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Did you know there are different types of characters? I mean, in addition to the typical “protagonist” and “antagonist.”
Each and every character you create is important. It doesn’t matter if they’re a minor character, a main character, or secondary. Each and every one of them has a job to do and they need to do it well. There are a lot of types, but here are the 9 types of characters in fiction.
1. Confidante Character
A confidante is someone or something the main character confides in. Readers can learn a lot about the main character’s personality and thoughts through this. The confidante can be another character or it can be the inside pages of the main character’s diary.
2. Dynamic or Developing Character
A dynamic character is someone who changes throughout the story. This may be a good change or a bad one, but their motivations, desires, or even their personality changes due to something in the story. This is usually a permanent change and shows how the character has learned and developed over time in the story.
3. Flat or Static Character
A flat character is the opposite of a dynamic character. A flat character doesn’t change much or at all throughout the story. Their personality and/or background isn’t revealed well and we only know a handful of traits about them.
4. Foil Character
A foil character is someone who is the opposite of another character. They reflect the opposite traits, hence a foil character. Your main character can be sweet and caring and the foil character will bring out that side by being nasty. It contrasts two characters.
5. Round Character
A round character is similar to a dynamic character. They change throughout the story gaining new traits, some traits opposite to who they used to be.
6. Stock Character
A stock character is just stock photos you can get off the internet. They are not a big deal to the story, they don’t change at all, they’re pretty much cliche characters such as the “dumb jock” or “popular cheerleader.”
7. Protagonist or Main Character
Main characters are the root of the story. They will develop over time and will ultimately be part of the driving force of the plot. This is the character your readers will care most about.
8. Antagonist
An antagonist is the opposite of your protagonist. They will oppose your main character. They will, along with the main character, be the driving force behind the plot.
9. Villain
A villain is similar to the antagonist, but they are evil. As described in Sacha Black’s 13 Steps To Evil: How To Craft Superbad Villains, they have evil actions and motives that drive the plot.
What kinds of characters have you created? Are there any other character types you know about? Let me know in the comments below and if you enjoyed this post, please share it around!
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This was an interesting read, Rachel!
Thank you!
Great post!
Thank you!
Excellent list. Where would comic relief fit into this? Would it be its own category or get attached to one of these?
I think it would be its own category, but I feel like it’s mixed it in a lot. Like Harry Potter, for example. Ron’s the classic “best friend/sidekick” but he could be considered the comic relief at times. Whereas his brothers, Fred and George, are a definite comic relief.
So there’s a different range. One of my series in the future will have a protagonist that doubles as the comic relief. You don’t seem to see that very often these days. I can only think of Inspector Clouseau from The Pink Panther.
That makes sense though. Have you seen the show Psych? It’s one of my favorites and the protagonist is the comic relief. It works well.
Watched it way back when it started. Good reference to work off of. Usually comedic leads are sitcoms instead of dramas and adventures.
I think it would be done either way, if worked in the right way.
Never say never with characters. Mostly because they take that as a challenge.
So true.
Reblogged this on Author Don Massenzio and commented:
Check out this great post from Rachel Poli’s blog on the 9 types of characters in fiction
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
My pleasure. Another great post. I’ve cut down my sharing to what I consider the five best posts each day and you’ve made it two days in a row.
That’s great to hear. Thanks. 🙂
For a time, I thought antagonist and villain meant the same thing.
I thought so too until I read Sacha’s book.
I like the distinction though.
I do too. It makes sense.
Agreed. I just have to remember not to use them interchangeably now. 😛
Do you think stock characters should be used? Seems like you’d want to avoid stock and flat characters if youre trying to create an engaging and original piece?
I think you’d want to avoid it for a protagonist or secondary character. Though I can see it being used for a very minor character, someone we’d only see for one, maybe two, scenes and that’s it.
Also, I feel like it could be used as a running joke too. Maybe the protagonist knows he’s flat and comments on it from time to time.
The protagonist knows he’s flat! Wow, never thought of that! Very creative (:
I think that’d be interesting! 🙂
I almost always write a confidante character in my stories.
I think there’s usually at least one in every story. I wonder how far the readers and characters would get if there wasn’t one?
Now there’s a thought.
Reblogged this on Didi Oviatt.
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Character # 10. Insane Character but is not a villain, and does not fit the description of the other 9 characters, I suppose.
Oh, yeah. The “insane” can always be fun. It can either be bad, good, or neutral too.
Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
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My pleasure. Thank you very much for the great posting(s). Michael
This helped me so much. Thank you for this article.
My pleasure. I’m glad you found it useful. Thanks for reading and commenting. 🙂
This has been very helpful in my English literary course at the University of South Africa,UNISA.
Good, I’m glad. Thanks for reading and commenting. 🙂
This was a great help to me, thank you Rachel!
Glad you think so. Thanks for reading!
What do we call a character that appears at the beginning of the story , disappears and come back at at the end?
Not fair, lol. I’m not sure, but depending on the situation, that can be a good thing or bad.