often includes the following elements:

Backstory: Backstory refers to events that occurred before the plot of the story, but which still affect the plot itself. For example, a traumatic childhood is a common trope for character backstories.

: Backstory refers to events that occurred before the plot of the story, but which still affect the plot itself. For example, a traumatic childhood is a common trope for character backstories. Flaws: Every character has personality flaws because everyone has flaws. Traits like hubris, pride, laziness, or impulsiveness can encourage someone to make bad decisions and prolong the story’s conflicts.

Every character has personality flaws because every human being has flaws. Traits like hubris, pride, laziness, or impulsiveness can encourage someone to make bad decisions and prolong the story’s conflicts. Goals: A central part of character development are the character’s goals. What do they want, need or desire? What stands in the way of these goals? These questions often drive most of the plot and character arcs of the story.

A central part of character development are the goals of that character. What do they want, need or desire? What stands in the way of these goals? These questions often drive most of the plot and character arcs of the story. Personality: At its simplest, personality is a pattern of thoughts, actions, and beliefs that shape a person. What character traits does each person in your story have? These qualities merge into a complex personality.

At its simplest, personality is a pattern of thoughts, actions, and beliefs that shape a person. What character traits does each person in your story have? These qualities merge into a complex personality. Philosophy/Worldview: A key aspect of personality and character development is the character’s worldview. By worldview, we mean the constellation of religious, philosophical, and political beliefs that shape how someone interacts with the world. For example, one character might believe in the inherent goodness of humanity while another believes that all humans are selfish and irresponsible; Each philosophy affects how each character perceives others and lives in the world.

A key aspect of personality and character development is that character’s worldview. By worldview, we mean the constellation of religious, philosophical, and political beliefs that shape how someone interacts with the world. For example, one character might believe in the inherent goodness of humanity while another believes that all humans are selfish and irresponsible; Each philosophy affects how each character perceives others and lives in the world. Physical Character Traits: What do your characters look like? How do these traits affect how other characters see them? In the real world, our physical appearance affects how other people treat us (for better or for worse). It’s the same in fiction, so think about the physical characteristics of each character.

What are your characters like? How do these traits affect how other characters see them? In the real world, our physical appearance affects how other people treat us (for better or for worse). It’s the same in fiction, so think about the physical attributes of each character. Morals/Stats: What morals guide your characters? What do you value most? Remember that morality is not inherently good: the notion that one sex is better than another is also a moral belief, although not a very good one.

What moral guides your characters? What do you value most? Remember that morality is not inherently good: the notion that one sex is better than another is also a moral belief, although not a very good one. Spiritual Beliefs: What religious or spiritual beliefs drive your characters? This can be a major world religion, but also beliefs about the universe in general. Does your character believe that life has a purpose, that people exist for a purpose and that we are compelled to act a certain way?

When these character traits are combined with the overall conflict of the story, a character arc develops.

Definition of the drawing sheet

Before delving deeper into character development, it’s equally important to understand character arcs. A character arc is the trajectory of your character’s inner journey and emotional growth, chronicled from the beginning to the end of the story. In other words, it’s your character’s personal growth and adaptation to the story’s particular conflicts.

A character arc is a character’s personal growth and adaptation to the particular conflicts of the story.

Look at any number of drawing sheet examples and you will see that no two drawing sheets are alike. In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, for example, Ebenezer Scrooge undergoes a major personality shift, giving up his stinginess and embracing a life of charity and generosity. But in order to reach that character arc, he must first realize what a lonely, miserable existence life can be when you’re living it with only money worries.

That said, if someone in your story has negative character traits, they can certainly go through a negative character arc. Consider the tragedy of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. The eponymous Hamlet begins the play as a clever, charming heir whose indecisiveness haunts him alongside his father’s ghost. By the end of the play, Hamlet’s indecisiveness has turned to impulsiveness, leading to his self-isolation, the mistaken death of Polonius, and his continued reluctance to kill Claudius. Hamlet doesn’t embrace the character development he needs to prevent the play’s many avoidable deaths.

In summary, a story’s character arc is the development of certain character traits along that character’s inner journey that affects whether or not they overcome the story’s conflict.

In order for a story to take a character through a character arc, it must propose specific challenges without clear solutions that lead to that character’s moral development and make a statement about the human condition. You can read more about this in our article, Stories vs. Situations: How to Know Your Story Works in Any Genre.

Now let’s see the character sheet in action using the following character development examples.

5 examples of character development

Let’s look at some examples of character development in popular works of literature. Chances are you haven’t read all 5 books we refer to below, so we’ve outlined each character’s journey and the conflicts that shape their development.

1. Jane Eyre in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

How It Begins: Jane Eyre is a coming-of-age story (also known as a Bildungsroman) that follows the life of her eponymous character from childhood through adulthood. We are introduced to Jane as someone who is strong-willed and independent, but also impulsive and unloved.

Main Goals: Jane struggles to find love, acceptance and a place she can truly call home.

Main Conflicts: Jane Eyre is populated with many different antagonists, including her adoptive family, her principals, and occasionally her own love interests.

Key dilemma: Jane’s situation is never wonderful, but to overcome her bad situation she must learn to be self-sufficient – a fantastic claim considering this was published in Victorian England. This includes finding work and reaching adulthood, but most important to Jane’s character development is that she must learn to maintain her own self-esteem and independence, even in the face of true, altruistic, two-for-one love.

How She Ends: A Jane is truly self-sufficient, everything else falls into place, including her financial situation and her marriage to Rochester. With self-sufficiency comes the love and acceptance she craves and the safe home she was always without.

2. Janie Crawford in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

How she starts: Janie Crawford has a lot in common with Jane Eyre: she is headstrong, independent, rebellious and has a complex inner world that nobody can see. Janie is of mixed race and constantly encounters an inability to fit into both white and black communities, but she strongly resists all labels that are assigned to her and constantly writes the prejudices she encounters as a lack of perspective among others .

Main Goals: Janie’s main desire is an equal partnership: a love that is not imbalanced because of wealth, gender or position.

Main Conflicts: Most of Janie’s relationships are indeed imbalanced. First her marriage is arranged with a man who does not love her, then she marries a man who excludes her from the social life of her community. Though Janie desires an equal marriage, she may have to accept that her independent spirit is incompatible with another man in the long run, especially given the gender roles of 1920s America. This forms the core of their character development.

Key Dilemma: Janie is often treated as either a dream girl or a domestic worker, but never as an equal, and she always feels disconnected from both the people she loves and the communities around her. When she meets and falls in love with Vergible “Tea Cake” Woods, she moves to the Everglades with him, only to lose him after a deadly hurricane.

How It Ends: Janie returns to one of her former homes, still the subject of other people’s gossip and disapproval, but content, if tired, of having once known true love.

3. Ethan Allan Hawley in The Winter of Our Discontents by John Steinbeck

How he starts: Ethan Allan Hawley is a grocer in New Baytown, a fictional town on Long Island, NY. His family used to be a member of the local aristocratic class before Ethan’s father lost all of the family’s money; Despite this, Ethan values ​​honesty and integrity above all else.

Main Goals: Ethan wants to live a life of virtue and integrity and gain respect from others simply by being a kind and honest person. He has no problem with his position as a grocer and just wants to give his family a good life.

Main Conflicts: However, Ethan’s family is not happy with their life: money always seems to be a problem. Alongside his family’s continued dissatisfaction, members of Ethan’s local community often mention his family’s lost wealth and what Ethan should do to regain it.

Key Dilemma: Ethan’s character arc revolves around his commitment to virtue and his conflicting desires for wealth. If he wants to reclaim his family fortune, he must sacrifice his integrity and honesty, which he does — he makes his boss an INS, he acquires his best friend’s land by (essentially) killing him, and he nearly robs a bank off. Ethan’s inner dialectic between his virtues and his actions causes him to consider suicide because he sacrifices integrity for money.

How it ends: The novel ends in ambiguous terms. Ethan commits to killing himself, but then finds that his daughter has replaced his weapon of choice with a family talisman, causing him to reconsider his decision and choose life, if only for his family.

4. Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

How he starts: Holden Caulfield is a depressed 17-year-old about to drop out of private school. He often feels alienated from his classmates, family and society at large, and although he refuses to plan for the future, he dreams of escaping to someplace where no one he knows will ever find him.

