I have a complete MS. I am still less that happy with one of the characters. I just can’t seem to find her. Has anyone had a similar problem? Any suggestions on how I can develop this?
I've had this problem before. However, I've never discovered a good fix. Different things work and different times, and sometimes nothing works at all. You might try picking between 2-7 words that describe your characters, and try writing a few paragraphs about why each apples to them. I've found this helpful in the past.
There's a writing exercise that might help. What you do is write some of the scenes from the point of view of a different character, the way they would see it. It helps you figure out what's important to them. You might try writing up a few scenes form this character's POV.
You could also try writing some scenes in the character's early life, perhaps arguing with her mother about something very important, just t to help you get the feel for what she's really all about. maybe you just haven't found what really motivates her yet. Or try re-writing some of the scenes with all the characters being 4 years old (or 90). Seeing them as children can help you to better understand their interactions.
Is the character a hero, villain, neutral or does she align with the aforementioned? I suggest introducing new actions that will strengthen their allegiance, actions that aren't familiar with other characters. This can be done in a few paragraphs in scenes where she's present. At this stage try to avoid major character rewrites.
When I can't find a character, like recently not being able to find my male character, I go back to the raw basics. The three things that I preach and preach and preach because I know it works is goals, motives, and conflicts. What does your character want, why do they want it, and what is standing their way to getting it. That is your foundation. Then you build up the studs with what will do to get those things? You don't have to necessarily bring the character to any kind of a breaking point, but you do have to think about what kind of things will the character do to get there.
I find my characters always emerge when I get them interacting with other characters. Talking, etc. Or not talking ...just silently listening to somebody else talk. I find even minor characters emerge quickly once they get interacting. How do they react to what is being said, and to what is happening around them? What do other characters think of this person? How can you tell? You can probably discover these things about your character without having to rewrite the whole MS! Just give them a bit more to do. And they might still prove enigmatic, not only to you, but maybe to your other characters as well. Having an enigmatic character whom nobody can pin down can really boost a story's interest. We all know people we can't figure out ...they don't do what you expect them to do, or don't let on what they're really thinking, etc. You could go with that angle as well.
As Xoic already said, do a flashback. The MC in something I was doing that will never ever be released was bland, upstaged by all the side characters, and was generally unclear. Then I took her home in a flashback and boom. There she was. The flashback got cut and shoved into a little corner where only I could go. It was even worse than the story it was supposed to go in, but it helped bring the MC to life. Also, what Jannert said. I only just saw that reply.
What role does that character fill in the story? If you have a role for them to fill, the a good step would be to try and find traits that would be interesting in that particular context. For example, If I have a field medic character, then a good trait might be an internal conflict between empathy and the inevitable triage decisions a field medic would have to make. If I needed an edgy yet charming rouge character, Then perhaps you could build the character around how exactly they got to that point and how that effects their actions in the present. A good rule of thumb is that circumstance generally makes people who they are, in real like and in fiction. So what role does your character fill?
Jun 28, 2021 Hopefully OP has resolved this, yes? For the benefit of anyone else with a similar problem, since we have a complete manuscript, not to take it too personally since we are dealing with a fictional character, perhaps it would suffice to let her get lost. Regards, sarka
I presume from what you say that this character is NOT your POV character? Otherwise you probably wouldn't have a completed MS.) I'd say the best way to 'find' this character is to rewrite scenes she's in, but do it in her POV. (Not to include this rewritten scene in the story, but to give you a better handle on how that character sees that particular situation.) I suspect you'd solve your problem pretty fast that way. (And it's fun to do! ) I had to re-write one scene in my novel using the 'other' person's point of view (for plot reasons) and it was amazing how much I learned about the new character's perspective, simply by doing this swap. It's a trick that really does work. How one character sees another character is SO revealing ...of both, really.
