The Importance of Being Polished: Character Inconsistency

Have you ever watched the first episodes, maybe even the pilot, of your favorite t.v. show? Mine is/was Friends. I cringe as I see the early years...it seemed like the actors weren't quite as comfortable in their character skin...pushing the lines like they were still trying to decide exactly “how” their character would say them. And if you know the series really well, you'll see that the writers may have created history for the character in the second or third season that doesn't quite match up with what they originally showed in the first season.

Just like t.v. shows beginning episodes may have inconsistencies with their characters' storylines and personalities, after you type "The End" and go back to the beginning of your manuscript, you'll want to watch for the characters' inconsistencies. I'm not necessarily talking about character arc, but about believability in who your characters are and what situations they find themselves in, from beginning to end. Unlike a T.V. show audience, a reader is less forgiving of hiccups like these.

For most of us, those first chapters are written months before the final ones, so your characters take on a life of their own once you get into the story. As I go through and polish my manuscript, certain things my characters said and did at the beginning, were way out of character after knowing who they really were by the end of the novel.

For example, if your character starts out as being confident and outspoken, but you develop later in the story that she has some past issues that give her some major insecurities, you are going to want to be sure to at least hint to those from the beginning so the reader doesn't think you pulled it out of thin air to spice up the story. Believability is jeopardized when this happens.

When you polish your manuscript, be sure to keep your characters in check, and even though they should grow throughout your story, be sure they are still “themselves” from beginning to the end.

Have you discovered hiccups among your characters as you polish your manuscript?

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Angie Dicken first began writing fiction as a creative outlet during the monotonous days of diapers and temper tantrums. She is passionate to impress God's love on women regardless of their background or belief. This desire serves as a catalyst for Angie's fiction, which weaves salvation and grace themes across cultures. She is an ACFW member and CEO of a family of six.