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I would suggest starting with three very basic questions: What does he want. Why does he want it? Why can't he get it? If you can't give clear and consistent answers to those questions, you don...
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#4: Attribution notice removed
by
System
·
2020-01-03T20:41:51Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/25016 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added
by
System
·
2019-12-08T05:41:50Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/25016 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision
by
System
·
2019-12-08T05:41:50Z (about 5 years ago)
I would suggest starting with three very basic questions: 1. What does he want. 2. Why does he want it? 3. Why can't he get it? If you can't give clear and consistent answers to those questions, you don't have a character yet. In a plot-driven story, it is perhaps easy to lose the handle on these things, especially in revision. Character drives plot, so if you change plot, it is easy to end up with a character who no long performs the task of driving the plot. They may be left with inconsistent motivation. In a character driven story, you might have to change the plot to accommodate the logical way in which the character would behave. But if you are writing plot first, then you may need to reshape your character to convincingly drive the plot in the direction you want it to go. So then you are asking, "what kind of character would have a desire and would follow that desire in a way that would move the plot in the direction I want it to go?" Conceivably there is no such character -- no believable human motivation would create the plot twist you desire. In that case, plot may have to bend to the truth of human nature.
#1: Imported from external source
by
System
·
2016-10-24T04:47:49Z (about 8 years ago)
Original score: 0