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Ok guys! I made this topic because I have a little problem that could use some discussion:
My oc Layson leaves at the end of book 1. I want the readers to be like nooooooo XD
I need him to be meaningful to the other characters in order to make this work. So here’s a little backround if that helps:
Worked in the same mining shift as my oc’s Tauren and Lesli. before that, they went to the same school. Lesli is two years older than Tauren, so she aged out of school before him. He didn’t have any other friends. Layson was held back a grade, so he’s a little bit of a misfit too. I would say they were kinda friends… Layson likes to play cards, so they would play cards together, Tauren hated the game but did it because he had no one else to hang out with. So I wouldn’t say they were friends, but they are on good terms with eachother. In general, Layson is pretty goofy and not the smartest (As in needs to mature, that happens later in book 2), makes impulse decisions, but he has really strong morals.
Just in general, how should I make him meaningful in the story? His main plot is in book 2 with a whole new set of characters, but I want the readers to value him before that happens. I usually have characters give good advice when somebody else needs to hear it, and for me, that makes them meaningful. I’m different than other people though, so I’d like to hear from you all.
It would be nice perhaps to get some advice from our very small number of guys here on kp…. @folith-feolin @otherworldlyhistorian @thearcaneaxiom I have up until this point only ever written friendships between girls and guys, and girls and girls. So I’d like to know what you guys think! Cuz idk what I’m doing 😭🤣
So yeah! That’s my issue, anyone is welcome to chime in even if you haven’t been tagged.
@godlyfantasy12 @freedomwriter76 @lightoverdarkness6 @gwyndalf-the-wise @esther-c @anyone!"And so I left this world just as I had entered it. Confused."
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@mineralizedwritings. Great question!!! 😊 And I totally understand that struggle! 😅
For me, what makes a character meaningful is when they offer something to the story (a message, an act that affects the story, etc.). Characters that are just there to be there don’t feel meaningful, y’know? 😅
Also, characters are meaningful to me when they have something/are something that I can relate to, and when they play a role in the MC’s or other side characters lives. A character, as I said, that’s just there doesn’t feel meaningful and often feels pointless.
I’ve had to scrap many a character and other times I’ve had to find ways for others to be included because they were still necessary to the story/sequel.
but yeah, that’s my two cents. 😉 I hope that’s at least a bit of what you were looking for. 🥰
@freedomwriter76
Thanks! Yeah, part of the problem is that Layson’s later development is seperate from the other mc’s, he kinda has a plot of his won and I need to figure out how to connect it al together.
"And so I left this world just as I had entered it. Confused."
Do you mean meaningful or memorable? Maybe you use different terminology than I do but I feel like you mean you want a memorable character.
I would say that there is no exact formula for making a memorable character but generally they need to be fleshed out and unique enough that they can be identified and have traits and things that make them unique. Also the character needs screen time and important moments within the story.
Through darkness,
light shines brightestThanks! I’ll keep that in mind. Kinda what I was thinking, I want the reader to like them.
"And so I left this world just as I had entered it. Confused."
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@mineralizedwritings. Yw!!!! 💗💗💗
Yeah…connecting plots is always hard…especially when there’s a bunch of plot holes. 😅😬
So you want this to be a character that the readers care about, and also will stick to them for a while, right? There are many ways one could make a memorable and meaningful character. Personally, I would give him relatable trials. Give him a past that hurts (Obviously be careful with that though, because if you try pointing at this individual talking about how much their life sucks, and how they deserve attention because of that would be an issue. That would be victimization, and marry sue-ness). Or you could challenge his nature as a guy with good morals. Quick question, do you want him to be a paragon character? You said that he is good hearted, but is impulsive, so how do those qualities interact? What if there’s some scenes where he sees something happening that he perceives as bad, and out of impulse, tries to stand up and fix it. Only to end up getting embarrassed or nocked back. Even though this occurs, he still tries to do the right thing, and you see an internal struggle, him wanting to give up, but chooses not to. There are lots of ways one can torture a paragon, making them have to choose between friends and values and stuff as well. Even if he isn’t a paragon, any of these points can be applied. But that’s just my own thoughts, short story short, I like characters that suffer. Although characters on the other side of the spectrum, a character of innocence, is also really good for a different, yet similar reason, and can also become memorable.
He is perfect in Justice, yet He is perfect in Mercy, even when we fail Him. For this, He is good.
