Keeping Consistent Characters
Originally, this post was going to be called "Who Are You and What Have You Done With My Protagonist?" but I recently read that post titles should never be longer than 5 words. I'll try taking that advice, but no promises.
We've all been there: a favorite character from a book or TV show does something which advances the plot, but is totally inconsistent with who they are. Sometimes this is lazy writing. Sometimes it's a failure on the writer's part to effectively get backstory across, or the product of some really badly-planned foreshadowing ("Of course she was going to stab him! Didn't you see the dark cloud cross the sun in episode three?"). Sometimes, and I think this happens especially often with TV, where you can't go back to Season One and re-write for consistency, the writer has just written himself into a corner and this is the only way out.
Reasons aside, it's a disappointment when this happens. The writer and the reader of any work of fiction have an implied contract: the writer keeps telling a good story, doesn't jerk the reader around too much, and the reader/watcher keeps reading/watching. Inconsistent characters are a major breech of this contract.
So how do you keep your characters consistent? Here are three surefire steps to get it right:
1. Know your character.
This one is really simple. Know their personality, their backstory, and what they are likely to do. If they need to have a secret, be a red herring or the unexpected traitor, know that from the beginning. Your reader doesn't need to know, but you do. It makes a difference.
2. Know your story.
The only way to avoid ending up in an awkward plot-standoff with no way to move things forward other than having a character act ridiculously, is to plan things out ahead of time. Have your major players in place. Map out the plot to avoid putting yourself, your characters, and your readers, in that position. If you're like me and can't plan plot ahead of time, prepare yourself to do lots of drafts and a decent number of diagrams.
3. Know when to break the rules.
Sometimes, the best twists are the ones even the writer didn't see coming. These occasions may be rare, but they are the ones where no usual rules apply. Sometimes your characters will surprise you, and that's a good thing! That means you're doing your job, creating characters that breathe and grown and change and do surprising things. Just make sure that the action is really coming from the character, and not your need to propel the plot forward.
When was the last time a character you loved broke continuity for the sake of plot? Let me know, and don't forget to subscribe by email in the sidebar!
Happy Wednesday!
We've all been there: a favorite character from a book or TV show does something which advances the plot, but is totally inconsistent with who they are. Sometimes this is lazy writing. Sometimes it's a failure on the writer's part to effectively get backstory across, or the product of some really badly-planned foreshadowing ("Of course she was going to stab him! Didn't you see the dark cloud cross the sun in episode three?"). Sometimes, and I think this happens especially often with TV, where you can't go back to Season One and re-write for consistency, the writer has just written himself into a corner and this is the only way out.
Reasons aside, it's a disappointment when this happens. The writer and the reader of any work of fiction have an implied contract: the writer keeps telling a good story, doesn't jerk the reader around too much, and the reader/watcher keeps reading/watching. Inconsistent characters are a major breech of this contract.
So how do you keep your characters consistent? Here are three surefire steps to get it right:
1. Know your character.
This one is really simple. Know their personality, their backstory, and what they are likely to do. If they need to have a secret, be a red herring or the unexpected traitor, know that from the beginning. Your reader doesn't need to know, but you do. It makes a difference.
2. Know your story.
The only way to avoid ending up in an awkward plot-standoff with no way to move things forward other than having a character act ridiculously, is to plan things out ahead of time. Have your major players in place. Map out the plot to avoid putting yourself, your characters, and your readers, in that position. If you're like me and can't plan plot ahead of time, prepare yourself to do lots of drafts and a decent number of diagrams.
3. Know when to break the rules.
Sometimes, the best twists are the ones even the writer didn't see coming. These occasions may be rare, but they are the ones where no usual rules apply. Sometimes your characters will surprise you, and that's a good thing! That means you're doing your job, creating characters that breathe and grown and change and do surprising things. Just make sure that the action is really coming from the character, and not your need to propel the plot forward.
When was the last time a character you loved broke continuity for the sake of plot? Let me know, and don't forget to subscribe by email in the sidebar!
Happy Wednesday!
Ok, personally? I just love the title, "who are you? And what have you done with My Protagonist?"
ReplyDeleteand addendum? these hoops that the web designers make you leap through, just to post a comment, are horrendous. I can't decypher all those squiggley types!!!!
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