1. Introduction
2. Understanding Character Development
3. Creating Memorable Characters
4. Writing Exercise: Character Development
5. Conclusion

Introduction

I’m going to start today off with a new term for the writers out there, speculative fiction, while this is not a brand new term, it is an all encompassing term for Science Fiction and Fantasy genres, as well as others. So, what is the definition of Speculative Fiction? As defined by the Oxford Online Dictionary, speculative fiction is “a genre of fiction that encompasses works in which the setting is other than the real world, involving supernatural, futuristic, or other imagined elements.” What this means for you, is you can have a larger scope to your project than just Sci-Fi or Fantasy. Sometimes our stories dip in and out of genres and it’s important to know what genre your working in, because this will drive the conventions and subversions you can create for your characters.

All fiction is better with well developed characters, but it becomes especially important with speculative fiction. Not only do readers of speculative fiction want to be transported, teleported, terrified, or entranced by your worlds, they also want to feel the same about the characters inhabiting that world. One of the comments that has stuck with me on my first attempt of a book, Extoria, was that they loved the world, but the characters weren’t developed enough to take full advantage of it. I’m summarizing, but that was essentially the point.

So today we’ll focus on character development in speculative fiction to help you make sure you build the characters to match your world.

Understanding Character Development

Let’s start off the character conversation with character arcs. In the simplest terms, your reader expects to see your character start as one person and finish as another. There are three main arcs your character can follow, the positive, destructive, and flat character arcs. I’ll provide a brief description of each below, but click on the hyperlinked text to study the different character Arcs in a general context. Below, you’ll find the link and then a summary describing the different arcs with a focus on Sci-Fi and Fantasy.

Positive: The positive character arc is one where the character starts a normal, negative, or less than favorable person and grows into someone better, stronger, or happier. In many Sci-Fi and Fantasy genre stories, these characters can easily become the fan favorites.

John Murphy from The 100 is a great example of a positive character arc. In the first season he doesn’t quite reach the transformational level, but he goes from the trouble maker to someone who’s actually helping out the rest of the characters through their survival on the ground. John Murphy starts out as the angry delinquent and ends as a true team player in the final seasons.

You can see a similar arc in Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir where Gideon Nav starts out as an attempted escapee from the grips of the Ninth Necromancer’s household and ends up protecting the woman she hates most of all. You can debate with me if this bleeds into a transformational arc, but sometimes it’s hard to see the difference. Other times, it’s obvious.

Transformational: A transformational arc is a little more dramatic than the positive arc. In the positive arc your character improves, but does not reach the hero status of the transformational arc. You can find examples of this arc in characters like Luke Skywalker and Rand Al’Thor. Learn more in the Transformational Change Arc Post!

Flat: The flat arc sounds boring, but is probably one of the favorite character arcs of superhero fans. I personally am a huge Three Musketeers, or swashbuckling genre, fan. The flat arc follows a character, or characters, who already know what they need to so they can succeed and change their world. Great examples include Alexander Dumas’s The Three Musketeers and Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien de Castell. Both of these stories follow characters who, though often challenged, hold to their values and change the world in the process. Often the villains or antagonists in these stories are fixed on the fact that the world can no longer thrive under the “old values” the protagonist holds to.

Destructive: The destructive arc focuses on a character who begins in a favorable situation and they fall to a new low. The destructive arc can look a lot like a negative transformational arc or negative flat arc. Either the character will destroy themselves, the world around them, and even both at times. Sometimes, these characters are the most interesting to read and divide your readers at the same time. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is one of those examples. The story of Coriolanus Snow was received with high praise and a matching level of criticism. I won’t spoil the story if you still haven’t read it, but know that you should study The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins if you want to understand a well written destruction arc.

I recently read an important reminder from K.M. Weiland’s Writing the Archetypal Character Arc that I wanted to share with you. A character arc can cover more than just a single story. Your sci-fi or fantasy character may need an entire series to become a good person, while another only takes a book or a chapter. Different types of character development (e.g., internal and external) don’t always align either. So give yourself the space needed to take your character fully through their story.

Creating Memorable Characters

Where we’re talking about Science Fiction and Fantasy this year, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about creating compelling and memorable characters. Why? Because memorable characters engage readers and bring your stories to life. This month, we will share tips on character development, making your characters relatable and authentic.

So what makes a character relatable? In an interview with Andy Weir during a ProWritingAid summit, he mentioned that each of his first three published books reflected aspects of himself. And the thing was, not every reader liked every character. Mark Watney was criticized for his arrogance in The Martian, while Jazz from Artemis was considered too emotional. In Project Hail Mary, Ryland Grace was meant to strike a balance between the two. I told you this not to discourage you, but to remind you that no perfect character is ever created.

Next, let’s focus on making the character realistic. They are going to be your characters for a reason, and most likely your protagonist will be or become pretty awesome. Let them have flaws, let them fail, and let them fall victim to their vices every once and a while. Even flat arc characters will come to have their tried-and-true personality return to kick them in the butt. A character becomes relatable with the one moment your reader connects with them, or that you truly feel they have formed themselves. How do you do this? Put them in unique situations that test their resolve. You don’t have to write it out, you can imagine, voice record, or draw it out if that helps.

Once again this doesn’t mean make them likeable, because somebody hates the person everyone else loves. It’s as true with fictional characters as those people in your life. This ties in with the authenticity part as well. When you put your characters in those situations, don’t force them to act how you want them to. Take into account everything you know about your character each time you put something before them. Then, watch how those authentic decisions make large or small changes to who they are.

A quick reminder, authenticity doesn’t mean consistency. A character may change who they are as they experience new things, and thus change who they authentically are. As the author, you need to justify why this is their new authenticity

Writing Exercise: Character Development

The post emphasizes the importance of strong character development in speculative fiction. Follow these steps to create a unique and compelling character:

1. Determine your character’s archetypal arc: positive, destructive, flat, or transformational. How will they change over the course of the story?
2. Give your character authentic flaws, motivations, and inner conflicts. What are their fears, desires, secrets? How do these shape their personality?
3. Put your character in challenging situations that test their values, morals, relationships, etc. How do they react authentically based on who they are?
4. Have your character make difficult choices. Do they stick to their convictions or are they swayed? How does this impact their development?
5. Develop relationships between characters that reveal different sides of their personalities. How do they interact with allies, enemies, family?
6. Consider how setting impacts character development. How does the world around them shape who they become?
7. Identify key moments that demonstrate tangible character growth, whether positive, destructive, or otherwise.
8. By the story’s end, show how your character has fundamentally changed from who they were initially. Make this arc clear and compelling for readers.

Follow these steps to create a dynamic, authentic character that engages readers on a deeper level. Vivid characters are key to transporting readers into the worlds of speculative fiction.

Conclusion

Strong character development is the heart of compelling speculative fiction. Whether your characters follow a positive, destructive, flat or transformational arc, put them through authentic growth and change. Give them flaws, motivations and relationships that reveal who they truly are. Test their values with moral dilemmas. Consider how the world shapes their personality. Ultimately, show how they fundamentally transform from beginning to end. Vivid, dynamic characters will transport readers deeply into the worlds you create. Keep character development at the core and you will craft stories that linger in the imagination long after the last page.

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