How To Develop A Character For A Character-Driven Story?
What is essential for a character-driven story - except, obviously, appearance?
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I've never been entirely sure what the distinction between plot driven and character driven is supposed to mean. Story is the intersection of character and event. Character without events is psychology. Events without character is history.
None of the definitions of the concept I have read are really definitive and they don't really seen to agree with each other. The nearest distinction I can find that might fit is between a story that primarily give the pleasure of vicarious experience (being a policeman or a cowboy or an astronaut) and the pleasure of meeting a person.
A story whose principle aim is to give the vicarious pleasure of imagining oneself a policeman needs characters, because policemen meet characters: the partner, the captain, the villain, the mentor, the pretty girl who is not all she seems. We have met these characters before, and we will meet them again. And again. And again. These characters are archetypes and you can follow a template to generate instance of the archetype.
But in a story whose principle aim is to introduce you to a person, that person is not an instance of an archetype, generated to fill a role in a plot. They are a person. You don't invent people. You observe them. The drive to create a "character driven" story, if this is what the concept means, comes from an encounter with, and observation of, that person. This is not to say that such a character is a literal portrait of a single individual. Sometimes they are an amalgam of several people. But the point remains that observation, not invention, not a formula, are what drives their creation.
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Character-Driven Story Is Driven From Self-Concept
Self-concept is one of the strongest powers on earth. That's because so many people have self-concepts which put them at odds with the world around them. Self-concept drives the actions a person takes. Because it is so real, it is the essence of what we search for in our stories.
Self-Concept Drives Real People
People act from the foundation of their self-concept. They follow actions that are based in the belief of who they are. Your characters -- if they are to be real -- must do the same.
American Idol: (Failed) Self-Concept On Display
Consider those terrible, awful, singers, auditioning for a spot on American Idol, who sound worse than a cat with its tail caught in a door. One of the judges, like Keith Urban might ask, "Well, how do you think you did?"
"I think I killed it," the contestant answers.
The horrified judges stare. Blink. Blink. The cat with its tail caught in the door has evidently grabbed their tongues. They cannot speak. Why would this obviously terrible singer believe he is good?
One reason: self-concept.
Maybe the singer is joking? Sometimes you see the judges laugh because they cannot believe the singer is serious.
"You don't really believe you are good do you?"
The smile slides off the contestant's face. "Uh, yeah. I love to sing. I don't know how to do anything else." Self-concept is about to take a beating.
It is at this point, the contestant either cries (full on blubbering) -- realizing that maybe the self-concept is incorrect. Or, the more fascinating and often occurring response is that the contestant becomes angry.
Self-concept erupts. "Who are you to say? Some people like this kind of thing. My mother loves to hear me sing."
"Are you sure? Is she usually in the same room when you are singing? Maybe she's out at the grocery store or something."
More anger.
Then, J Lo tries to ease the contestant down, "Baby, it's a no." The soft sell. Get the crazy guy out of here and make sure he gets his meds before he kills us all. Now that his self-concept is bruised and battered, anything could happen.
Example of how it might work in a story:
Push Character Up Against His/Her Self-Concept
What we need is Herman, an inveterate philatelist who is mid-thirties but still lives at home with his mother. He loves stamps. He knows the historical story behind each stamp he owns. He stares at them for hours memorizing small details of each. You learn that his stamp collection is worth a huge sum of money, but that doesn't matter to Herman. He loves stamps.
Meanwhile he pines away for the girl next door who is gloriously beautiful. (I'm having to tell here instead of showing you guy's tongues fall out of their mouths as she walks by, because telling is faster for this summary, but believe me, she's a knockout with curves in all the right places.)
Herman has a discussion with her as she's arriving home late one evening and trying to get rid of the guy who took her out.
"Why do you go out with him if you don't like him," Herman asks.
In a moment of honesty she explains that the gentleman has a huge net worth -- "that's right, Herman, he's rich and I like being pampered. I suppose you think I'm terrible" she says and brushes his face with a hand.
"I could never think you're terrible, Ophelia."
Ophelia gets into her house leaving Herman to contemplate. Instant realization of what he must do lands inside Herman's mind like a boulder smashing through a wall: I must sell my stamps.
They're worth millions. Ophelia would marry me.
Self-Concept: Stamp-lover
But, he loves stamps. Now the faltering of the self-concept. He has to alter his self-concept. Sell the stamps, get the girl. But the stamps are the essence of who Herman is and his entire meaning in life.
You Can See How This Will Turn Out
Of course, you know how this is going to play out? Herman is going to sell the stamps, spend his money on wild living with the painted lady and then lose her too. Then, where will his self-concept be? Completely trashed. No stamps. No beautiful girl.
That's The Power of Self-Concept Playing Out In A Story
If you get the self-concept correct with your character it will drive your story and your story will be completely believable.
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My advice (Probably not helpful advice, but still)
Make the character relatable You have probably heard this a million times, but it is important. Many readers, including me, are turned off by relatable characters. And I've also learned "relatable" does not mean "average". The character could be the leader of an empire, but they're still human. They have good points, and they have flaws. It's a part of life. You have to flesh out your chatacters.
Do not let the character take backseat It is a character driven story. The character is as important as the plot, if not more. I have seen too often the following scenario: The plot takes over, and the character is forgotten. The character is still there, they're just leaning back and watching. This cannot happen.
Hope this helped!
This post was sourced from https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/23376. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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