Character development

[Forloyn]

I didn't know weather I should post this here or in General Discussion, but this area just seemed more apropret for this Discussion.

 

As some of you know I don't normaly 'start' discussions but this topic has been bothering my for some time.

 

Is there such a thing as overkill on Character development? post your ideas all of them I trully want to know.

[Pyro]

Hmmmm good question, the answer that I see is yes. If youstate to muich about the charecter instead of spreading it all out in the story then you can kill the charecter before it lives. But if you don't give them just enough then you will also lose them. It is a fine line so you have to tread carefully. Go slow and see where it wants to take you.

 

Pyro :-)

 

P.S. Why do you ask??

[Bill W]

I think J.K. Rowlings is a perfect example of how character development should be done. You begin by giving enough information to get the reader started, letting them know enough about the main character to care. Then you gradually add bits and pieces over time, and as one special friend keeps reminding me - 'then you SHOW, not tell' them about the important character traits.

 

Over time, the reader will gain enough information to even begin to guage how your character might react in certain situations, but most importantly, the reader will also CARE about what happens to that character. This doesn't mean they have to love or admire each character, because sometimes it's just as good, or better, to have them want a character to get what they deserve or what's coming to them too. Love and hate are opposite ends of the same spectrum and both are good ways to get the reader involved.

 

That's only the way I see it, but I hope it helps.

 

Bill

[dkstories]

Character development is always something difficult to achieve for many writers. One of the best examples I've seen was in a book called "Dhalgren", I believe by Samuel Delany. The main character starts with little or no real memories and develops as the story goes along. What makes it even more interesting for me was how the main character kept wondering about what the people saw in him as the story progressed.

 

My aunt bought me that book when I was twelve years old, and I kept it hidden for years and years. I wish I still had a copy of it, it'd be fun to read it again. Now, I'd NEVER recommend that book for anyone younger than...fourteen at least, but it sure did give me plenty of ideas.

 

Why? The main character was bi-sexual and with my strict, religious family they'd have died if they ever found out that the book had sex in it, much less sex with MEN as well as women.