Behind The Mask

IV. Dynamic Characters

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Dynamic Characters
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The thriller genre is generally defined by complex and engaging plots, but the best thrillers don't compromise on character development. Most thrillers have an archetypal good guy and bad guy, but as a writer, it's your job to fully flesh out a character and brainstorm their backstory and point of view. In Silence of the Lambs, readers are introduced to a main character and antagonist who both have full character histories that inform everything they do.

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Sabi rito, ang Thriller daw ay may mga nakaiintriga at kaabang-abang na plots, kumbaga hindi nga nawawala iyong thrill, iyong tipong lagi kang mabibitin kasi gusto mo na agad malaman iyong mga susunod na parte ng istorya. Ngayon, punta naman tayo sa usapang karakter. Sabi rin dito, Thriller doesn't compromise on character development-meaning, they don't settle on character development lang.

Why? Because of most of thrillers nga have an archetypal characters o 'yong mga typical, 'yong mga tipo ng character na medyo cliché na, iyong tipong halos hindi gano'n ka-unique sa ibang mga istorya. Kunyari psychopath na ang layunin lang ay pumatay dahil gusto niya lang, killer na pinapatay ang mga taong nasa paligid niya dahil may misyon-maganda naman ang mga ganito, ayos na ayos. Pero sabi nga, as the author, ikaw ang bahala sa backstory o sa history ng characters mo.

And that's it, it doesn't just settle for less-I mean, character development, it should ba flashbacks or backstory in order for it to be unique, so that the readers could understand and relate more on the characters. Hindi kasi p'wedeng nag-develop lang 'yong character, hindi p'wedeng from good to bad or vice versa lang, dapat may dahilan.

Halimbawa ikaw, hindi ka naman talaga masipag mag-aral, ni minsan hindi ka nasasama sa honors, hindi ka gano'n kagaling tulad ng iba. Tapos isang araw bigla kang sinipag, nagpapasa ka na ng assignments, sumasagot ka na kapag may recitation. Hindi mo naman p'wedeng sabihin na "kasi po isang araw na-realize ko sana all may mga certificates and medals, basta na-realize ko lang na gusto ko na rin maging kagaya nila". But why? I mean, why do you want to have certificates and medals? Why do you want to be like your classmates? Parang ganito siya, dapat may rason, may kuwento sa likod ng mga rason.

Hindi mo p'wedeng ipakita na kaya lang naging mabait 'yong character just for the sake of character development, na para lang may improvement throughout the story, it should be relevant and necessary for the story. Hindi mo p'wedeng ilagay na kaya lang siya naging masama e kasi he/she is supposed to be the antagonist, he/she is supposed to kill the protagonist. E bakit nga? Y'know, antagonists have their own stories, too.

As we have discussed on the previous chapters, Thrillers are realistic, so relate it in real life. Bakit ba nagiging masama ang isang tao? For example, she's been living under her brutal father's hands, she never complained, she had been good to him because she doesn't want to die yet, and because of that she becomes a rebel. She wanted to take revenge so she could finally defend herself. So sa buong istorya, the protagonist is weak, she doesn't protect herself because if she'll do, mas malupit pa ang aabutin niya. But then when she got a chance to escape the chains of her father, doon na lumabas 'yong demon sa loob niya.

So ang ibig sabihin lang nito, huwag ka lang sa character development mag-focus, pag-isipan at i-analyze mo rin nang mabuti iyong mga pinagdaanan ng mga character mo, masama man o mabait. Doon mo mababase 'yong mga rason ng character development nila. Past is one of the keys to the present and the future, not in terms of remembering it and drowning yourself from it-the lessons from the experiences, these are the most important part of the past. Ano ba nangyari ni girl kaya from being kindhearted naging evil siya? Ano ba mga realizations kay boy kaya from being a bastard naging good boy siya?

I believe, every evil was good, they just become evil because of being good. So basically, everything happens for a damn reason.

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Sources of information:
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-bestselling-thriller-novel

If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask. Thank you.