Yesterday I saw
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and
loved it—so much that I want to see it again. I woke up thinking about it. Why
do some stories touch us so much that we keep thinking about them? Why do the
characters come back to visit our dreams many times?
Maybe part of
it is the way each character’s story resolves itself—not necessarily happily
but in a just and satisfying way. Sometimes the resolution isn’t what we
expect, but if it seems to fit, if it’s what the character has earned, we’re
pleased.
In Marigold,
the characters grew. Each one developed in some way that made us cheer. The characters
were not all likable, but they were interesting and each elicited an emotional
response. We cared.
The point is,
aside from recommending a very good movie, that we should try to do the same
thing in our stories. But how? We need to give each of our main characters some
weakness or undeveloped trait and then impose conflict and circumstances that
force the character to react. From those reactions, the characters should
learn, gain confidence, and move along their path. This doesn’t have to be a
positive path, but if it’s your protagonist, he or she will probably then need
to overcome the negative aspects—unlikely in a short story because it takes
time to show so much change.
Placing the
story in a foreign or culturally different setting imposes change and provides
opportunities for the character to react according to her personality and
outlook. “Foreign” could be anything different from the norm. An egocentric,
in-charge character might become a patient in a hospital. A timid, indecisive
soul could find himself in charge of a group of children in a hostile
environment. Those are extreme examples, but forced change is a good way to do
it. In Cold Comfort, Claire is an
ordinary woman who becomes a killer’s target, forcing her to move outside—way
outside—her comfort zone. Riley, because of a personal failure, hates working
with women, but a debt of honor forces him to help Claire.
There are many
ways to do these things, limited only by our imagination. Do you consciously
think about making your character grow? How did you do it? What vehicles or
devices have you used?
Note: Read
about the “real” Marigold Hotel.
