In the recent Aliventures survey, one person said they'd like to know more about "Keeping people in character – and when to take them out of character for a lifechanging moment or event."
Let's start with a couple of definitions:
"In character" – when your character is acting in line with what the reader would expect. E.g. if they're an easy-going prankster, then playing a practical joke on a colleague would be in character.
"Out of character" – when your character does something that we wouldn't expect; something that goes against what we know (or think we know!) about them. Maybe the easy-going prankster has a surprisingly serious heart-to-heart with another character, for instance.
Normally, you want your character to remain "in character". If you establish them as a particular type of person then suddenly contradict that for no good reason, it's going to confuse your reader.
So let's start with a couple of key things that can help you keep your characters consistent:
- Don't treat your characters as plot tools. Maybe a key event in your plot is your protagonist, Theo, getting caught stealing from his boss. But if Theo isn't the type of person who'd steal so much as a pencil, you need to think about how to make this work. (Maybe he's framed by a colleague? Maybe he's mistaken about who owns the item he's taking? Maybe his boss has really pissed him
off? Maybe he's desperate for money to help his sick child? Whatever it is, we need a plausible reason.)
- Pay especial attention to characterisation as you redraft. I've often found, when writing novels, that my characters need a bit of tweaking in the redrafts. Perhaps I started off with one idea of them, but later came to see them a bit differently, and I need to iron out any wrinkles and inconsistencies. Or perhaps I've decided to make them a bit more of something (more forthright, more damaged,
whatever it might be) and I need to work that through the redraft. This might mean changing lines of dialogue, in particular.
That's half the puzzle. But what about letting your characters have out of character moments – particularly for something that's lifechanging?
This ties in with character arc (which we'll be discussing in detail in Monday's blog post). After all, for your characters to grow and change, they do need to do things that aren't entirely in keeping with what you initially established about their character.
There could be all sorts of reasons why a character behaves in a way that's contrary to what you've established about them.
Maybe:
- They're showing their true self. Perhaps your main character has been meekly pushed around for years ... but something has finally given them the courage to stand up against their boss / spouse / friends / etc.
- They're under immense pressure. They might do something out of character (like shouting at a loved one, or crying, or lashing out violently) as a result of everything they're going through.
- They're under the influence of drugs, alcohol, magic, brainwashing, or something else external. This could be a crucial plot point (e.g. if they're being controlled by an enemy force, the first clue their friends might have is their out of character behaviour).
As an author, you need to make careful, conscious decisions about this. Don't just have a character act out of character because you think it will liven up a scene or intrigue the reader. Have a very good reason for it.
Conversely, don't be afraid to let your characters show their flaws and complexities – it makes them more rounded and more real.
As I mentioned above, this is something you can revisit and tweak as you redraft, so that you find the right balance between having characters who behave in a realistic way that's true to themselves ... while also surprising us, and having moments when they really change and grow.
