The Formula to Developing Your Characters

Let me start off by saying I'm not declaring myself a genius at character development in any way, as I've only finished one novel. But I've read a lot of books to improve my writing, and have been following lectures from a few great authors, publishers, editors, and literary agents on the topic, so I've gained a lot of insight that I'm eager to share here for those who don't have the luxury of attending these lectures or who just want a brief summary.

Here are the points I'll be covering in this thread:

• Wants V Needs
• Lies Characters Believe
• Backstory
• Personality Traits
• Difference Between Protagonist, Main Character, and POV Character
• Executing the Protagonist's Arc

I'll be using some examples from other famous works to help illustrate the points, and guide you on how to apply them to your own characters. Hopefully, someone finds at least one of these points useful.

Alright, let's begin!

One thing each of these experts agreed on is that a common issue with new writers is that they haven't fully developed their characters, which is a huge issue in any story as it could lead to inconsistent and unrealistic plot points and overall poor storytelling. The first step to writing a well-rounded character is knowing their wants and needs. What motivates your character and how does that play into the plot?

Wants V Needs:

I cannot stress enough how both of these things must be stated clearly and concisely. This is what separates a good story from a mediocre one. You can have the most exciting plot in history, but if your characters are shallow and their motivations are unclear, you'll lose the reader.

Wants and needs are two different things, but they are entwined in the character's entire development. It is the essence of their existence. (Lol, that sounded cheesy). A good writer will have the wants explicitly stated right off the bat and the needs to be discovered throughout the story.

You might ask, but how can I clarify their wants when the plot point hasn't even happened yet?

Easy. Give them a smaller want first.

Ex. In Harry Potter, Harry wants to survive the Dursleys (& wants to be loved), although that want changes when he learns the truth about his parents and goes to Hogwarts. Then he wants to survive this deadly, magical school, be accepted as a normal wizarding student, and eventually become a great wizard (his desire for love remains). It's only after he overcomes various obstacles that his underlying needs come to light - the need to confront the resurgence of Voldemort.

A character's wants should serve as the driving force behind their actions and reactions, acting as both their moral compass and guiding them towards the pivotal point of their arc. Their needs should counteract those wants through conflicts that arise throughout the story, testing their resolve and interrupting them from achieving their goals while giving them a clearer sense of purpose.

This is a very crucial step, as it gives your character an internal struggle, helping your reader better understand their growth and the choices they make along their journey.

Lies Characters Believe

Once you have a basic understanding of wants v. needs, the next step is to determine the lies your character believes that prevent them from achieving their goals and will ultimately force them to change, thus creating character development.

Ex: Jon Snow from GOT believes that, since he's a bastard, he'll never amount to anything, and so he enlists as a member of the Nightwatch at The Wall. Yet, as his story progresses, he becomes a great warrior and leader who unites the Wildings and all of Westeros to save it from the White Walkers.

He's a natural born leader, even before learning he isn't a bastard and has a right to the throne. It's in his blood to rule. People gravitate to him, yielding to his commanding air. Despite his attempts to deny leadership, and his persistent belief that he's unworthy, his innate authority qualities continue to shine through, forcing him into the role he was born to be in. If that isn't an excellent example of a character development arc, I don't know what is. (A shame the movies understated his development)

Now, I know it's not all cut and dry when it comes to this. It's a talent to devise a falsehood that influences the character without letting the reader in on the secret. The truth surrounding your character doesn't always need to be overtly apparent to the reader, but it should be evident that they're holding themselves back by accepting this lie.

Backstory

Rules of Writing 101: DON'T INFO DUMP.

Although it's important to have a broad sense of your main character, it's best to introduce details gradually so readers aren't overwhelmed. The biggest points should span the entire First Act of your novel. Lesser details or facts not brought to light just yet can be added when it's relevant to the scene/situation/storyline.