Main Objectives: Desperate for connection, Holden feels alienated from every person he speaks to. While pretending to be superior to the many “fake” people around him, he also hopes that one of these fakes could actually connect with him on a deeper level.

Main Conflicts: It seems that everyone in The Catcher in the Rye is a source of conflict for Holden. He doesn’t talk to his parents, he often fights with his peers, and his attempts at relationships are always spurned, which only leads to more arguments.

Key Dilemma: To put it simply, Holden is not a likable person. It is a collection of mostly negative character traits. He is rash, annoying, and often comes across as both immature and overbearing. At the same time, he is deeply aware of the superficiality of society, which he tries to overcome by speaking to people about deep, meaningful issues. Holden’s character arc is defined by this conflict between himself, others and society; In order for him to connect with people, he needs to find a way to keep his love and criticism for people side by side, and also learn how to properly speak to people.

How He Ends: The Catcher in the Rye is a story in which the main character rejects her character arc. In other words, Holden ends the way he started because he didn’t commit to the growth he must go through to find meaningful connections. He didn’t accept that he was part of the problem. Despite this, the novel ends on a somewhat upbeat note, and Holden refrains from running from society and enrolls to finish school.

5. Macon “Milkman” Dead III in Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

How he starts: From childhood, Milkman has felt alienated and disinterested in his family and in most of society. He feels separated from his father, estranged from his aunt and sisters, and has a complicated relationship with his mother, who loves Milkman but uses him as an escape from her monotonous, loveless life. In adolescence, he develops a brief but fleeting sexual interest in one of his cousins.

Main Objectives: Milkman is sent in search of a bag of gold coins from his father’s young adulthood. Perhaps by finding that bag of coins he can also gain his father’s approval, something he secretly longs for but openly loathes.

Major Conflicts: Milkman’s quest for these gold coins raises many of the novel’s central conflicts. Once he breaks into his aunt’s house in search of the money; In another, he is being chased by Guitar, a former friend who believes Milkman found and stole the gold. Milkman’s life is also threatened once a month by Hagar, the cousin with whom he had a volatile relationship. But the most important conflict is Milkman’s relationship with himself and his family, both of which have been marred by his father’s wealth and neglect.

Key Dilemma: Milkman’s character development stems from his quest for his father’s gold. As he searches for clues as to where that gold may have ended up, he learns more about his family history and learns to appreciate and even love the complex foundations on which his life rests.

How He Ends: Milkman eventually gives up the gold to bury the remains of his grandfather, whom Milkman accidentally discovered, freeing himself from the burden of his family hatred. Guitar, still searching for the gold, kills Milkman’s aunt and attacks Milkman, perhaps indicating the enduring wickedness of Greed. The novel ends in ambiguous terms regarding Milkman’s life.

Character Development Examples: Summary

Each protagonist in the character development examples above endures their own conflicts. These conflicts force the protagonist to grow and change in certain ways, adopt new views of life, or make difficult moral choices. Through loss, hope, sacrifice, change, and a commitment to their beliefs, each character faces their challenge.

Through loss, hope, sacrifice, change, and a commitment to their beliefs, each character faces their challenge.

As you learn to write and develop characters, pay attention to the character arcs in the novels you read and how specific challenges are directly paired with specific character traits. For example, Jane Eyre and Janie Crawford are both strong-willed and independent, which are undoubtedly positive character traits, but these traits also expose them to their sense of alienation, and they must resolve the conflict between themselves, their desires, and society at large and Entire. This resolution forms the arc of the character’s journey, which also lays the foundation for an intriguing storyline.

Tips for nuanced, three-dimensional character development

Every writer approaches character development in a different way. While there is no one-size-fits-all formula for creating believable characters, all writers have tools at their disposal to get into the minds of their characters. Above all, remember to bring depth, belonging, and flaws to each character, and provide specific details and backstories that bring those characters to life.

Remember to give each character depth, belonging, flaws, and provide specific details and backstories that bring those characters to life.

Have your characters take personality tests. No, personality tests aren’t comprehensive and most aren’t scientifically accurate, but the practice of answering questions like your character will help you empathize with their mindset and potentially generate new ideas for plots and conflicts. Here is a free directory of personality tests that you can use.

. No, personality tests aren’t comprehensive and most aren’t scientifically accurate, but the practice of answering questions like your character will help you empathize with their mindset and potentially generate new ideas for plots and conflicts. Here is a free directory of personality tests that you can use. Think of the regionality. A person’s background affects the way they speak and think, so language should directly reflect character traits.

. A person’s background affects the way they speak and think, so language should directly reflect character traits. Make some sketches. You don’t have to be a good artist, just do your best to write down how you imagine them. How tall are you? What size and shape are their eyes, lips, nose and ears? What hair style do they have? How do you like to dress and where do you buy your clothes?

. You don’t have to be a good artist, just do your best to write down how you imagine them. How tall are you? What size and shape are their eyes, lips, nose and ears? What hair style do they have? How do you like to dress and where do you buy your clothes? Think about the point of view. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person perspectives each have their strengths and weaknesses and affect how your character is written. Spend some time considering the POV, and build the setting and sensory details of the story based on your character’s observations. Keep in mind that the way your character observes the world reflects their personality, making this a key component of character development.

. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person perspectives each have their strengths and weaknesses and affect how your character is written. Spend some time considering the POV, and build the setting and sensory details of the story based on your character’s observations. Keep in mind that the way your character observes the world reflects their personality, making this a key component of character development. Create inwardness. Show us your character’s thoughts, flashbacks, inner conflicts, and deep desires. Tell us what your character knows and doesn’t know about themselves. We are all messy, imperfect and constantly growing. Your characters are too!

Another method is to ask yourself specific character development questions like the ones we’ve listed below.

Character development questions

Good characters have depth, experience growth, have flaws – they are real people. Asking yourself a defined set of character development questions is one way to develop these types of characters who jump off the page with realistic and compelling personalities.

Use the following character development questions to plan, write, or edit your story. Read on for some interesting character development questions to ask yourself, and do this exercise person-by-person for each person in your story you want to get to know better.

10 character development questions to ask each of your characters

Ask your character…

1. Who are you?

Think of your character’s “who” as the solid foundation you use to bring your character to life. That “who” can take the form of an honest sentence or two that really speaks to the essence of the character. Starting with a strong “who” can help add depth to your character throughout your story and inform their primary character traits.

2. What are your strongest motivations?

What drives your character in general? To be accepted by peers? Create something new and beautiful? To protect their loved ones from a dangerous world? To find a perspective on mortality? What are the central, underlying drives that shape that character and the actions he or she undertakes? This will form the core of the story’s conflict and provoke its character arcs.

3. What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

What world does your character hope to see? What would fulfillment look like for your character? What is your character doing to reach those hopes — or do they seem too far away?

4. What are your biggest fears and/or regrets?

Your character certainly has a future she doesn’t want to end up in. What is it and why? What are the darkest secrets and biggest mistakes from your character’s past? What is haunting him or her?

5. What are your greatest strengths?

What comes easily to this character? What makes this character strong and why? Your answer can be as simple as a list of positive character traits, but try to dig deeper and be more specific about what affects that character’s morale.

6. What are your greatest weaknesses?

Every good character has weaknesses. What gets your character out of position, out of their comfort zone, vulnerable? Why? Your answer can be as simple as a list of negative character traits, but try to dig deeper and work out what informs this character’s flaws and Achilles heel.

7. How are you social?

How does your character see other people? Are they very social and outgoing, or more on the quiet, shy, introverted side? By thinking about how your character behaves in social situations, you can “spice up” your character and add depth to it.

8. What is your role in the story?

Consider your character’s role in the development of the story. Why is your character in your story? Is the character a protagonist, antagonist, or a supporting character? How does your character change the story? And how is the character changed through the story – what is her character arc?

9. What is your connection to the overall storyline?

This is the important connection between your character and your overall storyline. What specific influence will your character have on the overall progression of your story?

10. What kind of dynamic is there between you and the other characters?

Consider the relationships your character will have with other main or supporting characters. How do they interact? How do their personalities and motivations clash? How do they feel when they interact with each other?

Create your own list of character development questions

Creating your own questionnaire can be extremely useful in the writing process, increasing your understanding of your characters, prompting you to develop new, unique elements of their personalities. It’s a great tool for finding out what makes your characters tick, and it can help you align your plot and storyline with your character’s overall personality.

