Characters & Viewpoint

1. Characters are defined by their actions, motives, and past

A character is what he does, yes — but even more, a character is what he means to do.

Actions reveal character. Characters become real to readers through their behavior, decisions, and responses to situations. Their past experiences shape their present actions, while their motives provide depth and believability. To create compelling characters:

• Show characters making choices and taking action
• Reveal their inner thoughts and motivations
• Provide backstory that informs their current behavior
• Demonstrate how they interact with others and their environment

Character dimensions:

• Physical appearance and mannerisms
• Dialogue and speech patterns
• Habits and quirks
• Skills and abilities
• Relationships and social roles
• Beliefs and values

2. Effective characterization balances realism and romanticism

It's vital that along with making Nora seem exciting and wonderful, you also help your readers understand and believe in her, so they can connect her with their own lives.

Striking the right balance. Readers want characters who are both relatable and extraordinary. Too much realism can make characters boring, while excessive romanticism can make them unbelievable. To achieve this balance:

• Ground characters in realistic details and behaviors
• Give them unique qualities or abilities that set them apart
• Show their flaws and vulnerabilities alongside their strengths
• Allow them to surprise readers while remaining true to their core

Character development techniques:

• Gradual revelation of character traits
• Internal conflicts and personal growth
• Unexpected reactions to situations
• Contrasting public and private personas

3. Sympathy and antipathy shape reader engagement

When readers pick up your story or novel, they want it to be good. They want to care about the people in your story. They want to believe.

Emotional investment is key. Readers' feelings towards characters significantly impact their engagement with the story. Creating sympathy or antipathy involves:

• Showing characters' vulnerabilities and struggles
• Revealing noble intentions or selfish motives
• Demonstrating growth or regression in character arcs
• Balancing likable traits with flaws

Techniques for building sympathy:

• Altruism and self-sacrifice
• Courage in the face of adversity
• Relatable goals and desires
• Humor and self-deprecation

Techniques for creating antipathy:

• Cruelty or selfishness
• Betrayal of trust
• Hypocrisy or dishonesty
• Abuse of power

4. Comic characters require controlled disbelief

Comic characters cannot be believable in the same way that other characters are. They can't be unbelievable, either.

Walking the fine line. Comic characters must be both believable enough to engage readers and exaggerated enough to be funny. This balance is achieved through:

• Exaggeration of specific traits or behaviors
• Unexpected reactions to situations
• Maintaining a core of relatable humanity
• Using timing and context for comedic effect

Comic character techniques:

• Quirky mannerisms or speech patterns
• Absurd logic or misunderstandings
• Running gags or recurring jokes
• Contrasts between appearance and behavior

5. Serious characters demand plausible justification

Fiction doesn't deal with what happened once. Fiction deals with what happens.

Building believability. Serious characters require careful justification for their actions and traits to maintain reader engagement. This involves:

• Providing clear motivations for character choices
• Showing the consequences of their actions
• Developing consistent personality traits
• Revealing backstory that informs current behavior

Techniques for character justification:

• Internal monologue revealing thought processes
• Flashbacks to formative experiences
• Gradual revelation of character history
• Reactions from other characters

6. Character transformations need clear causes

Every revision of motive is a revision of the story.

Change with purpose. Character transformations are powerful storytelling tools, but they must be believable and well-justified. Effective character changes require:

• Clear catalysts or turning points
• Gradual development over time
• Internal and external conflicts driving change
• Consistency with established character traits

Types of character transformations:

• Moral or ethical shifts
• Emotional growth or regression
• Acquisition of new skills or knowledge
• Changes in social status or relationships

7. First-person narration offers intimacy but presents challenges

The use of first person will lead you to discover a new voice for each story told by a different narrator.

Intimate but limited perspective. First-person narration allows readers to experience the story directly through a character's eyes, but it comes with limitations:

• Restricted to the narrator's knowledge and perceptions
• Potentially unreliable or biased viewpoint
• Challenges in revealing information unknown to the narrator
• Difficulty in describing the narrator without seeming unnatural

First-person narration techniques:

• Stream of consciousness
• Unreliable narrator
• Epistolary format (letters, diary entries)
• Multiple first-person narrators

8. Third-person narration provides flexibility in storytelling

Choose the simplest, clearest, least noticeable technique that will still accomplish what the story requires.

Versatile storytelling tool. Third-person narration offers greater flexibility in presenting information and perspectives:

• Ability to switch between multiple characters' viewpoints
• Option to reveal information unknown to characters
• Easier to provide objective descriptions and background
• Can vary in distance from characters' thoughts and emotions

Types of third-person narration:

• Omniscient: all-knowing narrator
• Limited: focused on one character's perspective
• Objective: no access to characters' thoughts
• Multiple: shifting between different characters' viewpoints

9. Narrative choices impact reader experience and story dynamics

Your decision whether to use first person or third person is not so much a grammatical choice as a narrative strategy.

Crafting the reader's journey. The choice of narrative voice and perspective significantly affects how readers experience the story:

• Influences the level of intimacy with characters
• Determines the amount and type of information revealed
• Shapes the pacing and structure of the narrative
• Affects the reader's emotional engagement with the story

Factors to consider in narrative choices:

• Genre expectations and conventions
• Story themes and tone
• Character complexity and development
• Plot structure and pacing requirements

Last updated: August 3, 2024