Dynamic Characters Examples and Guide

You can find examples of dynamic characters in masterworks for every genre, and this post outlines how writers put that knowledge to work.

Readers love dynamic characters. Bestselling authors know the answers to character-development questions, and they use techniques to make the fictional people leap from the pages of their novels. You can put that knowledge to work, too!

For example:

• What makes characters dynamic?
• What are the chief guidelines for character development?
• Which roles should dynamic characters play in the narrative?
• What about all the other characters and their roles in the story?

Let’s take a brief tour of character types to find out why some are dynamic, and others are round or flat.

What Are Dynamic Characters?

Dynamic characters change in positive or negative ways by the end of a story.

For instance:

• Cause/Effect of Try/Fail Cycles: After experiencing try/fail cycles, the dynamic character senses the need for internal change, the catalyst for that person’s transformation.
• Internal Transformation: The person experiences an identifiable change in attitude, moral values, emotional stability, etc., and that internal transformation influences other characters and the story’s trajectory.
• External Transformation: Other characters perceive and respond to the dynamic character’s internal transformation, affecting their actions and advancing the story.

Dynamic Characters Shape Lives

Through the thoughts, choices, voices, and actions of dynamic characters, authors contribute to shaping the lives of young and old.

A positive or negative change in a character’s life can illustrate to readers how to overcome life’s challenges. Sometimes that’s by avoiding an issue. Other times, it’s solving problems.

Whether you choose to inspire readers with positive character arcs or use negative changes to tell cautionary tales, you’ll find dynamic characters increase the appeal of your stories.

Examples of Dynamic, Flat, and Round Characters

Your understanding of distinct character types gives you the ability to develop engaging cast members.

Dynamic Characters

The fictional person changes in a positive or negative way by the end of a story, and here are three examples.

• An easily recognizable dynamic character in A Christmas Carol is Ebenezer Scrooge, who started the tale with many negative traits and behaviors, and by story end, transformed into a generous individual who earnestly strives to make amends.
• Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games series transformed from an under-confident young woman into a bold warrior willing to face death many times as she battled President Snow and the establishment.
• In the masterwork, To Kill a Mockingbird, the young protagonist, Scout Finch, sensed the need for inner change and transformed by story end.

Flat Characters:

These individuals fulfill roles (e.g., comic relief, convey morals) in the story, but do not change, yet they often encourage or help the dynamic character’s transformation, and they can also appear round (e.g., fully developed yet they don’t change).

• Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland did not change, but readers sensed her flaws alongside the other notable characters in the story.
• In most James Bond adventures, the lead did not materially change, but the audience never doubted his flat character’s importance to the storyline.
• To help with Scout’s transformation in To Kill a Mockingbird, her father, Atticus Finch, never changed but served as her positive model of moral behavior despite his facing immoral societal pressures.
• Like James Bond, the Sherlock Holmes stories offered readers an important and interesting character, but the lead never changed.

Round Characters:

These fully developed characters include background information that helps readers understand their story role, plus the individual’s behaviors, choices, and actions, but the basic person changes little during the story.

• Leia Organa from Star Wars gave us a fully developed character, but showed no appreciable transformation.
• Although James Bond doesn’t materially transform over the series, readers learn much of his backstory, including his many flaws.
• We understand much about John Watson as Sherlock Holmes’ sidekick, yet he changes little while keeping the audience’s eyes focused on the lead character.

To be clear, both heroes and villains can fill any of the distinct character types, but most of the time, stories have only one and occasionally two dynamic characters.

Put These Dynamic Characters Examples to Work

The Trellis Method is our signature course, and the Story Character Development Workbook teaches the use of a prompt-based worksheet (aka character profile or character template).

At the foundation of the character development module is the use of the Enneagram of Personality. The Enneagram guides the development of nine character types that show realistic traits and behaviors based on whether the fictional person feels secure or stressed. The character profile works with Microsoft Word, Apples Pages, and the Scrivener app.

Instead of having to memorize a complicated set of instructions, the prompt-based worksheet walks you through the process by asking for essential details.

Tools to Help You Develop Dynamic Characters

Use the workbook, prompt-based worksheet, and infographics to create realistic characters who leap from the pages of your book. For example:

Enhance Your Understanding of Character Development

• Character Types Theory
• Character Development Levels
• Character Arcs and Types (Positive, Flat, Negative)
• Character Roles

Follow the Story Development Steps

• Step 1: Identify Character Type
• Step 2: Review Character Type Description
• Step 3: Select Character Development Level
• Step 4: Complete Character Snapshot
• Step 5: Complete Character Profile Details

Complete the Prompt-based Character Template

• Section 1: Character Snapshot
• Section 2: Plot Influence
• Section 3: Character’s Issues
• Section 4: Motivational Stakes
• Section 5: Character’s Backstory for Writer
• Section 6: Character’s Backstory for Readers
• Section 7: Sample Dialogue
• Section 8: Character Description
• Section 9: Character Arc
• Section 10: Character’s Key Relationships

Adopt and Adapt the Character development Tips

• Enhance Character Appeal (i.e., likability)
• Shape the Character’s Arc with Plot Events
• Leverage Plot Events to Create Conflicts
• Get Characters to React with the Emotions Readers Crave
• Set Character Goals and Obstacles for each Scene
• Establish the Controlling Character’s Point of View
• Link Dynamic Character to the Story’s Ending
• Set and Increase Story Stakes for Characters

You’ll find everything you need in the Trellis Method Bundle.

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