The Length of Character Development

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SampleGuy

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For novels or a novel series, how much writing does it take to develop the major characters through their story? How much development will they need before you proceed to write the action scenes and conflicts? Can there be little development or they must be complex as you write them. To me, I like to write more action stuff than get into my characters' personal life. It just bores me when I write my own stuff.
 

Aggy B.

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I like my characters to become increasingly more complex throughout the novel. I usually accomplish this be revealing things they haven't told the other characters at the beginning, and then building based on how others react. Secrets reveal layered motivation and create conflicts which must be resolved through emotional growth. Or remain unresolved and cause further problems which then require emotional/character growth.

Aggy, writing novels like onions
 

Chasing the Horizon

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I usually let my characters develop in my head for a while before I begin writing about them.

As for what actually goes on the page, though, I don't open with much in the way of character development. I go straight to the action and conflict, with maybe a few paragraphs explaining why the character cares about what's happening (or maybe not, if why they care would be obvious). You want to grip the reader's interest right away, and for most types of books that means conflict from the very beginning, not a lengthy section of the character thinking about themselves. From there I let the characters develop as the action and conflicts unfold. Their reactions to the plot and their choices and interactions are what reveal them to the reader at the same time that everything else is happening.
 

Laer Carroll

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Maybe when PLANNING we like to spend a lot of time creating the character and figuring out who s/he is.

But when WRITING the story it's usually not a good idea to present the character in a big fat lump, and only then go on to the action. I try to do as the two previous posters do: show the character more and more as the story develops.
 

CathleenT

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I'm in agreement with previous posters. My books are more character-driven than plot-driven, so if I waited until the characters were developed, it would be the end of the book before anything happened. Besides, it's more interesting to show the growth through actions and dialogue anyway, so for me at least, they go hand in hand. Every scene is meant to both develop the character and further the plot.

I started by developing the characters only in the first chapter, and the critters at SYW told me I needed to show some change at the same time. I think the result was a better chapter, even though there are things I miss about my original one.

So I'd say, start with action by all means, but have it be action that develops your characters.
 
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Layla Lawlor

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I kinda feel like anything that bores you will probably bore your readers also. Some people love loads of character development! But a lot of readers like straightforward action without getting bogged down in the characters' personal lives, and honestly, if writing scenes like the latter is dull for you, then those scenes probably won't sing on the page either. For what it's worth, I fall closer to the "more character development" end of the spectrum, but I still think if you feel like you're having to force it, it's definitely better to write the story as it comes and then let it find the right readership rather than trying to force it to fit a readership that's not your natural audience.
 

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I prefer to develop my characters through their decisions and reactions as the plot unfolds. Scenes meant strictly for character development aren't doing enough. You can do them occasionally, but don't hit the reader with fifty pages of character development before anything happens.
 

Jamesaritchie

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The last thing I worry about is character development, unless it's a coming of age story, or a redemption story, and then I don't try to pace it.

It it took a lot of writing and character development before you could write an action scene, it would be pretty darned hard to open with action or conflict, yet this is probably the most common type of opening by far.

Characters just need to be real, three dimensional people. That's it. I think you're concentrating far too much on some advice you heard or read, most of which can't be followed outside of story.

Just tell a story, make your character three dimensional, and don't worry about that kind of advice.
 

maddicharmed

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I usually let my characters develop in my head for a while before I begin writing about them.

As for what actually goes on the page, though, I don't open with much in the way of character development. I go straight to the action and conflict, with maybe a few paragraphs explaining why the character cares about what's happening (or maybe not, if why they care would be obvious). You want to grip the reader's interest right away, and for most types of books that means conflict from the very beginning, not a lengthy section of the character thinking about themselves. From there I let the characters develop as the action and conflicts unfold. Their reactions to the plot and their choices and interactions are what reveal them to the reader at the same time that everything else is happening.

I definitely agree with you, 100%. I like to develop my characters quite intensively before writing about them or starting my novel. I also like to jump right into the action and like to both reveal and develop my characters through their reactions to events. As well as revealing secrets that characters may have not revealed in the beginning, or them finding out information about themselves or those around them. I think that this is one of the best ways to develop your characters.
 

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I don't develop my characters right away. Instead I outline the plot, the possible arc of the MCs; however, the characters can only grow if I'm writing them into situations that pushes them towards progression. If I fail to see any real development, I will write in additional obstacles and try and drive the characters to the brink so they're forced to reveal their true selves.
 

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For novels or a novel series, how much writing does it take to develop the major characters through their story? How much development will they need before you proceed to write the action scenes and conflicts? Can there be little development or they must be complex as you write them. To me, I like to write more action stuff than get into my characters' personal life. It just bores me when I write my own stuff.

In a typical, character-driven story, the main character (as well as any other important characters) should develop throughout. Every scene you write will be moving their story forward and revealing new things about their character.

Start your story when it starts, but be sure you keep this in mind as you write. It may be somewhat dependent on genre, but starting with a scene that exists only to introduce your character is not likely to have good results.

