What exactly is character development in novels?

Sometimes all a good book needs to draw a reader's attention is a catchy title or interesting plot device. But what keeps a reader invested in a trilogy or long series is its characters. Character development is how an author creates, reveals, and deepens their characters over the course of a book or series.

The main goal of character development is to create relatable, three-dimensional characters with believable motivations. In order to do this, authors need to consider a number of factors for each of their characters.

Some things to think about when creating characters are:

• What is their backstory?
• What motivates them?
• How do they react under pressure?
• Do they have any quirks or ticks?
• What is their relationship with the other characters in the story?

All of these factors help to create rounded, believable characters that a reader can invest in. By taking the time to develop strong characters, an author ensures that their readers will stay engaged with the story all the way through to the end.

An example of character backstory is:

Mary was born and raised in a small town. She was always a bit of an outsider, and she dreamed of escape. When she was eighteen, she left home and never looked back. Mary has been moving from place to place ever since, never staying in one spot for too long. She likes to live life on the edge and take risks. This has led her into some trouble in the past, but she's always managed to talk her way out of it.

This backstory gives us a good idea of who Mary is as a person. We know that she's someone who is always looking for new experiences and isn't afraid of taking risks. We can also infer that she's probably quite charismatic, given that she's managed to talk her way out of trouble in the past.

Now let's say that Mary is in a situation where she's just been caught stealing from a store. A security guard has grabbed her arm and is demanding to know what she has in her bag.

In this situation, we would expect Mary to try and talk her way out of it as she has done in the past. But maybe this time it doesn't work. Maybe the security guard is having none of it and calls the police. Now we've got an interesting plot development because Mary is in a situation that she's not used to being in - she's about to be arrested.

This is where character development comes into play again. How will Mary react now that she's facing consequences for her actions? Will she be scared? Will she try to talk her way out of it again? Or will she accept responsibility for what she did and go quietly with the police?

It's up to the author to decide how Mary will react, but whichever way they choose, it needs to be believable given everything we know about her character so far.

An example of what motivates a character is:

• A need for revenge
• A desire for power
• The protection of loved ones
• Survival
• Overcoming personal demons

There are many ways to show a character's motivation throughout a story. It can be something that drives their actions from the beginning, or it can be something that is slowly revealed as the story progresses. However, it is important that the reader is given enough information to understand why a character is making the choices they are.

One way to show a character's reaction under pressure is by having them face an obstacle or difficult situation. This allows the author to show how the character responds when things are tough. Do they crumble? Or do they rise to the occasion? How a character reacts in these situations can reveal a lot about their personality and help the reader to better understand them.

Some examples of quirks or ticks that characters might have are:

• Biting their nails when nervous
• Fidgeting with their clothes
• Playing with their hair
• Pacing when deep in thought
• Tapping their foot impatiently

These small details can help to make a character feel more real and relatable to the reader. They also add an extra layer of depth to the character and make them more interesting.

The relationships between characters are key in creating an engaging story. There needs to be conflict and tension between some of the characters in order for there to be drama and suspense. But there should also be moments of friendship, love, and camaraderie sprinkled throughout. These relationships can be complicated and multi-layered, which helps to keep readers hooked on finding out what happens next.

Character development is an important part of writing novels because it's what keeps readers invested in the story. By taking the time to create well-rounded, believable characters, authors can ensure that their readers will keep coming back for more.