When reading the description of Conan, as readers we know
what we get, a physically imposing man who is absolutely sure of his physical
skills and abilities. Contrast that to say Harry Potter, a teen who is not a physical
specimen, and would most assuredly lose in a contest of arms if written out as
the characters are described by the respective authors.
But the physical description is only a part of what defines
and clarifies a character in the readers mind. When crafting our heroes, we
have to focus on the broad details that give the reader a glimpse of their
life; their temperament and morals, their habits and fears and their dreams and
long-term goals. These details help the reader identify with what Joseph Campbell in his “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”
described. He believed that universal,
mythic characters—archetypes—resided within the collective legends of people
the world over.
What are these archetypes? The Hero, the Mentor, Threshold
Guardian, the Herald and Shape shifter, along with the Shadow and Trickster,
these are the classic mythic archetypes that readers can identify with.
These archetypes allow the reader to care and understand the
characters we write about. These help define how a character will react to
given situation and the reader feels comfortable with the reactions because
they will inherently understand and accept them.
Once we have our character and their basic archetype, we
have to be consistent in our portrayal of them. I know our protagonist, the
hero, will undergo changes in the story, experiencing growth and change that is
in direct response to the challenges and conflict we place before them. Having a protagonist that readers understand to
be a certain archetype, who then suddenly does something completely out of
character will leave readers with a sour taste as they give you, the writer,
the proverbial WTF!
You have to be consistent with your character and if there
is going to be a personality or archetype change, there has to be a contributing
factor that logically makes sense otherwise readers will start to distance
themselves from your characters and story.
All characters have conflict in their lives, otherwise why
are we writing about them and why would readers be interested in them. It’s the
conflict, and the growth the character undergoes to resolve the conflict that
makes us want to turn the page. Do they change their outlook on life? If they
do it is not a sudden thing it’s a gradual process that we can read and follow
that makes us care about the hero. A change that we understand as a logical progression
of the trials and tribulations that character faces.
This is the character story arc and when done well and with care,
goes a long way to make readers recommend our story to others instead of just another
forgettable space opera or hackneyed fantasy.