In both Harry Potter and Jon Snow's stories, their history is given in increments and woven into the story naturally. They aren't stopping their daily lives to ponder their existence. It's delivered to the audience through dialogue (Hagrid and Eddarg Stark). And I know it's not always the case. For example, my MC's real identity is supposed to be a secret. So how does a writer impart those details without dialogue?

Research.

Read what works with other writers, and how they managed to deliver information without interrupting the flow of the story.

This is what I've found from my own research, and I'll share it here so you don't have to do the research yourself: Inner monologues are shaped by a character's setting; everything around them is already telling a story, submerging us into their daily life. A good writer employs the setting so that the narrator (MC) can recount their background as it makes sense with the scene.

Ex: Harry Potter waking up inside his cupboard under the stairs. This seamlessly helps the reader identify his abusive living conditions. It'd sound misplaced if J. K. Rowling started the story at the zoo, and had Harry thinking about his sleeping arrangements out of the blue. I get frustrated when I read this in other people's works and they try to pass it off as "flashbacks". Isn't he trying to escape that miserable setting? So why make him think of it when he's trying to enjoy himself at the zoo?

I think J. K. Rowling executed Harry's backstory very well. She shows as she tells. Editors and publishers exhaust themselves by constantly repeating this, trying to help new writers understand that immersive storytelling isn't just about describing the settings or emotions in vivid detail. It's about using everything in their arsenal, from the sensory elements to the event taking place, to transmit their character's story.

Personality Traits

You'd think this would be an easy one, but no. I've read a lot of best-selling books only to be disappointed by the MC's contradicting themselves. While I can still enjoy a story where the MC has a personality as interesting as a slab of stone, I can't stand when an author is inconsistent with their MC's identity.

Something I see often is a FMC who is fierce and intimidating, claiming to have an icy heart and has awkward social skills because she's been a loner her entire life. And then, in the next chapter, they fall out of character, complaining, have "witty comebacks", becoming stubborn, simpering over some guy, make reckless choices or cower in submission. These actions don't reflect the personality traits established in the previous chapters, and it completely throws me out of the story. I immediately DNF (do not finish) those books.

It's like a chef preparing a gourmet meal, only to serve a cold, bland dish.

Huh. I actually like that analogy. Writers are like chefs. We create something from scratch, trying to gather the right ingredients to produce a quality product. We don't just throw in random spices and hope for the best. This is tedious work and takes a lot of trial and error to produce the perfect dish.

Anyway, I'm digressing.

One thing to note that I learned from my research is that character development doesn't affect an MC's personality. Conflicts are meant to draw certain parts of their existing traits out.

I'll use an antagonist as my first example.

Usually, an antagonist will display beliefs/behaviors opposing the rest of the world's ethics (Thanos). Or they'll exhibit selfish behaviors; doing things that are self-serving, or they'll get agitated easily, prone to violent and aggressive impulses. Of course, there are smaller cues, such as internal fury over something not going their way. Or they're slightly governed by envy or greed or grief (Anakin spiralling into darkness). Regardless, they already exhibit certain qualities of a villain, but those traits are amplified throughout their story with every conflict that arises. There's no sudden switch. A reader won't respond kindly to that. Their arc needs to make sense, and the same goes for every character in a novel.

A hero doesn't abruptly go from a sniveling coward to slaying a dragon when they're confronted by one. A hero starts with ambition, and is driven by the injustice they see surrounding them. They're sick and tired of watching their family starve and be abused by an unfair system. They're motivated by this inner voice telling them to have courage and take action, to be the change they wish to see in the world.

Character's need a strong foundation of traits that they won't stray from regardless of what challenges they face. Those obstacles are only there to strengthen key traits and mold them into the character we see in the end.

Ex: Jon Snow is honorable to a fault. Oh, my god, he is the epitome of noble, always doing what is "right" even if when costs him and other people their lives. He goes through many obstacles that shape his character, influencing his mindset as he grows, but this he never strays from. His honor is tested many times, with greed, violence, seduction, death, and yet he never diverts from his true self. This was why people loved his character. His identity was unbreakable.

