3 Ways to Develop Characters

じ☆ve冰风

Intro
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        Greetings! I'm a professional writer here to share some tips and tricks that I've learned throughout the years. Whether you're writing a Movie/TV script, a video game script, a novel, or even a biography, the most important key is always the characters. Whether your story tells about a ragtag band of heroes that saves the world from the apocalypse, or perhaps about a lonely boy who copes with the death of his cat, the only ingredient that will give your tale any staying power is the characters. I once read a book that was, in an offensively understated summary, about a girl learning to cope with her depression by laughing at a piece of corn she found underneath of the fridge. Sound strange? It sure was. And yet, it was one of the most interesting books I've ever read, simply because of the immeasurably interesting characters.

Therapists hate this one amazing trick that can cure your depression instantly! All you need is a piece of corn!
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        In this tutorial, I hope to shed some light on character development. Without further ado, let's dive in!

1. Give Your Characters Personality
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        This is Ed.

         
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        Ed is a fine-looking young man that likes to talk on his phone. This, in of itself, is not an interesting character description. Using only one line, lets try to make Ed more interesting.


Ed ate at the Downtown Cafe every Wednesday, pretending his wife was still laughing at his jokes from across the table.


        From that one line, we can glean that Ed is a creature of habit, he has a sense of humor, and he is struggling from the loss of his wife. Knowing these facts will allow us to have a solid understanding of Ed's motivations and personality. We understand that Ed will be frustrated if he is thrown off-schedule. We understand that he will make a lot of jokes, some likely self-deprecating because of the sorrow from his wife's absence. We understand he is capable of caring deeply for someone, which should be the primary focus of any stories revolving around Ed, because that's who Ed is. He loved, and he lost. His character can only come full circle if he is faced with another love/loss situation, possibly ending with happiness, possibly not. But now we know why Ed likes to talk on the phone; conversation distracts him from his mourning, and he enjoys listening to people laugh at his humor.


        Even if you're writing one-liner NPCs, it doesn't hurt to give them a personality. Why is the old coot at the tavern always saying mean things to your main character? If you can fill in the blanks, it will make the coot's lines more immersive and believable. Who knows! Maybe he'll be interesting enough to warrant a side-quest at some point. Regardless, he'll be a developed character, and your story will be better because of it.

2. Avoid the Invisible Parents Fallacy
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        Every character was once a youth. Who were their parental figures? What did the character learn from these figures, and how did that affect said character's view of the world? I suppose this could fall under the previous 'Personality' pointer, but this is important enough to warrant its own discussion. 

"Parenthood - it's about guiding the next generation, and forgiving the last." -Peter Krause
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        Let's go back to Ed. Using one line, let's give Ed some backstory regarding his parents.


His parents always disciplined him when he cracked wise at their expense, but unlike his mother, father took him fishing instead of beating him half to death.


        From that sentence, we learn that Ed grew up in a strict environment where disappointment was met with abuse. His mother strongly despised his sense of humor, while his father seems to have disapproved on the surface, but probably only to appease his mother. As we can see, his father would take him fishing after any sort of falling out, as if to bandage the wounds caused by his abusive maternal figure.


        Because of this, Ed would be highly sensitive to how people treat one another. He suffered poor treatment from one parent, but loving treatment from another. Ed may be able to see when someone is being treated poorly - unfortunately, Ed might be the person responsible. From his mother, he learned to have a quick temper. From his father, he learned patience and understanding. Ed might blow up at someone, then take them out to dinner as a form of apology. When he is upset, he mirrors his mother. When he is trying to help someone, he mirrors his father.


        You see the Invisible Parents Fallacy occur when a character emerges from a troubled past with an amazing personality and zero baggage. For instance, a thief character that came from a family of bandits. He wouldn't be inherently moral, because he was never taught to have morals. Any morals that this character possesses would have to be gained through several significant events in the story. There is an example of this in Star Wars VII:

SpoilerFinn has a very mature grasp of morality and is good-natured, even though he was indoctrinated to serve the empire and commit evil from his birth. His character progression is fine, but his introduction is extremely difficult to buy into.

3. Show Personality Through Actions and Reactions
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        Let's go back to Ed. Knowing all of these details about his life won't make him interesting on paper. In order to get the reader invested, we need to show his personality through actions and reactions. Let's write a quick line to show what I'm talking about.


Like old times, today was the beginning of fishing season. Ed flung a five dollar bill on the counter, gave the waitress a knowing nod, then darted out of the cafe and headed down toward the river.

I have no idea what I'm doing.
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        From this final line, we see Ed's personality and backstory come to fruition in the way he leaves the cafe. He still fishes - just like he and his father used to do - which implies that he treats fishing as a solace from the chaos of the world. He tips the waitress generously, which shows us that he is a benevolent man, and then he nods. Oh, the nod. This simple actions tells us three things. One, he is familiar with the waitress. Two, the waitress is somewhat aware of Ed's situation (it was a knowing nod). Three, Ed has a bond of trust with the waitress, or else she wouldn't know anything about him. Later in the story, how would Ed react to the waitress? What things would he say to her? His actions toward her would speak volumes about his current state of mind and his personality. The waitress could also be a key character in the story - but that's entirely up to you, the writer.

Summary
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Ed ate at the Downtown Cafe every Wednesday, pretending his wife was still laughing at his jokes from across the table. His parents always disciplined him when he cracked wise at their expense, but unlike his mother, father took him fishing instead of beating him half to death. Like old times, today was the beginning of fishing season. Ed flung a five dollar bill on the counter, gave the waitress a knowing nod, then darted out of the cafe and headed down toward the river.


        We now have a developed character. With just one paragraph, the reader has learned who Ed is, and how to identify with him. Whether you are developing a major character or a throwaway NPC, it gives you - and the reader - more insight into the world and the story.

Personality
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Parents
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Actions
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        Those are the three keys to writing a developed character. Now, as your story progresses, your character should develop even further based on the events and relationships that occur. That, however, is a different lesson for a different time.


        Sound off in the comments below. Thank you for reading!


        Sources: 


        Corn Story and Image - Hyperbole and a Half - Depression Part Two


        Ed Image - http://www.weathertrends360.com/


        Family Image - http://www.law.harvard.edu/


        Dog Image - http://www.theroot.com/


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