Unsolicited writing advice, no. 362101: To make a character really come to life, you have to know how your story changes them. If your main character goes through the story and comes out completely unchanged, then you might need to reassess things. - ThreadSky

joannechocolat.bsky.social • 1 day ago

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 362101:
To make a character really come to life, you have to know how your story changes them. If your main character goes through the story and comes out completely unchanged, then you might need to reassess things.

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claraxiv.bsky.social•13 hours ago

Facts! I process all of it. Some changes her more than others. Just depends on the event.

marktierneymt.bsky.social•1 day ago

I'm assuming /s

radiomother.bsky.social•1 day ago

It’s all about change.

cobieef.bsky.social•9 hours ago

Counterpoint: unless that's the point of the story and it is intentional.

talishammas.bsky.social•14 hours ago

Great advice!

mjaum.bsky.social•1 day ago

So it’d be possible to build a story the other way around, too? What things could happen to change this character, and how? Or would that become too deterministic? (Not sure that’s the word I was looking for…)

joannechocolat.bsky.social•1 day ago

Absolutely. The relationship between the story and the characters is key.

mjaum.bsky.social•1 day ago

Thank you. That’s a very useful perspective I did not have before.

i-am-erk.bsky.social•1 day ago

That's one I've used a few times. Another start point is the old classic, what does this character need, and what do they think they need but are wrong about

tagonistknight.bsky.social•13 hours ago

Unsolicited writing advice. If you want someone you are writing about to feel real, stop referring to them as a character. Talk about them as if they are someone in your life. Don't play the role of a god dictating how their story plays out, let them reveal their journey to you.

tracereading.bsky.social•15 hours ago

Goes through the story and doesn't learn a thing, and all their friends move on without them because they went through the same adventure and didn't come out unscathed.
There are people like that in real life, who no matter what happens are just... static. Not always for the better to be that way.

joannechocolat.bsky.social•14 hours ago

Real life rarely makes for a satisfying plot.

crypticblue12.bsky.social•11 hours ago

But it's also fun when they have that one character trait that keeps coming back, like impulsiveness, or easily falling for someone they shouldn't. I like to make my readers say "Oh, no [XXX], don't do it again!" 😂

koenie.bsky.social•1 day ago

Thank you! I was in doubt because in my rewritten version, my character forgives the one who betrayed him in the end, and I was not sure if it was good to have him change his mind, even though he said in the beginning that he would never forgive. I needed to hear this!

pjlythgoe.net•1 day ago

Or start writing James Bond?

joannechocolat.bsky.social•1 day ago

I wouldn't call Bond a fully-rounded character.

pjlythgoe.net•1 day ago

More of a cardboard cutout. I got into a Bond movie underage. I'm not sure I've forgiven them for letting me in.

ryanlohner.bsky.social•1 day ago

The one exception to this is if the story is about the tragic consequences of them being unable to change (Hamlet being the classic example).

joannechocolat.bsky.social•1 day ago

Except that that in itself is a change, as is every lesson learnt.

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