Writing How do make a character not a plot device

[ConcubusBunny]

As the title said, I need a way for a character of mine for a fic that I'm writing to be more natural in giving information to his younger sibling that joins a certain cause (it’s a vampire type story where they both end up as ghouls), still working out some plot lines for the fic, but ran to this problem really early on and got really worried that the older sibling that betrayed humanity might become a plot device. I do plan to use him a lot more, but I also don’t want this to be in my readers mind when reading my fic.

Any advice of how to avoid this predicament would e much grateful to me, thanks.

 

[Mr.Grey-Cat]

As the title said, I need a way for a character of mine for a fic that I'm writing to be more natural in giving information to his younger sibling that joins a certain cause (it’s a vampire type story where they both end up as ghouls), still working out some plot lines for the fic, but ran to this problem really early on and got really worried that the older sibling that betrayed humanity might become a plot device. I do plan to use him a lot more, but I also don’t want this to be in my readers mind when reading my fic.

Any advice of how to avoid this predicament would e much grateful to me, thanks.

If you don't want him to feel like a plot device then just don't write him as a device and instead write him as a person.

By that I mean to give feelings, thoughts, and worries. Don't just use him and then throw him when he is not needed. Instead try to show how he give information to his sibling, how he manipulates information for his sibling's well-being, how he hide something and how he worry about his sibling.

Simply put, to write a character not as a plot device but as a person, you as the author need to look at that character as a real person, and not just use him once and then throw him at the end of scene.

 

[Cipiteca396]

Ask EACH character these 3 questions:
1. Who am I, and what do I do?
2. What do I want?
3. What is the Worst thing that could happen to me?

Do follow the link for more concrete info.
Give the character a personality, motives, fears and things that the reader can empathize with. As long as there's empathy, being a plot device doesn't matter.

 

[ConcubusBunny]

Do follow the link for more concrete info.
Give the character a personality, motives, fears and things that the reader can empathize with. As long as there's empathy, being a plot device doesn't matter.

Thank you, this really helped with my problem

 

[Grandloaf]

Think about who they are as people and what their dynamic with the other characters will be. Then decide what their role in the story.

 

[AnUnknownMan]

Because I don't want to read an entire novel to understand the exact context, the following is generalized advice.
Some people are in positions where they help people. Some people want to be joined on the dark side. Some people think by bouncing their thoughts off of others. Some people are simply there to be asked.
What matters is if they linger. Your character doesn't have to keep track of people he just talked to one time, only interacts with in an official capacity, or side characters that just don't get screen time. Ideally, assuming none of your characters would just talk to the new guy out of niceness or to gain power within the faction, you would have a character with an established plotline who is instructed or otherwise in universe obligated to explain things.