PEOPLE not Plot Devices | Tip #1 To Writing Dimensional Characters

"Stories are just data with a soul," -Brene Brown

One of my biggest pet peeves (and I have a lot of them) is when a character is a plot device. And I don't mean when a character is used as a plot device, meaning that there is a specific instance when a character is used to further the plot instead of an event, etc. 

This most often manifests itself in the form of a manic pixie dream character. 

If you've ever seen any media ever, then you probably know what a manic pixie dream character is. It is defined as:

a idealistic character, usually a female, whose sole purpose is to show another character the good in life and to teach them lessons on how to 'live"

*sigh* Now, I've found that this applies to male characters just as much as female characters. Some examples include:

Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars, Alaska Young from Looking for Alaska, Will Traynor from Me Before You, Margo Roth Spiegelman from Paper Towns, Sam from The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Theodore Finch from All The Bright Places

And these are just examples from YA. 

Even if you have everything else that makes a good character, but are still struggling with the character's sole purpose being a plot device, I have the one trick that will turn your quirky and likable love interest into a dimentional, stand-alone character with a purpose. 

1. Give them a GOAL. 

Not only this, but a goal that doesn't have to do with the character they're trying to 'change'. 

A goal will give your character a purpose in the story, a purpose to solve the case or to make it out alive or to fight the dragon. 

This is important because after said character is done being a plot device, they usually die because they've served their purpose.

However, if you give this character a goal, they'll have a reason to keep living, they'll have a storyline outside of the main character. 

And this is super important - it allows the character to stand on their own, like any actual human being. 

Because art imitates life. 

Or is that the other way around?

Enjoy writing your purposeful and dimensional characters, friends!

~The WordShaker