Flat or two-dimensional vs. three-dimensional characters.
I finished the last book in Michael Grant’s Gone series. The great thing about a series that has six books is the character development. We often get to see a lot of characters that have become three-dimensional. Typically with a single book story you might get two – rarely three – characters that are considered three-dimensional, but typically only the main character.
A flat character can be cliche like the stoner that works the night shift at the twenty-four hour gas-n-go. Ginny Weasley from the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling would be considered a flat character in the first book; however with a series you can develop that character much more. We learned a lot more about Ginny Weasley in additional books thus making her a three-dimensional character.
What does it take to transform a flat character to a round developed character? For the reader it takes time spent with them. We read along and learn about who they are, the choices, mistakes, and conflict they encounter, and when done correctly we are given bits and pieces of their backstory. (Backstory should be sprinkled into the story – no one wants to have a backstory dump on someone we are not invested in, or even if it is the protagonist or antagonist.) Michael Grant did a great job sprinkling in backstory about his characters and giving just enough information to us as the readers so we kept turning the page hoping that the author would eventually tell us more.
Michael Grant leaves us with Sam and Astrid, Caine and Diana, Quinn, Edilio, Lana and Patrick (her dog), Dekka, Brianna, Albert, Computer Jack, Orc, Mary, Sanjit and Choo, Howard, Hunter, little Pete and even Drake. There are more than this that I would consider three-dimensional characters. How great is it to know these characters, I mean really know them.
Great series. I loved it and like always, when I finish any good series, I was a bit bummed out because I miss my friends that I’ve spent so much time with.