If you have studied the craft of writing fiction, then you would have heard of the term character arc or a character emotional wound. They are the basis in creating a character that is memorable and three dimensional. Every human being carries around with them a set of emotional beliefs rooted in their personal history, so why do fictional characters have to be any different? There are, of course, novels that include characters with no character arcs and who remain unchanged when the story ends. But isn't the journey of a character who grows and alters to overcome his emotional wounds much more of an engaging story? 

A character wound is a negative experience that moulded the person’s view of themselves and the world around them. The person has replayed that emotion continually in their minds until it becomes more real than reality itself. This will impact on the life choices they make, and every aspect of their lives. When a person has low expectations then they subconsciously seek out negative results. When they gain those bad results, that reinforces the negative belief and the vicious circle of pain and rejection becomes embedded in their belief system. Many writers cover characters wounds when creating their backstory, but here we are going to delve deeper into the many factors surrounding the root of these beliefs and, hopefully, your characters will become more memorable and realistic.  

A character's biology: When a child is born they enter the world with a mental and emotional blank canvas. However, what they do possess is their parents' DNA. This DNA will have a substantial effect on a child's temperament, intelligence and physical appearance. What if the child’s mother has a history of mental illness? Would they not see the world differently to others who experience the same event? To create an authentic character, you must use these biological factors as building blocks because they do have an important role to play. 

A character's psychology: This is how a character will behave and think. This belief system is not only affected by their biology or genes, but also their social surroundings. A character's wound is a result of the feelings, emotions, perceptions and behaviour surrounding a particular event, and subsequently the change in their personality, behaviour and motivations because of that event. Of course, there are novels that concern themselves with characters miraculously falling on their feet and being rescued, but in the real world, would a damaged personality be a natural optimist? Would they rationalise their behaviour voluntarily, or would they just make a snap decision based on their personal experience and trigger fight or flight behaviour?

It is these character traits that are going to create a very unique and memorable character, and that is where your writing skill comes in. You can decide how they would react based on their beliefs. One last factor to take into consideration, is the social factor. Our parents, siblings, extended family, religious/cultural beliefs and community will all have an effect on a person's view of the world. These are the most subconscious influencers, and therefore the hardest beliefs to alter. How would you help the character challenge and alter these detrimental beliefs? 

It is not an easy task to create a character with these many layers. But if you can succeed, then you have just created an awesome character that readers will relish.