Writers: What are Round and Flat Characters?

In Secret in the Mist: An Abi Wunder Mystery,
horses play an important role, but they 
would be considered "flat" characters.
Illustration by Danika Corrall

By Linda Wilson   @LinWilsonauthor

If you’re like me, you’ve spent most of your time creating “round” characters, unique main characters bursting with personality, flaws, purpose; embarking on an adventure which will change their life and make them grow. Until I ventured upon the term “flat” characters, I hadn’t thought a lot about those other characters. The ones lacking depth, such as the roles parents and grandparents and kids not central to the story play, even siblings. Whichever type of characters you are creating, they need to have a purpose central to your plot, exude personality, and know their place. can fall into the background in order for your main characters to take center stage.

In an article by MasterClass, round and flat characters are described as “Characters in a novel, short story, play, or film can be either round or flat. A round character is nuanced and well thought-out. They usually play an important role in the story. They are written specifically so audiences can pay attention to them for a specific reason.”

In my current WIP, work-in-progress, Secret in the Mist: An Abi Wunder Mystery, my two main characters, Abi and Jess, their friends, and Jess’s brother are round characters: interesting, developed, having wants and needs, evolve and have a purpose throughout the story. 

Some of the main characters’ family members and family members of the minor characters are flat. 

“Flat characters, on the other hand, are more like window dressing. They are two dimensional and lack nuance. Their purpose in a story is usually perfunctory.” Flat characters can be “foil” characters, “embodying the opposite traits of another character, thereby strengthening audiences’ opinions of both characters . . . [the foil character’s] flatness will reinforce to audiences the impressive depth of the round character.” https://www.masterclass.com/articles/round-vs-flat-characters-in-fiction

When Flat Characters Should Make an Appearance

We don’t learn much about Abi’s grandpa, but he is present to drive Abi to Jess’s house for her visit, and at the end, pick her up to go home and listen to Abi promise to tell him all about her adventure. Jess’s mom appears a few times. Mainly, Jess texts her as she keeps track of the two friends’ comings and goings on an app on Jess’s phone.

When Flat Characters Get in the Way

Recently, I critiqued a story by an author whose flat characters were front and center. These characters were the main character’s parents, and were replete with their own story, including their relationship. The plot lost momentum and did not move forward. The entire section needed to be deleted.

You might agree that one of the greatest joys in writing for children is the creation of characters. Now with this new way of looking at our characters, we can make them as globular and as one-dimensional as we want!

Source:

Writers on the Move: Make your Characters Memorable My August, 2024 article, “Make Your Characters Memorable,” discusses the traits of “round” characters. 

Danika Corrall designed my website and illustrated Secret in the Mist. She can be reached at hello@danikacorrall.com. 

Linda Wilson is the author of the Abi Wunder Mystery series and other books for children. Her two new releases are Cradle in the Wild: A Book for Nature Lovers Everywhere (2023), and Botas Altas, the Spanish version of Tall Boots, translated by Graciela Moreno and Adriana Botero. You’ll find Linda on her Amazon author page, on her website at LindaWilsonAuthor.com, and on Facebook.