As you work to create your own character questionnaire, you can search for existing examples. The ten questions above are an example, and here are a few others:

Finally, if you’re looking for questions to ask your character, it may be useful to take a hint from the “Self Help” section of your bookstore. The same kind of self-exploration that is important in our own lives can be applied to the development of your characters.

Character traits

Finally, let’s examine character development from the perspective of character traits, as this will help you define and refine your characters as you begin and end your stories. First, what are character traits?

What are character traits?

Traits are recurring traits of a character’s personality that determine how that character responds to their world. These qualities are evident whenever someone reacts to their surroundings, participates in conversations, has private thoughts, acts, or makes a decision.

Definition of character traits: recurring traits of a character’s personality that determine how that character responds to its world.

Viele große Romanautoren haben die menschliche Psychologie so intensiv studiert, dass jede Handlung ihrer Figur durch eine ihrer Eigenschaften definiert wird. Selbst die kleinsten Handlungen, wie das Kochen des Abendessens oder das Zähneputzen, können in gewisser Weise eine Reihe von Charaktereigenschaften widerspiegeln. Viele von Fjodor Dostojewskis Figuren spiegeln beispielsweise ein intimes Verständnis der menschlichen Psychologie wider, und seine Arbeit beeinflusste Freuds Theorien der Psychoanalyse, die, obwohl sie wissenschaftlich veraltet sind, weiterhin die moderne literarische Analyse beeinflussen.

Während Sie Ihre Charaktere entwickeln, können Sie sich an ihre Persönlichkeit erinnern, indem Sie sie in einer Liste mit Charaktereigenschaften zusammenfassen. Da diese Eigenschaften angesichts des Konflikts der Geschichte oft schädlich sind, sind sie ein wesentlicher Bestandteil der Charakterbögen Ihrer Geschichte, und Ihre Charaktere müssen sich oft gegen bestimmte Eigenschaften wehren, um die notwendige Charakterentwicklung zu durchlaufen.

Schauen wir uns ohne weitere Umschweife gängige Charakterzüge in der Literatur an.

Liste der Charaktereigenschaften

Beachten Sie, dass viele positive Charaktereigenschaften auch negative Charaktereigenschaften sein können und umgekehrt. Während beispielsweise ein starkes Gefühl der Unabhängigkeit im Allgemeinen als positiv angesehen wird, kann es auch zu Soziopathie, Hass auf die Gesellschaft und Desinteresse an der Familie einer Figur führen.

Viele positive Charaktereigenschaften können auch negative Charaktereigenschaften sein und umgekehrt.

Alternativ, während „ungehorsam“ allgemein als negativ angesehen wird, kann Ungehorsam auch positive Veränderungen in der Gesellschaft bewirken. Begriffe wie „positiv“ und „negativ“ beziehen sich auf die Wahrnehmung dieser Eigenschaften durch die Gesellschaft, aber tatsächlich können die meisten Eigenschaften je nach den Umständen dieser Figur sowohl positiv als auch negativ sein.

Denken Sie schließlich daran, dass ein Protagonist negative Eigenschaften hat und ein Antagonist positive Eigenschaften.

Liste positiver Charaktereigenschaften

In der folgenden Tabelle der Charaktereigenschaften haben wir positive Charaktereigenschaften und Charaktere mit diesen Eigenschaften in der Literatur aufgelistet.

Charaktereigenschaften Definition Beispiele aus der Literatur Ehrgeizig Ein starkes Verlangen haben, etwas zu erreichen, und ein aktiver Wille, es zu erreichen. Macbeth in Macbeth von William Shakespeare. Wohlwollend Freundlich, wohlwollend und in die Gesundheit und das Wohlbefinden aller investiert. Alexei „Aljoscha“ Fjodorowitsch Karamasow in „Die Brüder Karamasow“ von Fjodor Dostojewski „Mutiger Tapferer“; bereit, angesichts der Angst tapfer zu handeln. Lucy Pevensie in Die Chroniken von Narnia von C. S. Lewis Curious Inquisitive; neigt dazu, viele Fragen zu stellen und alles zu untersuchen. Hercule Poirot in vielen Kriminalromanen von Agatha Christie. Verlässlich Zuverlässig, besonders in Krisenzeiten, aber auch im Alltag. Samwise Gamdschie aus Herr der Ringe von J. R. R. Tolkien Dutiful Gekennzeichnet durch ein Gefühl der Verpflichtung; verpflichtet, das zu tun, was getan werden muss. Desdemona in Othello von William Shakespeare Verzeihend In der Lage zu sein, ohne Ressentiments über die Fehler oder Übertretungen eines anderen hinwegzusehen. Bischof Bienvenu in Les Misérables von Victor Hugo Großzügige Bereitschaft, anderen zu geben. Man kann mit Geld großzügig sein, aber auch mit seiner Zeit, Emotionen, Ratschlägen, Aufmerksamkeit usw. Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility von Jane Austen Honest Truthful; die ganze Wahrheit zu sagen, ohne zu täuschen, in jeder Situation. Ethan Allan Hawley in „The Winter of Our Discontent“ von John Steinbeck Intelligent Wissend und aufschlussreich, zeigt einen starken Sinn für Argumentation und Problemlösung. Quentin Compson in The Sound and the Fury von William Faulkner Independent In der Lage, für sich selbst zu denken, zu handeln und zu fühlen; unbeeinflusst von den Meinungen und Überzeugungen anderer. Janie Crawford in Their Eyes were Watching God von Zora Neale Hurston. Lebhaft Aktiv, kontaktfreudig und energisch, oft ansteckend. Elizabeth Bennet in „Stolz und Vorurteil“ von Jane Austen Aufgeschlossen Bereit, neue Ideen und Erfahrungen anderer Menschen zu berücksichtigen; empfänglich für Veränderungen. Huckleberry Finn in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn von Mark Twain Leidenschaftliches Fühlen, Zeigen und Handeln nach starken Gefühlen und Überzeugungen. Jane Eyre in Jane Eyre von Charlotte Brontë Patient Zeigt die Fähigkeit zu warten, ohne des Wartens müde zu werden. Oshima in Kafka on the Shore von Haruki Murakami Zielstrebig Entschlossen; zielgerichtetes Handeln; geprägt von der Abwesenheit von Ziellosigkeit. Meg Murry in A Wrinkle in Time von Madeleine L’Engle Respektvoll Demonstriert Respekt vor den Bedürfnissen, Gefühlen und dem Komfort anderer Menschen. Elizabeth „Beth“ March in Little Women von Louisa May Alcott Selfless Altruistic; bereit, zum Wohle anderer Menschen zu handeln, ohne eine Gegenleistung zu erwarten. Opa Joe in Charlie und die Schokoladenfabrik von Roald Dahl Sincere Genuine; speaking and acting without trying to deceive, impress, or sway others. Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Wise Discerning and insightful; Exercising a deep understanding of the world, of others, and of oneself. Old Major in Animal Farm by George Orwell

Negative Character Traits List

In the below character traits chart, we’ve listed negative character traits and characters with those traits in literature.

Character Traits Definition Examples in Literature Aloof Cold and distant in demeanor; unfriendly. Ivan “Vanechka” Fyodorovich Karamazov in The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky Arrogant Acting or believing in one’s own superiority to others. Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger Callous Emotionless and unsympathetic towards others. Patrick Bateman in American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis Coarse Crude and tasteless. Gargantua and Pentagruel in The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel by François Rabelais Cowardly Not brave; gracelessly showing fear in the face of conflict. Baron Danglars in The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Deceitful Dishonest, often with the intent to mislead or manipulate. Iago in Othello by William Shakespeare Devious Cunning, sneaky, and manipulative; using unfair tactics or arguments to win. Rebecca “Becky” Sharp in Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray Erratic Unpredictable; making decisions with no clear pattern or reasoning. Toad in The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Foolish Lacking common sense; making poor judgments and decisions. Romeo in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Greedy Demonstrating a selfish and excessive desire for wealth and material goods. Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Hateful Showing disdain for everyone and everything, often including one’s own self. Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë Ignorant Uneducated or lacking comprehension, as demonstrated in one’s actions. Bob Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Insincere The opposite of sincere; dishonest in words and actions; hypocritical. Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Manipulative Skillful in controlling others, often for selfish means. Cathy Ames in East of Eden by John Steinbeck Obsessive Persistently occupied by something, to the point of acting with disregard for both others and oneself. Humbert Humbert in Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov Power-hungry Obsessed with gaining power and wielding it over others. Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey Pretentious Expressing an exaggerated amount of self-worth or intelligence, often to garner admiration and respect. Ignatius J. Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole Reckless Carelessly destructive; irresponsible. Alaska Young in Looking for Alaska by John Green Selfish Having concern only for one’s own needs and wants, often to the detriment of others. Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Vain Obsessed with appearances, aesthetics, and superficialities. Dorian Gray in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Advice for Selecting Character Traits in Your Work

Which character traits should my protagonist, antagonist, and secondary characters have? Does it matter?

