Scott Fitzgerald reveals more through gossip between characters and Nick Carraway’s interactions with the popular Mr. While his image may seem a constant in the first part of the book, F. Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby is a great example of a round character. The Round character is someone that the readers know deeper than what happens in each scene. These are often your protagonists but can also be your antagonists. They transform as they journey through the novel and have layers beyond each page. These are the characters that people come back to your stories for.
Round characters often find themselves at the front of your page, chapter, and book. That sounds a little cold, but these two are prime examples of flat characters.
They are a more memorable duo because of their constant proximity to the main characters, but it surprises no one when they die, nor is anyone at a significant loss. Their purpose is to back up Malfoy and torment anyone outside of their house. They begin as mean little boys and become death eaters as He Who Must Not Be Named grows in power. If you look back at their storyline, you won’t see much change. But this doesn’t mean someone created poorly written characters, but that they exist on one level to fulfill a story’s purpose.Ĭrabbe and Goyle from Harry Potter are basically thugs that back up their best friend, Draco Malfoy. Often, you’ll find them supporting the main character, somewhat replaceable, and they live with a narrow scope or perspective and opinions. So, a flat character becomes less interesting than their opposite, the round character. A flat character is used to move the plot along. A flat character arc means the character doesn’t change, but they change the world around them. Flat character arcs don’t mean a flat character. While you don’t want your protagonist to be that flat character, they have their own uses in your story.
You need both types of characters for a story, but knowing when to use them is what makes the difference.įlat characters are your staples, feeders, and your cliché characters. Flat characters are two-dimensional figures that don’t change and remain uncomplicated throughout the work. Round characters show complexities, develop through the story, and surprise readers from time to time. Did you find any of the methods mentioned last week helpful? If so, I’d love to hear about it! Our conversation inevitably led to the round versus flat character comparison, so that’s what we’ll address today. Don’t forget that a reader will notice how well you researched your characters by how they fall on the page. Last week we discussed researching your characters, the processes some writers use, and some other ideas you might use.
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