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Lesson 8: What is Character Development?

Honestly, this is the most important aspect of your book; the character development. In this chapter we will be discussing the ways to develop characters, its significance and a few basic tips you should keep in mind to create memorable and unique characters.

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What is meant by character development (literally)?

Character development can refer to either the task of sitting down and creating a character (working out their appearance, history, mannerisms, and so on), or it can refer to the change a character undergoes during the course of a story.

Why is character development important?

There are basically two types of novels; the plot driven novels and the character driven novels.

The character driven novels are those in which the whole novel focuses on the development of characters and are more related to the psychological effects on the character. Such type of novels are quite difficult to write but those who succeed in writing these are usually top writers. Character driven novels are more seen as part of syllabus for psychology students rather than on avid bookreader's shelves.

The plot driven novels are those which focus on the plot progression, the biggest example of which is Harry Potter itself. Plot driven novels require a strong storyline and effective scenes.

However no matter what type of novel you are writing, the character are easily the most significant part of it because these characters are what the readers will remember most if they are developed eloquently. The goal is to make your readers feel something for your character. The more they care about them, the more emotion they'll invest in your story. And maybe that's the secret. So in short words, every novel is basically a character driven novel.

In the light of above paragraphs, it is convenient to state that character development constitutes a major part of a story and should be paid utmost attention. If the plot is unique and hooking but the characters are lousy and one dimensional, then no one will be interested in continuing with the story and are most likely to quit right after the first few chapters.

What are the basic ingredients for character development?

Now we are going to take into account the basic ingredients effectively used for developing characters. These nine elements are what you need to ponder at in order to ensure that your character is distinct and developed.

1. Communication style: How does your character talk? Does she favor certain words or phrases that make her distinct and interesting? What about the sound of her voice? Much of our personality comes through our speech, so think about the way your character is going to talk. Her style of communication should be distinctive and unique.

2. History: Where does your character come from? Think out his childhood and adolescence. What events shaped his personality? What did his father do for a living? How about his mother? How many siblings does he have? Was it a loving family or an abusive, dysfunctional one? What events led him to the career choices he made? You may not need to provide all this background to your reader, but it's good to know as the writer. It helps give him substance in your mind as well.

3. Appearance: What does she look like? This may be the least important ingredient to make your character a person to the reader, but you should still know it in your own mind. Not every character needs to be drop-dead gorgeous, by the way. Most people aren't.