Science of a Good Character:
Ever heard of serotonin? Without getting too "sciencey,"
it's a chemical in the brain that affects behavior. High
serotonin levels cause a calmness, serenity and resistance
to change. Low serotonin levels cause edginess, risk
taking, and desire for change. Now the interesting stuff:
In a study of monkeys, it was discovered that the monkey
in charge, the "alpha," has a very high level of
serotonin, and the lower members of the hierarchy have
lower serotonin levels. Not only that, but the level
skyrockets within minutes of taking charge. Now, what does
this mean to us non-monkey writers? It works the same way
with humans. When you get to the top, you stop worrying so
much and you don't take as many risks as those under you.
And those lower on the totem pole are more likely to have
the desire and risk-taking behavior to take over and have
their serotonin levels rise.
In stories, we want our heroes and villains to be active,
fighting for change. Usually, a villain was once in charge
and lost it--a big motivator. And a good hero, generally,
has never shown up on anyone's list of most powerful
people. Why is this? Serotonin. Here's the upshot of all
this science: start your hero down and keep him down till
the end. Those that are in power will be more complacent
and not willing to change. Think of Jaws, for example, the
Mayor is in charge and really doesn't want anything to
change. He's complacent and way too calm for the
situation. The Mayor's teaming with seratonin. Meanwhile,
our hero Sheriff is a small town guy who no one really
respects. He never gets respect or moves up the ladder
until the end when he defeats the bad guy. Keep your hero
down and keep him there. It's not just a good character
tip, it's good science.