PolyProse

Characters are more than just names and roles; they are individuals who resonate with an audience. Developed characters have imperfections, motivations, and emotional depths, ensuring a well-defined drive. By mastering the nuances of character development, you can craft dynamic figures that readers will carry with them forever.

Unveiling Character Authenticity

The following points elaborate on key aspects of character and provide examples to help imbue your works with depth.

1. Embrace Imperfection: Why Flaws Make Characters Relatable

Characters aren’t perfect; they have personality flaws, weaknesses, quirks, or negative traits. Imperfections create struggles and vulnerabilities that an audience can connect to.

• Tony Stark, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is a genius, a billionaire, and a hero. However, his arrogance and selfishness remove him from the hero archetype. His selfish tendencies end in self-sacrifice.

Writer’s Exercise:

• Exercise A: The Cause and Effect of Flaws
  • Identify Three Flaws: List three significant imperfections of your character. These flaws should not be a single word. Instead of “proud,” try “Defensively proud to the point they refuse help, even when they’re desperate.”
  • Trace the Past: For each flaw, write a specific moment where this flaw led to a negative outcome. (“Her defensive pride made her turn down a possible career.”)
  • Predict the Future: For each flaw, predict how it could create an obstacle (“This same pride will prevent her from asking her previous boss for a second chance, even though she will end up homeless).
• Exercise B: Show, Don’t Just Tell the Flaw
  • Pick one of the flaws you listed above. Write a paragraph depicting this flaw in action. Keep in mind the dialogue, body language, and choices people with that flaw often make. However, do not state the flaw. (She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Whatever, I’m above all that,” she said…).

2. Defining Character Core: Motivation, Goals, and Intentions

What are your character’s ultimate goals? What are the underlying reasons behind their desires? And what methods will they employ to achieve them? Questions like those lay a logical and purposeful foundation for your characters’ decision-making.

• In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Frodo Baggins wants to protect the Shire and destroy the One Ring. His loyalty to his friends and the surrounding innocents drives him.

Writer’s Exercise:

• Exercise A: The “5 Whys” Interrogation
  • State the Goal: Start with your character’s surface-level goal (“Championship”).
  • Ask Why: Ask why it is that important to your character, and then write down the answer (“To prove my boss wrong”).
  • Dig Deeper: Ask “Why?” four more times. Use the previous answer as the basis for the next question (“Why do you need to prove him wrong?”). -> “Because he said I could never be part of a team.” -> “Why do you care what he thinks?” -> “Because I want to run a team.” -> “Why do you feel you need to spearhead a team?” -> “Because I don’t think I can do it alone.” -> “Why can’t you do it alone?” -> “Because I don’t have the self-confidence to take on a project by myself”).
• Exercise B: The Want vs. Need
  • Draw two columns. In the left column, list what your character wants (a promotion, a new motorcycle, revenge). In the right column, list what they truly need (comfort, freedom, forgiveness). Question how these two columns may be contradictory or create tension when desires and wants directly conflict.

3. The Inner World: Exploring Emotional Depth

According to some studies, we experience hundreds of emotions daily. Fictional characters should also fluctuate in their thoughts.

• Greta Gerwig’s Little Women (2019) masterfully portrays this emotional volatility. Consider the scene where Amy, furious at being left behind by Jo, burns her sister’s manuscript. The sequence is a masterclass in emotional progression: Amy’s initial pleading turns into frustrated whining, then to cold, vengeful rage. When Jo discovers the betrayal, her shock gives way to explosive fury. This raw, messy, and human conflict makes their relationship and its eventual repair feel earned and authentic.

Writer’s Exercise:

• Exercise A: The Emotional Gauntlet
  • Pick a Setting: Place your character in a mundane situation (grocery shopping, cleaning their car, watching TV on the couch).
  • Introduce Triggers: Write a short paragraph where they experience three distinct emotions in quick succession. The feelings should be triggered by something specific (a text message, an item that gives them a flashback, or a song that reminds them of someone). Show how the external stimulus shifted their internal state.
• Exercise B: Emotional Flashback
  • Write a scene where your character reacts disproportionately in a given situation. Then, in the following paragraph, write about a moment in their life that created the original emotional sensitivity.

