Character-Building: How Do Your Characters Define Freedom?

Summertime is filled with celebrations of freedom. From Juneteenth and Pride Month in June, to the 4^th of July and Bastille Day in July, to that glorious sense of freedom children feel on the last day of school in May or June (and which we all still feel inklings of, no matter how old we are), freedom is a common theme in summer, no matter where you live.

Thinking about freedom and what it means to each of us individually got me wondering about the fictional characters we write.

There are plenty of character-building exercises out there in how-to books and online—worksheets and questionnaires that have us listing our protagonist’s favorite pizza, where they went to school, what the name of their childhood pet was, and so on. But I don’t think we really get to the true nature of our characters until we explore the deeper aspects of their personalities. How do they react to obstacles? What triggers might cause them to dip into depression? How do they handle criticism? How do they express frustration, sadness, joy, or attraction?

So I’m adding another question to that list: What does freedom mean to your characters?

For a teenager, maybe it means that beat-up Camry they have finally saved enough money to buy and the chance to escape their fighting parents, if only for a few hours. For a young mother, maybe it’s a girl’s night out while a trusted babysitter minds the kids. For an incarcerated man, maybe it’s parole. For an abused girl, maybe it’s the chance to get sent to foster care.

Maybe freedom is a symbol. Maybe it’s literal. Maybe it’s an unrealistic dream. Maybe it’s a simple matter of not taking the usual exit off the freeway and continuing on down the road to someplace new. Maybe it’s a college degree or an inheritance. Maybe it’s changing jobs, lovers, hobbies, living arrangements, or geographical locations.

Freedom can be painful. Freedom can be joyful. Freedom can leave a path of unexpected destruction in its wake. Freedom can right wrongs. Freedom can cascade down or build back up. Freedom can affect one person or all of us.

As you consider the characters in your story, think about how your protagonist defines freedom. Then consider how they would react if they somehow received that freedom. Would it be what they expected, or would there be thorns hidden among the rosy petals? Then ask the same questions of your antagonist.

And finally—and probably most importantly—remember that freedom has a cost, no matter how it’s defined. Consider what that cost might be to your character. Are they willing to pay that cost and face consequences to grasp that freedom?

Freedom is a glorious and terrible thing, with great potential, great risk, and great responsibility. Are your characters up to the challenge of facing their notions of freedom?

I hope you can take some time this summer to celebrate your own perception of freedom and what it means in your life. And if you’re celebrating with corn on the cob, some homemade ice cream, or maybe even an ice-cold margarita, give me a call. I’ll be right over, because I’m pretty sure I’m free that day.

[Photo by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay]