Sit
back in your chair, put your coffee or wine or whatever to the side, and close
your eyes. Picture a good friend. Could you describe the person sufficiently
well so a stranger would recognize that individual in a lineup? Good writers
often provide a single telling characteristic that uniquely identifies a
character whenever readers meet them. Jug ears, a stutter, a limp, a Jersey
accent in Mississippi; all could be unique traits.
Some authors
provide long and detailed descriptions of characters, sometimes stretching to
paragraphs. Do we remember those details? Let’s check: I say Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz, what comes to mind?
Ruby slippers. Pig-tails? Probably not a long description that the pig tails were
only braided half-way, tied off with white ribbon and curls left loose to
flutter in the breeze. That’s all accurate, but really, who cares?
Now
let’s consider whether we are interested in more or less information when it
comes to motivations. I suspect readers often become dissatisfied with a story
because the motivations and actions do not seem consistent to the reader. How
can that happen? Probably because the reader hasn’t learned enough about the
real character to justify the actions the character takes. That may be because
the author does not know the character at a deep enough level.
I can’t
count how many times I have heard authors say something to the effect that “my
character just wouldn’t do what I wanted them to do; they insisted on doing X.”
Okay,
second time to close your eyes. How well do you know your good friend? Do you
know her deepest secrets, her fears, her desires? Really? Turn it around: does
a good friend know EVERYTHING about you? Of course not, we all hide parts of
ourselves from others.
When I
teach an online self-editing course for fiction authors, one of the assignments
I give is:
Choose a character and have them reflect on a secret or a fear
or anxiety. Have them tell you about it. How did it come about? What does it
feel like? What might make it go away? This is like brainstorming: all ideas
are welcome, no censuring or self-editing as your character blathers away.
Remember to write in first person present tense.
When
authors really let their characters tell them what they feel and fear and want
and why, the words flow out onto the paper and often they are a huge surprise.
The result provides the author with a deeper understanding of why that character
does what she does. And, the author now has the wherewithal to give the reader
enough insight so the reader also understands.
Authors:
Do you think this exercise would help you understand one of your characters?
Readers:
Does this make sense from your perspective, or is this a bunch of academic
mumbo jumbo? Or are you someone who relishes the long, detailed descriptions of
Thomas Hardy and is willing to take character actions at face value?
~ Jim
Interesting exercise!
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