How To Naruto

Character developement

A story isn't always liked for its plot. The thing that attracts the readers the most is their favorite character.

Developing a certain love over a character makes the reader want to follow them through the path they are taking during the story. How is that certain 'love' achieved? It is quite simple. Character development.

How to achieve that character development?
It's hard and easy at the same time. Hard because it's one hell of a bitch. Easy because it's steps. When you think of you character, the first thing you should keep in mind is they must be vulnerable and flawed. Giving your character a perfect image makes the development vanish into think air. How can you develop something perfect?
Make sure that character is not similar to another physically and via personality or else one of them will shadow the presence of the other. Give one something distinctive.

A scar, piercing, birthmark...

Give your oc some distinctive quality. It'll make them more memorable. For example: a character who always speaks what there is in their mind, a character who never gives up (Naruto), a character who is exceptionally romantic...

Your oc is human too (idc if they're demon or a unicorn, you understand what I mean—) Go back to yourself and think of things that make you, you.

What are you oc's fears?
What are they keeping a secret?
What do they love the most?
What do they enjoy eating?
What hobby do they have?
What hurts them?

The best way to perfect a character and their development is to base them on people from real life people or even you.

How would this person react to this?
What would they do in this moment?

Answering these questions will help and give you a clear vision on what your oc is like and would do in any situation.

Remember that the reader gets bored too. They are fully capable of thinking and analysing your character by themselves. So instead of giving away the oc's quality, leave it for the readers to deduce it. So, that 'table of elements' in the first chapter of the stories telling us about the whole personality of the oc is really disappointing and a huge turn off.

For example:

From:

Gintaku was one of the most helpful and caring people you could ever meet. He was also a big bookworm with a book always in hand.

To:

Gintaku, from the rooftop he was sitting on, spotted an old man having trouble carrying bags of what it seemed to be heavy groceries. He immediately put away the book he was reading on his pouch and jumped down a bit far away from the old man not to startle him with his sudden presence.
"Do you need a hand, sir?" He asked heading towards him with a big grin. "Yes, please, thank you, young man."

Gin shook his head in dismissing manner. "It's my pleasure." He stated taking the bags from the old man. "Where to?"

I hope you noticed the difference. It's more fun extracting it from what we read instead of just getting it like that on a plate of gold.

I only have one advice I read once somewhere and it helped me a lot:

Make your character relatable and no one would forget them.

That's all I have on this subject. For more information, I found this cool website you can check out: https://jerryjenkins.com/character-development/

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And that's all for today, I had finals so I apologise about the late update.

Take care and stay safe.

And wash your hands, stickatoes. Cerberus out!