Have you ever been excited to read a book, then disappointed by the time you finished it? You felt let down, like something was missing. You determine that the author didn’t focus on character development. This is a big mistake, one that inexperienced writers often make.
Character development should be a top priority for fiction authors. Not only should readers be able to get to know the characters but relate to them (at least, the main ones) as well. Publishing a novel that lacks fully developed characters is like taking readers into a beautiful home that is empty inside. There might be a good plot, interesting setting, and potential for a great story; however, with undeveloped characters, readers will be dissatisfied.
Keep these character development tips in mind
Less is more when it comes to how many characters you should include in your next Christian fiction story. Character development is less daunting if you keep the number of people in the story to a minimum. In fact, part of your editing and revision process should always include a thorough review of characters to check whether any might be omitted.
Once you’ve decided which characters will remain, you can try the tips shown in the following list to help you achieve sufficient character development:
- Choose archetypes before creating characters, such as a hero, an orphan, a mentor, an antagonist, a caregiver, etc., bearing in mind that each archetype must be a good fit for the plot.
- Create a detailed physical appearance for each character.
- Add a personality to accompany each character’s physical traits, making sure to include unique flaws, quirks, or habits.
- Write a list of interview questions and think of how each character would answer them.
- Determine what desires, needs, goals, etc. each character possesses.
- Decide what the internal arc of each character will be as the plot unfolds—what is each character’s state-of-mind at the start of the story, how will he or she change, and what will his or her final condition be at the end?
There’s no such thing as “too much detail” when you are developing characters for a fictional story. While every piece of information might not make the final cut (because you might determine that some things are unnecessary) the more fully developed your characters are, the easier it will be to bring them to life in the story.
