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Warning Signs! Your Character Is Acting Out of Character

One of the worst criticisms any writer can hear is that his character is acting out of character. This indicates that the writer has failed in one of his most important jobs: creating and maintaining realism in his story world. When a character acts out of character, what this really means is that the writer has failed to sustain the causal believability of his characters actions. And the result? Readers become distanced from the character, and their suspension of disbelief is, at best, endangered. But the most frustrating thing about this accusation is that, however easy it may for readers to sling it, its ridiculously difficult for writers to identify it. After all, who knows their characters better than we do? If a character is acting out of character, certainly wed be the first to spot it. So our first inclination can be to snort and think our readers are crazy. Obviously, they just dont get this character. But when readers then supply specific examples, were often still at a loss. Were likely to throw up our hands, stomp our feet, and howl, Hes totally in character! I know my character! I know what he would do! And this is what he would do! Sadly, all this throwing, stomping, and howling doesnt go far in convincing readers that were right and theyre wrong. The proof, after all, is in the pudding. 5 Warning Signs Your Character Is Out of Character The reason out-of-character characters can be so difficult for writers to see (or accept) is that theyre usually the result of our own blind spots. Lets consider a handful of the warning signs. 1. Your character suddenly changes personality. 2. Your character suddenly changes goals. 3. Your character suddenly changes his behavior toward another important character. 4. Your character experiences significant emotional swings.

5. Your character does something unexpected. Now, if youre like me, youre probably able to look at that list and identify several instances in your own stories, in which characters have done just that. So what in tarnation am I trying to tell you? That your characters, in your perfectly good story, are acting out of character? The nerve. Well, maybe thats what Im telling you. But more than likely, your characters are just fine the way they are, even with all those sudden changes. The root of the out-of-character problem is a little more complicated than the bare warning signs all by themselves. 6 Reasons the Warning Signs May Be True Heres the simple truth about characters acting out of character: The idea that certain people will never behave certain ways is just flat-out untrue. Put any person in the right situation and he will act in ways that even he could never have predicted. The entire story of Jim Sheridan's Brothers hinges on this idea. The good brother goes to war, is captured, and, in his desperation to get back to his wife and daughters, he murders one of his own soldiers. Did he act out of his character (as it was established in the beginning of the story)? Sure. Did it work in the story anyway? Absolutely. This leads us to the premise that the real problem were addressing isnt the actual act of the character acting out of character. So what is it? The real problem is lack of causal realismor, in other words, lack of believably constructed character motive. Consider our previous list of warning signs. If you can identify any moment in your story that qualifies, look deeper. Ask yourself if any of the following also ring true: 1. The character lacks any obvious or sensible reason for his unusual actions. 2. The characters reason for his new motive isnt strong enough. 3. The story fails to explain the characters motivation. 4. The narrative fails to offer proof the character is evolving into someone who would feasibly perform this new action. 5. The narrative fails to present enough time for the characters evolution to make sense. 6. The narrative doesnt share the characters inner reactions (especially in sequel scenes).

If youre getting reports that your characters are acting out of character, it may be a sign of a deeper problem in your plot, your character building, or your narrative flow. Identifying which (or all three) are at fault will help you figure out how to create stories and characters that resonate with readers, no matter how many unexpected turns they may take.

About the Author: K.M. Weiland is the author of the epic fantasy Dreamlander, the historical western A Man Called Outlaw and the medieval epic Behold the Dawn. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her website Helping Writers Become Authors, her books Outlining Your Novel and Structuring Your Novel, and her instructional CD Conquering Writers Block and Summoning Inspiration. She makes her home in western Nebraska.

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