Flat characters are there to foil the main characters or to provide support to them.

Make sure they play into your themes or highlight key features of your main characters.You’re not going to need to know every little detail about them. They’re going to want to seem realistic and like they’re a real person, but just not too the degree that your protagonist is going to be. They’re going to have to be believable – just like your protagonist.So how do we write good flat and stock characters? Here are my tips: You’ll find flat characters in every type of story on the other hand. The main difference between the two is that stock characters are very genre specific. They can have a bit of depth to them, but not enough that they’re going to change and become a dynamic or round character. Flat characters don’t necessarily fall into the category of stereotypical. Stock characters are the ones you’re going to recognize right away – they’re the damsel in distress, the faithful sidekick, the hooker with a heart of gold, etc. So like I said these guys are pretty similar in their definitions. They don’t go through a transformation or do any kind of growing over the narrative.Doesn’t need much or any fleshing out by the author.You know who they are and where their story lines are going to take them. They’re generally flat characters that the reader will recognize immediately. Stock Character: is a stereotyped character that shows up in certain genres in literature.

They are often referred to as one- or two-dimensional characters, usually having one perspective or point of view about life, things, or events.

They have recognizable characteristics that make them appear stereotypical.They do not go through a substantial growth or transformation in the course of the narrative.The role of flat characters is to support the main character.Flat characters are often do not have any emotional depth. So why don’t we start off with the definitions of both types of characters and then we’ll break them down.įlat Character: is a character that does not change too much from the start of the narrative to its end.

Yes, there is going to be a difference between the two of them and it’s going to be a subtle difference. We’re talking about flat and stock characters today.

The definition of flat character