Characters are one of the most essential elements of any fiction novel. For a story to truly engage and captivate readers, it needs lively, complex, and, most importantly, dynamic characters. Static, one-dimensional characters will grow stale quickly. 

Building dynamic characters that evolve and change throughout the narrative is vital to crafting a compelling read. “Balm of Angels” by Charles Dennis is a tale of romantic ties and vibrant character relationships one will find hard to put down! 

What a Dynamic Character Entails

Character Development

One of the most essential techniques for crafting dynamic characters is showing how they change and develop rather than just stating it. Give your characters clear goals, motivations, and flaws at the story’s beginning. Then subject them to challenges, setbacks, and realizations that fundamentally alter their perspectives, priorities, or self-image. Have major plot points or turning points shake up a character’s status quo and send them down a new path. Reinvention ensures characters stay fresh and interesting.

Character Personality and Challenges

A great way to enact change is by creating inner conflicts within your characters. Struggles between ambition and responsibility, or between who they are and who they want to become, create emotional tension that fuels growth. Romantic subplots can also effectively shift a character’s priorities and worldview. Make hard choices part of the narrative to establish real consequences. React to both success and failure in a way that continues character evolution. In the “Balm of Angels,” Charles Dennis crafts brilliant stories and relationships by creating vibrant, multidimensional characters through dynamic evolution; the key is to develop truly immersive and memorable fictional worlds.  

Twists to the Story

Layering characters with depth through backstory, relationships, diverse viewpoints, and evolving motivations develops dynamism over time. Introduce details gradually throughout the story to keep past experiences shaping characters moving forward. Show characters through interactions with other supporting roles to reveal different hidden aspects of personality. Use varied dialogue to lend each character a unique, consistent voice that enhances their distinctiveness.

Flat Characters

Introduce flat characters in the story and highlight why they are flat. For instance, most writers add characters with traumatic pasts. Dynamic experiences for flat characters also help the protagonist pop, keeping readers hooked on the story. (Robin sharing the spotlight added an edge to Batman’s heroic character!)

Unfamiliar Situations

Another method is exposing characters to challenges that push them out of safe, familiar zones. Have protagonists face dilemmas where easy answers don’t exist to stimulate introspection. Put characters in unfamiliar, uncomfortable settings that force adaptation of beliefs or behaviors. Hardships that can’t be overcome with typical strategies compel reassessment and personal growth. “Balm of Angels” highlights the characters’ movement through World War 2.

Give readers insights into a character’s inner thought processes to understand their perspective entirely, even as it changes. Show remorse, self-doubt, or paradigm shifts internally to validate transformation arcs.

Foil Characters

Introducing a foil character that contrasts with another character in the story highlights particular qualities or traits of that other character. There are a few key things to know about foil characters:

• Purpose is comparison: The primary purpose of a foil character is to provide contrast and comparison to another character through differences in traits, beliefs, values, qualities, etc. This helps emphasize the traits of the other character.
• Enhances qualities: The differences between the foil character and the other character are paired with enhanced qualities and make certain qualities, traits, flaws, and strengths of the other character more evident.
• Same situation: Often, foil characters will be in similar circumstances or situations as the other characters, so the contrast is clear. Their different responses highlight the other character.
• Counterpart: A foil functions as a counterpart that provides an ideal opposite or response that highlights the dimensions of the character they are paired with.
• Subverts expectations: Sometimes, a foil character will subvert the expectations the reader has developed about the qualities of the other character based on their contrasting portrayal.
• Develops characterization: Using foil characters is a technique that can help flesh out and create the characterization of the other character they are paired with.

Wrapping Up

Building dynamic characters demands continual shifts in perspective, circumstance, and self-image throughout a story. Subject characters to challenges and choices that fundamentally alter their priorities and worldview to maintain an engaging sense of forward momentum and change. With a balance of realistic flaws, evolving personal drives, unexpected challenges, and relationships, any character can become vibrantly dynamic instead of flat or one-dimensional. Compelling protagonists are the heart of great fiction.