When we talk about roundness and flatness, we usually refer to the complexity of the character and their personality. The difference lies between the definition of roundness/flatness and the state of being dynamic or static. The Difference between a Flat Character and Static CharacterĪ flat character can also be thought of as a static character, yet a static character is not necessarily flat. Your impression of a flat character rarely changes throughout the story, and they remain consistent across time. Falling back into cliché character tropes, they are simple characters that might not offer much depth to their characterizations. These are often called “one-dimensional” or “two-dimensional” because of their minimal or lack of complexity.
The key concept here is to know how to identify flat characters, and if their flatness contributes to the narrative that you are aiming for in your story. Sure, you might know flat characters to be often uninteresting and boring, but there are many flat characters in literature that are actually exciting and beloved! However, the truth of the matter is that having a flat character is not inherently bad. Just knowing that your character is a flat cardboard cut-out is a stake to the heart to a budding author. You might have heard that having a flat character is bad, and you might hear a disheartening comment from an editor or reviewer that you have a flat character.
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