Saturday, September 24, 2022

Character yes and nos.

This month's topic is how characters are defined in writing and what do I leave to the reader’s intuition? Is there anything I never tell about a character?

Well, writing is all about the story's purpose, and the characters must work to carry out that purpose. So, of course, the reader needs to understand the characters and think of them as real people, either good or bad, for them to carry out that purpose.  At the same time, readers pick up hints about the character's personality from their own experiences. They also get hints from what the character wears, does, and says. While some traits of a character must be made, such as appearance, manner of speaking, and tone of voice, often the reader has their own perspective on a character’s behaviors that develop as they read which makes the reader part of the writing process.

Characters fall into categories. The main characters are those the reader needs to know intimately as they are most important in the story. Supporting characters help or hinder the main characters in some way the reader can relate to, and placement characters, who often remain unnamed, just help create the fictional world as a real place.

Is there anything I never tell about a character? Absolutely. The character doesn't need a biography. The reader doesn't need to know everything, only the pertinent information for developing the character as a real person and supporting the story's purpose

Please visit these authors' blogs for their views
on this topic:

Skye Taylor 

ConnieVines 

Dr.Bob

A.J.Maguire