this is what my teacher said when i was a small boy. i don't know whose quote is this but this is a real saying. one should keep this quote in mind while writing. in written format the character of a person should be expressed precisely. because character prediction will become added advantage to the writing. for eg: JOHN quickly picked a stone and hurt the dog. this is what he does frequently on seeing his neighbor's dog. here the character of the boy is somewhat predicted but this character is an addition to JOHN'S role in story. i am adding at last that choosing characters for a plot is important but the prediction of individual character is essential
Your teacher was quite correct. Characters are very important to a story because they're the ones that keep the story moving. I recall hearing that while the plot can drive the characters, it's usually the characters that drive the plot. But remember, this doesn't mean you should shove your character's information down the reader's throat. You should always let the reader figure the character out on his/her own. Cheers.
Nor should the character be straight-line predictable. Better to show John seeming uneasy when the neighbor's dog is around, but on some occasions putting on an air of confidence around it. When he actually does clandestinely pick up a rock and hurt the dog with it, it can be a turning point in his character, a symptom of eroding self-control. Much more effective.
if you were a 'small boy' when your teacher said that, then s/he wouldn't have been referring to 'characters' in fiction, since the quote is from billy graham, who was referring to one's moral character... here's the rest of it: that doesn't negate what other posters are saying about fictional characters, however...
