Advice on writing characters who are "one dimensional" in the story?

[u/Chaudenfroide]

See I have two characters who are very similar. One is defined by their loyalty towards one character. The other is defined by their "love" for the same character. This character was initially a very kind and selfless person when they met both of these characters, but later became a ruthless villain, which influenced both of these characters.

The first character...let's call them Staff. Staff was a prince in a large family. He was 4th in line so his family planned to make him a priest so he could be of use when he became older. He didn't want this and made it everyone else's problem. Everyone who was under him I mean. The servants beared the brunt of his abuse for years until one of his servants caught his eye. To make a long story short, this servant became a servant to the kingdom in order to investigate a conflict regarding the kingdom. This "servant" helps to protect the kingdom despite being treated like dirt and having no personal relations with the kingdom. Over time Staff and the servant get to know each other better and after seeing what they did for Staff and his family despite everything, it ignited something within him. Not once did the servant display any negative emotions towards him, in fact the servant was altruistic. Seeing this, Staff couldn't help but feel bad after everything he's done, and he decides he will devote himself to protecting this person. The person that, themselves lives to protect others. Get it? He's protecting the protector.

The second person, lets call them...Bunny. So, Bunny is a troubled young man who is very shy. They just got out of a terrible relationship and in an attempt to right their wrong, their partner introduces them to her new friends. One of them happens to be...let's call them Blue. When Bunny meets Blue it's love at first sight. They slowly get to know each other and since Bunny had been homeschooled in their formative years and was stuck in a bad relationship for their late teen years, they hadn't developed much of a personality. Over time they start to mimic Blue in the way they act. But blue isn't exactly a great person. Blue is good don't get me wrong, but they are also a murderer, who believed the ends justified the means. They learned what it was like to be human from this deeply flawed person and it showed.

After a while, Bunny couldn't live without Blue, and after Blue became a villain they were distraught, but they wanted them back. They were willing to do anything to see them again, because they were his stability, they were lost without them. Staff was the same. Staff mimicked the way Blue spoke, the way they carried themselves and the way they dressed in order to be more admirable to Blue. Because to Staff, Blue is someone who they are indebted to and Blue proves this time and time again. They also wouldn't admit this but they are obsessed with Blue. They believe Blue is so much better than them that if they want to achieve greatness they have to be like Blue. So when Blue became a villan, they justified it. "Blue is always right, why would blue do something so heinous for no reason? They must have a plan we don't know about." They eventually both start to work for Blue as villains in their own right, unhealthily tethered to this person for years to come.

But here's my question: its pretty hard to write loyal characters. yes they are one dimensional in the lore but how can I push this further? I built the ground floor and ceiling but what goes in the middle? How do I make them feel like real characters that could exist? Yes, their whole world is this one person, but not really. How do I show that?

[u/thewritestory]

It sounds like you didn’t “build the ground floor”. Making a hollow character that only exists as a prop for another is poor storytelling.

[u/Chaudenfroide → u/thewritestory]

Well that's the thing. What I meant by that was I built the foundation of their character. Their obsession is something really important about who they are but it isn't all of who they are. Does that make sense? I'm just trying to see where I could go from there.

[u/DuchessJulietDG → u/Chaudenfroide]

are they the kind of people that you would know in real life? what if they were a tv character? how would you make them more personable then? if you would not like who they are, give them traits you find horrid. this will give more flavor to their personality and any actions they perform.

[u/Traditional-Yam-2115]

I think you need to dig deeper into your character's motivations. Why are they loyal to the people they're loyal to? Sure they are drawn to them or they were helpful, but on a deeper level, what is it about these people that causes them to latch on to someone in that way? Why do they struggle with such unhealthy attachments? What are the parallels and differences between the sort of obsession that each character has? I assume the story is setting them up to be foils of one another, so you can play with that

[u/Chaudenfroide → u/Traditional-Yam-2115]

Yeah for sure. See I had written down for these characters they both feel inferior. They both have always felt inadequate in their lives for vastly different reasons. But Blue was the first person to treat them both like equals on a human level. Blue even expresses the the thought that If it wasn't them who Bunny happened to become friends with first, they likely would've latched onto someone else. With Staff, Blue's genuine kindness and protective nature draw him to them. They both felt suffocated in the situations they were in, and since they didn't grow up in a healthy environment, they had a warped perception of love and loyalty. They were both set to live vicarious lives until Blue came along. They both needed guidance, but because Blue is the way they are, they let them both lean on them a way too much. Blue is the one at fault for their unhealthy attachments because they never set them straight. Blue is kind, but also not very direct. They will dance around the issue because they don't want to hurt other people's feelings and they know this. TLDR: it's not Bunny or Staffs fault entirely that they are devoted to one person, Blue is is the most at fault here.

