Acting Uncharacteristically

Characters have characteristics. What we see them say and do demonstrates those characteristics. Some people are valiant heroes, championing a cause to make the world a better place. Some people are reluctant heroes, choosing to do good because fate pushes them into it. Some people are petty, self-centered bastards who either act in their own interest or not at all.

Whoever your characters may be, we understand the through their thoughts and actions, and as they consistently act in a certain way, we become closer with those characters.

Building that kind of rapport between a character and a reader allows you to test that character's strength. When situations become dire, characters may start acting uncharacteristically. This is not a failing of the storyteller. It is an explanation of how powerful the forces at work are. Any situation that can cause a hero to cower or a rogue to help others is one beyond anything they ever expected to face.

With dire situations, you also can turn it around a bit. When you present a situation that should make the hero cower, but he still stands tall in its face, it shows that the character is stronger than we could have imagined. It fills us with hope and confidence.

Of course, don't forget that the power of a character acting uncharacteristically only occurs when you have established their characteristics in the first place. If the audience doesn't know which way is up, then all they see is a crazy person who keeps switching modes.