When writing the people that populate your stories, it’s important to have a balance of character traits so that no two people are the same. Additionally, it’s important that everyone has both positive and negative character traits since, like people in real life, no one is perfect.

Remember that stories are, above all else, about people. Even if those stories are set on different planets, in magical realms, or between alternate universes, it’s your cast of characters that matter most because people drive plot. Your characters are the ones making decisions, reacting to situations, and embarking on journeys; they define their own character arcs, so having a strong set of character traits is essential.

Here are three tips for selecting the best set of character traits in your story:

For protagonists , give them positive traits to strive for and negative traits to overcome. The best conflicts occur when a protagonist has to overcome their own negative character traits to achieve something.

, give them positive traits to strive for and negative traits to overcome. The best conflicts occur when a protagonist has to overcome their own negative character traits to achieve something. For antagonists , think about traits that will make them perfect obstacles against the protagonist. A protagonist who is kind and respectful, but conflict-avoidant, might have a hard time overcoming an antagonist who is loud, coarse, and arrogant.

, think about traits that will make them perfect obstacles against the protagonist. A protagonist who is kind and respectful, but conflict-avoidant, might have a hard time overcoming an antagonist who is loud, coarse, and arrogant. For secondary and tertiary characters, consider their purpose in the story, and give them traits that help them uphold that purpose. For example, a secondary character that exists to support the protagonist should be helpful and generous; someone who misleads the protagonist might be well-intentioned but foolish.

Craft Compelling Character Arcs at Writers.com

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narrative elements

characterization

What is it?

Characterization is the way writers convey information about their characters. Characterization can be direct, when an author tells readers what a character is like (e.g., “George was cunning and greedy.”), or indirect, when an author shows what a character is like by using his or her Actions, his speech, or something that represents thoughts (e.g., “On the crowded subway, George put his hand in the man’s jacket pocket and pulled out his wallet undetected.”). Descriptions of a character’s appearance, demeanor, interests, speech, and other idiosyncrasies are all part of characterization. In stories written in the first-person perspective, the narrator’s voice, or the manner in which the story is told, is essential to his or her characterization.

Why is it important?

Characterization is a crucial part of making a story compelling. In order to interest and move readers, characters must appear real. Writers achieve this by providing details that make characters individual and special. Good characterization gives readers a strong sense of the characters’ personality and complexity; it makes characters alive, alive and believable.

how to create it

Create characterization by selecting details that make real or fictional characters appear lifelike and individual.

To create a characterization in fiction or nonfiction,

Tell the reader directly what a character’s personality is like:

“Mrs. Freeman could never be made to admit that she was wrong on any point.” – Flannery O’Connor, “Good country folk

Describe a character’s appearance and behavior:

“The baker, an elderly man with a thick neck, listened in silence as she told him that the child would be eight next Monday. The baker wore a white apron that looked like a smock. went around the back and then back to the front where they were fastened under his thick waist. He wiped his hands on his apron as he listened to her. He kept an eye on the photos and let them do the talking. – Raymond Carver, “A small good thing

Describe a character’s thoughts and motivations:

“I didn’t come to Utah to be the same boy I was before. I had my own dreams of transformation, Western dreams, dreams of freedom and domination and tacit self-sufficiency. The first thing I wanted to do was change my name. A girl named Toby had come to my class before I left Florida, and it had brought both of us burning humiliation. “I wanted to call myself Jack, after Jack London. I believed that his name would give me some of the strength and competence inherent in my image of him. Chances were I’d never have to share a classroom with a girl named Jack. And I liked the sound. Jack. Jack Wolff.” – Tobias Wolff, The Life of This Boy

Use dialogue to allow a character’s words to reveal something important about his or her nature:

“[Mrs. Bennet] couldn’t help but start scolding one of her daughters. ‘Don’t cough so long, Kitty, for heaven’s sake! Have a little pity on my nerves Austin, Pride and Prejudice

Use a character’s actions to reveal their personality:

“He hung around with us on Saturdays and despised everything I did but couldn’t leave me alone. I couldn’t be on the swing without him wanting to try, and if I didn’t give up, he would come and He’d push me wrong, He’d tease the dog, He’d get me in trouble—willfully and maliciously, like me seemed later – by challenging me to do things I wouldn’t have thought of on my own: digging up potatoes to see how big they were when they were the size of marbles, and pushing the stacked firewood around a to form a heap that we could jump off. – Alice Munro, “Miles City, Montana”

Show the reactions of others to the character or person you are portraying:

“There was absolutely no respect for him in the department. —Nikolai Gogol, “The Coat

Give fictional characters meaningful names or use real people’s nicknames that relate to their personality:

Severus Snape – “Severus” means “strict” or “strict” in Latin. Severus Snape is a strict professor who treats Harry harshly.

Sirius Black – “Sirius” is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major or “Big Dog”. Sirius Black is a wizard who transforms into a black dog.

Peeves – “To peeve” means to annoy. Peeves is a ghost who bothers people at Hogwarts school.

-J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter series

self-examination

What does the character look like?

How does the character relate to others? How do others behave towards the character?

What does the character seem interested in?

What adjectives does the author use to describe the character’s personality?

What is the character thinking or saying?

example

“Lincoln’s shock of black hair, his brown, lined face, and his deep-set eyes made him look older than his fifty-one years. He was a familiar figure to almost everyone in Springfield, as was his unique gait that gave the impression that his long, lean body needed oiling. He trotted forward in an awkward manner, hands at his sides or clasped behind his back. His crotch had no spring… ‘His features, even proponents conceded, were not what befitted a handsome man.’ At rest, his face was “covered with sadness,” noted reporter Horace White… But as Lincoln began to speak, White remarked, “that expression of sadness immediately lapsed from him. His face lit up with a winning smile, and where I smiled.” What had seen only leaden grief moments before, I now beheld sharp intelligence, genuine kindness and the promise of true friendship.’” – Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals

What does the character look like? Lincoln has black hair and a wrinkled face. He looks older than he is and seems deeply sad until he starts to speak. He has a peculiar, awkward way of walking. How does the character relate to others? How do others behave towards the character? He is warm and friendly to others, and others – or at least this reporter – seem to respond to him with affection and admiration. What does the character seem interested in? Lincoln seems to care about and benefit from his interactions with others; he seems less concerned with his physical appearance. What adjectives does the author use to describe the character’s personality? The author quotes the reporter as saying that when Lincoln interacts with people, he loses his sad looks and becomes bright with “a winning smile,” “keen intelligence,” “sincere kindness,” and “true friendship.” What is the character thinking or saying? I’m still not sure what he’s thinking or saying.

characterization tip

Ask yourself these questions as you try to understand characterization:

The characterization never stops! Notice how a character is described, how others react to the character, and how these things change as the text progresses. Character changes are often crucial to the meaning of a story.

Different forms of writing

Just like the pie example, people’s own experiences shape how they interpret and write about information. There are many different forms of writing that change how information is presented:

Authors present facts

This can be in charts, graphs, percentages or just in paragraph form. The author’s goal here is to let the reader decide what to do with the information. The author tries his best not to persuade the reader in any way. focused on being more objective and putting the event in the context of other events going on at the time. In the example of the Boston massacre, the facts were who, what, where, when and why it happened.

Authors share personal experiences.

This used to be in diary or magazine form, but now many people are using online blogs. This is a more informal, personal, and chatty way of sharing a person’s own experiences. In the example of the Boston massacre, first-hand accounts shared what people were doing at the time of the massacre, where they stood when it happened, and how it made them feel. This style of writing gives the reader the opportunity to connect with the material as a mother, soldier or politician.

