Two-dimensional characters are one of the main reasons manuscripts hit the rejection pile. To avoid this, a writer must develop the character fully. Understanding the character’s various aspects will help the protagonist seem more realistic and fully fleshed out.
The Character’s Past
The character’s past is essential in character development. This is called backstory. It’s the writer’s understanding of where the protagonist has come from and will provide clues as to how that protagonist will respond in various situations. To know this about a character, the writer must understand the protagonist in many ways:
- Geographically
- Economically
- Spiritually
- Physically
- Intellectually
- Emotionally
The trials and tests of the character’s past and his or her ability (or inability) to persevere will determine where that character’s strengths and weaknesses are. Since many stories are about a character’s growth from a point of weakness to an eventual point of strength, understanding what helped shaped that weakness or insecurity or flaw is essential.
The Character’s Present
To be able to craft a believable inciting incident—that plot moment that forces the protagonist out of his or her comfortable existence and into a new world or a new adventure—the writer must understand the character’s present mindset. What is the character’s goal in life? What flaws or vulnerabilities is the character hiding? Knowing what the character’s present day strengths and weaknesses are will help the writer sculpt the precise inciting incident needed to spur that character into action—and with that action: change.
The Character’s Future
What does the character want? What are his or her desires and goals for the future? What dreams does he or she have—especially the ones the character never thought achievable. Take that character towards that dream, put that dream within reach and make that character believe that it is actually possible to achieve all those goals and desires, then rip them away. If the character has had a taste of believing that the goals are attainable and then had to watch them be ripped away, the true effect of that character’s fortitude will emerge and the reader will cheer as the protagonist shakes off the previous insecurities and pursues the goal with full awareness of possible failure, but determination all the same.
In Summary
Characters are essentially people. Each story is a journey of one of the main flaws of that character being exposed, evaluated, worked on, and then overcome. To do this effectively, the writer must understand the character’s roots (past), the current lifestyle and circumstances (present) and the often-hidden goals and desires (future). If the writer does this in advance of beginning the manuscript, the character will reveal him or herself more fully on the page creating a fully fleshed out character readers will be more likely to respond to.
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