Flat characters are underdeveloped, one-dimensional characters without a layered backstory, motivations, or internal conflicts.

Dynamic characters are characters who go through an inner change within a story.

Static characters are characters who never change during a story.

These literary terms help authors distinguish their characters and properly balance their stories in the most satisfying way. flat refers to whether a character has deep, layered characteristics. dynamic refers to whether or not a character changed throughout the story.

dynamic is a different dichotomy than round vs. The opposite of a static character is a dynamic character, who does undergo meaningful change, AKA a character arc. (Think about the “You’ve changed!” speech from every movie ever.) Static characters may sound boring at first, but they are often necessary to develop the major characters. The static character may be a well-developed character but does not experience a meaningful character arc.Ī static character’s role can be to progress the plot or foil the dynamic main character.

Examples of static characters from literatureĪ static character is a character in a story that does not undergo any significant changes throughout the course of the story.

How to write interesting static characters.

On the other hand, static characters can show how remaining the same is good or bad in relation to your central themes. Writers should use dynamic characters to show how change is good or bad in relation to your central themes. What is a static character example? An example of a static character that most everyone knows is Emperor Palpatine in Return of the Jedi. Whether it’s in a novel, poem, short story, movie, or song, static character archetypes serve an essential purpose and can improve an overall narrative in various ways. However, secondary characters, foils, minor characters, and antagonists can all make for great static characters. Readers are almost always more invested in dynamic characters who exhibit well-developed character development, but interesting static characters are also crucial in good storytelling.Īs a rule (with few exceptions), your protagonist should be a dynamic character with satisfying characterization and relatable internal change. Static characters do not change over the course of a story.

Will you use static and dynamic characters in your book?.

5 Tips on How to Write Dynamic Characters.

5 Tips on How to Write Static Characters.

How to Write Interesting Static Characters.

Static flat character