We All Know Character Progression Is Important

LWFlouisa

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But is there a specific set rate that a character is suppose to evolve? My MC in Uploaded Fairy's character change was more rapid, because that contained about sixteen years of personal growth.

By contrast, in my later work, character progression was slower, because it was about three days in 10,000 words. Rather than 16 years in 25,000 words. By and large it seems like the amount of real world time that takes place is a lot shorter.
 

FriendlyDragon

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There is no rate. What determines how fast your MC changes is mainly you and your plot. So it's extremely relative (as a lot of writing is). Just make sure to read over whatever character development you created and ask yourself if it makes sense. If it seems out of place, maybe it's too soon or maybe the cause behind the change doesn't make sense or isn't detailed enough. There is a lot of things that can come into play but in general, there is no specific rate.
 

Llamadragon

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No, it depends entirely on what happens to them. Character growth (or character regression, which is also a perfectly fine way to go on about it) is just adaptation. They learn more about how to act to go through life smoothly. The rate of growth depends on what they need to adapt TO, as long as you get that ratio right then you're good.
 

GDLiZy

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Sometimes character development isn't even necessary. If your character is a jaded veteran or the classic old monster who had seen everything, you should not even try to develop their inner philosophy as they had almost reached the end of their road.
 

CupcakeNinja

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But is there a specific set rate that a character is suppose to evolve? My MC in Uploaded Fairy's character change was more rapid, because that contained about sixteen years of personal growth.

By contrast, in my later work, character progression was slower, because it was about three days in 10,000 words. Rather than 16 years in 25,000 words. By and large it seems like the amount of real world time that takes place is a lot shorter.
A character doesn't need to even grow at all. Don't listen to anyone saying they have to.

People in real life hardly change and grow past their developmental year's. Same with characters.

There needs to be a true, justifiable REASON for them to change, too. Otherwise, why should they at all?

Regardless, they dont have to change at all from an author's standpoint. I dont get the obsession with character development.
 

LWFlouisa

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Ah so I may have went about it the wrong way then.

Nadine had to adapt to the fact that not only did she have her "dark half" emotionally manipulating her, but also the merging of the game world with the real world. So much of the plot was her coming to terms with this "desire", which is elaborated on in the first half, from the perspective if the game developer that's sort of like her "evil sister" / reincarnation thing.

( Originally what I had in mind was establishing reincarnation, and how the rules for reincarnation flow slightly differently from what you might usually find in certain religions. )

Hemato / Nadine is similar actually to the Lucy / Nyu thing in Elfen Lied. I didn't intend that as I was writing it, but I can't deny the fact that that was somewhat of an influence, oddly, along with Neuromancer.

I didn't think I'd actually come back to it, as I wrote it at a different time from Magnet Girl Wireless, The Million Lyrics, and other stuff, because I was still ... not completely defeatist about science fiction still being relevant in the next few years. I think the only sf element I have anymore, is this vague notion of VR I had been fleshing out, that's more emersive than any virtualty reality we have these days, bluring the line between Virtual Reality and Lucid Dreaming.
 
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