Character Development

Creating Memorable Characters

A flat character is perfectly predictable. A memorable character surprises us, yet their actions feel inevitable in hindsight. To achieve this, you must understand their deepest fears, their most guarded secrets, and their greatest desires.

The Psychology of Dialogue

In real life, people rarely say exactly what they mean. Dialogue should be an exercise in subtext. Let your characters talk around the issue, deflect, and use words as weapons or shields.

Character Arcs

A positive change arc involves a character believing a "Lie," encountering the "Truth" through the events of the plot, and ultimately changing their worldview. Not all arcs are positive—some characters fail to change (tragedy) or change their environment instead of themselves (flat arc).