Flat characters are two-dimensional figures that don’t change and remain uncomplicated throughout the work. Round characters show complexities, develop through the story, and surprise readers from time to time. Did you find any of the methods mentioned last week helpful? If so, I’d love to hear about it! Our conversation inevitably led to the round versus flat character comparison, so that’s what we’ll address today. Don’t forget that a reader will notice how well you researched your characters by how they fall on the page. Do they respond as humans or do they react because of a role they have to play? If they are playing a role, is it because of a need to play that role or simply because it’s the role dictated by the author? The first shows a character who understands he or she is playing a role that could have unforeseen consequences the second is a speed bump in the story so that the plot can wend toward its foreseen end.Last week we discussed researching your characters, the processes some writers use, and some other ideas you might use. They are the Prince Charming’s and Maleficent’s with backstories.Īs for deciphering if the characters are round or flat, it comes to an assessment of their behavior. They are transformed, for good or ill, by the circumstances against which they’re the pitted. They are people who struggle with hope, fear, desire, anger. They may be based on archetypes, but their types are altered by the existence of their humanity. Round characters are three-dimensional ones. Their actions are dictated by the roles they have to play (see: Prince Charming) rather than the characters they are or ostensibly could be. They’re often archetypal but without the saving grace of personality. They are one-dimensional, the cardboard cutout. They might have some really good lines, but they’re still a part of the backdrop. Flat characters tend to exist to move a story forward. He or she is the character who might receive a “best supporting” award, but it’s unlikely. The problem, except in the case of a plot-driven story, occurs when the main character, usually the protagonist but sometimes an antagonist, never leaves the realm of flat.Ī flat character is a stock one. Fiction houses two characters: round and flat.
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