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Joined: 11/17/2011
Posts: 1016
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I could google it, but I want to know the general opinion. My idea of character development is the fleshing out of personalities. With reactions, with personal histories, with all kinds of non-essential to forward movement stuff. But I observe that others feel it is a character growing over the course of a story, from struggles, etc., part of the story ARC. I am not much taken with story ARCs either. Many books I adore construct a world in which not a whole lot happens.
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My editor tells me I am short on character development. She says, fine, you have written a picaresque novel, all fun and games and no clear goal. She's got that right.
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Folks, what is your conception of character development? Educate me as to why it matters. I just don't get it.
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Hi, Mimi.
Well, as you know, I'm still learning the ropes of Craft. I've not had any fiction published yet, but I'm thinking--hoping, really--that I've gotten the hang of Character Development. Emphasis on the 'hoping'.
As far as I've been able to comprehend, Character Development is as you expressed below: A character growing over the course of the story through struggles, etc. Whether they change for the better or the worse is the question.
BUT--and I do mean 'but' in capitols--there are stories where characters don't change over the course of the novel or series. I've read some of them--I thought they were fun and that the characters personalities were fleshed.
What I mean is, the characters in these novels have already gone through hardships and have already developed their 'growth', so to speak.
So, to sum up, there's two types of Character Development that I know of (Seasoned writers probably have more):
1. Where the characters grow and change throughout the story
2. Where the characters don't change at all
Now, as for why Character Development matters. Well, it matters because without development, characters aren't as believable. Readers want characters that suck them into the fiction, that feel so real that we start to forget they're not. If a character is one-dimensional, we don't appreciate the story as fully. Complex characters with fresh personalities is a key component to fiction.
I'm hoping that helps clear things up for you. If I'm wrong, I'm betting another member will set me straight.
Newbie Writer, Amber--edited by Amber Wolfe on 4/22/2015, 9:05 PM--
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Helloooooo Mimi.
I have returned to aid you on their quest. To me, character development is crucial to any story. Your characters must relate to the readers/audience in some way. Your characters got to have emotions, thoughts, dreams, ambitions, strengths, weakness, etc. If your readers can't connect with the characters they will not care for the characters.
Take example the characters from Bridge to Terabithia. Both Leslie and Jesse are very help developed characters that they've come to grow on you and you love them until it's heartbreaking to find that Leslie died. You feel some connections to both of them that it hurts when one goes and the other goes through the hard stages of grief. Bad character development is Twilight. Let's face it, it sucks. The characters are so bland and deadpan that tombstones would be more interesting to read about. I care nothing for them. I hate all of them. Bella, Edward, and Taylor Lautner all suck.
Also show rather than tell. Show how your characters feel or react than tell us. Even a paragraph with no dialogue and the only a single character looking around and expressing how much he/she appreciates life great character developing.
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Haha! Zach, you're totally right. Twilight does suck  --edited by Amber Wolfe on 4/22/2015, 10:02 PM--
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@Amber- Thank you very kindly.
@Mimi- Here's a link to help you out. http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/the-9-ingredients-of-character-development
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Joined: 11/17/2011
Posts: 1016
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Thanks, Amber and Zach. I am trying to come to grips with my editor's remark that although she likes what I have done with my character, it is not character development. I have given my little jerk all the foibles, feelings, and neuroses of any of us. I have him react, dissect situations, question his motives and decide to hell with it, he is what he is. He couldn't be any more human than I have drawn him, though he's a cat. This isn't character development? I'm trying to get a reading what what is meant by the term in current literary usage.
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Joined: 3/23/2015
Posts: 12
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As the story progresses, if the character undergoes a certain change, that can be called as character development. It is vital in every story, and characters' development are an important topic in bookclubs as this development connects the readers to the character. An example is when a tsundere character warms up over people because of a particular event. --edited by genfr1tzie on 4/23/2015, 10:16 AM--
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Joined: 11/17/2011
Posts: 1016
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Yeah, that's kinda what my editor says. Well, what I hope is that a reader connects to my guy because they're curious to see how much more absurd I can make him. I have written a farce. For him to mend his self-centered ways would ruin it.
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Joined: 6/7/2013
Posts: 1356
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I guess I hadn't ever thought about the term that way before, but I think that often, an emotional journey for the MC is a big part of character development.
So looking forward for you to post the new draft. I will keep this topic in mind when I review!
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Joined: 11/17/2011
Posts: 1016
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Ok, here's the other big complaint my editor has, another thing for you to keep in mind. This one I'm going to try to deal with, but not before I put it up here, for it's going to take some work.
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She says all my characters sound alike, and I have to admit she's right. I'm going to try to make the kids more kid-like, the king more incoherent, my baker's daughter more street-smart/lower class sounding, etc. Tweaks. The thing is, almost all my characters are looking out for number one, and they're all pretty good at it. And they're all screwballs. This 'alike' comment, to my mind, is the big thing I have to come to terms with.
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Joined: 6/7/2013
Posts: 1356
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Ah, Mimi, that's a hard one! I'm struggling with that myself in a project I haven't posted yet.
But so great that you have such specific feedback questions that you can ask of your reviewers! I know you are going to get some great ideas once you start hearing from your next round of beta-readers.
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Joined: 11/17/2011
Posts: 1016
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I do explain why the kids sometimes sound so adult. Sly has anticipated them being asked inconvenient questions and has taught them needful replies, mostly in regard to an English diplomat they are friends with known as Boots. Aside from that, I have to get more boyish squabbling into their mouths.
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Joined: 6/7/2013
Posts: 1356
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Mimi--All the details you are teasing out about the new version sound like a riot!
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Joined: 11/17/2011
Posts: 1016
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I
will post Sly – The Novella (working title) by the end of next weekend. I need
to fix up punctuation. Also, I have removed several chapters that will be fed
back in for the full book one, and I want to add to my notes on the king’s frenzied
attempts to get the cat baptized. My king, knowing that the cat intends to make
a long, perilous journey, is mad to find a way to protect the animal’s immortal
soul and gain him access to heaven if he should ever repent his heretic ways. (The cat has a moral sense, though it's spotty. Isn't that evidence of a soul?)
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The
final chapter of this novella/teaser/excerpt makes references to a long-running conflict of world views that is the source of much friendly sparring. I removed a lengthy episode to construct
a streamlined novella, to test the waters, and to be an impetus for me to start
the art. I may decide to stuff that back in for publication, but this is my
thinking for now.
--edited by Mimi Speike on 4/24/2015, 5:29 PM--
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Joined: 10/14/2012
Posts: 229
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Hey Mimi
My editor got me to do a personality test, answering the questions 'in character' for each protagonist. 'Briggs' as I recall. This then gives a character fit... to clarify things in the writer's own mind. I found it pretty useful, especially as particular personality types tend to clash/gel in conversation.
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Joined: 11/17/2011
Posts: 1016
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My problem, Michael, is that almost all my characters are operators. And there's not one of them who's satisfied with the hand that life has dealt him/her. ZaZa, the baker's daughter, presents the same problem I have with the kids. My archbishop is training her to pass as a lady. He sees her as a competent queen for a numbskull prince. The kingdom can't take another incompetent monarch, and Zagi thinks he's doing his patriotic duty with his matchmaking.
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BUT ... my characters are not all alike. They are all screwballs in their own special way. I have to figure out how to convey that through interior monologues, for in their speech they tend to put up a front. I'll think about all this, make my changes, and post it at the end of next week.
--edited by Mimi Speike on 4/25/2015, 12:07 PM--
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