Every time I watch an episode of a favorite TV show, I hop onto Reddit and scroll through the episode discussion. I love reading threads on “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Yellowjackets,” “Servant,” and “Dexter,” to name a few. It’s fun to read people’s theories and see if they have the same questions I do. People often post thoughtful predictions and analysis I wouldn’t have thought of. As a writer, I especially enjoy reading thoughts on character development. And a common comment I see is, “I can’t believe the character did that!”
Not, “I’m shocked the character did that,” but, “I legitimately can’t believe the character made that decision.”
Dexter would never have [insert spoiler!] What were the writers thinking!?
This is totally out of character for Miranda! Her decision to [insert spoiler] makes zero sense.
Yes, this is a dig at “And Just Like That.” Sorry, not sorry.
You get the idea.
Most of the time, when audiences have this reaction, it’s because characters are making choices that service the plot. The writers want something to happen, so they just make it happen, even if it doesn’t 100% make sense for the character. And you know what? Audiences are smart and intuitive, and they can smell that BS from a mile away. Sure, sometimes opinions diverge, and writers make controversial creative choices. That’s fine! But when writers make characters do things that *don’t make sense*, audiences can tell. And it can get pretty infuriating, especially if an audience has invested a lot of time and emotional energy into that character.
So, how do you avoid infuriating your audience? How do you ensure your characters are not only believable, but also make believable choices?
For every decision your character makes, ask this question: Why?
Why is my character doing this?
Why does this choice make sense for them?
Why does my character feel this is their only option?
To go even further, play the devil’s advocate.
Let’s say you’re writing a rom-com and at the midpoint, your protagonist decides to cheat on her boyfriend. Probably not the *best* decision in most circumstances, but audiences love a flawed character! Anyway. Ask yourself why that choice is the only logical one for her to make.
Why does she feel compelled to cheat in the first place…is her other relationship that bad?
Why doesn’t she break up with her boyfriend and then pursue the other relationship?
Why doesn’t she try couple’s therapy?
Why doesn’t she try talking with her boyfriend to work through their problems?
If you don’t have good answers to these questions, it means you’re making a creative decision that’s good for the plot, but not necessarily good for your character. Sure, adding a cheating scandal into a rom-com makes for good drama. But that drama has to come from an authentic place. If not, that’s when your story shifts from a character-driven narrative to a narrative deserving of getting torn to shreds on Reddit.
To be clear, your character’s decisions don’t have to make rational sense. Their decisions have to make sense for them. No character, no person, is ever completely rational. But their choices need to be a natural result of their characteristics and personality.
As long as you can play devil’s advocate and justify why your characters are doing what they’re doing, you’re good to go! This process will not only help you learn more about your characters, but also help you craft an engaging and believable story readers can invest themselves in without feeling cheated or frustrated.