Note that "action" in a story does not have to mean a car chase or sword fight or the character falling out of an airplane or anything. But something interesting and story advancing should be happening in the opening scene.

Think of how some of your favorite stories have started. How did those writers pull the reader in while showing them who the main character is?
 
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Sonsofthepharaohs

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For a reader, characters "develop" through what they do, not what the author describes about them.

The bird put it well. This comes under the 'show, don't tell' umbrella - you can spend five pages telling us your character is compassionate, loyal and brave, or you can show her standing up to bullies who are picking on her friend and let your readers form that conclusion for themselves.
 

Jamesaritchie

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In a typical, character-driven story, the main character (as well as any other important characters) should develop throughout. Every scene you write will be moving their story forward and revealing new things about their character.

Why?
 

Motley

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Characters develop throughout the entire story because of the events that happen to them and the choices they make. How can action and development be separate?
 

owlion

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I think a huge part of most stories is showing how the character grows and develops over the course of the story. Most of the time, the story will be about the character(s) and so, as one of the main focuses, they should develop like the story itself should.

So I always start with a (hopefully) fairly believable but also flawed character (in the sense they're missing something/too focused on one goal etc.), then through events in the story, they're given the chance to grow and change their perspectives and sort of 'grow up' in a sense.
 

BethS

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For novels or a novel series, how much writing does it take to develop the major characters through their story? How much development will they need before you proceed to write the action scenes and conflicts? Can there be little development or they must be complex as you write them. To me, I like to write more action stuff than get into my characters' personal life. It just bores me when I write my own stuff.

Characters are developed through the actions they take and decisions they make in response to whatever conflict they're confronting.

So you really can't "develop" a character except through story action.

You can create a portrait of a character, and fill in shadings of backstory and emotion and desire, but it will still just be a portrait. A character only develops when put through the conflict grinder.
 

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If characters can develop through action and the choices they make anyways, then what would make them flat and dull in a poor action story?
 

Roxxsmom

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For a reader, characters "develop" through what they do, not what the author describes about them.

caw

This is basically what I was trying to say, though with a better economy of words.

And even if the character gets "stuck" on something for a while, it's still contributing to their character development in the long run. Showing how they handle being stuck is also an important aspect of the story.

If characters can develop through action and the choices they make anyways, then what would make them flat and dull in a poor action story?

If their actions aren't congruent with the person they've been up until now, and there's no clear reason. Or if they make the choice to do something that's normally out of character for them, and there is a reason, but there's no resulting tension or conflict. If their actions have no real consequences, and they never have to sacrifice anything. If they are written as if they were just a bunch of external actions with no thoughts or emotions. If they come off as a simple "canned" archetype or stereotype. If it feels like they're dolls being forced down a predictable plot path on a cardboard set by the author.
 
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Chasing the Horizon

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If characters can develop through action and the choices they make anyways, then what would make them flat and dull in a poor action story?
I would say there are a lot of things that could make a character seem flat in a story. It could be that the plot is too easy or poorly suited to them, not driving them to make hard enough choices or creating any internal conflict. The character could be too flawless, their reactions could be too predictable, or there could be a lack of explanation and reasoning behind their decisions. The dribs and drabs of backstory sprinkled throughout a good book are part of what give characters color too, how their past influences their present and future.

Developing a good character in your mind is the easy part, really. You then have to balance different elements of showing them to the reader through their thoughts, words, and actions.
 

BethS

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If characters can develop through action and the choices they make anyways, then what would make them flat and dull in a poor action story?

Could be any number of things. They are there to serve the plot rather than creating the plot through their actions and decisions. Their motivations and responses are not credible, or are lacking altogether. They never change or grow. Etc.
 

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You can do both, of course. Reveal character thru the action and start right off with the later. And then add to the character, like Aggy says, as you go along. That's how I go about things. Seems to flow naturally enough. Whatever does the trick of course. I've read lots of novels where the characters were fully developed before anything really major occurs and they read fine.
 

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Some characters don't develop but these tend to be detectives/spies, characters who need no other explanation other than it's their job to do 'x' or 'y'.

The plot in mystery/thriller stories has less to do with the characters wants/desires and all to do with the mystery itself. It sounds like you might be writing one of those stories. It might help to give your MC a character flaw/quirk that makes it harder for them to either do their job directly or to work with others to get the job done.

Although it's a bit worn it can give some obstacle for them to overcome. Google Static Characters. Indiana Jones & Bond are two examples. :)
 

Dave Williams

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Louis L'Amour, who was vastly more successful than I will ever be, once answered a critic who claimed his characters were mostly stereotypes. L'Amour's answer was, basically, that writers often use stereotypes because real people tend toward conformity with existing stereotypes.

He further commented that sometimes a stereotype character was a type of boilerplate; just as you don't always need to describe every single part of a setting in detail, the same for a character. You only need to describe enough for the reader to identify the stereotype, and any differences from what the reader might expect, and then you can go on with your main story without bogging down in character development.

L'Amour wrote stories about events, characters populated them mostly that events might proceed in an orderly fashion. Naturally, if your story is character-based, you need much more development there.
 
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