What is your protagonist/MC's dynamic change? My story is a medieval-style fantasy novel - Think Tolkien without the magic and hobbits, or George R. R. Martin without sex on every other page. Out of my three protagonists, one of them starts out being a good guy, and eventually turns into a piece of crap whose actions catch up with him and although not directly stated, it is kind of revealed towards the end of the story that he had a lot to do with his own downfall. (Think Harvey Dent/Two Face in the Dark Knight - "You either die the hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain") The second of my protagonists is a smart man who falls into a lot of stereotypes. He is smart, and a brilliant military commander, but he oftentimes acts stupid or like a "jock" to trick people into thinking he isn't as smart as he is (Arguably at times, out of my three MC's he is the stupidest) . As a world renowned battle commander, he is quite high up on the social/political ladder. He essentially has a fall from glory, where his wife divorces him (They're on okay terms but she keeps their 5 children) and he starts drinking more, and becoming a bit more reckless. The last of my characters is a bit of an anti-hero. He is less dynamic than some other characters, but i only say that because he didn't start out goody goody like the others, but he isn't wholly evil. He has his own ambitions, he isn't afraid to speak his mind, and he speaks the truth, not what people want to hear. He is capable of feeling emotion, but he is in immense control of his own actions. (I feel like this is the type of guy a reader would expect to turn evil in a plot twist, but he doesn't turn evil.) Sorry for the long post.
Is "dynamic change" a fiction-writing phrase that I haven't heard of? I understand the separate words, of course, but I'm not quite sure what you mean here.
The term is character arc by the way. For example, Han Solo's character arc is that he starts out a smuggler who only cares for himself but becomes an integral part of a team fighting for a greater cause. Character development is about the actual process of how the character's arc takes place throughout the story, including back story, change and growth etc. As for my protagonist, she is a girl who is trying to survive with barely a scrap of money and no parents around for years. I haven't quite worked out her arc yet, but she must overcome the loss of her entire home planet early in the story as she works with the supporting character to discover the dangerous alien mystery that is cropping up throughout the galaxy (that was the direct cause of the destruction of her home).
My WIP has six central characters. 1) MC - Senator who spends the entire story working on a goal that will be beneficial to all humanity. While his goal is altruistic he is a real person with power and influence that regularly abuses his power for all the little perks he seems to see himself as entitled to. 2) MC eventual wife - Starts out being somewhat of a golddigger / social ladder character but actually finds herself really falling in love. She's not a mean evil person just selfish in many ways. 3) Senator's assistant who watches the Senator and tries to emulate him. He becomes a Senator himself eventually but he has moral issues with copying his former bosses entitlement ways. 4) Disillusioned young man character. Begins story as political protester, develops into a real terrorist and then after seeing his actions first-hand spends the rest of the story repenting the actions of his youth. 5) Scientist who develops a new device. He begins the story as a disgraced professional with a wonderful personal life. By the end, he's celebrated in his professional life but his personal life has dissolved. 6) The scientist's daughter who starts off as a child with a terrible disease. She grows up in a solitary environment and develops a disdain for most of society and ends up not being a very nice person... and doing?????? Exciting conclusion
I suppose I have multiple main characters. The one that goes through the most change is a man dealing with a moral dilemma and being forced to choose between his duty and his heart. At first he does neither, because he's a coward. That's the first development, because at first he seems so noble and strong. But after being unable to live with his indecisiveness, he eventually does make a choice, and realizes why he chose his duties in the first place. He probably goes through more change than anyone. Though, through the story, everyone goes through some change. Bad change. That's the whole point of my book.
Dynamic characters don't often start dynamic. They become so over the course of the story. For example, my characters start out much the same, but gradually become more distinct as I open up each of their character arcs, what they go through, what secrets their families' are hiding, their inner strength that they gain. At the end, they all stand alone as their own person even when they're all so close. Good thing in having multiple characters is that it opens up the story world and plot.
My protagonist is a Roman senator tapped to lead first mission to China. 50, portly and a bit full of himself, he has strong sense of responsibility and honor... which lands all of them in near-fatal trouble in China. Escaping with his group he fades into the background... others make the tactical and strategic decisions. He loses fifty pounds and hardens his feet (after several painful days of blisters), walking 20 miles a day, or riding 50, camping rough, it will do that to you. Trained to fight by his two soldiers, gets in several fights for his life, survives and leaves some dead behind. At one point riding caravan security under 19 year old illiterate Bactrian youth, and taking the boy's orders... the lad is in charge and knows the ropes, his money and power are of no value on the steppes of Asia. Comes back to the fore as they meet with the Bactrian king. When he gets back to Rome, he is a changed man, physically hardened and mentally toughened, no patience for the political BS that his opponents try to throw in his path.
That's a good question. So my main character is this princess who is one in name alone. She's lost her inheritance. Is estranged by her husband, disowned by her family and forced to live as a urchin. So she's contacted by her father on the anniversary of her sister's death. Her father basically tells her, "I know who killed your sister. I want you to go kill him and whatever you want is yours for the asking." Doesn't matter there's this big old war about to start or that the evidence against the man who killed her sister is really flimsy. But at this point she doesn't care. Who is this man to her anyway? I want my throne! That's all she's thinking about. At this point she'd believe a banana peel killed her sister if it meant getting what she wanted. The big turning point for her is the realization that what you want to happen and what should happen are two different things. Revenge isn't always love. And honestly, sometimes the welfare of others needs to come first.