Authors paint a picture.

Surely you have heard the saying that a picture says more than a thousand words. Authors use images to help readers envision and somehow connect to an event. Today we have television, the internet and photos to actually record events, but in the 1770s people relied on paintings and descriptive texts. Impressive images of the Boston Massacre stuck with colonists like this one:

The Fruits of Arbitrary Power, a pictorial publication of the massacre

So, without further ado, let’s dive into the most important characters that every story needs.

Note that you should ask this question during the edit phase. Why? Because often when editing, you will find that two characters can be combined into one. It’s easier to get everything on the page and then go back during the editing process to refine the character roles. Don’t worry too much about creating these characters in your first draft. Cultivate them throughout your editing process.

With that in mind, the number one question to ask yourself when editing your story is simple:

No story would be a story without characters that define it.

Characters serve as the driving force in your story. Your characters create and drive your storyline. Readers can experience the world you created through your characters, both through the way your characters interact with their surroundings and through the way your characters see their surroundings. Finally, your characters illustrate and embody the theme of your story.

Your characters are the most important element in your story. While the plot is crucial, the setting essential, the point of view necessary, and the subject matter necessary, no element of the story trumps the character.

Here is a list of tips on how to develop each character in your story. Sign up to get this additional resource.

TIPS ON HOW TO DEVELOP EACH CHARACTER IN YOUR STORY

1. Protagonist

Who is the protagonist?

The protagonist is the main character in your story. This is his story. While the protagonist is often referred to as a “hero,” this character isn’t necessarily good or bad. Since you’ll likely be using the protagonist’s perspective to tell your story, it’s important that the character be relatable to the reader. The protagonist’s choices, even the bad ones, should make sense to the reader. The reader should understand him and root for him. No one relates to or becomes rooted in someone who is perfect.

Depending on the genre of your story, you may have more than one protagonist. It’s not uncommon for romance, science fiction, or historical novels to follow two protagonists.

Why is the protagonist important?

The protagonist is important because he is the one driving the plot. Although events and circumstances happen with characters, it is the character’s reaction that defines what happens in your story. Your protagonist witnesses the murder of his parents as a child (this is the enactment or instigating incident). His decision to avenge his parents’ deaths and the way he does it is the plot.

The inner journey of the protagonist forms the theme of your story.

To develop a stronger protagonist:

Model your protagonist after a real person. It’s easier to add dimension when you think about the positives and negatives of people you already know.

Although you should incorporate flaws into your protagonist, it’s important that your protagonist is likable as well. Choose a character whose positive qualities outweigh his negative ones.

2. Antagonist

Who is the antagonist?

When the protagonist is the “good guy,” it’s easy to label the antagonist as the “bad guy.” But keep in mind that the protagonists are not entirely good. They’re complicated and flawed, and that makes them relatable.

For the same reason, an antagonist shouldn’t be 100% evil. Where’s the fun in that? An antagonist is not evil incarnate. What defines an antagonist is the role they play in the protagonist’s life. If the character moves against the protagonist and not with him, he is the antagonist.

The antagonist can represent a person or a group of people.

Why is the antagonist important?

The antagonist opposes the protagonist. It is important for your story that the protagonist is prevented from completing his task. Otherwise your story would be resolved within a few paragraphs.

To develop a stronger antagonist:

Always remember that the antagonist is the hero of his own story. When he attacks your protagonist, it’s not out of sheer, one-dimensional villainy. Instead, it’s because your protagonist is preventing them from completing their goal.

The antagonist and the protagonist often share the same characteristics. Look for ways to explore these traits in both main characters.

Give your antagonist a redeeming quality. Adding that kind of dimension makes the antagonist likable to the reader, which is a much more interesting read.

3. Mentor

Who is the mentor?

The mentor is the person who wisely guides the protagonist in some way. The mentor is experienced and helpful.

Why is the mentor important?

Every protagonist must have a mentor. When he embarks on his hero’s journey (which is your plan), he needs someone to guide him in the right direction. This is because the protagonist is imperfect and omniscient. He knows he wants to act, but he doesn’t know how. The mentor teaches him how.

The mentor often serves as a moral standard by which to judge the protagonist. In order to be trustworthy, the mentor should always support the protagonist, even if that means pushing the protagonist when they take the wrong path.

How to develop a stronger mentor:

The mentor is not a perfect example of virtue and should not be written that way. Make him fallible and know his mistakes (even if you don’t share them with the reader). Sometimes the mentor’s mistakes in the story can be exploited.

4. Buddy

Who is the buddy?

The sidekick is the protagonist’s faithful companion. While the mentor shows the protagonist the way, it is the sidekick who accompanies the protagonist along the way. The sidekick is different from the protagonist and should see the hero’s journey from a different perspective.

Why is the buddy important?

Most protagonists need a supportive friend. But beyond the needs of the protagonist, the primary role of a sidekick in your story is to give the reader a different perspective on the hero’s journey. The mate can also serve to symbolize the subject.

How to develop a stronger buddy:

A mate should be loyal but not culpable. Let the sidekick have doubts and process them as he accompanies the protagonist on the journey.

5. Skeptics

Who is the skeptic?

The skeptic can also be the protagonist’s friend, but unlike the sidekick, the skeptic does not aid the protagonist’s journey. The Defiant does not believe that the protagonist can or should achieve their intended goal.

Why is the skeptic important?

The Skeptic’s role is to add a sense of dimension to the story. The reader may have doubts about the protagonist’s goal, and the skeptic embodies that concern and apprehension. The skeptic is the voice of reason, and often reason clashes with emotion (which can be personified as dude).

How to Develop a Stronger Defiant:

Although the skeptic’s role is to doubt the protagonist, resist the urge to make that person “evil” or “stupid.” The skeptic should at least make sense to the reader.

The skeptic is not the same as the antagonist. The skeptic can offer logical advice to the protagonist, but will not stand in their way.

Minor character development tips

Should you only focus on five characters in your story?

Not necessarily. While most stories call for these five types of characters, you’re not limited to just five people in your story.

For any fiction to resemble real life, it must depict real character development with a compelling character arc. In addition, these characters must have believable character traits that develop as the character grows.

Stories are about people—even if your main character is a cat, tree, or other non-human entity. Great storytellers will capitalize on great character development because the humanity of a story is what every reader will relate to. Great character traits and an entertaining character arc bring a story to life and create windows for the reader to see through.

So what is character development? And what are character traits and what are some good examples of character arcs? In this article we will look at each of these items and more. Creating real people from flesh and blood is essential to great storytelling. So let’s explore the alchemy of turning words into real people – creating characters from characters.

Character Development Definition: What is Character Development?

What is character development? It’s not that different from real life: the goal is to show a character’s growth in the face of adversity, similar to how real people grow and adapt to their own real-life situations.

Character development is the process of creating fictional characters with the same depth and complexity as real people.

Character development is the process of creating fictional characters with the same depth and complexity as real people.

Throughout the story-writing process, the writer will develop any number of character traits to fully flesh out the people who populate their stories. Good character development often includes the following elements:

Backstory: Backstory refers to events that occurred before the plot of the story, but which still affect the plot itself. For example, a traumatic childhood is a common trope for character backstories.

: Backstory refers to events that occurred before the plot of the story, but which still affect the plot itself. For example, a traumatic childhood is a common trope for character backstories. Flaws: Every character has personality flaws because everyone has flaws. Traits like hubris, pride, laziness, or impulsiveness can encourage someone to make bad decisions and prolong the story’s conflicts.

Every character has personality flaws because every human being has flaws. Traits like hubris, pride, laziness, or impulsiveness can encourage someone to make bad decisions and prolong the story’s conflicts. Goals: A central part of character development are the character’s goals. What do they want, need or desire? What stands in the way of these goals? These questions often drive most of the plot and character arcs of the story.

A central part of character development are the goals of that character. What do they want, need or desire? What stands in the way of these goals? These questions often drive most of the plot and character arcs of the story. Personality: At its simplest, personality is a pattern of thoughts, actions, and beliefs that shape a person. What character traits does each person in your story have? These qualities merge into a complex personality.

At its simplest, personality is a pattern of thoughts, actions, and beliefs that shape a person. What character traits does each person in your story have? These qualities merge into a complex personality. Philosophy/Worldview: A key aspect of personality and character development is the character’s worldview. By worldview, we mean the constellation of religious, philosophical, and political beliefs that shape how someone interacts with the world. For example, one character might believe in the inherent goodness of humanity while another believes that all humans are selfish and irresponsible; Each philosophy affects how each character perceives others and lives in the world.

