Of course, if your character is supposed to be round and it falls flat instead, this is a problem.īut, a character that is intentionally flat can serve a significant purpose in a story.

Many people think that the term “flat character” is a criticism or description of how a character is written. The characters are made flat so that the reader places their focus on the plot.

Common and frequent in plot-driven stories.

For example – the overbearing mother, annoying cousin, competitive coworker. They don’t draw attention away from the important characters. All it means is that they are one-dimensional and not terribly interesting.

A flat character is not necessarily boring, weak, or poorly-written.

These characters have a limited scope of perspective and opinions.

Flat characters will have elements and traits that are recognizably stereotypical.

They usually don’t go through any substantial change or growth throughout the story.

Not as important to the story as a whole.

They are there to support the main character.Knowing them will help you learn how to write a novel and how to become a better writer in general. There are several things that make up a typical flat character. Most flat characters, while different in the details, are the same at their core. Characteristics of a Flat CharacterĪ flat character is not as interesting as its opposite, the round character. He writes about it in his exceptionally useful book Aspects of the Novel. The idea of a flat character comes from E.M. This is important to remember when learning how to write a book. They are not the ones readers are supposed to be connecting with the most. Secondary characters are often the flat characters of the story. Most of the time, they also remain relatively unchanged from the beginning of the story to the end. What is a flat character? They are characters that are mostly one-dimensional and don’t have a lot of backstory or depth. Familiarizing yourself with examples will help you learn how to become a better writer, too. And a flat character they are not.īecoming familiar with the workings of a flat character is essential in knowing how to write a novel. The main character is, of course, the biggest focus. While there are some stories focus entirely on only one or two characters, most have several that are present throughout the story.

Flat character example