I have a girl who is very straightforward, blunt, and obscene at times, and she's become a very important person in the story. So this girl is manipulative, and she tries to influence everyone else to gain friends, allies, etc.. Basically she believes that the more allies she has, the safer she is from all who try to hurt her. She is not an antagonist, but very proactive and has a "not messing around" attitude. This girl was easy to depict in the beginning, but as the storyline progressed - she's separated from her sister, I've found myself starting to lose/drop her old habits. She'll still talk the same and praise the same ideals, but she will also disobey her own words commonly and flip flop her mind. I'm wondering what kind of image this could be putting off for her, whether it be intended or not. What kind of person do you think is led to do this? I'm afraid this is now becoming too difficult to put her off as the same person, and indicate that she's been going through a lot of pressure and change. Then again, I've also got the theory that this is normal for any human being under so much change. Who doesn't change perspectives? Why couldn't she change perspectives after all that's happened to her? Just a thought. Tell me your thoughts.
Well, a person who is naturally manipulative probably wouldn't be very truthful or consistent in her principles. So the flipflopping and behaving against her stated ideals seems to match with the manipulation and the desire to make everyone her ally.
^ I agree with what CF said. Someone who is manipulative and sees others as pawns would quite believably change her own stance and flip flop all the time. Likewise, she could also change more gradually over time, where it's more of a progression than flip-flopping. Either is equally plausible, depending on the person and on the circumstances.
It's good that your character is finding her own way, even if it's not the way you planned. It makes life more interesting for your characters and you, and it's a good sign that you have a good grasp on your characters, even if it doesn't feel like it. Why are you unnerved by your characters becoming more developed? You don't want your main character to be static, you want her to be alive.
Thanks guys for your help. I'm glad to see i'm on the right track here. You've been making a lot of sense to me, thanks again.
A character who is not progressing in a story should be six feet under. People constantly change in real life, so why should it be any different in a story?
