Consistency In A Character

As a first-time writer, you have a story knocking around in your head. You want your characters to get from A to B, all loose ends tied and red herrings put to rest.

While the imaginary people in your novel carry on their quest, however, you have to maintain a certain consistency in their actions.

Someone you've shown to be a wimp can't suddenly do something out of character. The female protagonist can't be hating her male counterpart one minute and then be madly in love for no reason given.

What if you had a character who was wealthy? Let's say his parents were entrepreneurs who made their fortune in the Tupperware-styled home sales party industry.

You'd be writing about Ryan LeVin, a young man who was drag racing a Porsche 911 Turbo on a Fort Lauderdale street, only to jump the curb and strike two visiting British tourists. Both men died of their injuries.

When your character is driving a car that costs $120,000, you're showing, and not telling, your readers that there's plenty of money to go around. Once you've established that aspect, what's the next part of the story?

Keep in mind that Mr. LeVin had racked up numerous traffic citations in the Chicago area, and at the time of the Florida crash, he was on probation for a cocaine possession charge. His time served in prison was minimal. How would you have this character deal with the sudden tragedy entering his life, knowing that you must maintain consistency?

Mr. LeVin denied that he was driving the Porsche in question. He tried to pin the blame on his buddy who was drag racing next to him.

You've painted your character as a spoiled rich kid grown up.

As an author, you'd want him to have some sort of epiphany, to realize the error of his ways and thus find salvation. You'd have him walk into the courtroom and take his punishment like a man. In the end, he might serve some time, or he might dedicate himself and his millions to community service.

In real life, Mr. LeVin intends to remain consistent in his behavior and throw money at his problem to make it go away. Facing a sentence of 20 -45 years in jail, he figures he can give money to the widows and orphans of the two men he killed, and then bargain down for ten years with time off for good behavior.

His attorneys put together a settlement for the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the survivors, and wouldn't you know it but that settlement is dependent on Mr. LeVin not being in jail. He can only get the money if he's working. His family and their Jewels by Park Lane can't (or won't) cover the expense.

Consistency in action is a must for a believable character. But in fiction, the readers are often looking for an uplifting conclusion or a somewhat happy ending. Real life isn't fiction. Don't make your novel too realistic.