If you’re new to writing, learning how to develop characters that are both relatable and complex can feel like it comes with a steep learning curve. While you may worry that you can’t write an imaginary person that feels “real” and compelling, the reality is you can- and it’s easier than you think.
Let’s start by visualizing your favorite character. What makes them memorable? If you chose Harry Potter, it might be his deep sense of survivor’s guilt. For Katniss Everdeen, it might be the unconditional love for her sister. And in Feyre Archeron’s case it might be her unshakable will to survive. Whoever you’re envisioning, the writer who developed that character started- just like you- with questions on how to develop characters with complexity and depth.
When considering how to develop characters for a compelling narrative, the most important piece is understanding the core of what makes them tick. Without knowing who they are, what drives them, and how they evolve, your story may lack depth and emotional resonance. This is where knowing how to develop characters comes in, particularly when it involves shaping their character arcs.
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Below are five aspects to know about your main character to deepen their journey and create a rich, transformative arc. These five points will help you uncover not just their backstory, but also the underlying motivations that shape their behavior throughout your narrative.
1. Dark Moment Story
Every protagonist faces a defining moment in their past—their “dark moment.” Learning how to develop characters with backstories based on their “dark moment” is a vital step to understanding who they are.
A “dark moment” refers to a pivotal event where your character encounters their greatest challenge, fear, or despair. It often represents the lowest point in their journey, pushing them into a place of hopelessness or defeat.
This moment also serves as the catalyst for your character’s internal transformation and additionally tests their resilience and forces them to confront their flaws and inner demons. Understanding this backstory is essential, as it shapes who they are at the start of your story.
Broad Example: Perhaps your protagonist’s dark moment is when they lost a loved one or faced a major failure that left them feeling unworthy. This dark moment will influence their choices and actions throughout the narrative, as the grief from the first example surfaces at inconvenient moments, or their fear of being unworthy keeps them from trying again to achieve their dream.
Specific Example: Tony Stark (Iron Man from the Marvel Cinematic Universe)’s “dark moment” comes when he is captured by terrorists and realizes the weapons his company created are being used for mass destruction. This is a turning point for Tony, as he finally confronts the destruction caused by his own inventions. This realization leads him to create the Iron Man suit and dedicate himself to protecting the world, fundamentally changing him from a self-absorbed billionaire to a hero.
Dark Moment: Realizing his weapons are causing harm and destruction, Tony decides to take responsibility for them.
2. The Lie They Believe
The next step in how to develop characters that resonate with readers is called “the lie they believe”. The “lie” your character believes is a misconception they have about themselves, others, or the world. This false belief creates their internal conflict and influences their decisions, actions, and motivations.
The lie often stems from the dark moment and represents a distorted view of reality. Over the course of the story, your character will either overcome this lie, leading to growth, or they may fail to confront it, resulting in a tragic outcome. This is a crucial element in how to develop characters that pull at the heartstrings of your readers. We all have these misconceptions that plague us, thus we can all relate.
Broad Example: If your protagonist believes they are unlovable because of past trauma, this lie will influence how they approach relationships, avoid emotional risks, or react to challenges. If they believe they are powerless because they weren’t able to speak up against prejudice in a past event, it evidently shapes their belief that they cannot initiate change in the world. Their deepest fear is that no one will listen.
Specific Example: Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games) believes that she is only valuable because of her ability to protect others and that her worth is tied to being a provider and survivor. This belief drives her actions throughout the series, especially when it comes to protecting her sister, Prim. Her journey involves realizing that she can be valued for who she is, not just what she can do for others.
Lie: Katniss believes her only value is in her ability to protect her loved ones, which pushes her to make self-sacrificing decisions.
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3. The Wound They Suffered
The emotional or psychological wound is the injury your character carries from their dark moment. It is a key element of how to develop your character. This wound profoundly impacts their present behavior, thoughts, and motivations.
Tied to the lie they believe, the wound is a crucial driver of their internal conflict. It’s the emotional scar that makes them who they are, influencing their interactions with the world and others around them. It colors how relationships and events are faced throughout their story, and is also an important piece of their overall development.
Broad Example: The protagonist may have suffered from betrayal in the past, leading to a deep mistrust of others. This wound makes it difficult for them to form meaningful connections or be vulnerable. An anti-hero who turns to crime after feeling that the justice system failed them as a former victim of a crime.
Specific Example: Elsa (Frozen) suffers from a deep emotional wound tied to the fear of hurting others with her powers. After accidentally harming her sister, Anna, as a child, Elsa is traumatized. She spends years isolating herself from her family and the world to avoid causing further harm. This wound profoundly influences her behavior, leading her to shut everyone out.
Wound: Accidentally harming her sister as a child leads Elsa to believe she must suppress her powers and stay distant from others.
4. The Resulting Flaw
Here’s where learning how to develop your characters starts coming together as a complete picture. From the wound and the lie emerges your character’s flaw. Moreover, this is a defense mechanism that they’ve adopted to protect themselves from further pain.
This flaw shields them from getting hurt again, and stunts their personal growth and creates obstacles in their relationships. This flaw often serves as a central point of their internal conflict. Overcoming it is key to their character arc and it’s the reason your story exists.
Example: A protagonist who has been betrayed may develop a cynical worldview, pushing people away to avoid being hurt again. This cynicism could hinder their ability to trust even those who mean well. Maybe you’re writing about a widow who is recovering from the unexpected death of her husband. She might develop the view that nothing in life is certain. Consequentially, she decides to finally travel the world like she dreamed of as a younger woman.
Specific Example: Bojack (Bojack Horseman)’s flaw is his self-destructive tendencies, which stem from his deep-rooted insecurities and trauma from childhood neglect. Despite his success as an actor, Bojack continually sabotages his relationships and career, unable to overcome his feelings of worthlessness. But his flaws manifest in toxic behaviors, such as substance abuse and lashing out at those who care about him.
Flaw: Bojack’s tendency to self-sabotage and push people away is a defense mechanism born from his past pain and feelings of inadequacy.
5. The Resulting Fear
Finally, the fear is the deep-seated anxiety or concern that stems from the character’s wound and flaw. This fear drives their decisions, often preventing them from taking risks or stepping out of their comfort zone. It keeps them locked in old patterns of behavior, acting as a significant obstacle to their growth. The character must confront and overcome this fear to achieve personal transformation and a fulfilling arc.
Broad Example: The protagonist might fear abandonment, which keeps them from forming close bonds. Their fear prevents them from trusting others, leading to isolation and missed opportunities for happiness. The villain was ignored by his parents and his peers as a child. In adulthood he feels the need to lash out in dramatic and increasingly more public ways. He craves the attention he fears he doesn’t deserve.
Specific Example: Daenerys (Game of Thrones) fears that she will never truly be accepted as a ruler or be able to break the cycle of violence and oppression that has plagued her family’s legacy. This fear drives her actions and decisions, pushing her to make increasingly aggressive choices to assert her dominance. Eventually, her fear of being weak or unworthy eventually leads to tragic decisions in her final arc.
Fear: Daenerys fears being seen as weak or losing her claim to power. It leads her to make devastating decisions to protect her position.
Conclusion
Understanding these five elements—your character’s dark moment, the lie they believe, the wound they suffered, the resulting flaw, and the resulting fear—will help you create a complex and emotionally resonant character arc. Your character’s growth, or lack thereof, is driven by their struggle to confront these core aspects of their identity. Whether they overcome these obstacles or succumb to them, this process will ensure that your protagonist’s journey is not only engaging but also deeply impactful for your readers.
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