Character is Plot

Every book or film I’ve ever loved has had the same thing in common: good characters. And by ‘good’, I don’t necessarily mean they were good people. In fact, many of my favourite characters are those who are morally questionable. What I really mean by ‘good characters’ is that they were well-rounded, relatable, and flawed.

Most writers strive for their characters to feel real – which is, of course, a ridiculous idea, since they are figments of our imagination, and the reader knows this just as well as we do. What we really want is for our characters to capture the essence of what it means to be human, with all the struggles and conflicts that entails. Because let’s face it – life isn’t easy and nobody’s perfect.

One of the most important lessons I learnt whilst studying creative writing at university is that character is plot. This was a recurring message across many modules by different tutors, and for a very simple reason. People are interested in people.

Paradoxical Characters

Paradoxical characters a great starting point for a story. By creating a paradoxical character, you create a dilemma, which is the foundation for your plot. For example: An unloved lover. A babysitter who hates children. A child who is a carer. Without knowing any further details of their situation, you can see the predicament each of these characters is in. And that is your starting point to build a plot.

The paradox is often born out of a conflict between what the character wants and what it is that they need. Wants and needs are not to be confused with one another when developing a character. They can be related – for example, the character’s wants may serve their overall need; however, they are more effectively used when they work against one another.

The concept of paradoxical protagonists created the premise for my short story The Dress, which follows Katie – a teenaged party-girl, who is also a struggling single mother. In the story, Katie wants to act like other teenagers, but she needs to take care of her child. She wants to buy nice clothes, but she needs to pay her rent to keep a roof over her and her baby’s heads. Equally, while she wants attention, what she needs is emotional support. Sometimes what a character believes they want is not actually in their best interest. And their journey to learning this can pave their development throughout a narrative.

Character Flaws

Fictional characters should not be perfect. While they need to be likeable (to some degree, at least), it is more important that they are relatable. And in order to be relatable, they cannot be perfect. They need to have their fair share of faults. Because who would be interested in a character who does no wrong? And how would they develop if they had nothing to learn?

Using character flaws to generate plot is one of the oldest tricks in the book. Anyone who has studied Shakespeare’s tragedies will be familiar with the power of fatal flaws. For example, in Othello, the titular character’s fatal flaw – jealousy – drives much of the plot. Whilst Iago largely pulls the strings throughout the play, he is only able to do so by manipulating Othello’s pre-existing jealous tendencies.

Of course, in Shakespeare’s tragedies, the characters rarely got the chance to learn from their mistakes, because they ended up dead before they could. Instead, it was the audience who got the benefit of the moralistic lessons. But if you keep your characters alive long enough, their flaws and mistakes can provide pivotal turning points throughout a story.

Balancing the Good with the Bad

As much as your characters need flaws, it is important that they possess good qualities too. You need to give your readers a reason to root for them – and if they are a complete nightmare, this is not going to happen.

When writing her novel Emma, Jane Austen is known to have said “I’m going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.” And as promised, Emma Woodhouse is a selfish and conceited snob. Yet, I still root for her. Because, despite her many faults, she is also intelligent, honest, and loyal to those she loves, and she learns from her mistakes.

It is also important to give your antagonists some endearing (or at the very least understandable) qualities. If you don’t, they will read like a pantomime villain. I’ve made this mistake in the past, and I can tell you, characters who are all bad are just as unsuccessful as those who are all good. As with your protagonist, it is important to make your antagonist feel real, or they will not be believable. It is also important to remember that an antagonist does not necessarily need to be a bad person. They are merely somebody who your protagonist is in conflict with.

The importance of well-crafted characters cannot be overstated in the world of storytelling. Whether there are good, bad, or anything in between, the essence of humanity and its inherent struggles are what make characters truly come to life.