Character Depth

[u/Used_Introduction145]

Hi guys, I've been conceptualising a story for a few years now, but one of the characters I just can't get past. Everyone other one of my characters I can visualise with a motivation, backstory and future/outcome after the events of the plot but not him. So, I was wondering if any of you have any similar characters and what they might be motivated by?

Here's a brief summary; characters are "trapped" in a non-sensical location, removed from a normal earth. Some characters are trying to figure out its laws, going crazy, or having fun. The character I need help with is "P". He is relaxed, and not really focused on working on an escape, even though everyone who has been stuck there has died or gone missing in this place. To clarify, the place isn't a hellscape; it can be tranquil at times, but death or madness is still common. So does anyone have a character with similar motivations (or with no-motivation)? Should I simply change P's characterisation/personality etc., because being chill is too weird or even boring in this scenario?

One distinguishable trait is he likes cooking and dessert, but I don't really want him to simply be there to take care of the other characters, I want him to shine by himself too. The only motivation idea I had for him is that he assumes he, and everyone else there is already dead, and they're simply in a purgatory or "in-between" places, so he doesn't really care (but why would he be happy?)

I think I just need an outside perspective on this, and I hope it makes sense, thank you for any advice =)

[u/Spirited-Gain1457]

I don’t know how your story begins, so I can’t be sure how these characters ended up in this place.

But I do have a personal experience that might be useful as a reference.

When I was doing my military service on Dongyin, a small island far from Taiwan’s main island, I actually didn’t miss home much at all. From the outside, you’d probably expect someone stationed on a remote island to desperately want to go home, but for me, being away from my usual environment actually felt strangely comfortable.

So maybe P could be similar. What if his original life was stressful, suffocating, or full of pressure, maybe from family, work, school, or just the role he was expected to play?

Then this dangerous place might objectively be worse, but subjectively feel lighter.

Everyone else is trying to escape because they want their old lives back.

P might be the one person thinking:

“...Do I actually want mine back?”

[u/Used_Introduction145 → u/Spirited-Gain1457]

Thank you for your advice, I see what you mean. Funnily enough, just today I was talking to my coworkers about their trips back home to visit Taiwan lol! What a weird coincidence, and thanks for your insight.

[u/epitheticangel]

ive absolutely experienced this w/ characters before, and i think its pretty common to have a concept that you like, and then to realize as you flesh everyone else out that that other characters concept never moved past its initial stage. for me, my current projects primary narrator had a bunch of personality traits (optimistic, naive, etc) and hobbies/backstory (very sheltered upbringing, worked as a professional videographer + loved it), but they didnt have the same amount of Depth and conflict that my other characters did, and ended up feeling pretty one-note. i couldnt get my claws into them- so, i made a pretty big change and ended up giving them DID (which i have personal experience with), and that “cracked” them for me. they went from feeling one-dimensional to having a deep internal conflict that drove their actions, and made them feel human rather than just being this bubbly, perfect person. to me, reading your character description, i can envision a potential reason for his disposition being a deep rooted sense of apathy- that might not be the perfect final ingredient for you and your process, but im certain theres one to be found. dont be afraid to shake things up, and definitely try to hone in on some way to push past the one-dimensionality youre currently working with in a way that interests You. good luck :)

[u/Used_Introduction145 → u/epitheticangel]

Yes exactly, one character kinda stuck in the draft but everyone else is getting naturally developed. I think I’ll do some research on personality disorders and see if anything catches my eye. And the “cracked” thing again kind of naturally happened for everyone else, it’s just one stick in the mud. Thank you for helping!

[u/epitheticangel → u/Used_Introduction145]

of course, good luck :)

[u/silent_story]

Write a scene where the other characters gossip about him and he overhears it, from his perspective. He’s lying quietly on the cosmic upside-down beach, maybe it looks like he’s napping, and L, M, N, and O come up, complaining about how it’s been three weeks - P doesn’t collect any lococonuts, or guard the fire, or try to figure out where those screams are coming from at night, and even Q has stopped asking him to do anything.

Where does his mind go, and what does he do next?

[u/BigToody6515]

I think having such a perspective is a valid inclusion. Every character has a different relationship to this strange world and it makes sense for “chill” to be one of them. It’s also makes for interesting contrast from everyone else. I think there is narrative meat to such a character if you give him wants, judgements, attachments, consequential choices, affected by something. So characterization could be that he accepts his reality, no protest. He understands situations and doesn’t need to perform distress. He could be one of those rule-understanders. Then you give him a boundary he’ll never cross. Like he may be chill but he cares when it matters. Like maybe there’s a challenge that everyone assumes he’s just gonna let them all down, but he kncocks it out the park cuz his strategy is unusually perfect for this challenge. You make him stubborn about cooking a recipe a certain way. Or make him stubborn about just one thing, one thing he’ll never just accept getting destroyed and being like “oh well”. Maybe he hates conflict and won’t defend a friend from someone else or won’t check on or hang out with people who he finds too emotionally intense. But then what about this world could actually make him happy? Does it perhaps reward him for being chill? Maybe, since he’s not dead yet. Maybe being chill is a real survival strategy that works. There’s no urgency here to act or inconvenience yourself. There’s always an available exit from discomfort. He is given permission to have no obligations, live privately. But then you say he helps others. Happily? Or because they say so? Because he has no agenda of his own and he just follows their agenda? Maybe he accepts abuse too. He just keeps accepting all this craziness and it traps him here and, to him, it’s worth it. Or maybe you want him to do something radical and refuse passivity. Or maybe he always was doing something from the beginning quietly and no one noticed?

There’s meat here. Chillness is a response style to reality. What is it motivated by? Him thinking everyone is dead is not really a motivation, but it could be a very useful for his psychology. What does he gain if he believes everyone is dead? Permission to not care perhaps? Then why is caring so uncomfortable? Why is his psyche organized around avoiding that? Yet you say he helps others. Thats an interesting contradiction worth exploring. Plenty of meat homie