{"id":294,"date":"2017-10-17T00:40:09","date_gmt":"2017-10-17T00:40:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jackjward.com\/?p=294"},"modified":"2017-10-17T00:40:09","modified_gmt":"2017-10-17T00:40:09","slug":"3d-character-dimensions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jackjward.com\/?p=294","title":{"rendered":"3D- Character Dimensions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not exactly Story Toolkit<\/strong><\/a> approved, but another take on character dimensions!- J. Ward
\n\"\"<\/a>Edited from Storyfix.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Somewhere along the writing road you\u2019ve surely read a critic describe a protagonist in a story as one dimensional. But what are they?
\nWhat\u2019s that extra dimension about, anyhow? What does it even mean?<\/p>\n

The first dimension of character \u2013<\/em> surface traits, quirks and habits.
\nThink of this as the exterior landscape of your character- their personality.
\nPeripheral characters in our stories are usually one-dimensional, as they should be. In fact, it\u2019s a mistake to delve too deeply into peripheral characters merely for the sake of adding depth. We really don\u2019t need to know what it was about the pizza delivery guy\u2019s childhood that made him take up food service as a career. That said, even your peripheral characters, if given stereotypical quirks and tics, come off as clich\u00e9. Because when quirks are obvious attempts to imbue the character with greater depth, but that depth is otherwise lacking\u2026 this is the quintessential one- dimensional character that agent will use as rationale for rejecting your story.<\/p>\n

The second dimension of character \u2013<\/em> backstory and inner demons.
\nIn this realm we see the inner landscape of the character, regardless of how you\u2019ve dressed them up with personality on the exterior.
\nWhere they came from, the scars and memories and dashed dreams that have left them with resentments, their fears, habits, weaknesses and inclinations that connect to why they are as they appear to be.
\nEven when the quirks are a smokescreen.<\/p>\n

The third dimension of character \u2013<\/em> action, behavior and world view.
\nA hero takes a stand, takes risks, makes decisions, dives in and executes.
\nA villain rationalizes behavior and is insensitive to, or refuses to accept responsibility for, the associated costs and violations of accepted social standards.
\nCharacter \u2013<\/em> in this sense defined as moral substance, or lack thereof \u2013 is defined not by backstory or inner demons, but by decisions and behaviors.<\/p>\n

The Art of Integrating the Three Dimensions of Character<\/strong>
\nUsing this example, it is clear that the first two dimensions may or may not dictate the third. These are your tools as an author, layer by layer, to create the most compelling, complex, frightening, endearing and empathetic character that you can.
\nToo many writers settle for the first dimension only.
\nEven more writers focus on the second dimension to the exclusion of the third.
\nEven more fail to integrate these realms convincingly and compellingly.
\nThat\u2019s the art of storytelling. And there\u2019s no manual for it beyond a grasp of these fundamental principles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Not exactly Story Toolkit approved, but another take on character dimensions!- J. Ward Edited from Storyfix.com Somewhere along the writing road you\u2019ve surely read a critic describe a protagonist in a story as one dimensional. But what are they? What\u2019s that extra dimension about, anyhow? What does it even mean? The first dimension of character \u2013 surface traits, quirks and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[215,216,389,125],"class_list":["post-294","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writing","tag-character","tag-dimensions","tag-storyfix-com","tag-the-story-toolkit-podcast"],"wppr_data":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackjward.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackjward.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackjward.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackjward.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackjward.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=294"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jackjward.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":296,"href":"https:\/\/jackjward.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294\/revisions\/296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackjward.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=294"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackjward.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=294"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackjward.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=294"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}