creating complex characters

i’m currently plotting a novel using a (slightly altered) version of the Snowflake Method. so far, it’s been relatively hardship-free.

i’m about to switch from fleshing out the plot to fleshing out characters, however, so i returned to this video—another great one from Shaelin Bishop—on creating complex characters.

i’m particularly drawn to this concept of “the dark room,” which is basically a key aspect of the character that is never made explicit in the story, but a reader could infer what it is based on other elements present. now my homework is to find the Alice Munro essay where the term originated…

watch the whole video below!