Writing Tips #4: Passive characters

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(this is based on an ask I got on my writing blog. I wrote a lot to it, with some links as well, and think it might be useful)

"I have a WIP that is narrated by a character who I don't identify with because she's so boring. Her role is designed to be more passive than assertive, because the plot drives itself, but the result is a character who just takes in everything and though she has emotions about what happens, she herself is very flat. How can I develop a better protagonist who's more involved with the story? How can I make a passive narrator interesting?"

Every character critical to the plot or story needs to be interesting in some aspect. If a character is boring, I would recommend mapping out her fears, insecurities, talents, weaknesses, etc. to get a better perspective on who she is and how she solves things. However, for a plot-driven piece, making the character herself interesting might not  completely solve the issue, due to there being heavy emphasis on the plot. The small details of the character might not match up with the more intricate plot-line, which is to be expected.

Since you mentioned the character being the narrator, having your character have a distinct voice and observant eye may prove fruitful. Even if a character is passive, she’s going to have an opinion. Since the plot wraps around her and not the other way around, think of how the plot has or will affect her. A main character develops over time, so it’s not necessarily a bad thing if she’s flat at the beginning; it only becomes a problem if she stays that way.

Throughout the book, make sure she has strong opinions—even if she doesn’t say them. In order to make a character move into a story, allow the plot to push her off the edge. Let the first draft you write discover just how far you’ll have to go until your character takes the reins, or when the plot and the character move together.

Meanwhile, to make up for her lack of driving force and choice with the plot, be descriptive and insightful with what’s going around her. Use the “quiet thinker” approach. If she isn’t going to actively do something the second she gets it, and there’s a pathway she needs to go through first, allow her to notice and describe the things around her. Even if she doesn’t do much, the details she picks up on could lead her to assumptions which may or may not be correct.

Knowing your plot well will help you, because while she searches internally for what’s going on until it comes to a head, you can use her personal clockwork to set up foreshadowing, plot twists, etc. Allow her suspensions create curiosity,  and then use that to justify her actions and reasoning for jumping into a plot.

Plot-driven stories, for this reason, are often mystery and detective books. If your plot doesn’t have a lot of unpredictability value,  maybe it would be a good idea to add it in. Don’t reveal everything at once; let it be a treasure hunt for your character and by extension, your readers. Using that method, even if clues are handed to your character, as long as she stays thinking and seeing and there’s a balance between the known and unknown, you should see growth in your character with how they think. I would also recommend the plot having something to do with her, whether it be through family, friends or something like her occupation. That way, there’s a lot of room for justification and character expansion. (e.g. if she finds something odd about her workplace, there’s a lot of opportunity for dialogue, flash-backs, and small details about her personality to be hinted at.)

After you have the first draft done, then you can have a better idea of what’s missing, whether it be how she got the way she is, why she acts a certain way, or maybe something as simple as what her favorite thing to do is. Once you have the plot and the character, wound up into your character’s first hand account, it will be significantly easier to see how boring your character is.

If you can’t write about her due to your enormous differences, but want to keep the character you have (and not design an active one), then I would recommend adding one or two traits you can relate to. Don’t go overboard, just find something you can connect to. Often, the key to good writing is “writing what you know”. Therefore, if you don’t know how your character works, find at least one thing you do know about, that is still relevant to not only the plot, but herself as well.

Some other related links:

www.kindleboards.com/index.php…

www.meaganspooner.com/the-pitf…

www.superheronation.com/2012/0…

annamariacrum.com/a-passive-ch…
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