Characterization part 3

Characterization
There are four direct methods of
presentation:
 Dialogue
 Appearance
 Action
 Thought
Two indirect methods:
• Authorial interpretation
• interpretation by another character

Appearance
 Use of concrete and significant details
in appearance is a facet of “showing”
versus “telling” the reader what the
character looks like.
Appearances may be deceiving, but we
need the appearance in order to begin
showing with words the perception of
the appearance.

appearances
 Appearance extends beyond eye and
hair color, fashion or lack thereof.
Appearance can include other types of
sensory detail: how a person walks,
shakes hands, perfume or lack thereof,
the sound of a person’s voice. All of
these qualities are about creating a
character’s physical presence.

Exercise#1
10 minutes
 Pick one of your characters from
Monday’s writing exercise.
 At the top of the page, write one word
that captures an important aspect of
your character: Humorous, Shy, Vulgar,
Elegant etc.
 Now write a list of ways in which your
character could “show” these qualities
in the physical world.
 Example: A vulgar character might
constantly blow his nose at the dinner
table.
 Write one paragraph using one or more
of these examples to start showing your
character’s physical presence.

Action
 Significant characters in fiction must
be capable of causing change, and
being changed.
 They must be driven by internal desire,
not necessarily for the holy grail, but
within each important character, there
is quest for something.
 Key point: Action should be both
external and internal
 “A story is about a single moment in a
character’s life when a definitive choice
is made, after which nothing is the
same.” —John L’Heureux
 But stories also are based on action;
characters must move around, do
things, just like people.

ActionExercise
10 minutes
 Send your character into a situation
requiring action:
 Go to a party
 Commit a crime
 Propose
 Have a picnic
 Go for a run
 Attend a concert
 Or some other action. Make them do
something.

Character
Thought
Somewhat contingent on POV, but:
• like dialogue, should say more than it
means
• Can be offered either directly or in
summary
• Can create tension by contrasting with
action

ThoughtExercise
 Take one paragraph from last week’s
dialogue exercise.
 Write one paragraph following an
exchange of dialogue in which one of
the characters’ thoughts are expressed,
and have those thoughts conflict with
what was said.

Indirect
characterization
The two indirect methods of
characterization “tell” rather than
“show” the character.
• Authorial interpretation, in which an
omnipotent narrator describes a
character
• Interpretation by another character,
which may or may not be credible

CreatingTension
 Significant characters are so because
they are complex
 When various methods of
characterization are employed, using
conflict between them will show the
complexity of the character, i.e. when
appearance clashes with action (the
sloppy dresser obsessed with order)

Lastexercise!
Indirect
characterization
 Pair up!
 Choose two characters with a conflict.
This can be from one of your pieces of
writing or a brand new set of
characters.
 Discuss the characters, name them,
and decide on their conflict.
 Each person write a monologue from
the point of view of one of the
characters describing the other (decide
on who is writing which one first)

Monday, Feb. 18
Assignments
 We are now going to explore fictional
places/sense of place in fiction. I will
discuss fictional setting in literature.
Please bring a one paragraph example
from a published story or novel that
describes a place in a way that stuck
with you. The place can be real or
imagined. We will have a fictional place
writing exercise in class.

Characterization part 3

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Characterization part 3

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