A key aspect of personality and character development is that character’s worldview. By worldview, we mean the constellation of religious, philosophical, and political beliefs that shape how someone interacts with the world. For example, one character might believe in the inherent goodness of humanity while another believes that all humans are selfish and irresponsible; Each philosophy affects how each character perceives others and lives in the world. Physical Character Traits: What do your characters look like? How do these traits affect how other characters see them? In the real world, our physical appearance affects how other people treat us (for better or for worse). It’s the same in fiction, so think about the physical attributes of each character.

What are your characters like? How do these traits affect how other characters see them? In the real world, our physical appearance affects how other people treat us (for better or for worse). It’s the same in fiction, so think about the physical attributes of each character. Morals/Stats: What morals guide your characters? What do you value most? Remember that morality is not inherently good: the notion that one sex is better than another is also a moral belief, although not a very good one.

What moral guides your characters? What do you value most? Remember that morality is not inherently good: the notion that one sex is better than another is also a moral belief, although not a very good one. Spiritual Beliefs: What religious or spiritual beliefs drive your characters? This can be a major world religion, but also beliefs about the universe in general. Does your character believe that life has a purpose, that people exist for a purpose and that we are compelled to act a certain way?

When these character traits are combined with the overall conflict of the story, a character arc develops.

Definition of the drawing sheet

Before delving deeper into character development, it’s equally important to understand character arcs. A character arc is the trajectory of your character’s inner journey and emotional growth, chronicled from the beginning to the end of the story. In other words, it’s your character’s personal growth and adaptation to the story’s particular conflicts.

A character arc is a character’s personal growth and adaptation to the particular conflicts of the story.

Look at any number of drawing sheet examples and you will see that no two drawing sheets are alike. In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, for example, Ebenezer Scrooge undergoes a major personality shift, giving up his stinginess and embracing a life of charity and generosity. But in order to reach that character arc, he must first realize what a lonely, miserable existence life can be when you’re living it with only money worries.

That said, if someone in your story has negative character traits, they can certainly go through a negative character arc. Consider the tragedy of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. The eponymous Hamlet begins the play as a clever, charming heir whose indecisiveness haunts him alongside his father’s ghost. By the end of the play, Hamlet’s indecisiveness has turned to impulsiveness, leading to his self-isolation, the mistaken death of Polonius, and his continued reluctance to kill Claudius. Hamlet doesn’t embrace the character development he needs to prevent the play’s many avoidable deaths.

In summary, a story’s character arc is the development of certain character traits along that character’s inner journey that affects whether or not they overcome the story’s conflict.

In order for a story to take a character through a character arc, it must propose specific challenges without clear solutions that lead to that character’s moral development and make a statement about the human condition. You can read more about this in our article, Stories vs. Situations: How to Know Your Story Works in Any Genre.

Now let’s see the character sheet in action using the following character development examples.

5 examples of character development

Let’s look at some examples of character development in popular works of literature. Chances are you haven’t read all 5 books we refer to below, so we’ve outlined each character’s journey and the conflicts that shape their development.

1. Jane Eyre in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

How It Begins: Jane Eyre is a coming-of-age story (also known as a Bildungsroman) that follows the life of her eponymous character from childhood through adulthood. We are introduced to Jane as someone who is strong-willed and independent, but also impulsive and unloved.

Main Goals: Jane struggles to find love, acceptance and a place she can truly call home.

Main Conflicts: Jane Eyre is populated with many different antagonists, including her adoptive family, her principals, and occasionally her own love interests.

Key dilemma: Jane’s situation is never wonderful, but to overcome her bad situation she must learn to be self-sufficient – a fantastic claim considering this was published in Victorian England. This includes finding work and reaching adulthood, but most important to Jane’s character development is that she must learn to maintain her own self-esteem and independence, even in the face of true, altruistic, two-for-one love.

How She Ends: A Jane is truly self-sufficient, everything else falls into place, including her financial situation and her marriage to Rochester. With self-sufficiency comes the love and acceptance she craves and the safe home she was always without.

2. Janie Crawford in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

How she starts: Janie Crawford has a lot in common with Jane Eyre: she is headstrong, independent, rebellious and has a complex inner world that nobody can see. Janie is of mixed race and constantly encounters an inability to fit into both white and black communities, but she strongly resists all labels that are assigned to her and constantly writes the prejudices she encounters as a lack of perspective among others .

Main Goals: Janie’s main desire is an equal partnership: a love that is not imbalanced because of wealth, gender or position.

Main Conflicts: Most of Janie’s relationships are indeed imbalanced. First her marriage is arranged with a man who does not love her, then she marries a man who excludes her from the social life of her community. Though Janie desires an equal marriage, she may have to accept that her independent spirit is incompatible with another man in the long run, especially given the gender roles of 1920s America. This forms the core of their character development.

Key Dilemma: Janie is often treated as either a dream girl or a domestic worker, but never as an equal, and she always feels disconnected from both the people she loves and the communities around her. When she meets and falls in love with Vergible “Tea Cake” Woods, she moves to the Everglades with him, only to lose him after a deadly hurricane.

How It Ends: Janie returns to one of her former homes, still the subject of other people’s gossip and disapproval, but content, if tired, of having once known true love.

3. Ethan Allan Hawley in The Winter of Our Discontents by John Steinbeck

How he starts: Ethan Allan Hawley is a grocer in New Baytown, a fictional town on Long Island, NY. His family used to be a member of the local aristocratic class before Ethan’s father lost all of the family’s money; Despite this, Ethan values ​​honesty and integrity above all else.

Main Goals: Ethan wants to live a life of virtue and integrity and gain respect from others simply by being a kind and honest person. He has no problem with his position as a grocer and just wants to give his family a good life.

Main Conflicts: However, Ethan’s family is not happy with their life: money always seems to be a problem. Alongside his family’s continued dissatisfaction, members of Ethan’s local community often mention his family’s lost wealth and what Ethan should do to regain it.

Key Dilemma: Ethan’s character arc revolves around his commitment to virtue and his conflicting desires for wealth. If he wants to reclaim his family fortune, he must sacrifice his integrity and honesty, which he does — he makes his boss an INS, he acquires his best friend’s land by (essentially) killing him, and he nearly robs a bank off. Ethan’s inner dialectic between his virtues and his actions causes him to consider suicide because he sacrifices integrity for money.

How it ends: The novel ends in ambiguous terms. Ethan commits to killing himself, but then finds that his daughter has replaced his weapon of choice with a family talisman, causing him to reconsider his decision and choose life, if only for his family.

4. Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

How he starts: Holden Caulfield is a depressed 17-year-old about to drop out of private school. He often feels alienated from his classmates, family and society at large, and although he refuses to plan for the future, he dreams of escaping to someplace where no one he knows will ever find him.

Main Objectives: Desperate for connection, Holden feels alienated from every person he speaks to. While pretending to be superior to the many “fake” people around him, he also hopes that one of these fakes could actually connect with him on a deeper level.

Main Conflicts: It seems that everyone in The Catcher in the Rye is a source of conflict for Holden. He doesn’t talk to his parents, he often fights with his peers, and his attempts at relationships are always spurned, which only leads to more arguments.

Key Dilemma: To put it simply, Holden is not a likable person. It is a collection of mostly negative character traits. He is rash, annoying, and often comes across as both immature and overbearing. At the same time, he is deeply aware of the superficiality of society, which he tries to overcome by speaking to people about deep, meaningful issues. Holden’s character arc is defined by this conflict between himself, others and society; In order for him to connect with people, he needs to find a way to keep his love and criticism for people side by side, and also learn how to properly speak to people.

How He Ends: The Catcher in the Rye is a story in which the main character rejects her character arc. In other words, Holden ends the way he started because he didn’t commit to the growth he must go through to find meaningful connections. He didn’t accept that he was part of the problem. Despite this, the novel ends on a somewhat upbeat note, and Holden refrains from running from society and enrolls to finish school.

