1. Recap:
2. Introduction
3. Understanding Character Actions
4. Researching and Planning Character Actions
5. Using Character Actions to Express Emotion and Conflict
6. Writing Exercise: Character Actions
7. Conclusion

Recap:

Last time you learned about developing a character’s backstory, or experiences. There we talked about how different perspectives on a situation develop the view of the events that happened in the past. I also shared an idea that experiences are the memories and how the character sees them, and backstory is how those around the character would share the story. Were these views able to change how you were looking at some situations and how they affected your characters? Understanding how your character views their own experiences leads to what you’ll learn about today.

Introduction

Strong characters are important in modern stories because readers usually like a book because of the characters. Also, the buzzword in the publishing industry for the last several years has been character-driven stories. Well-developed characters make your book memorable, including the main, side, and villain characters.

One way to develop stronger characters is to focus on the actions your characters take as they face the story you’ve placed in front of them. A character’s actions can reveal their beliefs and taboos, not just advance the story.

This post will teach you how to understand, discover, and use your characters’ actions to create memorable characters.

Understanding Character Actions

Character actions drive the story and show their true selves. These actions can range from small everyday gestures to significant life-altering decisions. You can captivate readers, create tension, and convey emotions by crafting character actions.

Experiences, motivations, beliefs, and values shape a character’s actions. A character who has faced adversity might show resilience, while a character driven by ambition might take risks. A character’s actions can reflect their personality traits, such as kindness, courage, or deceitfulness.

Character actions can serve as tools for character development and plot progression. Through their actions, characters evolve, learn from their mistakes, and undergo transformative journeys. These actions can show their conflicts, strengths, weaknesses, and development in the story.

Characters should act in ways that match or challenge their established personality traits. People often adapt their behavior based on their surroundings, and your characters should do the same. By showing how they behave differently in different situations, you can make them more relatable and realistic. This can also help them grow and become more confident. So, use their actions to show their diversity and make them more believable to your readers.

Just as much as you want contrast in situations, you’ll want to keep your characters consistent. Sure, your character may act differently with various groups, but will they act the same each time they’re uncomfortable? Your character may be the adaptive type, adjusting their actions depending on the group. Or they could be the rigid type, always remaining true to themselves no matter what. Your character could always have the same personality around all groups.

How your characters act in different situations drives their success and failure in the story. But how do you know what actions for your characters to take?

Researching and Planning Character Actions

One of the most important steps to researching character actions is to read widely. Yes, this is common advice among the writerverse. Published books reflect the best actions of characters, refined by writers to engage readers. Tune into podcasts featuring authors discussing their writing and revision process. Some podcasts (DIYMFA, for example) share lists of their episodes that focus on the same writing topic. Build your reading list off of those books and then read intending to follow the character’s actions. Try to identify the personality of the character solely based on their actions.

Observing people can provide valuable insights. To understand their thoughts and motivations, watch how they act and interact. You can do this in different settings, like public spaces or workplaces. It’s an effective way to gather information for research. But remember, don’t be a creep. You can do most of this through passive observation, but be respectful of others. Not all times, events, or places are acceptable to use for your interpersonal studies.

One effective approach is to review psychological studies and research papers. These resources offer valuable insights and can serve as a solid foundation for your own investigation. Use renowned psychologists’ work to guide your research. One way to use these research papers is to simulate the experimental or studies with your characters. It’s much like the last post in understanding your character’s experiences and backstory, but in events not related to the book. Even if you don’t use the scene in your novel, getting to know your characters better will help the book in the long run.

Use the backstory and experiences you’ve built from the last post to determine your character’s actions. When they saved that kid from the bullies, was that the first time they’d done something like that? And because of the success of their actions, did they become a savior type who always wanted to help the little guy? Sometimes the first actions we take are based on what we believe is right, but the more we take those actions, the more they become ingrained in who we are. Everything aspect you build of your character will further drive what actions they take, but that also falls under motive, which we’ll cover next time.

Using Character Actions to Express Emotion and Conflict

Character’s actions have multiple purposes: defining them, their world, and creating story challenges. The best way to use your character development is to use it to deepen the story at the same time. So how do you use the actions to express emotions and conflict without calling it out directly?

One thing I’ve been thinking about, just today actually, has been for the Scroll of Stone book (My WIP). One of my characters has been bound to a tree for an entire night, and down the line he’ll react with anger anytime something wraps around his wrists. This could be something as small as the cuffs of a long sleeve shirt, a bracelet given to him by a friend, or handcuffs. Each will elicit different levels of reactions, but each reaction will influence the person or himself.

In storytelling, it’s interesting to show that actions speak louder than words. Imagine a scene where a character has to talk to someone they don’t like. Despite their feelings, they pretend to be polite. But their body language and short answers reveal their genuine emotions. This creates tension and makes the scene more engaging.

Exercise: Set a scene in a kitchen where two people are having a conversation. These can be relatives, strangers, or acquaintances. Make sure they have an element that ties them together somehow. Now, set them at odds with each other and force one not to like the other. Pay attention to what the narrator and characters notice and how it affects the conversation.

Writing Exercise: Character Actions

1. Choose two characters with contrasting personalities or backgrounds (e.g., an extrovert and an introvert, a risk-taker and a cautious person, someone from a privileged background and someone from a disadvantaged background).
2. Create a scenario where these two characters must work together to achieve a common goal or resolve a conflict. This scenario should challenge their differences and force them to interact in ways that reveal their personalities and beliefs through their actions.
3. Write a scene where the two characters are introduced and begin their journey toward the common goal. Pay close attention to the actions they take and how those actions reflect their personalities, motivations, and values.
4. Introduce obstacles or challenges that force the characters to make decisions and take actions that further highlight their differences and push them out of their comfort zones.
5. As the scene progresses, consider how the characters’ actions might evolve or change as they encounter new situations or learn from their experiences. Do their actions contradict or reinforce their established personalities? How do their actions shape the story’s progression and reveal their emotional states or inner conflicts?
6. Incorporate details and descriptions that showcase the characters’ body language, gestures, and other non-verbal actions, as these can often reveal deeper insights into their thoughts and emotions.
7. Reflect on how the characters’ actions drive the story forward, create tension or conflict, and contribute to their overall character development.

Remember, the key is to use actions as a means of revealing character traits, motivations, and emotional states, rather than explicitly stating them. By showing rather than telling, you can create more engaging and memorable characters that resonate with readers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, character actions are an essential aspect of storytelling. They can give important information about the characters, advance the plot, and create tension. Good character actions make interesting stories that keep readers hooked.

Here are some tips for using character actions effectively:

• Make sure your characters’ actions are consistent with their personality traits and backstory.

• Use actions to reveal the internal conflicts your character’s face.

• Show how your characters’ actions change over time as they learn and grow.

• Use actions to create tension and suspense in your story.

• Don’t be afraid to show your characters making mistakes.

Here are some additional thoughts on the topic:

• Character actions can also create humor or pathos in a story.

• The way a character acts can also reveal their social status, cultural background, or religious beliefs.

• By paying attention to the details of your characters’ actions, you can create more realistic and believable characters.

I encourage you to experiment with different ways of using character actions in your own writing. The more you practice, the better you will become at using this powerful tool to create memorable and engaging stories.

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