#WHEN WILL YOU LEARN. WHEN WILL YOU LEARN THAT YOUR ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES

[3hks]

Writing Character CHANGE

Character development is absolutely CRUCIAL to a story, but having spent more time thinking about this topic, I came to the realization that I misunderstood a lot of points other people have made when teaching how to write character development.

There are a lot of factors that play into character development, but in this post, I'll cover some overall, but the main thing concerns any change to your character! (Which is also a huge part in development, really.)

So with this post, I'll be teaching you MY personal tips regarding this subject!

*The Basics*

Before we really get into the developmental stage, there are some things you want to establish, in which I'll explain later!

A couple of flaws.

How your character views themselves at first.

Your character's morals/ideals and how they think.

These things may vary, but you want your readers to be able to at least roughly predict how your character will act during specific events!

*Change*

Character development is just about how your character changes throughout the story. I like to say that there are several different ways one may change, (we'll get into that later on) but your character should NOT stay the same as the same person during the exposition and during the resolution!

"During character development, your character should grow."

This is a common piece of advice; your character needs to grow. And while I've assumed for the longest time that I understood what it meant, it never truly clicked.

While they will use words such as grow, what they really mean is that your character should mature. By the end of your story, your character may not always end up as a better person. When I say mature, I mean that they have reflected back on their life and have understood the consequences that came with their actions (if any) or how they could've done things differently.

Your character will not always end up as a better, fixed person, but they should understand their world and themselves better.

*Negative/Passive Change*

Alright then, so how does a character develop if they don't necessarily change for the better? Well, I'll get into that!

No matter what, your character should have learned a lesson through their experience. Even if they haven't exactly improved as a person, there should be a moral they can learn from what they have gone through.

If not, then did they really grow?

Additionally, how did their qualities negatively impact themselves? If they are bad traits, then it needs to be clear. And the best way to achieve this is by demonstrating how it hurts your character! However, it is rather uncommon for a character to undergo little to no change after a story!

*Positive Change*

Let's circle back to the basics, real quick. Remember how I said that before any development takes place, your character should be anything but perfect? That same thing applies to after the change.

Do NOT create a flawless character by the end of your story. Instead, focus on one or two flaws that get fixed as the story continues. These don't have to be huge, life-changing imperfections, but they can be minor ones that still shape their life in one way or another.

"Fixing" too many shortcomings can make your character seem, well, out of character, producing a character development that's more forced. The same thing applies if you're attempting to FULLY alter a fault that's just too big. The change will be too noticeable.

What am I talking about? Here's an example!

Imagine a character who's incredibly closed off to other people, wanting to ensure that he never gets too close to others.

That's a pretty sizable flaw, no? By the end of your story, you do not want to completely change because you need to preserve character, but you can change it a bit. Does he have a few friends now? Does he understand that there are some people worth trusting?

He may still be closed off to majority of people, but at least it's not everyone, and that's a realistic change.

*Different Changes*

As I continue to read more stories and watch more shows, I have realized that character development is not always about fixing flaws or personality, but it can extend far past that line.

So listen up, because I feel like no one really talks about this.

Your character can change their IDEALS, MORALS, and how they VIEW THEMSELVES.

Hear that? If your character has strong morals, they will hardly stay the same as they reach the end. Remember the requirements I mentioned at the beginning?

See how it connects now? There is SO much more to character development than changing a few imperfections. Like I said in the start, your character needs to grow and mature. Things like new morals or ideals assist with that!

*SUMMARY*

In order to start character development, you need a couple of flaws, an idea of how your character looks at themselves, and their morals. This is because those are the main parts of you character that may change through time.

Growth = Maturing (gaining a better sense of who they are and the world they live in.)

NOT ALL CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IS POSITIVE!

For negative or passive change, make sure to clarify how their imperfections affected or hurt them and have some sort of moral that follows.

YOUR CHARACTER SHOULD NOT BE PERFECT!

They should not be perfect in the beginning, and not perfect in the end! Do not 'fix' too many traits because you want to preserve character.

I think that's all! It's quite the post for something so simple, eh? But hey, character development is absolutely PIVOTAL to a story so I hope I at least explained the 'change' part of that well!

Happy writing~

3hks <3

[redemn]

thinking a lot about how to be a dog ,   by andrew kane ,   today .   thinking about how many dog allegories i put into arthur's characterisation and the way i envision his character to be ,   and how perfect this poem is for him .

thinking about how he must learn how to speak :   that   "  you must learn not to speak unless you absolutely must ,   or to speak as much as you feel you must regardless of how many times you are told to stop ,   or sit ,   or placed behind a door    this will depend on what kind of a dog you want to be [ … ] it may not feel as though you get to choose ,   and that too is a kind of dog .  "   that he accidentally found a family in two outlaws during one of the lowest points in his life ,   and in the formative years of his life .   who he immediately clung to and ,   with the desperation of a stray pup who has been yearning for that love ,   determined he would be loyal to for the rest of his life ,   who he grew close to and willfully bowed his bed to proudly wear the collar of the van der linde gang ,   because it's the thing that keeps him safe and feeling as though he belongs somewhere .   a reminder of the people who love him ,   on purpose .