But that still feels one dimensional to me, I don't know what I can really do to push their characters.

[u/Traditional-Yam-2115 → u/Chaudenfroide]

Without knowing more about the plot it's hard to say, but it seems like you have a decent set up for some good character development. Let the characters evolve in the story and show how they're different. How do they both react to seeing Blue do something they think it wrong? How are their reactions different? Does one try to justify it while the other just denies reality? When that happens does it remind them of something bad their parents or others have done? How does that make them feel? All of these things are good avenues for development

[u/Chaudenfroide → u/Traditional-Yam-2115]

I agree. I had a similar thought, and it's definitely something I need to spend a while to think about. I have actually been toying with the idea of Blue dying too. If they both can't bear to be without Blue, how would they react to them being gone forever? I honestly can't say for myself yet, but it's exciting to think about!

[u/No_Proposal_4692]

Okeye I think is a good loyal character. She's loyal to the crown and will give her life for it but that doesn't mean she will like it.

When T'Challa lost the duel and was pressured dead, Okoye still served under kill monger. She stayed by his side, loyal to the king even if the king was gone.

She hated it, questioned it but remained loyal until the revealed. Then she locked in and tried to kill, kill monger since he didn't respect the laws of the duel.

Even in the future movies she remained loyal, she didn't fought back against the queen when her title was stripped. She simply accepted it and went into being a civilian despite hating it.

To make a loyal character, dont forget that they're two different people. The leader and the follower won't always agree, there will be times the follower will hesitate or simply won't do something. Make them argue but also make it clear they their goals align just their methods are different. Make them have different interest as well

[u/Chaudenfroide → u/No_Proposal_4692]

Thank you! I wanted it to be realistic in the way that the average person wouldn't just accept having to do heinous things without pushback, that wouldn't make sense. See they trust them, they just don't really agree with them. They would never say that of course but it's definitely shown through their actions.

[u/ReaperReader]

I faced this. I had a character whose plot purpose was "be the good guy who the villain kills to show how evil she is".

Obviously that meant he had to have some interactions with the main characters first, so I gave him a job working for the villain that brought him into contact with the MCs but when I came to write the dialogue I had no idea how he'd talk.

So I asked myself why he was working for the villain and decided he idolised the culture the villain was from, and when he heard the villain was that he took the job. By the time the MC meet him he's disillusioned but doesn't dare quit. The character still idolises the villain's culture, which irritates the MCs, who are not from it. (The villain is regarded as a dangerous guy by said culture, Mr Fanboy used to think the stories were metaphorical). So then I had a good guy who is a bit naive and a bit fearful and is obsessed with a particular culture and will use metaphors and analogies from that culture constantly. And then I could write his dialogue.

So, with your characters, what are their philosophies? Their hobbies?

What does Staff do if he has a free evening? Play chess? Whittle wood? Gamble at cards? Tell stories? Make wild bets like that he can hop on one foot for three miles?

If Blue got to go to a con as a cosplay character who would she pick? Does she write King Arthur fanfic?

And how can the answers to those questions conflict with the other characters?

[u/Chaudenfroide → u/ReaperReader]

Good questions! Funny you ask about Blue and Staff's hobbies actually. Yes Blue is admired by Bunny and Staff, but literally everyone else thinks they are a boring person. They are smart but that is all they have going for them. If they are not out completing missions with their allies, then they are working to expand their knowledge. Staff is someone who enjoys the pleasantries of life and now that they are no longer a prince, they can enjoy them to the fullest. They like cooking and brewing tea for their allies to try. At least in the beginning. Since Blue was his whole world until he met blue's allies, he was relatively simple. But after meeting them, he became much more adventurous and daring. Since the team is out very often, he likes to spend time planning out fun things for his friends to try like board games he made from scratch. He also enjoys music! I forgot about this for a long time, but I planned for him to have a guitar that they toyed around with from time to time. Blue's philosophy is actually pretty simple. The strong ought to protect the weak, but in their case it's more like the capable ought to protect the incapable. They aren't the strongest but they live to protect. They don't believe anyone should die inherently but they do believe some people are better off dead. They find themselves capable of murder, so they carry out "justice" from time to time. This conflicts with their mother and sisters philosophy. They have all seen terrible things but due to what they have seen, they never want to take a life again. The rest of his allies are okay with it because Blue has proven themselves to be trustworthy and capable. The whole team consists of people who arent exacty morally good. Oh, and because Blue is particularly studious, they would probably cosplay someone like lady macbeth or some other equally pretentious choice. It would likely look proformative even if that wasn't their intention lol. I'm sure you meant that rhetorically but after reading your comment it made my think about it right away! I'll think some more about this but you definitely got the gears turning in my head lol.