I’ve decided to write a book. My biggest weakness is character development. My characters just don’t feel real and so I’m looking for inspiration.
Can you recommend books that have great character development, where you feel you know the characters as real people, real friends, even enemies.
I’m not necessarily talking about the best character arcs. I’m talking about the characters who were brought to life for you, who jumped off the page and into your living room.
by Run4Fun4
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The Percy Jackson series is my go-to, because of not only the character arcs but the development of side characters throughout the first series. Even the lesser characters become memorable through various decisions and means.
The Martian by Andy Weir – Mark Watney is alone on Mars. Character development is a must
Also Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir – the main character is alone on a ship (CW: suicide discussion)
My personal favorite for unreliable narrators and tricky, charismatic characters is The False Prince by Jennifer A Nielsen
For classics, Frankenstein. It’s told from the perspective of the inventor, but you sympathize with the monster despite the evil
I’d also recommend studying the Hunger Games, both TV series and novels. Kat miss Everdeen is an introspective character, and looking at how she translates between the two could be fun. Plus there’s a lot of analysis already on her
Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried – war novel told from multiple stories
If you want more suggestions let me know