Thread by @Joannechocolat

Okay, let's do this one today.Follow #TenWaysToWriteRoundedCharacters to collect them all!

https://twitter.com/aftabgujral/status/1592150476384243714

1. Broadly speaking, there are two types of character in fiction: flat and round. Flat characters exist to serve the plot, and we generally don't need to know much about them. Round characters are more developed, and tend to be your main players. #TenWaysToWriteRoundedCharacters

2. A very easy way to tell the difference is this: Flat characters don't change. Round ones are changed by their participation in your story, and by their interactions with others. The more they change on their journey, the more developed they are.#TenWaysToWriteRoundedCharacters

3. Some things I like to bear in mind when writing rounded characters: Their parents. Their background. Their education. Their culture. You'll need to know something about where your character has come from if you're to follow where they're going. #TenWaysToWriteRoundedCharacters

4. Ask yourself: What do they care about? Everyone cares about something. Do they have loved ones, pets, ideals, treasured possessions? What and whom do they care for, and how does this affect their behaviour? #TenWaysToWriteRoundedCharacters

5. With whom are they in conflict, and why? Are they involved in a dispute with their boss? Their neighbours? The establishment? Themselves? How does this affect their journey through your story? #TenWaysToWriteRoundedCharacters

6. How do they experience the world? Do they have a disability? A neurological difference? A tendency to notice some things more than others? In what way is their physicality a part of who they are? #TenWaysToWriteRoundedCharacters

7. Try asking yourself this: Why do you care about them? What makes you want them with you during this journey together? Will your readers feel this too? #TenWaysToWriteRoundedCharacters

8. No rounded character is ever without faults. What are your character's faults? Are they aware of them? Are they trying to overcome them? Is this something that will change during the course of their journey? #TenWaysToWriteRoundedCharacters

9. How do they relate to others? How do others perceive them? How are other characters changed or affected by interacting with them? How do they connect with other people (if they do)? What does this tell you about them? #TenWaysToWriteRoundedCharacters

10. You don't need to tell the reader everything. You especially don't need to tell them everything at once. Remember, getting to know someone happens in stages. And sometimes, what you learn about someone can change your mind about them. #TenWaysToWriteRoundedCharacters