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Governing Right
Governing Right
On Character Development

On Character Development

Two types of change that make characters human and compelling

Andy Smarick's avatar
Andy Smarick
Oct 24, 2024
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Governing Right
Governing Right
On Character Development
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The weekly Community Day column is for paid subscribers only. I discuss the most interesting and challenging aspects of writing fiction. To receive this column and support my other writing, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to Governing Right.

Great. You have the perfect idea for a story. Plot. Twists. Tension. Resolution.

But what about the characters? How do you keep them interesting? How do you make the reader care about the people involved in the action?


As a writer, when you’re dedicated to the story, your characters can inadvertently become kind of lifeless. They can end up as afterthoughts—robotic, one-dimensional figures built to make the plot function as you’d like.

But for the reader to care about the plot, she has to care about the people wrapped up in it. And if she’s to care about those people, the writer has to think hard about character development.

All meaningful characters should change in the readers’ eyes in two ways. The first way would exist even if there’s no plot to speak of, even if there is no real action. It’s the filling out of the character’s character. Think of it as the stuff you’d learn if you had a long, intimate conversation with the character over a relaxed meal.

Your dining partner wouldn’t reveal everything about himself during the nice-to-meet you phase. It would be weird if he tried. Too much; too personal too fast. Instead, you’d get basics. Hobbies, job, siblings. You’d probably get some white lies too. Heck, he wants to make a favorable and memorable first impression.

This surface stuff, if done right, will get you intrigued. Maybe you will, after all, order an appetizer. But if he just talks about his sister and work incessantly, you’ll get bored. Probably pretend you have to get up early in the morning so…

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