I’ve been thinking a lot about character development lately. One thing I’ve learned is that a character who doesn’t grow in some way is almost always doomed to remain two-dimensional.
Of course, we can get away with a few flat side characters - they might serve their purpose as comic relief, background, or a foil - but when it comes to the protagonist, the bar is higher. If we want them to feel real, to “sit up and breathe,” then they need to be capable of growth, change, and discovery. That’s where the emotional core of a story lives.
Sometimes the growth is huge (like Scrooge’s transformation in A Christmas Carol), and other times it’s subtle, but without it the story risks falling flat no matter how good the plot is.
I’d love to hear your thoughts... have you ever written a flat character on purpose?
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If not growth, then minimally change is essential.
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Absolutely. The most compelling growth often stems from a character being proven wrong about a core belief.
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This is a great post. I am creating a flat, unfocused character on purpose for a TV series. My goal is for him to have a major breakthrough. My issue is the feedback I’m receiving states my protagonist is flat and uninteresting. But that is the point…he is supposed to grow as the series progresses. Very frustrating…
Paula Murrain but I think of characters like Forrest Gump where he didn't necessarily change but the world around him did. I had a talented writer point that out to me recently. I forget about those characters who are perfectly flat but their world changes. Thank you for posting!
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a hero doesn't have to change; they just need to understand how to solve a specific problem in order to achieve their goal.
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Lauren Hackney I actually think a flat character can’t really work — if the character is flat, the story usually feels flat too. But it got me thinking: what exactly do we mean by “growth”? Does it always have to be positive? For example, I wrote a character arc where someone goes from good to bad. He’s not the protagonist, not even a main character, but he was essential in the second part of my novel. That kind of shift felt like real development to me — just in a darker direction.
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@arthur I like where you're at with this one - a hero doesn't have to change. That's very liberating when you think of it. It shows me they have real power in the story - change or don't change as long as they can solve the specific problem. Great response!
@erik Good point - the entire purpose of action and conflict in a story is to cause change for better or worse. I like your response! It got me thinking the difference between real life and complete fiction and how the story can bend.
This is why I always look forward to your responses @sanna - you went the other way and I loved it! I usually go down the 'and they all lived happily ever after' route. But you have a point. What if they learn something that sends them the other way. Great response! I can see you have great imagination skills when it comes to story telling!
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Lauren Hackney Oh :) Thank you :) I enjoy exchanging thoughts with you, and with others as well. There’s so much one can learn from these conversations, and sometimes I even find inspiration in them. How wonderful that we’re not all the same.
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I didn’t think about Forrest Gump. That is a great example. I will watch again for insight.