flat character what is a flat character in a play

While you might not pay too much attention to this detail, this character could ultimately advance the plot.įlat characters have their place, and can often act as supplemental pieces to the story or as an easy way to create a shortcut to help keep the plot moving forward in the right direction. One way to think of a flat character is as a supporting actor in a movie – this character doesn’t have as much screen time as the main character however, their role is still important in moving the story forward.Īn example of a flat character could be a waitress who’s serving a milkshake at the local diner.

While a flat character might not seem important, the interactions that they have with the main characters play an integral role in the overall plot. These traits do not change in essence, they are usually one- or two-dimensional. Generally speaking, a flat character only reveals one, maybe two personality traits throughout the duration of the story. This type of character is known as a flat character.Ĭreating a flat character is rather easy as you only have to develop them within the context of the main character’s storyline. So while the main characters play an integral role and come with layers that the readers can peel back and discover, every storyline needs some additional characters that support the primary players and the plot, but about whom the reader doesn’t need to know too many details. In short, we want our main characters to change and grow throughout the story so that our readers can live vicariously through them.

We want to give them characteristics and certain traits that make them seem real and provide a source of connection with the reader. In today’s blog, we’re focusing on one in particular – a flat character.Īs we develop our main characters, we want to make them relatable. Books are comprised of main characters, antagonists, protagonists (stay tuned for a future blog post on them!), and a variety of different characters who bring the story to life and support the overall plot.

Flat character what is a flat character in a play