From Believable to Brilliant: The 3 Pillars of Dynamic Character Development

We're unlocking the secrets to taking your characters from believable to brilliant. Ever wonder what makes characters truly unforgettable? Join us as we explore the three key pillars of dynamic storytelling that will elevate your characters and captivate your audience.

Find out the essential elements that will transform your characters and keep your readers hooked, as well as tips to excel at each. (Curious about what these pillars are? You’ll have to listen in to get the scoop!)

BONUS ALERT!
Zena is also teaching a special online course with Write Spirit starting August 28th! If you’re serious about taking your character development skills to the next level, this is for you. The course will dive deep into crafting dynamic characters and give you hands-on tips to enhance your storytelling.

The course will cover:
- Detailed techniques for developing unforgettable characters.
- Interactive sessions to work through character development challenges.
- Personalized feedback to refine your storytelling craft.

Sign up here for the Character Course with Write Spirit and get ready to transform your characters!
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/catholicartinstitute/1339688

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Ever wondered why some characters stick with you long after the story ends?Are you ready to take your character development to the next level? Let's dive into techniques that make characters truly resonate. There's three areas of focus that you need to nail if you want to have a great story that readers love.

[00:00:17] Zena Dell Lowe: Hello and welcome to the Storytellers Mission with Zena Del Lowe, a podcast for artists and storytellers about changing the world for the better through story.

[00:00:28] Today I want to talk to you about one of the most crucial aspects of storytelling, character development. How do we create characters that are not only believable, but also unforgettable?

[00:00:40] Well, it starts by understanding that characters, of course, are the driving force of the story. They shape the narrative. Everything that happens in the plot happens because of them. And they are the emotional bridge to the audience. Without great characters, We don't care about the story. If you don't develop the right kinds of characters, we just won't care.

[00:01:02] So it is the link to the emotional bond that you have to create with your audience. Without well developed characters, even the most intricate plots will fall flat. So, understanding how to craft great characters that resonate deeply with readers and audiences is essential for any writer who is aiming to create impactful stories.

[00:01:25] Now, I find that there are three major areas that we can focus on as writers when we are trying to craft the main character of a story.

[00:01:33] and when we understand these three areas, it will save us so much time later. It will help us to keep on track as we're writing that story, and it will make sure that our characters come alive in the moment. However, before I share these three areas

[00:01:47] , would you please like, comment, or subscribe to this podcast? Your support is crucial for us to be able to continue providing high quality content. So if you haven't already, just take a quick moment, hit like and subscribe right now.

[00:02:01] Okay, enough of that, let's get started. Okay, the first main area of focus, number one, you have to understand character arcs and how they play into your story.

[00:02:13] The real issue of the character arc is the character's internal emotional change. What we want to know is how are they going to change over the course of the telling? How did they start and where do they end up? Are they changing? And if they are changing, what causes them to change? What motivates that change?

[00:02:33] Are you justifying it? Character arcs are the essential building block of your story. it's really the hook that everything else hangs on. It is, with very few exceptions, if your character does not change for better or worse over the course of your telling, then there's really no reason for your story to be told.

[00:02:56] The whole point of the story is to see that character change, to see them grow, To see them become the person they were always meant to become. Whether it's a positive transformation where they become the hero that they were built to be or a tragic downfall and they fail to become that heroic figure, it doesn't matter.

[00:03:18] It's about the Internal struggle, the struggle to get there, the struggle to change, the struggle to adopt the new idea that's going to get them there, the struggle to overcome that flaw that keeps holding them back. It's about the complex internal struggle that they must overcome to finally arrive. A well crafted arc is what makes this possible.

[00:03:41] It's also what makes your audience care about your story. It's what makes this possible. Your characters resonate deeply with your audience, and it's what makes them want to keep reading your material. Now here are some common pitfalls in crafting character arcs. Number one, inconsistent growth. Now what do I mean by that?

[00:04:02] Well, I mean characters that change suddenly without any proper development or justification. And when you do this, you confuse the audience. You make the arc feel forced. We don't buy it. It lacks credibility and believability, and therefore it makes the whole story meaningless. So you want to make sure that you're not undermining the power of the arc that happens in your story.

