In a new post, Kristen Lamb says that characters who don’t change can be a good influence on those who must.
Some characters never change. Instead, they provide the lever by which your protagonist moves forward, Lamb explains. The character of Jack in Titanic doesn’t change before the end of the movie, but is the catalyst for Rose’s growth. “These characters introduce drama, adventure and chaos into the lives of those around them, people who probably never would have changed,” Lamb explains.
You might not show the growth of these characters due to space constraints. In other cases, the characters might be incapable of change or unwilling. “Depending on your story, the person who refuses to compromise can be an incredible source of tension,” Lamb says. “Think of a band of refugees running from an invasion who are trapped with the person who cannot ever tell a lie. If this pathologically honest person is questioned at a checkpoint, everyone could die.”
Your goal is to offset this unchanging character with others who are more adaptable. These static characters also can drive change in your protagonist, either by forcing them to change and adapt to an immovable object, or by showing them an alternative path to their goals.