how he   "  must learn to relinquish all control over everything you might wish to control .   you must learn to prefer to be led about by the neck on a piece of string ,   or staked to a neglected lawn by a length of chain .   you must learn ,   once you have sampled the freedom of a life without a chain ,   that it is better to return and be chained again .  "   because in learning his alphabet and how to shoot and how to speak ,   he learns how to appear to the gang ,   that role of enforcer which he has not chosen himself ,   but which he has settled into so easily .   there's nothing wrong with it in his eyes :   this is where he is most wanted ,   this is where he will find his love ,   and where he will always be welcomed and fretted over when he returns .   that he is no leader in the way dutch is .   that he is meant to be a follower ,   a helper ,   the one who protects with his imposing presence .

and then … thinking about how   "  of course you must learn to love ,   to love always and love entirely and to be wounded by nothing so much as the violence of your own love .   you must learn to be confused but never disappointed by a deficiency of love .  "   that he learns this thrice in his life .

1 .  ) that he forged such a close relationship with mary gillis ,   and with her brother beside that ,   taught him how to ride a horse and taught her how to protect herself when she needs it ,   and learned from her how to love himself in the same way she loved him .   learned that he must not fall victim to despair when he read that letter from her ,   that she was engaged because she couldn't love or marry a man with his lifestyle .   that he had always known it . 2 .  ) that his impetuous and outspoken little brother could leave their gang without much explanation ,   despite all the love that was there for him .   despite all the love arthur had for him ,   he still left .   he could leave ,   in a way arthur never could .   that he must learn not to be wounded from this ,   and to carry on regardless of the stain on their relationship ,   regardless of how angry and jealous inside he was that the golden child could return and not be hit with the consequences of his actions .   that the way he was scolded would never be wrought upon john .   but he must learn to look past it . 3 .  ) that dutch's ever-growing distance was a blame placed upon him from dutch himself ,   even though it all seemed to coalesce into something noticeable once micah joined the gang and began to lead dutch astray .   that it is forcing him farther from hosea , trust dutch like this . and yet he perseveres . that he must learn to live through it and clutch his collar and remind himself of the loyalty and the love he has for this man ,   and that leaving him even in the most broken of times would be a betrayal .   that they would pull through ,   because they had to ,   and because they always did .   that he must never be disappointed by the deficiency this love .

how   "  you must give up your children and not know why .  "   how he returned to eliza and isaac one fateful day ,   expecting to hold that little toddler in his arms and kiss his head and sniff that feather-soft familiar scent and expecting to see that warm smile eliza always wore for him whenever he came to visit them    only to find two graves beside that little house instead .   that his heart broke into a thousand fragments the moment he spotted those gravestones ,   before he even read the names ,   knowing that the woman who birthed his child and the sweetest boy he had ever known in his life ,   the two people he loved were gone forever ,   that he could never see them again .   that he never recovered all the fragments of his heart .   that he learned to give up his children without knowing why a few thieves could be so needlessly cruel .   that he learned to fall into despair ,   into drinking ,   into grieving and crying in ways he had never known before .   that he learned ,   months later ,   how to overcome the darkness ,   but not quite completely .   learned to carry himself with a different worldview after that ,   a quick gun ,   more ruthless decisions .   that there were some things that could never be changed about this world ,   that he must learn that these things will be ,   no matter what .

because in spite of his tough exterior and his determination and the resolution in all his actions ,   he is still a dog waiting for a bone that will never be tossed ,   with a fraying leash of loyalty that is ever tightening in each chapter until it yanks his head to the east and chokes him completely .   but he has learned   "  to believe that you are not in fact a dog at all .  "

[ministarfruit]

⚠️VOLUME WARNING⚠️

i don't have an explanation for this one sorry. send this to your friends if they haven't learned that their actions have consequences

[ryssbelle]

Made this for the lu prompt, a joke that's a little late but nonetheless funny to me XD also the features are flipped cuz I worked on this mirrored and forgor until I was finished lmao

[otterlyart]

When you find out.

[skelesharky]

ralsei asked calmly,

don't tag tenna as mike pls

[gritsandbrits]

And before anyone says it Ariel's story is not inherently tied to race/ethnicity. Anyone can play her. But Nani and Lilo's ethnicity and even skin complexion is tied to the story as the big theme of their story is how indigenous hawaiians are mistreated on their homeland, how they are othered bc they look or act a certain way (which make the parallels to stitch all the more poignant).

[kickassfu]

If you bully someone off a platform, and into deleting a fanfiction, because it's something you don't like and find problematic I hope you take a good look at yourself and realize what you did is far worse than anything that writer could ever possibly write.

And also you're an asshole.

Fuck you.

[ya-boi-haru]

When Rae said, "You're willing to hurt your friends and family?" (Not exact quoting) did that fully set in for Icarus?

