How to Develop Characters for Literature

For many of us, literary characters have stayed with us as we've grown and some may have shaped us to become who we are today. From the classics to the modern stories, all have strong characters that often stay with the reader. Developing such a character can be difficult or easy, depending on how much thought and time the writer spends on developing the character.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Define your characters. The developing or main character is the person who undergoes changes throughout the tale and usually is the main point of view in the story. The flat character is one who can be described in a single sentence, not at all complex. The foil is a minor character who has opposite characteristics to a major character, thus giving contrast. The round is a character who is very complex. The static character doesn't change from beginning to end. The stock is a stereotyped character, the minor is a character with a small role within the story, the existential is a real or fictional character that changes willingly and the hero or heroine is the leading man or woman in the story, usually a person who is above average compared to others in the story.
2. Relax while working to develop characters as this can take time. Don't try to push ideas into your head just to create something. Many writers say their characters are often voices inside their heads just bursting to escape. The main character is a completely different person from the writer, but more often than not some qualities shine through.
3. Think about the characters' environment as well to help you form their personalities. When developing characters for literature, the reader must know everything about the character so that when the character makes a decision or internally thinks about something, the reader can understand why.
4. Give your characters identities by thinking about why they act the way they do and why they make the decisions they make. Usually in your story, your main character must face an obstacle, then overcome it in some way. You must develop the character so the reader will have no questions left about his or her decisions at the end of the book.

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