[00:04:28] Number two is if your characters lack an internal conflict. See here's the thing, in order for the character to arrive at the change, they have to fight for it. for it. At the end of the day, story is about a character struggling and fighting to overcome obstacles to get something they want. But that also means that they're struggling internally.

[00:04:51] They are suffering. And so if they don't struggle internally, then they're going to appear flat and uninteresting. But this also happens when you have characters who keep rehashing the same issues over and over and over without really taking any action. This will really annoy us as a viewer. You don't want to make your characters ambivalent.

[00:05:13] You want to make them active. So you want to torment them. They, they are torn between different possibilities. They are torn between what's right and wrong. They can struggle with that. They can agonize over it. But then you have to make them act. If they stay in an ambivalent State to the point where they don't act, then they're passive and passive characters are the kiss of death in story.

[00:05:38] Okay, number three, predictable arcs. The whole point of your story has to be to satisfy your readers by having your character change in some way. But if we can see it coming, if we already know how the character is going to change at the end of the day, then it's just not going to engage us. It will fail to captivate the audience.

[00:06:00] So, one of the best things you can do is to one, be terribly honest about what the character is going through so that we can see that struggle to change, but also to allow the change to happen in a way that ultimately surprises us. So even if they change in a way that we expect, how or where that change come from can happen in a way that ultimately surprises us.

[00:06:26] And that of course takes creativity to figure out how you're going to do that. The point is that we can't have predictable arcs. If the arc is too predictable, it will fail to engage the audience. Now here are some tips for how you can create a great story arc. The first one is, number one, you plan the arc.

[00:06:48] You want to outline the character's journey from the beginning, but this implies that you have to understand where they start, and then where they need to end up, and then you plan the arc. Periods or intervals where they actually take a step forward because the character can't change all at once at the end.

[00:07:08] They have to have slow incremental growth, which means that you need to know when those moments in the story are going to happen. That sort of take them one step forward and move them closer to becoming what they're supposed to be at the end. But notice that this also implies that you know what they want and need.

[00:07:28] The character's want versus their need is absolutely essential for every single story. You have to know what they want and they have to pursue it, which leads us to number two. You need to give them a clear objective. Your character needs to be pursuing something relentlessly over the course of the story.

[00:07:49] If they don't have a goal, then ultimately the arc can't happen. Or if it does happen, it's meaningless. It's pointless. Because it wasn't grounded in anything real. It wasn't grounded in the actual action of your story. But when your character is pursuing a goal, now they can change as a result of the suffering they undergo as they pursue that goal.

[00:08:12] so it's absolutely imperative that you give your character a goal to pursue. Okay, number three. You also, here's another tip for how you're going to do this, you're going to show and not tell. Too often writers think that they're showing when really they're just giving me exposition or they're telling me things that have happened after the fact.

[00:08:35] You want to demonstrate their growth throughout the story by giving us moments where we see the change Through the actions that they're displaying right then in the moment or the decisions they're making right now, and it's happening in front of us. They are discovering it right now rather than exposition, rather than letting the exciting stuff happen off screen.

[00:09:01] Right? This happens all the time where suddenly the writer is catching me up on what's already happened. Well, no, that means you took the dynamic stuff, the dramatic stuff, and it happened off screen. We want to see it now. It's a discovery. It's a discovery that your character has to make in the moment and that we get to make with them.

[00:09:22] And when you're doing that, now you're showing and not telling. Number four. You do this by including internal and external conflicts. You have to make sure that your character is facing both internal struggles and external obstacles. This creates a more layered and believable arc. So, for example, if your character is struggling internally with whether or not it is morally right for them to do such and such, they should also at the same time be struggling with external conflicts.

[00:09:54] of trying to catch the bad guy who is wreaking havoc in their world. And that actually should add to the internal struggle because now they want to maybe just off the guy instead of bring them to justice. And so they're struggling with both of them all at once. This makes the arc so much more believable and compelling to us when you have both internal and external struggles. Okay, so that was just the first point that we've talked about which is you need to understand character arcs. Now let's move to the second area that you need to focus on when you're developing characters. Number two,

[00:10:37] You need to build backstory and justify your character's motivations. A character's backstory and their motivations are the foundation of the actions and decisions that your character makes. We need to understand why they're doing something. It matters. Motivation matters. So that means that you as the writer need to spend time understanding your character's history.

