Tip#2 Characterization Part 1

If you ask me the most important feature to consider when creatively writing is characterization. Characters are a vital part to any story, and if you have bad characters that can ruin the story. Unlikable characters are something you must always try to avoid. This goes for protagonists and antagonists. I will give some tips about making good characters here. In this post I will focus on villains as the methods used for one aren’t usually usable for the other. The first tip is to avoid making a one-dimensional character. While it isn’t always bad and can serve a purpose. You can have a big bad villain as the obstacle the protagonists overcome, however readers can find it to be much more enjoyable for readers if the villain has depth to them. Understanding where a villain is coming from can make them sympathetic character, and lead to a possible redemption if that is what you want to do. At the same time, you do not want their reasons for their actions to be given in the first act. It would be wiser to wait until somewhere in the second act to reveal their past. Then you can act upon what the characters have learned in the second act in the third act. In order to redeem a villain is it must be believable. If someone slaughters an entire race for something, chances are they are not redeemable in the slightest. What they have done must be handled in a way that their change of heart is believable. On the opposite end of the spectrum, if a villain is not going to be redeemed their defeat must be natural and explainable. It is annoying when a plot device or deus ex machina is required to defeat the villain. It is far better to have their own character flaws lead to their undoing. That is all I have for this week. Tune in next week for the protagonist tip.