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Jun 01
2009
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Tip of the Day - CharacterizationPosted by: Kristi Jenkins on Jun 1, 2009 |
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The tip: “When you define your characters the minute you introduce them, you may be setting boundary lines that your readers will use to interpret your characters’ actions through the rest of the book. But if you allow your readers to get to know your characters gradually, each reader will interpret them in his or her own way, thus getting a deeper sense of who your characters are than you could ever convey in a summary.” (Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, p26)
When it comes to characterization, I like it when the process of getting to know a character in a
book mimics, at least reasonably closely, that of real life. We can glean things by what folks look like, what they do and say early on, but there's a good deal in shadow as to who they really are. Then over the course of time, things start to emerge--some slowly, some quickly. ("Oh, this gal has a great, dark,sense of humor." or "Oh, This guy seems to have self-esteem issues...")
When an author lays out too much too quickly or tells readers about things we can very well discover for ourselves, the process of discovery is compromised and reader engagement will likely be lessened.
When an author lays out too much too quickly or tells readers about things we can very well discover for ourselves, the process of discovery is compromised and reader engagement will likely be lessened.