The thing that shapes a story are two things: plot and characters.
Characters play a huge part and throughout everything they go through, they are not going to be the same person that you started your book with. That's okay, that's good. Everyone in life changes and your characters should change too.
For example, someone betrays your character? They don't trust as easy. They go through a traumatic experience? Nightmares, unable to sleep, panic attacks, mood swings, and symptoms of survivors guilt or PTSD.
Character development is a huge deal as they learn new things throughout the story.
When stuff happens, people change. You would change. You have to think of it as something real. My favorite examples for character development are Lydia Martin from Teen Wolf and Archie Andrews from Riverdale.
Lydia Martin. Season one. She's a bitch, she betrays her friend by kissing her friend's ex-boyfriend ( which, by doing so she cheated on her boyfriend ). She acted like an idiot, like she was stupid. She let herself be walked on by her boyfriend, she was just someone everyone hated.
Season two. She was just attacked by a monster ( werewolf ) and was dumped by her boyfriend. She's treated like dirt by him but she still loves him. It's this season that she changes the most, forming and really learning what friendship is. One of the moments in the show is Lydia talking to Allison ( her best friend ) and Allison is describing what it's like with her boyfriend and Lydia said she never felt that.
"What are you talking about? Lydia, you've had boyfriends before."
"None like that."
From there, she stops acting stupid. She's so smart, crazy smart. She's kinder. She's a great person.
Archie Andrews. Season one. He's an overall softie and a good guy. After the shooting at the end of season one, he's traumatized and does things he would've never done before. He hurts people, he sees things in a whole new light.
People change people, experiences change people. Be careful what you put your characters through, because it will change them. Don't ignore that.
(By Luna)
YOU ARE READING
THE COURTYARD. (WRITING TIPS)
Random"THE COURTYARD HAS GRASS IN THE OPEN AREA, IN WHICH A BIG TREE HAS GROWN OVER THE CENTURIES." in which the admins give you writing tips for your harry potter fan-fictions.
