by Beth Maisano

Created on: April 22, 2009

I love fictional characters. Embodied in their physical actions, intertwined in their descriptions, and evident in their words, I see a living, breathing human - someone to whom I can relate. I smile with them, laugh with them, cry with them, and wish I could have known them better after the story is ended.

When I think of these characters, I don't think of their personal growth from a failure to a success in some area of their lives. Rather, I am enamored with them as a person. But when all is said and done, and I look back over those characters who have won a special place in my heart, I realize that they all have a common denominator: change. Johnny Tremain wouldn't hold the same rugged charm if he was never forced to evaluate his actions; Frodo Baggins would certainly never have accomplished his purpose in the first place if it hadn't been for the growth he experienced; David Balfour would be an ordinary, immature teenager if it weren't for the extraordinary effects his adventures had on his character.

What, then, is the secret to bringing about such change in a fictional character? To my knowledge, there is no secret - only a few suggestions. You can remember them with two L's: Life and Liberty.

1. Life

Oft repeated but rarely executed, the first step to successful change is a byproduct of having a character built of flesh and blood. Spend time with your character before abandoning him to your pen; get to know him, whether by writing a character profile, or placing him in random scenes and seeing how he reacts. After awhile, you should notice something: your character isn't perfect. If he is, give him a good slap upside the head to knock some sense into him. The fact is, an imperfect character is the only sort that anyone will want to read about. Not surprisingly, imperfection also lends itself well to change. Give your character flaws to begin with, and then play off them - draw them out, and tease him with them. Character flaws shouldn't be the focus of a novel, but should always be inconspicuously present. This way, you have an established beginning point. If you want to give the reader any sort of closure, there needs to be change - whether through action or change of heart - before the end of the story.

2. Liberty

When you have a character, fully alive and with a slew of qualities both good and bad, all that's left to do is put him in a story and see what happens. This doesn't mean you shouldn't know where you're headed - everyone writes differently, but in general, we writers like to know where we're headed with a story. So keep the end goal in mind, but allow your character a certain amount of free rein. Let him make choices based on who he is, not who you want him to become. With a certain amount of planning, you'll be able to draw out the change necessary without even making it apparent. No reader wants to get the last page of a novel and read that "Johnny had learned to be kind and compassionate." We do, however, want to see the light in Johnny's face as he embraces his little sister. Give your character the leeway to make the decisions as they come. By allowing him the freedom to live, you will add an incredible depth to your story and your characters. What could be better than that?

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