Catalysts

I think I'm safe in saying that just about everything happens because of something else ("...for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction"). Take a look at the picture on the right. Without the ball the dominoes would simply stand there. But because the ball happened to move in just the right direction at just the right speed and bumped into the first domino, the entire line of dominoes reacts. The ball was the action--the catalyst--that created a reaction.

Catalysts are generally encountered in and associated with chemistry. According to dictionary.com, a catalyst is a substance that causes or accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being affected. In literature it is something that causes activity between two or more persons or forces without itself being affected; a person or thing that precipitates an event or change. It can be a person whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy causes others to be more friendly, enthusiastic, or energetic. The catalyst can be thought of as an instigator whose job it is to keep the story moving using action to further accelerate conflict. These guys love to create disturbances in the story’s flow, and they can sometimes be quite annoying! 

The catalyst in literature is usually a character, but it does not have to be. In The Perfect Storm the weather is the catalyst that creates the premise for the entire outcome. In J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series multiple catalysts exist, both characters and non-characters, that motivate actions: Worm Tail, Sirius Black, Luna Lovegood, Rita Skeeter, George and Fred Weasley (the twins), magic and spells, to name a few. Think about these characters' and non-characters' roles. They are definitely more than merely flat characters (as discussed in last week's blog), as they actually move the story along and are a part of the plot. They appear over and over throughout the entire series, though they are not the main characters.

Flat Characters

Your protagonist must undergo the process of developing a personality, must possess quirks and flaws, and must be able to act or react “in character” whenever appearing in your story. Some of the characters in your story, however, are not expected to do this. These are the ones who appear only for the purpose of moving the story along in a rational way. In other words, they don't perform any specific role, they only perform tasks that make everything move along in a natural way. 

Let's say your protag is walking down the street and passes the mail carrier. A friendly "Hello" would be expected, so when that character speaks or nods, he/she is being used only to keep the reality in line. Your protag will be expected to react to that character in some way. Is your protag deep in thought? Is he/she trying to maintain a low profile? If either of these is the case, the protag may not react by returning the nod or uttering a reply. Instead, he/she may lower his/her head and pass without acknowledging the mail carrier. If your protag is happy and loving life at that moment, he/she may respond by blurting out, "Hello! Isn't it a wonderful day?" Either way, your reader is being fed some information about your protag at that particular time in the flow of the story.

Whatever the response, that mail carrier has provided an avenue for the reader to get to know the protag's current state of emotion and has, therefore, provided a piece of information without being an important character. And that's what is called a flat character. He/she has been important only at that precise moment but will probably not be seen or heard from again throughout the book. Flat characters can be compared to cutout paper dolls in that they will not take up much space in the story. They are, quite frankly, easily disposed of after they do their "bit part."