Thanks, yeah that helps a bit. The problem I’m having is that his character arc starts in book 2, but I want people to be sad when he leaves in book 1. He doesn’t have a big connection to the mc’s, which I thought might be a problem. He actually has one of the stronger character arcs I’ve come up with, it just all happens later. His impulsiveness interacts with the good morals because he does impulsive good things if that makes sense. Like maybe something that would put him in danger but he doesn’t care because he loves people and wants to help out. This becomes a problem for him when he adopts Maylee, because suddenly his life isn’t so disposable, because she needs him. This all happens far into book 2 though. All readers know about him in book 1 is that he was kicked out of the west hills bunkers because he left the bunker (illegal) to help the east hills bunkers (the adjacent bunker) because they were barricaded inside. The readers don’t know what it is like outside, but there is slight foreshadowing he will be ok. I’m writing the start of the rising action rn (It’s still pretty slow and not much action) and there’s just a lot of directions I could take it, i’m trying to figure out what is important to establish about him before he leaves for the 2nd book, which is basically a book just about him. idk, I know that was a lot don’t feel like you have to solve all my problems XD I’ll figure it out eventually.
"And so I left this world just as I had entered it. Confused."
Uh…HM.
Here are some thoughts that may or may not help:
- I usually remember characters who make witty comebacks
- I also remember characters who make really dumb decisions
- It helps if they’re a part of the plot.
- It helps if the protagonist really cares about them.
- If they help the protagonist out in a more major way
- If they get in the way of the protagonist’s or antagonist’s plans
- Maybe foreshadow book two after he’s kicked out? Like rumors of what might be happening to him or even just the MCs speculating his fate together
I know even if I didn’t know the person that well, if someone got kicked out of the country/region that I knew, I’d be worried for them, at the very least. - Does Maylee get kicked out with him? If not, you could have her interact with the MCs and she’s sure to bring up Layson
Sorry for responding so late…today’s been busy and I didn’t have the mental and emotional energy to answer y’all yesterday."...I did not say to the seed of Jacob, 'Seek Me in vain..."
(Part of) Isaiah 45:19Meaningful characters are hard to write, especially if they aren’t the MC. Depending on their personality, they will be meaningful in different ways. So here are some tips that I hope will be helpful 😁:
1. Give clues to the reader that Layson is important. With side characters, some are important and some aren’t. You gave him a name, which is a big thing. There are “side characters” in my book who are mentioned only once or twice, so I don’t name them because they aren’t very important. They just end up being “the man” or “the woman.” So that’s one clue that Layson is important. Also, mention him often. Not constantly, but often enough that your readers will know to remember this guy. I agree with having Layson give Tauren a good piece of advice that he uses later on. Or just something Layson said that Tauren remembers.
2. Give Layson a foil character. A foil character is a character that is the opposite of another. (Here’s a great KP article about it if you’re interested: https://kingdompen.org/what-why-and-how-of-foil-character/) For example, Layson has good morals and is impulsive. Maybe you have another character, (who’s not as important) who doesn’t have the greatest morals, and rarely just jumps into a situation without thinking how it will effect him. Or since Layson is goofy and not the smartest, you have another character who’s too mature and really smart. You see what I’m saying? I think that may help highlight Layson’s character and his important
3. Write Layson because you love him. I’m assuming you love Layson as a character, so just write him because you love him. If you do, it will show and your readers will notice.
Hope that helps and maybe gives you a few ideas! 😄 Good luck! 😊
Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende
Thanks! I think part of this is just me being a perfectionist XD It’s obvious he’s important… I just don’t know if it’s enough for the reader to be sad when he leaves. I appreciate the advice! It’s hard to fit some of those things in because his plot doesn’t start until book two, his plot starts after he leaves. I might need to change that it seems though.
Ok thanks! I’d say that he has some of those things, so it should be ok. He actually doesn’t meet Maylee until halfway through book 2, it’s kinda his turning point of realizing he has to be more careful in life now that he has to watch out for her lol.
Don’t worry about taking time to reply, insta replies are never necessary and your mental energy is more important 🙂
"And so I left this world just as I had entered it. Confused."
Hey there 😉
I just released my WIP to a select group of friends, and they have given me a lot of feedback about what they like to see in characters, so maybe some of this will be helpful…
- Characters that break stereotypes. (Example–my friend LOVED a character who I totally did not expect to be well-liked. He’s a general, but he’s very young and he has a wife and kids. My friend became really drawn to him, because he wasn’t just a crusty old man general with no family.)
- Characters who sacrifice a lot for the good of others/for the truth
- Characters who have relatable struggles (as previously mentioned by several on this forum) Examples–pride, physical weakness, relation struggles, differentiation from family.
- Characters who are trailblazers and are trying to make a change, but aren’t able to succeed in the way they want. (This works well because if they die, someone else can take up their cause and take it farther, like a martyr situation.)
Hope some of that helps! This is all just personal experience, but @esther-c had a good idea about giving your character a foil, too.
"To death or to victory"
Thanks for the advice!:)
I agree the nonstereo typical characters are always more lovable, I’ve got a few and I try to make every character have at least one non stereotypical trait.
"And so I left this world just as I had entered it. Confused."
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