Have you ever read a story that contained a character whose actions never made any sense to you? Writing believable characters is one of the hardest things for inexperienced writers. People are complex beings with bendable morals, no two act the same in a given situation and that can be hard to pinpoint for some people. I’ve learned that the best way to pen a believable character is to flesh them out individually from the plot or expectation I have for the story I’m currently working on. Penning your protagonist/antagonist separately can actually help you form a more cohesive story and I’ll be sure to explain below!
Character Development
When it comes to brainstorming, I usually find myself getting character details down before anything else. It can be a little controversial but I typically have an idea in my head about the plot, idea and theme of my story very loosely in the back of my brain. Characters typically jump out at me first and foremost. I usually run with my first thought when it comes to names, personality traits or looks. I piece things together as I go.
The flow chart above is a great reference to how I flesh out my characters when I only have a vague idea for a concept. These don’t help everyone but sometimes combining things you already know helps, so that’s what I’ve done.
The big take away I have for character development is to remember that everyone’s different and there is no archetype to follow. Sexual orientation and pronouns can explain certain gestures/mannerisms but don’t also guarantee them. Make sure your characters don’t become mockeries of actual groups of people, we’re aiming for inclusion not stereotypical caricatures. Don’t be ashamed if you have to create characters with cultures, races, languages and sexualities you are a part of. You’re voice is just as important!
Story Event Creation
After filling out the flow chart above or jotting down a list of desired character traits (phenotypical or behavioral) it’s time to test how well you know your character. Before you can move on to your story’s plot and the direction it will follow having a stable character with a concrete personality is a must! As I stated earlier, people are complex which means your characters most likely will be too. Remember though that complexity doesn’t mean your character doesn’t have a moral compass or beliefs they follow. It just means they are more likely to follow a certain path but the actions can be unorthodox. Overall as long as the outcome is already determined the path taken can be as twisting, straightforward or convoluted as you want as long as it adds to the plot of the story.
To help clarify, I’ve created another flow chart that should help you determine events/situations that your character would find themselves in based off personality and already established behaviors. If your character is naturally shy and introverted, they most likely wont end up in fights. Conversely, just because your character is usually chill doesn’t mean they can’t display righteous fury or provoked anger. You just have to determine how often they blow up and if it’s a common enough occurrence to not throw off your audience. From there you can help yourself narrow down the type of climax your story should incorporate that makes sense in relation to your character!
In Summary:
Overall you’re looking for a character with a pinned down personality that doesn’t get out of character too often. No one likes a character whose actions, thoughts and decisions are hard to understand due to complete unpredictability. Your character shouldn’t be 100% predictable BUT if you’ve crafted a well rounded character, they’re understandable! I’ve added these flow-charts to my Ko-fi in case you want you use them for your own story planning! I’ll also be sure to add more as I think of them and will continue to update them on my Ko-fi!
Thank you for reading and please be sure to check my works in progress section and Ko-fi updates to see what I’m working on!