5. Macon “Milkman” Dead III in Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

How he starts: From childhood, Milkman has felt alienated and disinterested in his family and in most of society. He feels separated from his father, estranged from his aunt and sisters, and has a complicated relationship with his mother, who loves Milkman but uses him as an escape from her monotonous, loveless life. In adolescence, he develops a brief but fleeting sexual interest in one of his cousins.

Main Objectives: Milkman is sent in search of a bag of gold coins from his father’s young adulthood. Perhaps by finding that bag of coins he can also gain his father’s approval, something he secretly longs for but openly loathes.

Major Conflicts: Milkman’s quest for these gold coins raises many of the novel’s central conflicts. Once he breaks into his aunt’s house in search of the money; In another, he is being chased by Guitar, a former friend who believes Milkman found and stole the gold. Milkman’s life is also threatened once a month by Hagar, the cousin with whom he had a volatile relationship. But the most important conflict is Milkman’s relationship with himself and his family, both of which have been marred by his father’s wealth and neglect.

Key Dilemma: Milkman’s character development stems from his quest for his father’s gold. As he searches for clues as to where that gold may have ended up, he learns more about his family history and learns to appreciate and even love the complex foundations on which his life rests.

How He Ends: Milkman eventually gives up the gold to bury the remains of his grandfather, whom Milkman accidentally discovered, freeing himself from the burden of his family hatred. Guitar, still searching for the gold, kills Milkman’s aunt and attacks Milkman, perhaps indicating the enduring wickedness of Greed. The novel ends in ambiguous terms regarding Milkman’s life.

Character Development Examples: Summary

Each protagonist in the character development examples above endures their own conflicts. These conflicts force the protagonist to grow and change in certain ways, adopt new views of life, or make difficult moral choices. Through loss, hope, sacrifice, change, and a commitment to their beliefs, each character faces their challenge.

Through loss, hope, sacrifice, change, and a commitment to their beliefs, each character faces their challenge.

As you learn to write and develop characters, pay attention to the character arcs in the novels you read and how specific challenges are directly paired with specific character traits. For example, Jane Eyre and Janie Crawford are both strong-willed and independent, which are undoubtedly positive character traits, but these traits also expose them to their sense of alienation, and they must resolve the conflict between themselves, their desires, and society at large and Entire. This resolution forms the arc of the character’s journey, which also lays the foundation for an intriguing storyline.

Tips for nuanced, three-dimensional character development

Every writer approaches character development in a different way. While there is no one-size-fits-all formula for creating believable characters, all writers have tools at their disposal to get into the minds of their characters. Above all, remember to bring depth, belonging, and flaws to each character, and provide specific details and backstories that bring those characters to life.

Remember to give each character depth, belonging, flaws, and provide specific details and backstories that bring those characters to life.

Have your characters take personality tests. No, personality tests aren’t comprehensive and most aren’t scientifically accurate, but the practice of answering questions like your character will help you empathize with their mindset and potentially generate new ideas for plots and conflicts. Here is a free directory of personality tests that you can use.

. No, personality tests aren’t comprehensive and most aren’t scientifically accurate, but the practice of answering questions like your character will help you empathize with their mindset and potentially generate new ideas for plots and conflicts. Here is a free directory of personality tests that you can use. Think of the regionality. A person’s background affects the way they speak and think, so language should directly reflect character traits.

. A person’s background affects the way they speak and think, so language should directly reflect character traits. Make some sketches. You don’t have to be a good artist, just do your best to write down how you imagine them. How tall are you? What size and shape are their eyes, lips, nose and ears? What hair style do they have? How do you like to dress and where do you buy your clothes?

. You don’t have to be a good artist, just do your best to write down how you imagine them. How tall are you? What size and shape are their eyes, lips, nose and ears? What hair style do they have? How do you like to dress and where do you buy your clothes? Think about the point of view. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person perspectives each have their strengths and weaknesses and affect how your character is written. Spend some time considering the POV, and build the setting and sensory details of the story based on your character’s observations. Keep in mind that the way your character observes the world reflects their personality, making this a key component of character development.

. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person perspectives each have their strengths and weaknesses and affect how your character is written. Spend some time considering the POV, and build the setting and sensory details of the story based on your character’s observations. Keep in mind that the way your character observes the world reflects their personality, making this a key component of character development. Create inwardness. Show us your character’s thoughts, flashbacks, inner conflicts, and deep desires. Tell us what your character knows and doesn’t know about themselves. We are all messy, imperfect and constantly growing. Your characters are too!

Another method is to ask yourself specific character development questions like the ones we’ve listed below.

Character development questions

Good characters have depth, experience growth, have flaws – they are real people. Asking yourself a defined set of character development questions is one way to develop these types of characters who jump off the page with realistic and compelling personalities.

Use the following character development questions to plan, write, or edit your story. Read on for some interesting character development questions to ask yourself, and do this exercise person-by-person for each person in your story you want to get to know better.

10 character development questions to ask each of your characters

Ask your character…

1. Who are you?

Think of your character’s “who” as the solid foundation you use to bring your character to life. That “who” can take the form of an honest sentence or two that really speaks to the essence of the character. Starting with a strong “who” can help add depth to your character throughout your story and inform their primary character traits.

2. What are your strongest motivations?

What drives your character in general? To be accepted by peers? Create something new and beautiful? To protect their loved ones from a dangerous world? To find a perspective on mortality? What are the central, underlying drives that shape that character and the actions he or she undertakes? This will form the core of the story’s conflict and provoke its character arcs.

3. What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

What world does your character hope to see? What would fulfillment look like for your character? What is your character doing to reach those hopes — or do they seem too far away?

4. What are your biggest fears and/or regrets?

Your character certainly has a future she doesn’t want to end up in. What is it and why? What are the darkest secrets and biggest mistakes from your character’s past? What is haunting him or her?

5. What are your greatest strengths?

What comes easily to this character? What makes this character strong and why? Your answer can be as simple as a list of positive character traits, but try to dig deeper and be more specific about what affects that character’s morale.

6. What are your greatest weaknesses?

Every good character has weaknesses. What gets your character out of position, out of their comfort zone, vulnerable? Why? Your answer can be as simple as a list of negative character traits, but try to dig deeper and work out what informs this character’s flaws and Achilles heel.

7. How are you social?

How does your character see other people? Are they very social and outgoing, or more on the quiet, shy, introverted side? By thinking about how your character behaves in social situations, you can “spice up” your character and add depth to it.

8. What is your role in the story?

Consider your character’s role in the development of the story. Why is your character in your story? Is the character a protagonist, antagonist, or a supporting character? How does your character change the story? And how is the character changed through the story – what is her character arc?

9. What is your connection to the overall storyline?

This is the important connection between your character and your overall storyline. What specific influence will your character have on the overall progression of your story?

10. What kind of dynamic is there between you and the other characters?

Consider the relationships your character will have with other main or supporting characters. How do they interact? How do their personalities and motivations clash? How do they feel when they interact with each other?

Create your own list of character development questions

Creating your own questionnaire can be extremely useful in the writing process, increasing your understanding of your characters, prompting you to develop new, unique elements of their personalities. It’s a great tool for finding out what makes your characters tick, and it can help you align your plot and storyline with your character’s overall personality.

As you work to create your own character questionnaire, you can search for existing examples. The ten questions above are an example, and here are a few others:

Finally, if you’re looking for questions to ask your character, it may be useful to take a hint from the “Self Help” section of your bookstore. The same kind of self-exploration that is important in our own lives can be applied to the development of your characters.

Character traits

Finally, let’s examine character development from the perspective of character traits, as this will help you define and refine your characters as you begin and end your stories. First, what are character traits?

What are character traits?

Traits are recurring traits of a character’s personality that determine how that character responds to their world. These qualities are evident whenever someone reacts to their surroundings, participates in conversations, has private thoughts, acts, or makes a decision.

Definition of character traits: recurring traits of a character’s personality that determine how that character responds to its world.

Many great novelists have studied human psychology so intensely that each of their character’s actions is defined by one of their traits. Even the smallest actions, like cooking dinner or brushing your teeth, can in some way reflect a range of character traits. For example, many of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s characters reflect an intimate understanding of human psychology, and his work influenced Freud’s theories of psychoanalysis which, although scientifically outdated, continue to influence modern literary analysis.

As you develop your characters, you can remember their personalities by compiling them into a character trait list. Because these traits are often detrimental given the story’s conflict, they are an integral part of your story’s character arcs, and your characters often have to fend off certain traits in order to undergo the necessary character development.

