There tends to be a murkiness in the literary world about the term “character study.” In my years of writing research, I’ve never found a consistent definition of the term. What I have found is that there’s a lot of writer confusion out there about character study vs. story vs. plot. Here’s my own take on the subjects:

Often, character study is confused with Story which is about changes within a character over the course of a literary work. Character study is not so much about change, but about the revelation of what is already within a character, and the depths to which that revelation goes defines its literary richness. Plot is simply the events that transpire in a work, ideally having an engaging flow while reaching some satisfying confluence and conclusion(s). It tends to be external and can carry a work… though said work may have little depth or meaning without the other two. This is why a work can have a plot but no story, be a character study with no plot. However, mindful application of these concepts in your work can send hearts racing, tears falling, minds reeling, and fists pumping.

These definitions have worked for me and allowed me to gain a greater understanding of my own work. Let me know if they prove useful to you, as well.