Monday, Monday: or how to mess up your characters’ lives

I watched a lot of the TV show: Private Practice over the weekend, thanks to Netflix streaming. If you’ve not watched it, it’s a spin-off of Grey’s Anatomy, which I enjoy. Both shows are not about the medical stuff for me, but about the interrelationships amongst the characters. It occurred to me while watching that this show (and Grey’s, for that matter), are good examples of how to write characterization.

First, you allow people to get to know and care about your characters. (In Private Practice, we empathize with Addison as she realizes on her first day at work, that her friend/boss Naomi neglected to tell the other doctors in the practice that she’d been hired. Through her eyes, we meet the other docs and get to know them).
Second, you throw in some sort of challenge, obstacle. (Insert any episode)
Third, just as you think things are beginning to go great, you toss in something dire. (Insert the back half of any episode)
Fourth, your character resolves the challenge (whether good or bad). (Act 4 of the episode)
Finally, you show that your character has grown (either good or bad). (The wrap up)

Yep, it really is that simple. Think on this a little. What can you do to shake up your characters’ lives? What kind of obstacle or challenge can you give to your protagonist?

Joss Whedon is famous for many things, but I always remember his statement from ages ago (paraphrased): “Give your audience what they need, not what they want.” I’ve always remembered this. I was amused to hear these words coming from one of the Private Practice characters during an episode. They were talking about medical treatment, but the sentiment’s the same. You’re the doctor when it comes to your writing. Your audience may want bunnies and puppies, but they need demons and vampires. They need to see the conflicts, have resolution, even when the resolution isn’t what they’d envisioned. This is the audience-facing corollary to writing good characterization. You need both to create good fiction.

If you stick to these basics, you’ll have a head start.

What examples do you have of when a writer gave you what you needed and not what you wanted? Did it work? Did you hate it? Love it?