Recently, I began thinking about characters and how they develop and change as a story progresses. Some of these changes are dynamic and some not so dynamic. I want us to remember the types of characters that can appear in a story.
Here is a list.
Round
Flat
Foil
Dynamic
Static
Stock
caricature
Antihero
Antagonist
False Protagonist
Characterization
Motivation
The protagonist
The secondary Character
Third person Omniscient
Third person limited
The Detached Observer
The Commentator
The Interviewer
The Secret Character
I rarely find many of these characters in stories and am motivated to wonder where they have wandered off. Did they find greener pastures in which to play? I wonder. Maybe, they stopped caring so much and stayed home. Regardless, we need to invite them out to play every once in a while. This we may find enjoyable, and, if we are lucky, we may find our writing improved as well. So, let us hear it for the forgotten character. The call has gone forth. Will you pick up the challenge and craft one or more of them into your next tale? I will.
Kevin Pajak 