{"id":411,"date":"2017-10-30T16:00:14","date_gmt":"2017-10-30T16:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/?p=411"},"modified":"2022-05-30T15:41:21","modified_gmt":"2022-05-30T15:41:21","slug":"direct-and-indirect-characterization","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/articles\/direct-and-indirect-characterization","title":{"rendered":"Direct and Indirect Characterization Tips for Writers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Strong characters do more than drive a story; they sell it. Direct and indirect characterization will help you create a powerful story with unforgettable protagonists. Here are some tips.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Direct Characterization<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This is the easiest way to convey information about a character. For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>He was slender and wiry, with dark eyes that shone like banked coals.<\/li>\n<li>She didn\u2019t like stupid people. She never had the patience for them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you\u2019re getting suspicious about how easy and simple this is, you\u2019re right. This mode of characterization is a lot like telling instead of showing. And like telling, it has its place and must be used carefully.<\/p>\n<h4><em>When to use direct characterization:<\/em><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>When you have a short point to make (e.g. she had blue eyes), and you don\u2019t want to belabor the point by fleshing it out into a scene.<\/li>\n<li>When you\u2019re dealing with minor attributes that shouldn\u2019t take up too much space.<\/li>\n<li>Most physical description is usually done in this manner. Careful not to overuse it (see below).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><em>When not to use it:<\/em><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>When you need to convey a key trait of your character, which is important enough to show.<\/li>\n<li>When showing the trait is just as simple and fast as telling it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><em>How to use it:<\/em><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Sparingly. In particular, avoid a list of physical traits. Shopping lists made of hair color and style, skin tone, eye color, cheekbone height, and so on are extremely boring. They don\u2019t make your readers envision your character accurately; they make your readers skim or stop reading.<\/li>\n<li>Creatively. Don\u2019t have a character look into a mirror and lament about or enjoy what they see. The mirror scene has been done to death. In fact, many readers are allergic to the word \u201cmirror\u201d. Look for other ways to include attributes.<\/li>\n<li>In tandem with thoughts, emotions, or decisions. For example, \u201cshe had blue eyes\u201d evokes very little. \u201cShe hated her pale blue fish eyes,\u201d on the other hand, reveals something about the character as well.<\/li>\n<li>Organically. Only note attributes when they come up organically, in the context of the story. A character would not normally refer to his eye color, for example, because we never stop to think much about it. But if he sees someone with eyes of unusual color, he might get jealous on account of his boring, brown eyes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Indirect Characterization<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The way a character interacts with the environment and with herself gives us many insights to that character. When the attribute can be guessed at, but is not mentioned explicitly, you get this mode of characterization.<\/p>\n<p>There are several ways to characterize someone without naming attributes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Actions and choices.<\/strong>\u00a0If you show your character jumping at shadows, for example, you indicate they are fearful or edgy. If they run away from every minor danger, you indicate they are cowardly.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Speech.<\/strong>\u00a0If someone barely speaks, or stutters and trails off (especially in combination with body language), they may come across as shy. When someone is constantly praising himself, he is likely vain.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Body language.<\/strong>\u00a0A bold character would hold herself differently and make a different impression than a timid character. Someone who constantly talks with grand hand motions is likely an enthusiastic person, or a dramatic one.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Looks.<\/strong>\u00a0If the character dresses in shabby clothes despite being rich, they\u2019re probably rebelling against some social norm or making a point.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Thoughts.<\/strong>\u00a0If your character keeps wondering what people gain from interacting with him, then he\u2019s likely insecure, hurt, or extremely distrustful.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Reactions.\u00a0<\/strong>If everyone likes your character and shows this, then your character is a rather loveable person. If everyone looks down on him, you convey a different message about him.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Notice the amount of \u201cprobably\u201d and &#8220;likely&#8221; in the examples above. They occur because this mode of characterization is less accurate than the direct mode. But it\u2019s this vagueness, which is open to interpretation, is what gives it richness beyond the obvious.<\/p>\n<h4><em>When to use indirect characterization:<\/em><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Whenever your protagonist moves, speaks, thinks, or feels, it must reflect their true character.<\/li>\n<li>When setting up the story (in the exposition). Choose your protagonist\u2019s stronger trait, or the trait that will change by the story\u2019s end, and give a vivid example of it in a scene.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><em>When not to use it:<\/em><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>For minor attributes that the reader shouldn\u2019t bother with.<\/li>\n<li>When demonstrating an attribute would require a scene that does not fit into the plot.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><em>How to use it:<\/em><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Subtly. Don\u2019t shout at the reader or wink at them and elbow them to get your point across. Let the character\u2019s actions, thoughts, speech, and looks speak for the character. The reader will understand.<\/li>\n<li>Naturally. Think of indirect characterization as another aspect of showing instead of telling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Recap<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>With these direct and indirect characterization tools under your belt, you\u2019re ready to start portraying your character to the reader. Remember, above all, make your characters vivid and interesting. Interesting characters will give you all the opportunities you need to show them off without effort.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","categories":[7],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/411"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/413"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}