Athena and Jamie are on the potential list of people, are they willing to hurt them? I'm sure hurting Athena won't bring up any trauma for them

[sillygoofynerd]

Seeing the Doctor's breakdown is actually so heartwrenching. Between that and the distant stare and "a million years" and "it killed me it killed me it killed me" and how they know the flux wasn't their fault but is that really what they believe and how full of love and grief they are. I love them and I know full well DT will make me sob next weekend if that's the emotional bar in just the first two episodes

[novelcain]

Another drama later:

(a drama which could have been avoided if the pilgrims had just heeded the reader's warnings)

Reader, frustrated and tired:

If I had a nickel(or any currency of that period) for every time we were in trouble because you didn't listen to me I'd have a.....actually I'd have enough to buy a lot of things.

Okay, new rule! Everytime something goes south because you guys didn't listen to me, you pay up, all of you. Capisce?

Tripitaka: With What? Oh, and as monks, worldy possessions(rambles)

Reader: With money of course!...(realisation) which we don't have.....Dang it! Ok, just lemme think of something else.

A little while after some bullshit that coulda been avoided:

Reader:

Tripitaka: *opens his mouth to try and explain his stupid ass decision to her*

Reader: If even a single syllable leaves your lips... I'm going to kill you myself... In the most painful way I know how to.

Tripitaka: *slowly and nervously closes his mouth so he doesn't make even a tiny sound*

Reader:

Tripitaka:

Reader:

Bajie: Don't you think you're overreacting just a li—

Reader: RAAAAAHHHHHHGGGGG!!!

Bajie: *screeches like a little girl as reader pounces on him*

Wukong: Oh shit!

Wujing: She's got a knife!!!

Bajie: Help! She's gone hysterical!

Reader: OH I'LL SHOW YOU HYSTERICAL!!!

Wukong and Wujing: *trying desperately to pry reader off of Pigsy before she murders him*

Tripitaka: *silently crying while not daring to move a muscle because he fears for his life*

Ao Lie: 🐴

[sunlit-haruka]

Just saying, if Haruka actually does kill himself or even attempt it, and I see Muu unforgiven voters crying for him I'm not going to say anything verbally, but I will internally give the biggest side eye to ever side eye

[elliotdoesthings]

"blehhh whoopsies :3" "YOU KILLED CHILDREN"

[guaxinimraccoon]

Has Brad ever taken Toby out in public before? If so, where does he hide him? And what kind of trouble would Toby make in the process?

Omg I loved this ask so much because it's something that actually happens quite often!

Brad wouldn't take Toby out at first, that possibility had never crossed his mind until his imp started to beg for it because, in his words, "his house was boring"

Brad eventually gave in, who could say no to those tiny puppy eyes? Let’s face it, being locked inside a house all day wasn’t exactly entertaining and Toby found himself having nothing to do since Brad would spent most part of his days at school.

Besides all that, Toby was very curious to see the daily lives of humans, to see impossibly huge buildings, smell new foods and learn more about what those beings, that he had feared for most of his life, actually were like.

They had trouble finding a place to hide Toby on their first tries, Brad didn’t had many shirts with pockets so they’d try pant or coat pockets, but they weren’t the most comfortable option. Then Brad had the idea to sew pockets on his shirts, making it easier to carry his friend around in public.

Although Toby’s a trouble maker at heart, he’s waaaaaay too scared of humans so he never dared much outside their safe house. He always listens to Brad, pays attention to noises and never let his guard down in “the human world”. It’s just something that he can’t afford.

But he doesn’t hide in Brad’s pocket all the time. When there’s barely anyone around and he can be in sight without anyone noticing him, Brad lets him out of his hiding place so he can see his surroundings better. His human always gets a little anxious about it, wanting to make sure no one will see Toby, but he gets carried away most of the times, enjoying telling his tiny friend as much as he can about the city.

There are times that they get too confident and end up in awkward or very risky situations, well for Brad at least, all Toby has to do is stay quiet and do his best to be invisible.

... when he feels like being invisible...

[janetbrown711]

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence + Major Character Death

Fandom: LEGO Monkie Kid

Completed: 2023-11-20

Words: 9,016

Chapters: 2/2

Summary:

MK gets too reckless for his own good, and Wukong makes a sacrifice he never once dreamt of making. But he'd do anything for his student.

[pickletrip]

August you little piece of shit.

Could you stop and think for once before doing something, especially when you already know that Day likes you romantically?! You already knew that you could not reciprocate his feelings so you decided to lie and pretend hoping it would make Day feel better?? What kind of rationalizing is this? Dude, c'mon.

Day is not just dealing with his romantic feelings here and you cannot just assume that you can fill in a role temporarily just to give him good memories and feelings. NOBODY FEELS GOOD BEING LIED TO. Take your pity and stuff it up your ass. I cannot feel any sympathy for him. If you want to make Day feel good and happy be genuine about it. It's very simple.

If you already knew that you did not like him that way, then why did you initiate that kiss?

Did Day confess directly to you so you felt the need to take some action? NO.

Did Day tell you that he had a crush on someone and you were scared of losing him? NO.

Then why would you kiss him and then reject him when he kisses back? What tomfoolery is this? Are you living in your imagination and you think your actions have no consequences? Did you suddenly think that by kissing him things would naturally fall into place? NO AUGUST. THAT'S NOT HOW LOVE WORKS.