“Unlocking the Secrets: What Truly Breathes Life Into Compelling Characters?”
Have you ever picked up a novel only to find the characters feel like cardboard cutouts? Ugh, it’s the worst! If you’re a writer—or even just an avid reader—you know how crucial it is for characters to breathe life into your story. They need to be relatable, multi-dimensional, and—let’s be honest—more interesting than your average Tuesday. In this piece, we’re diving deep into the core traits of character design, exploring what separates the captivating from the utterly forgettable. By examining elements like motivation, backstory, and character arcs, we’ll uncover the secrets to crafting unforgettable characters who resonate with readers. So, whether your protagonist is a quirky underdog or a brooding antihero, get ready to enrich your storytelling! LEARN MORE.
The Short Of It
Core traits in character design for narrative fiction
There are a lot of elements of character building: how they speak, how they look, how they act, their tragic backstories, and their character arcs. All important in developing a well-realized character that will pop in the mind of the reader and fit into the narrative of your story.
But it is very easy for those characters to be boring, empty shells, all flash and no substance, that no reader relates to if you miss out on some core elements of compelling characters.
Motivation
“Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.” — Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut said it best. It doesn’t have to be something grand that motivates your characters, but it has to be something. An absolute slacker character who goes to the ends of the earth to avoid all responsibility is still motivated by something. (Sounds like a good comedy presence, actually.)
Of course, motivation can also be grand — every superhero and chosen one is motivated to save the world. But ultimately, motivation should match the scope and genre of the story. To find love in romances. To solve the crime in mysteries. You get the picture…
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