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a character is until after you’ve created him or her, but at some point,
you should think deliberately about the function of each character,
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o Whether you construct characters in advance or let them
develop organically as you write the narrative, at some
point, you will come to a visceral understanding of how your
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desires are.
o You may discover that a character you originally conceived of
as round and complex actually functions only to move the plot
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or revise your story to ensure that he or she is memorable but
without constructing a detailed backstory.o You may also discover that a character you meant to be minor
turns out to be rounder and more important than you originally
thought. If that’s the case, you can make the introduction of
that character a little fuller so that his or her reappearance in
the story seems believable.Dickens, *UHDW([SHFWDWLRQV.
Fitzgerald, 7KHUHDWDWVE.
Forster, $VSHFWVRIWKH1RYHO.
Mina, )LHOGRI%ORRG.
Twain, 7KH$GYHQWXUHVRI+XFNOHEHUU\)LQQ.
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