I've spent a lot of time reading in
the past few months. I've gotten back into the Game of Thrones Series, and I
re-read Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None". Between them
and watching Downton Abbey, I wound up thinking a lot about character in writing.
Building believable characters
means they have to be more than just props to fuel a plot, even side characters
have to be more than a two dimensional trope filling space around the hero. I'm
not saying they have to be perfect, but quite the opposite, they have to be
imperfect in a way that sets them apart from a casually contrived paper doll.
They have to have motivations that fuel their actions, and believable reactions
to their situations.
One thought that I've been focused
on a lot in the past few weeks as I look at the characters I want to write, and
characters others have written, is that deep down, almost everyone lies to
themselves. It's a perfectly human coping mechanism.
Some lies are altruistic, "I know
I can save the princess!" He cannot possibly KNOW that, and if your
reading something like Game of Thrones he'll more likely die, horribly, than
succeed. He's lying to himself to build confidence and faith in himself and
his mission.
Other lies are more destructive,
"I had to kill him! There was no other way! I'm not a cold blooded
murderer!" This clearly paints a character desperate to reconcile their
actions with their own guilt, or the judgment they know they'll face from
another. Even the character himself doesn't really believe his words, and that
insecurity and desperation can easily creep into their actions causing them to
be reckless or unnecessarily judgmental.
As a reader, we have the unique
perspective to look at a characters entire path, from beginning to end. Even as
the character chooses not to believe a gristly truth, or they convince
themselves of a more optimistic future, we as the reader can see. Sometimes the
imminent danger is so obvious to us, from our view, that we can't help be
shout, "Can't you see he's lying to you!" or "Don't! It's a
trap!". Yet within the narrative, the character instead embraces those
comfortable lies and falls headlong into peril.
A truly good book keeps you reading
even if you've become furious at the character for what they've chosen. Even if
you hate the character for becoming the opposite of what you hoped or expected,
you may still find yourself reading, turning the page, and going even further.
Ultimately we find it hard to walk away from characters that are real,
characters who believe in certain truths, and believe in certain lies because
we want to know how they evolve from what they are.
The worst thing you can do is
create a character that is flat, boring and without depth. That character might
not anger anyone with their choices, but they won't win any devotion either. Two
dimensional characters are not real, so we don't care if they get thrown away.
If you want anyone to care about your characters plight, they need to have a
depth that is relatable. They have to think, they have to feel, they have to
lie.
So what lies does your favorite
character believe?
