Round and flat, static and dynamic. What are we talking about here, shapes and textures? Nope! We are discussing characters and how some grow and change (round and dynamic) and some don’t (flat and static).
It can sound even from this short description like round and dynamic characters are better than flat and static characters. In many ways, that is is true; we generally relate to round characters more as it is often easier to identify with characters where we see growth and movement. You can see this in the discussion Evan and I have covering this topic. It was so much easier for the both of us to come up with examples of round and dynamic characters. It’s Evan who identifies a character from The Lord of the Rings that is truly a flat character. You have to watch to the end of the video to see what he says. It’s worth it, I promise.
Round/Dynamic
Characters whose journey changes them in a profound way.
Flat/Static
Characters who do not change throughout the story. Their personality traits remain consistent even though facing terrible events
This video is a bit longer than the first in the series. That’s partly on purpose because we covered more terms and concepts in this video. We also spend more time mentioning how you would craft round characters and why that is an important thing to think about as a writer.
If you are new to Good Words, you can view them all on The Geek Embassy and I’ve also created a playlist on YouTube with the entire series here.
Tune in next time for more Good Words!
Happy Writing!
Regina & Evan
To Discuss
Are there any dynamic characters that changed in ways you didn’t like? Flat characters you love? Let us know in the comments.