[00:11:01] What drives them? What are their fears? Their dreams? What are the events that have shaped their life? What are the events that have shaped them? It's not enough to show them acting. Now that's important. They should be taking action. They should be driving the action of the story. But we also need to understand why they are taking the actions that they're taking.

[00:11:24] We need to know what's motivating them underneath it all. Why they are doing this or that. And this goes back to their initial want and their need. When you know these things, when you know their backstory and what motivates them, it will add depth that will bring authenticity to their journey, and it will also help audiences connect to them, which is essential.

[00:11:48] Now let me expand on this idea of motivation. Your protagonists ought to be heroes in the making, and they should be motivated by goals that benefit more than just themselves. Too often, the goal that a character is after or the why that they're after is a selfish thing. They're the only ones who benefit.

[00:12:11] Oh, I want to be seen and heard. Well, who cares? It only benefits them. It only benefits the main character. Whatever is their why should be something that benefits the community or at least benefits more than just themselves. Otherwise, they are selfish. And unlike villains who are often driven by selfish desires, your protagonists should have objectives and motivations for those objectives that reflect their desire to do good and to help others, to go beyond their limited scope.

[00:12:48] Now, this doesn't mean that they can't have personal stakes, and it doesn't mean that they shouldn't have something that they want for themselves, but they're primary. Reason for doing something their primary goal and motivation should have a broader positive impact than just because it feels good for them.

[00:13:08] For example, a hero might be fighting to save their family, but this act can symbolize a greater good, such as Protecting their community or even humanity itself. This distinction and motivation is crucial because it defines their heroism and endears them to the audience. This is why, by the way, revenge stories are often so tricky.

[00:13:30] Because when it's revenge, it's just about me. When it's about justice, that's different because now it benefits the community. so for example, the reason it's more justifiable or more palatableto have an anti hero story is when the world itself is not going to give them justice.

[00:13:49] The world that they live in is. It's so corrupt that there's no justice that's going to be had. so now it transcends the possibility of just pursuing it for their own revenge. Now a revenge tale has more to it because it's about justice. Justice for the broader good. And this is where I think some of Quentin Tarantino's stories either really excelled or really fell short because when you set them in certain worlds, yes, we need justice because there isn't going to be any from that world itself, the Django, right?

[00:14:22] Unchained. There wasn't going to be any justice in that world. So now it justifies the revenge because it's the only way to get justice, if that makes sense. Okay. So, again, the point is you have to give them reasons, motivations, that extend beyond what is personally beneficial to them. It should be for the broader good.

[00:14:45] It should be for the benefit of somebody else. It should be for more noble purposes. Give them noble goals for the noble reasons. Okay. Now the last area of focus I want to point out today is arguably the most important, and yet it is often the most overlooked.

[00:15:04] However, before I unpack it for you, let's take a moment to hear from today's sponsor. And guess what? It's not me today. It is the Catholic Art Institute. Now, the Catholic Art Institute is sponsoring new courses for writers through something called Write Spirit, and they have asked me to teach a six week online course on how to create great characters for your story.

[00:15:31] This course is just about to launch. It'll launch on August 28th, so there is time for you to sign up. Sign up and it's going to meet every Wednesday at 4 pm pacific time starting on august 28th and ending on august october 2nd Now this is going to be an excellent course because I designed it 90 minutes each wednesday We're going to dive deep into character.

[00:15:54] I'm going to give you all the essential ingredients that you need to know About how to create incredible characters So if you're serious about creating dynamic and compelling narratives, you want to click on the link provided in the notes and find out more about this course 

[00:16:09] Now this is whether you're a novelist or a screenwriter, this course is going to be awesome. So register today and take the first step toward becoming a master storyteller. Okay, now let's get back to the show. the third and arguably most important area to focus on when it comes to character creation is number three, showing dynamic character relationships.

[00:16:34] This is so often overlooked. People do not take the time to really flesh out, to really show us the characters in relationship with each other. And what that means is I want to know how they feel about each other. I want to know what that looks like. The relationships that they have with each other reveal their own traits, the main character's traits, their flaws, their strengths, their weaknesses.

