Character Development

[Anonymous No.19447134]

I want to write a novel focusing on a deeply misanthropic London barrister, but all the writing advice I've been given says he should "develop" so to be different at the end of the novel than he was at the beginning.
But I want the experiences in the book to CONFIRM his way of being, I want him to be just as much of a misanthrope, if not moreso, at the end. Will this make it a bad novel?

[Anonymous No.19447163]

Good way I suppose is to just ask a question and try to answer it in writing. You already have a beginning of a question: will his story be a bad one because of his lack of change? It's quite a heavy question, but if you manage an answer or something approaching an answer, I think it'll be a good novel. Also, why did you decide he should be confirmed in his ways? Could be another avenue of approach.

[Anonymous No.19447189]

>>19447134
>will this make it a bad novel
No, have the world around him change and be affected by him, rather than the other way around. Let the setting, and other characters have the arc. There is terminology for this, I remember reading it. I'm not the best person to give you advice, but you had no replies. That being said, the challenge you now have is to write a novel that confirms something held by pretty much everyone to be wrong, good luck.

[Anonymous No.19447193]

>>19447163
honestly, I think the story will carry well despite the main character's lack of change, because his misanthropy is motivated by a profound disgust at modernity, for him specifically in the area of law - he became a lawyer to uphold the basically ancient values of common law, but by the time he got there, it basically no longer existed. (look into the legal reforms of 1997-present if you're interested in that aspect) I want to give the impression that he was once a very able and optimistic young lawyer, but over time has lost all real drive because his profession, the city of London, and the country as a whole have become thoroughly dislikeable. I think a modern critic would be simultaneously repulsed and intrigued by the deeply reactionary sentiment.

[Anonymous No.19447197]

>>19447189
Thank you for clarifying that. I think I was moving towards doing that, but you spelled it out for me.

[Anonymous No.19447302]

>>19447193
>I want to give the impression that he was once a very able and optimistic young lawyer, but over time has lost all real drive because his profession
So you have character development right there. All you need to do is begin your story at an earlier stage of your character's life, or insert his earlier life into the book as a flashback.

[Anonymous No.19447327]

>>19447302
I definitely want to begin in the present, so perhaps flashbacks would work, but I also want to see if I can get away with just implying the change, as opposed to spelling it out in flashback chapters

[Anonymous No.19447339]

>>19447327
idk man. It all depends on how much of a genius you are. If it's good, people will like it. Flashbacks alone are difficult to pull. But even if you ultimately fail, you'll be better than you were before.

[Anonymous No.19447423]

>>19447134
Sounds like a shit novel.

[Anonymous No.19447430]

>>19447423
What are you writing then?

[Anonymous No.19447452]

>>19447134
Make him a rapist.

[Anonymous No.19447468]

>>19447452
...and a racist

[Anonymous No.19447469]

>>19447134
>misanthropic barrister
You sound like an English version of Haruki Murakami.

[Anonymous No.19447478]

>>19447134
99% of writing advice on the internet is a meme, platitudes like "character development" and "show don't tell" among them. Rather, what you should do in writing is to DRAMATICIZE a given approach to reality. Your character has these views, and then things happen to him in a way that confirms those views beyond a doubt. Your job is just to figure out what those things are, how they logically flow from the story's starter point, and how they make the character confirm his viewpoints.

[Anonymous No.19447486]

>>19447469
How so?

[Anonymous No.19447489]

>>19447478
This may be the most valuable advice in the thread so far. Thanks anon

[Anonymous No.19447597]

>>19447134
Start from a situation where he does not believe in his views with certainty and end the story when he is certain in his views

[Anonymous No.19447627]

>>19447134
There's nothing wrong with completely eschewing character development if you can make it interesting in other ways. If you want easy mode just introduce a minor mystery. Maybe someone's been putting dog shit through his letterbox

[Anonymous No.19448077]

Flat character arcs can work, but typically are better reserved for support characters. The reason being is constant affirmations of the protagonist would be boring overall. Something has to change for the story to be worth reading.