Skip to main content

Questions tagged [character-development]

Anything pertaining to developing the details associated with characters in your writing.

3 votes
3 answers
208 views

How to write from the perspective of a neurodivergent character?

I’m stalled in writing the second novel in my series because I’m stuck on how to present the antagonist. I have an outline of his character, and know what happens, but I don’t know how to write from ...
J.D. Ray's user avatar
  • 954
1 vote
1 answer
146 views

Portraying recovery from trauma in the right way

How do I show a character going from being unhinged as he gets desperate to heal and isolate himself from his trauma (yes, this happens) to actually healing from it? My story features people who are ...
Christiana's user avatar
10 votes
4 answers
3k views

When should you reveal the motivations of a villain?

A common mistake in creative writing is to create a villain without a clear motivation for their actions. Every villain should have a reason for their behavior, even if it is not a justifiable one. ...
Sayaman's user avatar
  • 14.9k
2 votes
1 answer
159 views

I have inadvertently made my character depressed... what should I do about it?

I have inadvertently made my character depressed. She's a minor character in my science-fantasy novel, and exists to tie together some of the plot lines. As I wrote her, this 18yo woman turned out to ...
Monty Wild's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
184 views

How to write someone who wants desperately to have emotional bonds but pushes others away because they feel they don't deserve it?

So, the viewpoint and main character in my novel is a character who had a very bad beginning. Born as a slave, she was torn from her parents and subjected to many horrors, few of which I elaborate on, ...
Kale Slade's user avatar
  • 2,643
2 votes
4 answers
294 views

How could I write a tragic, depressed character without making them completely unbearable/hateable?

In the middle of my epic, the deutertagonist's love interest gets brutally killed off and she is forced to watch. For the third quarter of the story, she is trying to deal with the pain and trauma. ...
Crafter's user avatar
  • 505
2 votes
2 answers
203 views

How to have subtext with a character who's blunt, direct and straightforward?

I know what makes dialogue interesting is what characters don't say as much as (or more than) what they do. How do I achieve this with a character who prides herself on 'saying it like it is', and not ...
aurorajack's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
60 views

Is it ok to make characters fit unique and parodic archetypes?

Is it ok to make characters fit unique and parodic archetypes, especially when trying to write a dark, gritty and realistic story? I was watching a video on the famous film director Akira Kurosawa, ...
Sayaman's user avatar
  • 14.9k
0 votes
2 answers
78 views

Is it more challenging to write a good story where the gods are too powerful when they're not the main characters?

Is it more challenging to write a good story where the gods are too powerful when they're not the main characters? I don't think I've ever heard of a good story where the gods are omnipotent and they'...
Sayaman's user avatar
  • 14.9k
2 votes
2 answers
235 views

Can I make an irredeemable character likeable?

In my fantasy epic, the protagonist is a destined chosen one who will defeat the dark lord (at least that is what the sorcerer propaganda says.) About 3/4 into the story, he eventually meets the ...
Crafter's user avatar
  • 505
1 vote
3 answers
104 views

Can your character gain crucial knowledge off-screen?

Can your character gain crucial knowledge off-screen? Let's say your character is a young adult and doesn't know anything about geopolitics, and then there's a 2 year time skip and he's a ruler with a ...
Sayaman's user avatar
  • 14.9k
1 vote
0 answers
76 views

How do I show character development in a subtle and natural way?

I'm writing a 4-6 book series, with a female in her late 20s as the protagonist. It's in first person, and I'm struggling to think of how to show her development without having to spell it out and it ...
Kate's user avatar
  • 31
1 vote
4 answers
157 views

How do I balance a strong narrative and the option of multiple choices?

I am currently writing a story for an RPG I will make. For this RPG, it is supposed to be a sandbox and open-world game. It also gives the player multiple choices and pathways as they play, giving it ...
Crafter's user avatar
  • 505
-3 votes
3 answers
230 views

How can I further develop this warrior fantasy story of mine? [closed]

My fantasy story is about an 18-year old knight who was trained from 5-years old to 18-years old as a knight. He is an expert when it comes to using a two-handed double-edged longsword as a weapon. He ...
James Lange's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
94 views

How do you write a complex, multi dimensional hedonistic character

Exactly as the title says. Getting really caught on how to write a detailed hedonsitic character who derives pleasure from ?kind of? immoral things; copious amounts of sex and drugs, killing etc. I ...
let her solo me's user avatar

15 30 50 per page
1 2 3
4
5
51