A Beginners Guide to Flat Characters
For all the talk of creating well-rounded characters, there actually is a purpose for creating flat ones.
If you’ve been trying to write fiction for any length of time, I am sure you have heard you need to create realistic, well-rounded characters.
While this is definitely good advice when you are talking about any of the main characters in your cast, there is actually a time and place for characters who aren’t, well, round.
What Is a Flat Character?
So what makes a character flat? The short answer is that a flat character lacks complexity and falls into the territory of a stereotype. In fact, they lack not only complexity, but also growth.
These are characters who are not fleshed out when they enter the story and they will leave the story with that same lack of complexity.
Flat characters won’t have internal monologues because they lack internal conflict and complex motivations. They are one-note characters.
These are characters whom the story is happening around as opposed to their affecting the story.
However, this doesn’t mean that they don’t have a place in your story.
What Are They Good For?
I have heard people say you should never create a flat character; however, this type of character does have a use.
First, if every character in your story is a round character, this can lead your story to become unwieldy. If everyone in the story is equally worthy of attention, how does the reader (or the writer, for that matter) choose who to give their focus?
You don’t want them drawing attention away from the main character(s) of your piece.
When used to support the protagonist, a flat character can help them to achieve their goals and move the narrative forward. They also can be used as comic relief to excellent effect.
Now, it is important not to confuse a flat character with a static character. These are two different but overlapping character types.
While all flat characters are static, not all static characters are flat.
I’ll discuss static characters in a future article.
What Makes a Flat Character?
So what does a flat character look like in action? If you look at almost any of your favorite media, you’ll find flat characters.
Have you ever watched an action film? If you’re lucky, the villain is a round character. While you might not agree with his reasoning, he has a reason for what he is doing.
But you know that henchmen he dispatched to “handle” the problem? That guy is pancake flat.
Or maybe you like rom-coms, especially the late-’90s high school variety. The posse flanking the Queen Bee while she tortures the underdog? They’re flat, too.
At most, they offer a witty one-liner to further humiliate the protagonist. And here’s the thing — they don’t need to be anything more than that.
If you are looking for less nefarious purposes for flat characters, think of all the wizards who send the “chosen one” on his quest. With very few exceptions, they are flat, as well.
They also can offer moral support to the main character.
Charles Dickens was well known for creating complex stories with large casts of side characters, many of whom most definitely are on the flat side of the spectrum.
Miss Havisham in Great Expectations wants only one thing — revenge against men for being abandoned on her wedding day.
Other effective flat characters in literature and media include Lady Catherine de Burgh from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Crush the sea turtle in Finding Nemo or Newman in Seinfeld.
What Is the Point?
Learning not only how to recognize flat characters when you read them, but also how to purposefully utilize them in your own work, can be a game changer for fiction writers.
Pay attention while consuming your preferred media. If you see a flat character, notice how they are being used.
When you have a similar need, you’ll understand how they can be used (or in some cases, how they shouldn’t be used).
