Jobs for your characters

When creating characters, it is worth remembering that they have jobs and should be regarded in that way. Understanding their roles helps bring stories to life and gives them depth.
Beyond the standard definitions of protagonist (the main character) and antagonist (the main character or force that opposes the protagonist) there are four basic character types (the Americans claim seven but that’s over-egging things in my view):

Dynamic/Round Character - a well-drawn, rounded character who changes during the course of a story or novel. Sometimes a dynamic character is called a developing character

Foil - a character that is used to enhance another character through contrast

Static (or flat or stock) Character – a character that remains primarily the same throughout a story or novel

Confidante- someone in whom the central character confides, thus revealing the main character’s personality, thoughts, and intentions

They do overlap in some way - a flat character could be a foil as well – but you could not have a character that is both static and dynamic.
The terms are useful for understanding a character and his place within the story but  in the end, it is not about how a character can be named and classified.

I do not believe writing should be hide-bound by theory. Nevertheless, as a writer, it’s all about understanding the job characters do. It is also about recognising characters who do not do a job.
Example: in a recent novel, I had a climactic scene in a hospital but it was too long and loose because I had two characters who did not have a job - they provided information already supplied by others, created an atmosphere already created. They were in the way - taking them out gave the scene real pace and drama.

 

John Dean