Getting to know a new character could be like hiking: you follow a map, you get to the destination. The writer leads the charge, using a well drawn “map” to take the characters on a journey. In my experience, character development is more often like hiking with a map drafted five hundred years ago.
I do my best to start with a really clear map in the form of a character profile with the flaw, personality traits and history of my protagonist. But then, I’ll get to the destination, and realize that the map doesn’t make sense anymore – and I’ve discovered a haunted bungalow where the lake should have been.
While a writer is theoretically in control of the characters, their personalities and their history, I find that the characters often know themselves better. Sometimes it’s not until the entire piece is finished that I realize the character has taken their life into their own hands, and changed not only their story, but everything I knew about them. Then begins the rewriting!
My point is, getting to know your characters can mean trusting them to show you who they are and where they are heading: mostly, way beyond the edge of the map. It also makes for a more authentic piece of writing.