Literature experts, what is one piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors about character development?

One suggestion I have for authors about character development is to focus on creating relatable and well-rounded characters. For children's books like I write, it's important to design characters that kids can admire or identify with. Characters need both strengths and flaws; they also need to grow throughout the story. I recommend developing a detailed backstory, even if it doesn’t all appear in the book! This will help better understand the character’s motivations and behaviors. In the end, well-crafted characters will connect more with readers and enhance the overall impact of your story.

Make your characters real. Give them faults. Create realistic dialog. When I create characters for business parable books (i.e., "Who Moved My Cheese") I create characters that have problems. They have personalities. They live in cities and I use references to those cities to add a local flair that people can relate to. I also follow the famous hero's journey story arc (and others) which readers enjoy.

One crucial piece of advice for aspiring authors is to create characters with a compelling balance of strengths and flaws. This makes characters relatable and engaging, allowing their growth to drive the story forward. Mastering this balance will help you craft characters that resonate deeply with readers. To add depth and make characters more memorable, focus on their external characteristics and mannerisms. Consider details like appearance, voice, and distinctive behaviors, ensuring they align with the characters' internal goals and motivations. This attention to detail enhances the relatability and distinctiveness of your characters.

For me, starting with modeling characters after people I know from my own life experiences is key. It makes it so easy to give them personality, determine actions they will take in a story, and it makes the writing feel more meaningful than trying to develop a character out of thin air. Of course you can adapt the character as needed to support your plot, but starting this way helps kick start the process.

A lot of aspiring authors understand they need conflict and challenges for their characters to come up against, but then they resolve that conflict on the same page that it arises. If a character instantly adjusts or accepts change or criticism, then it wasn't a real challenge or a true character flaw, and thus they haven't undergone any real development. It should take multiple challenges or conflicts for a character to truly learn or change.

One crucial piece of advice for aspiring authors about character development is to make your characters multidimensional. Give them strengths, flaws, desires, and fears that drive their actions and growth throughout the story. Develop detailed backstories and motivations to ensure they feel real and relatable. Show their evolution through their decisions and interactions with other characters. Use dialogue and inner thoughts to reveal their personality and conflicts. Consistently challenge them with obstacles that force growth and change.

Think about how the character Indiana Jones was developed. He was an intricate character whose traits were manifested through the myriad of situations he found himself in. Whether he was running from natives shooting at him with spears, trying to keep a plane from crashing, revealing his terror of snakes, or sharing an intimate moment with his female love interest, these all show that he was a multi-dimensional character. Even though the story primarily revolved around his bravery in various escapades, we also saw his compassion, love, fear, and vulnerability when he was not hanging by his toenails in some precarious position. You must strive for richness and complexity in your character by presenting them through the lens of life events and relationships. If you can do that then you will have a character the reader will want to know more about.

When it comes to crafting compelling characters, my advice is to focus on their inner conflicts and growth arcs. Characters that evolve throughout the story are often the most engaging. For example, in a recent project, I created a protagonist who initially seemed confident and self-assured but harbored deep insecurities stemming from childhood experiences. By exploring these vulnerabilities and how they shaped her decisions, I was able to build a character that readers could empathize with and root for. So, my tip for aspiring authors is to delve into your characters' emotional landscapes and journey alongside them as they navigate challenges and transformations—it's where the magic of storytelling truly unfolds.