How to Conduct a Character Study to Improve Your Writing Skills
Character development is the soul of story-telling. Compelling characters are what make or break a good narrative, which makes it one of the most important elements of any creative writing project. A fantastic way to get to the bottom of what makes a great character is by conducting a character study on characters you already know and love. So how, exactly, can you do that?
What is a character study?
A character study is a critical examination of a character in a work of literature, television, film, or other media, to understand their role and significance in the narrative. It involves delving into the character’s behaviours, motivations, relationships, and growth throughout the story.
Why should you do a character study?
- Understanding Complexity: Characters are rarely black and white. Exploring what makes them tick can help you understand the nuances of character development and how to incorporate those complexities in your own characters.
- Character Growth: Observing character growth can provide you with insights on how to develop and transform your characters over time.
- Motivation and Conflict: A character study can help you understand the inner motivations and conflicts that drive characters’ actions and decisions.
How to conduct a character study?
- Choose a character from that you admire or find interesting from you favourite book, tv show, film, or play.
- Analyse the character’s traits by noting down their physical appearance, personality, emotions, and behaviours.
- Examine the character’s relationships by looking at how they interact with others in the story. What do these relationships reveal about the character?
- Look at the character’s growth and development by analysing their journey throughout the story. How have they changed or evolved?
- Interpret the character’s motivations and conflicts. What drives them? What internal and external conflicts do they face?
Applying what you’ve learned to your writing
Write a character study for a variety of different characters, from protagonists, to love interests, and villains. What traits do you find most compelling, and do they have anything in common? Look at what relationships stood out to you, and how deep their motivations and conflicts are. Consider their growth and change, and use those learnings to develop your own characters. You can even start with a character development template to help organise your thoughts.
