In my last but one post I was talking about how inconsistency in your characterisation can be a sign of both good and bad writing -- consciously done it can add verisimilitude, unconsciously done it ends up looking like carelessness. Since I wrote that, I've been thinking how inconsistency -- doing something out of character -- can often be a spur to growth and to change, which are the most important objectives for any hero or heroine, so my theme for today's little sermon is growth.
The thing about growth is that it doesn't come easily -- it is not a gift which is given to you, it is something which is hard won and often wrung from you (or wrought in you) at huge personal cost. This is what makes it worth having in the real world and interesting to read about in the fictional one. After several challenges and setbacks, it often requires a huge leap of faith -- everything will be all right, in the end -- to achieve. That is what makes it inspiring for readers. Most of us operate within our comfort zones for most of the time, so being made to step outside one's own personal, protective circle is something we do with great reluctance. Seeing a hero or heroine catapulted into an unfamiliar situation where the stakes are high allows your readers vicariously to realise their own fears and dreams.
All of this is heady stuff, the fabric of exciting fiction. Try writing a story that has at its heart growth and change which doesn't come easily to your main character. It will probably test you to write about, but should make interesting reading....
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