As we discussed in the previous chapters, to learn about your character you should ask yourself where they are on three scales: Likability (that we have already discussed), competence, and proactivity. Now, let's focus on the latter two.
Proactivity
Readers like characters that progress the story, that try their best no matter the odds, regardless of the multitude of obstacles in their path.
Positivity ties into proactivity. In life, we like people who are positive, people who do not complain and make the best of what they've got. A character who is positive tends to be someone who does their very best to get things done.
A reluctant character, riddled with fear, or someone who's content with their lot, would fall low on the proactivity scale. They will not stray far from their comfort zone, and will not inspire others to take action. Such characters may appear dull, but they have tremendous scope for development. How would such a character fare if they were shoved out of that comfort zone?
So what can we do to make a character proactive?
· Give them dreams or aspirations.
· They may have an oath to keep, a promise to fulfill.
· A character may have been forced into a difficult situation, one they must get out of.
· A character may have a longing to explore, break free, and change their life.
Competence
People are generally good at something. The same can apply to characters. You may have a character who's particularly good at something or someone who can shoot the wings of a bee with a bow and arrow from miles away.
A character defined as highly competent tends to be likable. We enjoy seeing masters or experts going about their business.
Highly competent characters don't always have to be likable, though. Most villains tend to be competent at what they do, and indeed the more competent the villain, the greater the threat is to our beloved heroes.
It's worth remembering that you don't have to limit yourself to these three scales. You could go into more specific detail.
But remember, just because you set each scale at a certain level doesn't mean it has to stay that way. One of the most satisfying things in a story is to see the development and growth of characters.
Some useful tips:
· Write a monologue, a stream of thought, about a character to help develop them better. Even if you write useless information.
· Don't jump head-first into the story without taking the time to establish the characters.
· Avoid cliché characters.
· Don't introduce too many characters at once.
· Make sure characters are relevant, even those on the periphery.
· Be creative with character descriptions.
