Character Development: Round vs Flat Characters
- Jenna Moreci
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
HelloOoOo everybody!
Today we're talking about character creation, specifically how to make characters not suck. This topic was requested by one of my patrons over on Patreon: Lauren King. Lauren King is awesome ’cause we have the same name. Lauren King, Jenna King Moreci. Are we secretly related? Who's to say?
Lauren wanted to know more about character creation and development, specifically how to make characters interesting and engaging. This is something I could go on about for multiple videos, but I decided to start with the most relevant topic and that is flat versus round characters. If you wanna create realistic and engaging characters more often than not, you gotta make ’em round. Per Lauren's request, I'm going to teach you guys the difference between flat and round characters and more importantly, how to create a realistic multi-dimensional cast.
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to also subscribe to my YouTube channel for more writing tips, sarcasm, and of course, more of Princess Butters!
Number 1: What Is a Flat Character, and What Is a Round Character?
Simply put, a flat character is a one-dimensional character. They don't have a lot of depth. They've got maybe one or two personality traits. That's it. On the flip side, a round character is three-dimensional. They have layers, they have depth. They're complicated.
It's important to clarify that flat and round characters are not the same thing as static and dynamic characters. Static characters are characters who do not develop during the course of a story, whereas dynamic characters do develop. While it's common for round characters to also be dynamic, it’s not a requirement, nor is it a determiner. In other words, just because a character is static does not also mean they're flat. They're not the same thing.
Now typically, writers are discouraged from writing flat characters because they're less believable. Most people in the real world have layers, so fictional people should probably have layers as well. Thus, round characters are usually the goal.
Number 2: When Is a Flat Character the Right Choice?
That said, there are situations where flat characters are perfectly fine, and those situations are as follows.
Number 1:
You're writing for kids. Stories aimed at children don't need to go into as much depth regarding the psychology of the character. Sometimes people mock the lack of dimension in say, a Disney character, to which I say calm your tits. When you're writing for kids the story is much simpler, which means the characters are simpler. Not everything was made for adults. So sit your ass down.
Number 2:
You’re writing background characters. If the character doesn't play that much of a role in the plot, they can be flat. It's not a big deal. I can’t exactly flesh out a character that only shows up for three chapters. Some characters play a very minimal role in the story, and if that's the case, flatness is hard to avoid.
Number 3: Do They Serve the Story?
Now, with that mentioned, it's also worth noting that many people believe it's okay to write flat characters in plot-driven stories. Plot-driven essentially means that the story focuses on the action, not so much the characters involved. However, there are people who condemn movies and books for having flat characters, even though the stories are plot-driven. Because of this, I would say this particular rule is more subjective than others.
Number 4: Flat vs Round
Now that that's out of the way, it's time for the meat and potatoes. There are five major differences between flat and round characters, and I'm breaking ‘em down right now.
Number 5: Layers
The number one issue with flat characters is layers. And by that I mean they don't have any. He's a dumb jock. She's a kind princess. He's an evil sorcerer. They have zero depth outside of these one-dimensional archetypes.
Now, sometimes writers will try to hit you with a twist and say “Hey, not only is he a dumb jock, but he's also a brooding edge lord.” Wow, a whole two personality traits! The fact is most people have more than two characteristics. So this maneuver doesn't really work.
If you want your character to be round as opposed to flat, they should probably have multiple characteristics. Sure, they can be dumb, but maybe they're also insecure because of family criticism. Maybe they're outgoing because of extroverted tendencies. Maybe they're an animal lover, a philosopher, or a bigot. Regardless of whether it's positive or negative, adding depth to your character will make them feel more realistic and multi-dimensional.
Number 6: Stereotypes
Characters who are walking, talking stereotypes are not engaging to read. The fiery redhead. The damsel in distress. If your character has no personality outside of these cliches, then they are indicative of stereotypes, which means they're flat.
This doesn't mean that you can't write a character who is both dumb and blonde, but they should have layers outside of that. Relying on stereotypes is not only unimaginative, but it can be harmful because it perpetuates cliched ideas about different groups of people. Women are not a monolith. Gay people are not a monolith. East Asian people are not a monolith. If you're writing characters in this manner, then you're most likely repeating stereotypes which is detrimental to both your audience and your writing.
Number 7: Goals
What is your character's primary goal throughout the entirety of the novel? If you can't answer this question, you've probably written a flat character. Now if they're a minor character, that's fine. But if they're remotely important, that's gonna be a problem. Most people in real life have some kind of goal or motivation. They are working for or toward something. People usually have motivations for their actions that extend beyond “the story requires it.” So if your characters are only behaving a certain way because you need them to, you might need to take a step back and rethink their goals. Their motivations can be completely self-centered, like greed. Or they could be benevolent, like helping the greater good. Either way, you should figure out what motivates them and why they're motivated by that specific instinct.
Number 8: Conflicts
This may be shocking to hear but most people have problems. Even if those problems are minuscule in comparison to yours, they exist and they probably feel a whole lot bigger to whoever else is dealing with them. This is the same deal with characters. Round characters probably have some kind of problems they're dealing with or trying to work through. On the flip side, flat characters don't have any issues outside of the main plot. They're just there to move the story forward.
Again, if we're talking about minor characters, that doesn’t matter. Background Character Number 5 probably doesn't need a chapter devoted to his tumultuous backstory, but the main or supporting characters should have some kind of struggle going on in their lives. It can be as severe as a death in their family, or as minor as a personal insecurity. The bottom line is, that flat characters have carefree lives, and round characters have problems, big or small.
Number 9: Development
I'm really hesitant to mention this because I feel like a lot of people are going to take it way too seriously, so let me make this abundantly clear. Most round characters develop as the story goes on, but not all of them, okay? As I said at the start of this video, there are static characters and there are dynamic characters. Static characters never grow, dynamic characters do. Most of the time, round characters are dynamic because most people develop in life based on their experiences. This means most flat characters remain static, they don't develop at all. However, not all flat characters are static, and not all round characters are dynamic. Some people, whether it's in fiction or the real world, never change! They're stuck in their ways! So while uncommon, it is possible to write a round, complex character who doesn't develop. Basically, this rule fits a majority of circumstances, but not all of ’em.
So that's all I've got for you today!
A huge thank you to Lauren King for requesting this topic! If you'd like the chance to have a video dedicated to you or if you want access to tons of other rewards, check me out on Patreon. We've got an exclusive writing group, you can get early access to videos. We have signed merch and we've got a monthly livestream. The link is listed right here. Check it out!
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