Without further ado, let’s look at common character traits in literature.

List of character traits

Note that many positive character traits can also be negative character traits and vice versa. For example, while a strong sense of independence is generally considered positive, it can also lead to sociopathy, hatred of society, and disinterest in a character’s family.

Many positive character traits can also be negative character traits and vice versa.

Alternatively, while “disobedience” is generally viewed as negative, disobedience can also create positive changes in society. Terms such as “positive” and “negative” refer to society’s perception of these traits, but in fact most traits can be both positive and negative depending on that character’s circumstances.

Finally, remember that a protagonist has negative traits and an antagonist has positive traits.

List of positive character traits

In the table of character traits below, we have listed positive character traits and characters with those traits in the literature.

Character traits Definition Examples from literature Ambitious Having a strong desire to achieve something and an active will to achieve it. Macbeth in Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Benevolent Kind, benevolent and invested in the health and well-being of all. Alexei “Alyosha” Fyodorovich Karamazov in “The Brothers Karamazov” by Fyodor Dostoyevsky “Brave Brave”; ready to act bravely in the face of fear. Lucy Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis Curious Inquisitive; tends to ask lots of questions and investigate everything. Hercule Poirot in many of Agatha Christie’s detective stories. Reliable Reliable, especially in times of crisis, but also in everyday life. Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Dutiful Marked by a sense of obligation; obliged to do what must be done. Desdemona in Othello by William Shakespeare Forgiving To be able to look past another’s faults or transgressions without resentment. Bishop Bienvenu in Les Misérables by Victor Hugo Generous willingness to give to others. One can be generous with money, but also with one’s time, emotions, advice, attention, etc. Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen Honest Truthful; to tell the whole truth, without deception, in every situation. Ethan Allan Hawley in The Winter of Our Discontent by John Steinbeck Intelligent and insightful, demonstrates a strong sense of reasoning and problem-solving. Quentin Compson in The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner Independent Able to think, act and feel for himself; unaffected by the opinions and beliefs of others. Janie Crawford in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. Lively Active, outgoing and energetic, often contagious. Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Open-minded Willing to consider other people’s new ideas and experiences; receptive to change. Huckleberry Finn in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Passionate about feeling, showing and acting on strong feelings and beliefs. Jane Eyre in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Patient Demonstrates ability to wait without tiring of waiting. Oshima in Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami Single-minded Determined; purposeful action; marked by the absence of aimlessness. Meg Murry in A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle Respectful Demonstrates respect for other people’s needs, feelings, and comfort. Elizabeth “Beth” March in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Selfless Altruistic; willing to act for the benefit of others without expecting anything in return. Grandpa Joe in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Sincere Genuine; speak and act without attempting to deceive, impress, or influence others. Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Wise Challenging and insightful; Develop a deep understanding of the world, others and yourself. Old Major in Animal Farm by George Orwell

List of negative character traits

In the following table of character traits, we have listed negative character traits and characters with those traits in the literature.

Character traits Examples of definitions in literature Unapproachable Cold and distant in demeanor; unfriendly. Ivan “Vanechka” Fyodorovich Karamazov in The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky Acting arrogantly or believing in one’s own superiority over others. Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Callous Unemotional and unsympathetic to others. Patrick Bateman in American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis Gross Gross and tasteless. Gargantua and Pentagruel in The Life of Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais Coward Not Brave; show merciless fear in the face of conflict. Baron Danglars in The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Fraudulently dishonest, often with intent to mislead or manipulate. Iago in Othello by William Shakespeare Devious Sly, devious and manipulative; use unfair tactics or arguments to win. Rebecca “Becky” Sharp in Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray “Erratic Unpredictable”; Making decisions without a clear pattern or reasoning. Toad in The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Foolish Without common sense; make bad judgments and decisions. Romeo in Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Greedy Demonstrates a selfish and inordinate desire for wealth and material goods. Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Hateful Showing contempt for everything and everyone, often including himself. Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë Ignorant Uneducated or lacking in understanding as shown in one’s actions. Bob Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Insincere The opposite of sincere; dishonest in word and deed; hypocritical. Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Manipulative Adept at controlling others, often for selfish reasons. Cathy Ames in East of Eden by John Steinbeck Obsessively obsessively preoccupied to the point of acting without regard for others or self. Humbert Humbert in Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov Power hungry Obsessed with gaining power and wielding it over others. Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey Pretentious expression of excessive self-esteem or intelligence, often to inspire admiration and respect. Ignatius J. Reilly in A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole Reckless Careless destructive; irresponsible. Alaska Young in In Search of Alaska by John Green Selfish Concerning only one’s own needs and desires, often to the detriment of others. Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Vain Obsessed with looks, aesthetics and superficiality. Dorian Gray in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray

Advice on choosing character traits in your work

What character traits should my protagonists, antagonists and supporting characters have? does it matter?

When writing the people who will populate your stories, it’s important to have a balance of character traits so that no two people are the same. Also, it is important that everyone has both positive and negative character traits because, like people in real life, no one is perfect.

Remember that stories are mostly about people. Even if these stories are set on different planets, in magical realms, or between alternate universes, it’s your cast of characters that matters the most because people drive the plot. Your characters are the ones who make decisions, react to situations and embark on journeys; They define their own character arcs, so having strong character traits is important.

Here are three tips for choosing the best character traits in your story:

Give the protagonists positive traits to strive for and negative traits to overcome. The best conflicts arise when a protagonist must overcome their own negative personality traits in order to achieve something.

, give them positive qualities to strive for and negative qualities to overcome. The best conflicts arise when a protagonist must overcome their own negative personality traits in order to achieve something. For antagonists, think of traits that make them perfect obstacles against the protagonist. A protagonist who is friendly and respectful but avoids conflict might have a hard time getting over an antagonist who is loud, rude, and arrogant.

, consider characteristics that make them perfect obstacles against the protagonist. A protagonist who is friendly and respectful but avoids conflict might have a hard time getting over an antagonist who is loud, rude, and arrogant. For secondary and tertiary characters, consider their purpose in the story and give them traits that help them uphold that purpose. For example, a supporting character that exists to support the protagonist should be helpful and generous; Someone who misleads the protagonist may be well intentioned but stupid.

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If you want to be a great actor, you should know how important it is to convey a character and stay in character. Anyone can read words off a page, but creating a truly compelling character takes much more than that. Your goal as an actor is to be able to tell a story. What kind of person are you? What events happened and how did they affect you? There may be a laundry list of questions. Here are some helpful tips to point you in the direction of creating a compelling character, whether it’s on screen or on stage.

1. Get in

You should immerse yourself in the role. Forget the audience is watching you and forget your mother is in the front row. You have to focus on your character and how he feels. be in the moment You can use sense memory to help with this. Sensory memory is a technique developed by Stanislavski and Strasberg that allows a person to access their subconscious memory to bring emotional truth to their work. You can access memory by sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. For example, if your character is stuck down a long dark alleyway and it’s full of junk, you can try to recall a memory of being afraid of the dark at some point in your life, or a time when you were with something unpleasant smell. These small details can make a big difference when it comes to conveying feelings.

2. Be prepared

Read your lines carefully and memorize them. If you don’t study your text, you will be unprepared and it will show in your performance. It will also take you out of character. Take the time to read through the script with your fellow actors and take the rehearsals seriously while of course still enjoying the process.

3. Take a moment

Take a moment to breathe in your scene. Don’t just spit out the lines, take a moment to absorb the setting and the other characters/actors in the scene. Build and feed on the scene and what the other actors give you. Take that split second to take it all in and process how your character will react. This can also apply to auditions where you might get a cold read. A cold read is text or script that is not rehearsed and is often given to you at an audition. Take a moment to look over the lines and make decisions about your character. Think about how your character will react. It’s often okay to ask the casting director if you can take a moment.

4. Focus

Pay attention to what’s going on around you in the scene. Be consistent with what other actors are doing and saying. This way you react more naturally to what is going on around you. Focus will also help you not break character and be present in the moment. Learning to focus more can be developed through rehearsal. However, if you find yourself missing a line or dropping a prop on stage, just keep going. Life often throws curveballs at us, so just react naturally.

As you gain experience in rehearsals, auditions and performances, you will become more comfortable and confident in your own skin and that of your characters. These tips can steer you in a direction that will present a compelling character. Break a leg!