### This is one of the possible [[assignments for fiction]] you can choose. (T1: Communication; T2: Reading?) A student asked me how to stay away from boring or cliché characters... hmm, maybe it’s not possible? When you think about it, in a sense, real life is kind of boring and cliché—that’s why clichés exist, in a way, because they are a reflection of reality—*on the surface.* I do not consider myself an expert on multidimensional character development. But I do stand amazed when I see it. Read Joyce Carol Oates for a master lesson. I’m sure you can find examples of your own. When you’re reading a character that seems lifelike, look back at the writing—what was it, why did it work? I think part of it is that well written characters contain contradictions. If nothing else, we can say they are not all good or bad. They can say dumb stuff. They can change their minds. They can be absolutely certain of something in Chapter 2 and then completely do a 180 by Chapter 8. They have flaws. They do not represent a static political, social, or moral category. Try writing a sketch or scene or sequence or even just character notes that show charaters defying easy categorizations. For example, you could write a hero who does something villainous, and then regrets it—or doesn’t! The possibilities are endless. Draw on your own experiences of being surprised by people, be they close friends, family, or relative strangers. What makes the people in your life interesting?