Complex Characters and How to Write Them

a guide byLaunchora Team

You've just popped out a freshly baked story, all steaming hot and wonderful. Except as you proofread it for the very last time, something seems somewhat off. With a stinking heart you realize that the problem lies with your character; they're just too wooden. You've used every trick you had up your sleeve and a few you hid in your boots for emergencies. Yet your attempts seem to be little more than an exercise in futility as trick after trick fails to breathe life into your characters. You've nothing to lose, so why not try some combination of the following three tips? Jiminy Cricket will vouch for their efficacy.

 

1. Give them a "Why":
Ask yourself, why does this particular character exist? What's their purpose in the story; how will they further the plot and interact with the other characters? Most importantly, WHY does this character behave the way they do? Try to hint at the "why" without indulging in long descriptive paragraphs (unless that's the style you wish to write your story in). Keep in mind that most humans rarely have a single reason behind their words and actions, psychopaths and their ilk being the exception. As such, try to layer different plausible reasons to validate your character's behavior, subtly. However, if your story demands a psychopath, feel free to either completely eliminate reasoning for their actions OR exaggerate their reaction to the mildest of hurdles. The reader should be able to read their psychopathic-ness (technical term, believe me) without actually coming across the word "psychopath".

 

2. Character quirks and idiosyncrasies:
We all have those lil' habits that seem slightly insane from an outsider's perspective, so it makes sense to imbue our characters similarly; makes them more human. The difference is, if you're going through the trouble to describe a quirk, make sure that it contributes to the plot in a significant way. For example, say your character likes to play with the dandelions while on a picnic; most people like to play with the dandelions. With repetition, perhaps you can pass it off as an obsessive quirk, but in general it's normalcy wouldn't really make much of an impact on the reader or the story. However, if the character pauses to mess around with the dandelions while they're being chased BY A SERIAL KILLER... well, wouldn't you say that the action seems a lot more "quirky" now? Especially if we're writing a happy ending for the serial killer; a quirk thus used as an instrument to develop the plot.

 

3. The laws of flaws
Nobody's perfect yet many forget to apply this rule to their characters. Their Prince Charming's faultless and impossibly flawless; consequently, the readers subconsciously begin distrusting him. Perfect humans don't exist, so neither should perfect characters. Their flaws lend them a humanity the reader can see around him and hence, improve the effect of the story as a whole. Of course, it's essential to create a balance in their personality while cooking up their flaws; it's doubtful that the readers will be charmed with your Prince if he embezzles the people's taxes and gambles them away recklessly. So you gotta pick those flaws the way you choose your words: carefully and with distinct purpose.

These are the veritable sugar, spice and everything nice that your character needed in order to be more human than cardboard, more than thoughts on paper. The sooner you start laying the groundwork, the more naturally your story will embrace these lil' magic pills to breathe life into your character. Nevertheless, don't worry about your characters constantly and write what you feel; that's where the real magic happens.

 

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