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Whether it’s a video game, graphic novel, or an old-fashioned novel, it doesn’t matter what media you use to tell your story since they have several elements in common. One of them, character development, is essential to showcasing an excellent story that gains and maintains people’s interest from beginning to end. This is one of the most crucial elements to master and once you do, creating stories will be easier!
Character development is generally considered to be complex since there are so many things to take into account. To make things easier, we’ll focus on several essential components that will pay dividends throughout the plot without you trying to remember every single facet about the characters involved in the scene you’re working on at the moment.
One sure-fire method of constructing a fantastic story is to have character development occur naturally. This means a character will organically change both through his arc and the plot itself. A good comparison of this is how people in real life change at key moments in their lives and their decision-making process and knowledge of the situation drive these decisions.
The main reason why people invest in characters is they don’t just want to accompany them on their journey, they want to be with them when they reach their end, whether by the circumstances of the plot or the ending of the story itself. They want to see how they turn out, for better or worse. Thus, it’s up to you, the creator, to give your characters an ending that satisfies both your audience — which makes them feel like spending time with them was worth it — and the plot.
This is article number twenty-one in The Sunlit Hearth series. Curious to see what else we have? You can find plenty more on our blog page!
Character development isn’t just important for storytelling purposes, it accentuates how characters change which impacts a great number of things, namely their outlook on life and the approach they take to making decisions. There are too many variables to take into consideration that it would simply take too long to go through them all so we’ll delve into some of the essential ones that are the most meaningful.
Each character has a story of their own to tell, some of which dovetail neatly with the main plot, however the others have those that seem to crisscross it. They have their own goals and methods they choose to use in pursuit of them. Showing how they intend to go about it and how they react to unexpected setbacks or windfalls reveals how they really believe, even if they didn’t mean to show it. This occurs at all points in the tale, even right at the beginning when you are introducing your viewers to the main characters.
A key tenet of character development revolves around someone reacting to the changes unfolding around him. It could be a landslide that traps him and his companions in a mine or a war breaking out. How he deals with these life-altering events will shape him for the duration of the plot or however long he remains in the tale as well as both how he perceives himself and what other people think of him.
The personality of a character drives everything he does in the story. It is continually shaped by the new developments that arise throughout the plot, some of which cause him to reexamine things he thought he knew or solidify his belief that he was right about something. What he does with these new tidbits of information will serve as the basis on which he will make choices that impact not just himself but the people around him.
Character development doesn’t just occur in a vacuum; it can come through interactions. Characters converse with each other and exchange all sorts of information from corny jokes to serious discussions. These exchanges enable them to learn more about each other which influences how they perceive not just each other but the info they shared. This can lead to stronger bonds of fellowship or the splintering of once-valuable alliances which naturally will have ripple effects throughout the remainder of the story.
One way great stories stand out from the others is by having character development proceed naturally. That is, it doesn’t feel contrived or occurs just for the sake of the plot. As a bonus, this makes it easier for the audience to see and comprehend how a particular character changes throughout the tale.
There are a number of strategies you can employ to ensure that the characters in your story change naturally. One such method is to develop challenges and obstacles tailor-made for them and place them in certain parts of the story that correspond to where they are in terms of their personal journey. For example, for someone who wishes to get stronger mentally, you can have him search for a remote, desolate place that has what he needs and have him spend some time there exercising his mind.
Another superb way to encourage character development is to restrict the information a character knows at the beginning of the story and reveal it to him later on when he has already developed notions about that subject. The info he learns forces him to reexamine everything he thought he knew which can cause a temporary crisis in confidence as he struggles to comprehend it before he finally comes to terms with it.
The third way characters change over time is through interactions. While most of them will be with other people, some of these times will be through objects. For instance, a swordsman could hold the most powerful sword in the world and it gives him something he didn’t have before which can lead to a change in personality. A character could learn something about himself when he converses with a friend or a valued family member.
Forcing a character to confront his inner fears and demons is a powerful strategy to stimulate development. By having him finally deal with whatever’s been vexing him long enough, he can either triumph over them or succumb to them, thereby being ruled by them, and the outcome will shape the choices he makes going forward, for better or ill.
Much like real people, the characters of a tale are dynamic and evolve over time. Some become the best versions of themselves, becoming beloved by the other characters and the audience. Others fall and become the worst versions of themselves, serving as a cautionary tale for those who might go down that same path someday. How they grow or stagnate over time foreshadows their ending, the last time they appear in the story.
The fantasy genre is filled with beloved characters ranging from good and evil, those who had excellent development and had an ending that was befitting to both themselves and the audience. As an aspiring creator, only the characters you create in your story ought to have both in spades since your viewers will expect that the time they’ve spent with them is well worth it.
One method the best creators accomplish giving their characters the perfect ending is to have it occur in the way that serves them best. For example, after encountering tough obstacles and challenges that gave him the strength he needed to have in order to face the villain of the story, the hero finally defeats him and saves the world. He is lauded for his efforts in ridding the world of the scourge and on the other side of the coin, the big bad receives his just rewards after wreaking havoc across the story.
Everything a character encounters through the tale and in his arc is merely preparation for his final appearance in the plot. How he handles everything the story throws at him sets the stage for his ending. For instance, a weak-minded person who fails to rise to the occasion when he is needed the most will most likely receive an ending that is true to who he is, one the audience believes he deserves.
Character development is a valuable building block of constructing a memorable story. It requires some learning and trial-and-error to get right and when you do, you’ll truly see just how powerful it is. You can use it to great effect creating characters who people talk about long after they’ve reached the conclusion of your tale!
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