How to Make Sure Your Character Fits Your Plot
Character creation is one of the most important aspects of novel writing and is generally the part which resonates most with a reader. Sure, some plots are thrilling enough to carry a novel, and some mysteries can propel you through hundreds of pages, but a set of killer characters can set you up for a long-running series or even just a standalone. I am going to show you how to make sure that your character is connected to your plot.
We often consider characters and plots as separate things because they are usually split up in lectures and craft books for ease of consumption. This however can be misleading and we can risk writing two parts of a novel that do not fit together or a character that feels out of place in the world.
Of course, an amazing character could fit many stories, one soldier from a fantasy novel may work in a science fiction plot but if you want to create a character that is exactly what your story needs, then they need to fit. This may seem fundamental, of course, the character must be connected to the world that they live in, or the universe, but do they mesh with everything else that you have written? Could they easily be swapped for another character however developed they are?
Adding in Compatible Details
Connecting the Character to the Story Emotionally
Completing the Character Arc
Conclusion
The Example:
For example, let’s choose a novel where the protagonist is tasked with carrying out a heist. There are many ways we could spin this but that is beside the point of this post. For the sake of this example, we will only be discussing a single character but it can be applied to several in your novel.
In this plot, the thief will steal money or precious metals from a vault. Your story would be many levels more complicated, with intricate plot twists, and page-turning action. But is that the most important part?
No. This is where the story has to mesh with the characters. What are they trying to steal? Let’s say the vault is full of money and it will make the protagonist rich. Satisfying? Well not quite. This protagonist is merely a filler character wanting to get rich. How many other characters could fit that role, I would bet they are in the hundreds. This is because the story and the characters are not linked in the ways that make the story so interesting to a reader.
Adding in Compatible Details:
There has to be reasoning behind it. Again, let’s say our thief has come from the slums of a city where it is impossible to escape financially through any legal method, money such as the quantities in the vault would change their life forever. This is slightly more interesting, but we need to get more specific, we may have reduced the potential characters from hundreds to ninety. To further tie the character to the plot, we need the particular twists and plot points that you have written to influence character development and not just physically but emotionally too.
Connecting the Character to the Story Emotionally:
There are many ways to further connect the character to the story but one of my favourites is to add a misconception. In this story, the protagonist could believe that this money will solve all of their problems. We of course know that this is never the case. Maybe their elderly mother is terminally ill, and no medicine produced by the best healers will do anything. Relationships with friends are worse than desirable and they are just as lonely as ever. Tie these emotional realisations to plot points. The protagonist can slowly realise throughout the novel what their real problems are.
Throughout the story, we can add further development. They begin to realise as they are working with others, what has been sacrificed in service of their goals. We see them ignore the signs that tell them where they have been wrong, that money will never help their mother’s illness.
These lessons are what really resonates with a reader and being tied so closely to the plot, it is also exciting and more interesting to read because what happens matters for this character, even if they are unaware of their growth. Points of growth will result in the character succeeding somewhere and places where they ignore the signs, they fail.
Completing the Character Arc:
Finally, in the end, we can add a truly satisfying resolution. Here the character could either fail or succeed at their goal of breaking into the vault and stealing the money, the real ending is whether they learn from their mistakes or not. This can give a tragic or happy ending. This second ending is what feels satisfying when a character makes the right decision at the end of a narrative and where the reader fears their misconceptions will bring them down despite their growth.
Conclusion:
Through this example, we can see that a simple plot, or a complicated one depending on how you spin it, is just that. There is then the option of adding a character to carry it out. Or, you can build a protagonist with a character arc that meshes with the plot in a way that influences them emotionally. The right character for the plot is vital for it ties your novel together as nothing else can.
This can be done in reverse too, or in any way that you like. Maybe you have a unique and interesting character and use these steps above to spin a plot around their weaknesses, desires and misconceptions. Maybe you have written part of your novel and developed your frustratingly bland character to fit in the story that they are a part of.
You will know when you have done it right, writing will feel easier for the plot is designed to test and change your character for better or worse. Go and try it!