#also i didn't proofread it too well so if it doesnt sound cohesive just pretend it does

[officialjimmybuffett]

hi! any advice on developing characters? yours from kill me a nation are all so awesome and unique i love them so much! would really appreciate any advice! also any tips on world building??? sorry for the questions, thank you so much!

thank you sm anon!! below are the main methods and tips i use, but i also have the tags character development & worldbuilding if you need more advice

before i get into the specifics of characters and worldbuilding, its important to take what you already have. i like to break up my baby wips into three components: worldbuilding, plot, and characters. you probably have a vague idea of each, but consider which one you have the most of, and work from there. all three of these are connected, and one will affect the others.

CHARACTERS

personality

a solid personality is crucial to having a well-rounded character.  i like to think of personality as the skeleton of a character—once you have a strong base, you can begin to fill it out!!

if you’re struggling with developing a character’s personality, look at various archetypes, tropes, 16 personality types, etc and try to mix & match the aspects that you think would suit what you want out of this character. taking personality tests with the mindset of your character is a good way to get a tangible sense of your character’s personality as well.

make sure your characters have plenty of flawed traits in addition to positive traits. flaws are what will give your character depth & your plot substance.

backstory & relationships

once you have your character’s personality, consider what made them that way. backstories and relationships are my personal favorite aspects to work on because there’s so many possibilities & you truly just get to be a writer in the moment.

here are some things to keep in mind: how did they grow up? do they have siblings, close friends, cousins, etc? did they have an education? if so, did they actively participate in it, or want nothing to do with it? what are their interests & talents? what occupations did/do they have? how does their personality affect the way they interact with others & make decisions?

motivations & goals

what motivates a character is arguably the most important part of character development. their desperation to achieve their goals is what drives the plot, and without a motivated protagonist, your story will fall apart. 

your character has to to want something, and they also have to need something. the more these two conflict, the better. and they also need to have a reason for wanting/needing, and something that will drive them to get it, no matter the cost.  motivations often tie into personality/backstory, but here are some common goals in literature:

win

stop

escape

retrieve

character arc

a character arc is how the character changes over the course of the story. decide where they start: their initial ambitions, state of being, and flaws. at the end of their arc, they should be in an opposite position. this doesn’t mean to completely change the character, but they have to have acknowledge their flaws/weaknesses and fulfilled their potential. this post gives great advice about how to get from the start to the end of an arc.

plot & worldbuilding connections

plot - what aspects of your character’s personality would drive the plot forward? what are their guiding principles? how does their personality allow them to achieve their goals? how does their personality hinder their ability to achieve their goals? plot is all about how character a struggles, how they handle that struggle, and how they change from that struggle. the more complex your character, the more you can do with your plot

worldbuilding - how does the world you character lives in shape their personality? what parts of their culture made them who they are? what laws—political and fantastical—affect their motivations & goals?  is there anything in this world they want to change? what is stopping them from making this change? you can chose to build your characters around your world, or your world around your characters.

WORLDBUILDING

research

the most important part of developing your world is research!! look up different types of government, and take special note of theory vs execution when it comes to political philosophies. also, if you have a culture that inspired your world, make sure to learn about it; pay attention to customs, religions, languages, etc.

aside from culture & government, geography is very important. if you’re planning on having your story set in a city, then it’ll likely be near a river or ocean. if it takes place in a secluded village, ask yourself why the village is isolated. is it tucked between mountains? or in the middle of a desert? keep these things in mind!!

real world examples

our world isn’t made of perfect cookie cutter countries and cities, and neither should yours. for example, religions aren’t exclusive to a single country, and often whole regions will be mixed with several different religions. neighboring countries also often share cultural aspects. if one of your countries has a history of colonization, other regions should reflect pieces of that country. 

what sets it apart?

your world should have an element that keeps your reader invested in a story set your world, as opposed to one in ours. it doesn’t always have to be a fantastical element, but something should set your world apart from reality. is their technology is different, either more or less advanced? is there magic? twisted laws of nature? new species? new substances? something special about their governments or rulers?

politics

speaking of governments and rulers, you can’t have a world without politics :) as i mentioned above, its important to understand the type of government your country/city has and everything that can go wrong under that system. every type of government is good in theory, but none of them have been truly successful in practice. human error baby!

some questions to ask: how are leaders brought into power? what corruption exists inside and outside nations? what regional tensions exist? what alliances exist? what are your countries’ foreign policies? how free is the press? what are some fundamental laws?

plot & character connections

plot: what elements in your world could trigger the plot? are there regional tensions? religious or magical mysteries? a rigged election? a national hostage? new technology being developed? if you’re struggling to come up with a plot, start with the things that are going wrong in your world, and make them worse.

characters: what kind of people live in your world? what could a character do that would change the world, for better or worse? does the president have a missing son? do troves of people go out searching for a religious artifact, never to be seen again? think about how your world could shape a person, and how a person could shape your world.

i’ll sign off with the old shit i say every time: above all, READ!! take note of how authors flesh out their characters & worlds, things they do that you like & dislike, common threads you see between genres, character arcs, etc etc.

i hope this helped & good luck with your wip!!