4. The Allure of the Hidden: Incorporating Secrets and Layers

Secrets immediately generate intrigue. The gradual unveiling of these hidden aspects within a character can create suspense. The reveals also reward the audience’s curiosity.

• In Pretty Little Liars, the secret identity of “A” propels the plot. In each episode, the audience moves closer to uncovering the truth, only to discover they’ve been led astray. Despite the decline in writing quality, people remained captivated by the desire to know this person’s identity.

Writer’s Exercise:

• Exercise A: The Near Miss
  • Define the Secret: Give your character a secret they would fiercely protect.
  • Create the Scene: Write a scene where another character says or does something that risks exposing your character’s secret.
  • Show the Reaction: Focus on your character’s physical and verbal reaction. Does the character deflect with humor? Do they play obtuse? Do they become suddenly enraged? Use these to reveal how the secret controls your character. 
• Exercise B: The Ripple Effect
  • List three ways your character’s secret actively affects their daily behavior (they must wear and carry around a bottle of foundation all day, they avoid going to parties, and they refuse to sit in a room with a mirror).

5. Beyond Stereotypes: Crafting Unique and Memorable Individuals

Characters should not be stereotypical representations. Think creatively about their personalities, interests, hobbies, and how small character details accentuate their believability. A psychology grad may love philosophy, so they place a picture of Diogenes by their bed. A character who adores fashion may also love to crochet granny squares.

• Dexter, from the TV show Dexter, is a blood splatter expert by day and a serial killer by night. His trophies after each murder are glass slides of the victim’s blood. The use of glass slides, which are essential in microscopy, reflects his scientific background. However, he also enjoys nature documentaries that focus on predators, as he is one too. 

Writer’s Exercise:

• Exercise A: The Contradiction
  • Identify the Archetype: Start with a basic character archetype (“noir detective,” “quiet librarian,” “popular cheerleader”).
  • Add a Contradictory Hobby: Give that character a hobby, interest, or skill not expected in that stereotype (the detective loves collecting stuffed animals). The cheerleader is a captain of the robotics team.
  • Explain the ‘Why’: Write a sentence or two explaining the origin of their interest. Question how this hobby expands your characterization beyond the stereotype.
• Exercise B: Invert the Trope
  • Take a common trope, the reluctant hero, and write a short scene where the character actively subverts it. For example, what if the reluctant hero is actually the son of the main villain and is working undercover?

6. The Inner Battle: Exploring Internal Conflict

Internal conflict arises when a character is torn between opposing desires. A character can become consumed by self-doubt and experience an internal battle. When both desires are evocatively explained, an audience can root for either, creating a nuanced discussion. 

• In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the titular character embodies internal turmoil. He struggles between the desire for revenge and his moral compass. Those inner battles drive much of the play and make Hamlet famously relatable.

Writer’s Exercise:

• Exercise A: The Two Voices
  • Define the Conflict: Establish an internal conflict for your character (work duties vs. family duties).
  • Write the Monologue: Write a short internal monologue where the character argues with themselves. Allow your character to defend both sides of their conflict to see deeper emotions or thoughts of your character. 
• Exercise B: The Impossible Choice
  • Create a scenario where your character faces a moral dilemma (going to son’s concert vs. going to work). They can only choose one of two options, and either choice will result in a significant loss or negative consequence. Describe their thinking before the decision and during the actions. Include the fallout of whatever they chose.

Conclusion:

We’ve explored six foundational elements of character depth: embracing imperfection, defining motivations, developing emotional complexity, layering secrets, defying stereotypes, and crafting internal conflict. Those components are the nutrients your soil needs to grow memorable characters. But the work isn’t done. We’ve only tilled the soil; we still need to plant the seeds. 

As you start applying these ideas and using these exercises, having the right tools can make all the difference. For organizing character notes, backstories, and plot points, many writers, myself included, rely on Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener-affiliate.html?fpr=polyprose). To ensure your writing is as compelling as your characters, think about signing up for QuillBot (https://try.quillbot.com/polyprose). The platform can help you refine every sentence.

Come back next week for the next installment. In Level Up Your Characters (Part 2): Ensuring Believable Consistency, we’ll explore how to keep your characters grounded, trustworthy, and unbelievably believable.