Character Stuffs: Contradictions
We’ve all heard it before, “I want a three-dimensional, interesting character.” Of course, that only makes sense. But how exactly do you make one? Well, that is a lengthy prospect and you can see some of the work I’ve put into characters here and here. Additionally, what I’ve found, and I’m sure many other brilliant writers and readers alike, is that some truly interesting protagonists and characters are walking contradictions. That is to say that they exhibit behaviors and have beliefs that shouldn’t exist in the same person but the do.
In fact, I will use myself as an example.
I love dark scary things, monsters, violent horror writing, writing sadistic villains, what have you. I also don’t enjoy watching horror movies, I hate being scared and haunted houses, but Halloween is my favorite, I love creepy things, but hate clowns. I love kittens and cookies, but don’t you dare call me cute. I enjoy cuddling stuffed bears and talking in what I refer to as my kitten voice. Adorable yes I guess, but also capable of scaring the crap out of you. Don’t fuck with the fluffy, black puff.
Ask yourself how the character is already in conflict with themselves, how they contradict themselves daily.
Building contradictions into characters provides you, the writer, with a place to go when you want to inject drama, conflict, and tension into an otherwise routine occurrence. You can make situations which aren’t necessary life or death feel that way to the character. Take your potentially stereotypical character and twist it up a bit. Gorgeous prom queen who works with volatile chemicals in her spare time and hates dancing. Pilot who is afraid of heights.
When you have a flat character without any pizzazz build a contradiction into their character. It will add internal and external tension.
Think of Gollum/Smeagol. He isn’t wholly evil and he certainly isn’t good. The ring has made him a horrible, suffering contradiction. He has his “hobbit-ness” about him, funny and simple, but the ring has also brought out the much darker side of him, one capable of killing.
Character contradictions also help to create empathy. The audience starts to care more about a character when they learn their dark actions are the result of a Tragic Backstory. Think about a thief stealing for food, a murderer who watched their own family be murdered, both the victim and the villain.
Five Places to Inject Contradictions
Names: They have associations and symbolism. When a character’s name goes against their type, it’s saying something. And this might not be observed by the reader right away. You can think of Spike from Buffy, yes it seems to fit that he’s called William the Bloody because he is a vampire but it’s actually a reference to his poet past. Ironic names can be an extremely effective way to pique a reader’s interest, surprise them, or make them laugh.
Appearance. Face, clothes, hair, body type, facial expressions, mannerisms, gestures, and speech tell us about a character. Throw in character contradictions and these little facts become much more interesting. Make the breathy-voiced, buxom blond a doctor, like on Futurama, and we do a double take. Make your millionaire dress in holey jeans and faded tees. He’s sounds a bit like a hipster now, but you get my point.
Motive. What we want more than anything, what drives us, what makes us actually leave the warm heaven that is our beds. Our motivation. The force that drives stories forward and determines plot and character. And of course, motives can be contradictory too. These conflicting desires craft drama. Lying to protect ourselves or others, giving up something or someone we love: our living contradictions.
History. Knowing your protagonist’s history, or backstory, is crucial to understanding their motives. Subtly inserting backstory into the narrative makes a character’s contradictory actions understandable. Incongruities can create interest and cause readers to engage more actively. Think about villains whose actions seen downright reasonable when you understand their backstory. A favorite example is Harley Quinn. She is a brilliant psychiatrist but because of what happens to her she enters a violent, dysfunctional relationship with the Joker. She is so smart and can be so independent but still lets the Joker control her.
Environment: Without a doubt we are shaped by our environments. Nurture always plays a role. Your character will be influenced by their family, friends, home life, work/school, and physical settings. The environments you put your character in can be funny because your characters are so out of place in them, assassins in daycare, villains in self-help circles, etc. Think about My Fair Lady. Or, environment can be a vehicle to explore thought-provoking social concerns and today’s problems. Whether you’re writing oxymoronic characters like wealthy hillbillies or well off criminals, setting contradictions can lend a story drama, resulting in valuable insights for readers.
People, which your readers are in fact, make assumptions based on what we see or know about a person. When you take the time to pair unlikely traits, the rewards can be great. Character contradictions exist everywhere. Incorporate them into the characters you create and your stories will be all the more authentic for it.