[00:16:59] You want to explore the dynamics between your characters. How do they interact with their friends, their loved ones, their enemies? These interactions add deep layers to your story. So let me give you some tips for how you can create dynamic and compelling character relationships.

[00:17:19] Number one. Show me their power dynamic. Show me. Now this is important because I'm saying to show it to me. It's important to understand and portray who holds the power in any given relationship. Now your characters can have power in some relationships and not in others.

[00:17:38] For example, if they're with a boss, they might not have any power. But if they're with their significant other, they might have all the power. Or if they're with their kids, they might have all the power.

[00:17:47] The dynamic can shift and evolve depending on who they're in relationship with, or depending on how they grow over the course of the telling. So maybe at the beginning they had no power with their boss, but by the end they're standing up for themselves.

[00:18:01] We see this type of thing all the time, but a lot of times writers don't show me. They do not show me the power dynamic. Establishing and revealing it now in action as it's unfolding is key to showing me the power dynamics of any given relationship and story. Okay, here's another tip. Number two, you want to ensure that both characters have goals.

[00:18:26] I cannot stress this enough. Each character in the relationship should have their own goal that they're pursuing, their own agenda, their own reason for being there. They can't just be there for the benefit of the other person. The mother has a life going on. They're doing something. And so everything that's happening in the story is unfolding as that is also happening.

[00:18:46] So they have something they want. They may not want to deal with this other person right then, but they have to because that's what's happening. Nevertheless, that's what creates the tension and drives the story forward. You don't want to have scenes where it's just two talking heads where nobody is driving the action or forcing hard conversations and pursuing a goal.

[00:19:08] I see this all the time where the scene is unfolding but no characters are actually driving it. They're not pursuing anything. So make sure both characters in any given scene, in any given relationship have a goal. What do they want to get from the other person in that scene? That's what you're asking.

[00:19:28] You should ask that at the top of the scene, of any scene that you're writing. What does this character want from the other person? And what does this person want from the other person? And then boom, all of a sudden those scenes are going to come so much more alive. Okay, here's another tip. Engage in the present.

[00:19:45] Make sure that your characters are actively engaging with each other in the present. Show their discoveries now and how they impact relationship dynamically. And what do I mean by that? I mean that so often what happens is that writers 

[00:20:01] have the characters tell me something exciting that just happened. But they didn't show me that in real time. Now we're just being informed about it later, which is exposition, which is boring and lacks dynamism. You want it to happen now, so have them engaging with each other in the present.

[00:20:19] Don't inform us later about what happened in that interaction when they finally got together. We don't want to be informed of it later, we want to see it happen in the now. It's harder to do that, which is why so many people don't do that. It's harder to flesh out the scene and let the dialogue It is so much easier to just say, well, you know, we got in a big fight, but we resolved it, but we don't want to be informed later.

[00:20:43] We want to see it happen. That's where the magic is. So make sure it's happening now, right in front of us. It's unfolding. We're discovering it just as your characters are also discovering it and experiencing it. Okay, here's another tip. Number four, show me the magic. How they feel about each other. One of the things that so often I'll have writers do is they will fail to give me any sort of insight or indication as to how the other character feels at any given moment in the scene.

[00:21:16] We should especially know how your main character feels about any other character that they come in contact with. By their behavior. This isn't about telling me if you're writing a novel, he liked her. It's about showing me that he liked her by his behavior and the things that he says because dialogue is an extension of action.

[00:21:37] Show me, show me, show me. Don't tell me, but show me. Let me interpret how they actually feel about the other character because of the visual cues that you're giving me in their behavior and their actions. Please do not just tell me straight out. It takes away the magic. But it's imperative that I know how they feel about the other characters.

[00:22:00] Okay. So remember, great stories are built around great characters. If you don't have great characters, you won't have a great story. But character development in and of itself is a journey. And you need to master the tools. By investing in your character's arcs, their backstories and motivations, their relational dynamics, how they feel about the other characters at any given moment in a scene, showing and not telling, doing all of these things, you will create a world that your readers will immerse themselves in and fall in love with, and they will not be able to wait to keep devouring everything that you create with those characters. I hope that this has been helpful to you. Don't forget to sign up for the character course that I'll be launching on August 28th with Right Spirit. 

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