Character agency is a character’s ability to drive the story.
Katia Raina states, “Agency is a fuel that drives your character, which in turn drives your story. Agency is your character’s power. It is their passion, their movement, it is how active they are.” (1)
This is what character agency is, and the plot is driven through the characters’ emotions, decisions, and actions. It’s a character’s ability to change their situation.
But how does an author develop it in their story?
Below are 10 tips to enhance character agency in your writing
1. Establish Clear Goals: Give your characters specific, achievable goals that they actively pursue throughout the story. These goals should be rooted in their desires, motivations, and conflicts.
An example of this is from “Walking Through Walls.” The 12-year-old protagonist, Wang, desires to be rich and powerful, but doesn’t want to work to get there.
2. Motivate Actions: Ensure that characters have strong motivations behind their actions. These motivations can be internal (emotional needs, personal values, etc.) or external (threats, rewards, etc.), but they should always be compelling and believable.
Wang’s motivation is internal, prompting all his decisions and actions throughout the story.
3. Consequences Matter: Show the consequences of your characters' actions, both positive and negative. This reinforces their agency by demonstrating that their choices have a real impact on the story world.
As an example, suppose a character’s decision to trust another character leads to betrayal, or his willingness to sacrifice personal gain for the greater good earns him the loyalty of others. These outcomes directly result from the protagonist's agency, highlighting his active role in shaping the story.
4. Conflict Drives Action: Introduce obstacles and conflicts that force characters to make difficult decisions and take decisive actions. Conflict creates tension and propels the story forward, highlighting the characters' agency in response to it.
Going back to Wang, he doesn’t like hard work and is impatient, which aren’t good traits for the path he has taken. His reaction to this conflict is to leave an apprenticeship he had started.
5. Show, Don't Tell: Instead of narrating what characters are thinking or feeling, show their agency through their actions and dialogue. Actions speak louder than words, and demonstrating agency through behavior makes characters feel more active and alive.
6. Internal Struggles: Explore your characters' internal conflicts and dilemmas, including moral quandaries and emotional struggles. These internal challenges can be just as impactful on their agency as external obstacles.
Wang’s internal struggles come to a head toward the end of the book when he has to make a life-altering decision. Does he fulfill his dream of becoming rich and powerful and use the one magic feat he learned as an Eternal apprentice to rob the wealthy, or does his conscience get the better of him?
7. Empowerment through Choice: Offer characters meaningful choices that reflect their values and personalities. Even in situations where options seem limited, give them agency by allowing them to make decisions that shape their own destinies.
Think of “Thelma and Louise” sitting in their car at the edge of the cliff.
8. Character Development: Allow characters to grow and change over the course of the story, influenced by their experiences and the choices they make. Character development is closely tied to agency, as characters assert their independence through their evolving actions and decisions.
Harry Potter is an excellent example of character development. He begins as an isolated and mistreated boy and matures into a ‘courageous and selfless leader’ by the end of the series.
9. Avoid Deus Ex Machina: Avoid resolving conflicts or advancing the plot through random chance or external forces beyond the characters' control. Characters should drive the action through their own agency, rather than relying on convenient plot devices.
10. Maintain Consistency: Ensure that characters' actions and decisions remain consistent with their established traits, motivations, and goals. Inconsistencies can undermine their agency and weaken the credibility of the story.
Summing It Up
Overall, character agency is about empowering your characters to be active participants in their own stories, driving the plot forward through their actions, decisions, and the consequences thereof.
By putting these tips into action, you’ll bring your characters to life, making them the kind of characters readers care about, root for, and remember long after the story ends.
I’m a working children’s ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach. I can help turn your story into a book you’ll be proud to be the author of, one that’s publishable and marketable.