In summary, whatever traits you decide to give your MC must be their foundation, and you have to back this up with scenarios demonstrating their conviction to their identity to convince your reader they're not a cardboard cutout. Have their interactions with others illustrate the qualities of their nature, and importantly, don't stray from them.

Difference Between Protagonist, Main Character, and POV Character

This, to me, is perhaps the most exciting topic out of all the ones I've covered so far. Not many people know how many types of characters there are when it comes to the narrative. I'm not talking about whether something is written in the first or third person. I'm talking about having a story that follows multiple people who have distinct functions, and the primary conflict affects each of them differently.

Alright, so the easiest way to distinguish between the three is by example, so I'm going to use Pirates of the Caribbean.

Elizabeth Swan is the Point of View Character, the one we see and understand the story through. She's the one who introduces us to both Will Turner and the Pirates as a young girl aboard a vessel while crossing the dangerous ocean. We see the Black Pearl's signature black sails from her perspective, setting the stage for the adventure we're about to embark on.

Jack Sparrow is the Main Character, and his role in the story is to be the subjective driver of the narrative. The dynamic between him and the other characters is an important aspect of the plot, as his arrival is the catalyst for all the events to follow and he often changes the course of the story.

Will Turner is the Protagonist (hero). He's the one who undergoes the biggest transformation, going from being an upstanding member of society as a simple blacksmith to breaking a Pirate out of prison, and learning about his pirate heritage that he eventually embraces as his own. He's the one we root for the most, and is driven by motives we can all relate to; saving the love of his life.

All of these characters are introduced in the first Act. Each of them has their own varying personalities, motives, and inner conflicts. Yet while they stand apart in their respective roles, together they influence the story in a major way. They're not just an ensemble cast, they're the backbone of the entire movie.

Same applies to your novel. When writing multiple POVs, you need to have a clear idea of who each of them is and what they contribute to the narrative. Not everyone in your novel needs to be a protagonist. In fact, it's best if they're not. It makes for a more dynamic story.

Executing The Protagonist's Arc

Having a story centered on a Main Character doesn't automatically make them a protagonist if they don't experience some kind of change by the end of the story, but as I said prior, not every MC needs to undergo change. While arcs make the character's journey more meaningful and keeps the reader engaged, it's not always essential. But in case anyone was wondering about the different arcs a protagonist could have, here are the four outcomes:

1. Moral ascending: become a better person by the end of their journey. Prince Zuko from Avatar the Last Airbender falls into this category, as does Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter, redeeming themselves by the end of the story.
2. Moral descending: exactly as it sounds, the character takes the path of darkness. Anakin Skywalker is the most renowned character for this development (though I will say his switch from a protector to a child killer was a bit jarring and sudden, feeling out of character, especially considering he was expecting a child of his own). I'm placing Will Turner in this section, too, because by the end of the movie, he frees Jack Sparrow again, and eventually becomes a degenerate Pirate himself.
3. Transformational: their morals may not change, but they show growth by becoming smarter, more daring or cautious, and learn to overcome their weaknesses by turning them into strengths. A common character trope for this is the plain [mortal] chosen one who hones their skills to save the world. Harry Potter. Katniss Everdeen. Bilbo Baggins. Jon Snow.
4. Flat: it's contradictory to the whole point of an arc, as these characters don't demonstrate much change, but it needs to be included for the sake of the "rules of literature". Sherlock Holmes is a good example. The only character growth we see in him is in his relationship with Watson and the dread he experiences at losing him. Otherwise, he's relatively consistent with his disposition.

Whatever transformation you chose to give your character, stick with it.

Alright, well, that concludes my article. I hope this reaches someone who could benefit from one or more of these points. It took me a while to understand how to build a well-rounded character, and if I could save someone from having to do that extensive research themselves, then I will :).