Chris Makarsky, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/legalcode Reader
(Tears hair out.)
No! This author did it again.
Author
So he told all that had happened to him on his journey, and she expressed her commiserations. Together, they began to travel the long road to the village of Anmark, talking all the way. She told him about her childhood, in which her father had beat her. He listened patiently, and then sympathised at length. His female companion registered disbelief at his views on the subject. But they grew closer all the while.
Reader
(Leaps up in frustration.)
This book is the limit.
(Runs over to nearby bonfire, hurls the book in, and toasts marshmallows over it.)
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Over the past three weeks, we've looked at various aspect of character development: physical descriptions, histories, and motivations. This week, I want to highlight the importance of dialogue.
The above paragraph of prose is aggravating to the reader because he never gets to hear the characters speak. There's much that is worthwhile in just letting your characters speak for themselves. The story isn't about you; it's about them. Sometimes the best thing an author can do is just get out of the way.
The reader in this situation has waited several chapters to hear the characters speak. But every time a perfect opportunity comes up, the author wades in and tells the story, rather than letting it happen. So the reader is left none the wiser about the characters.
Dialogue can show so much about your characters. It's another vehicle for allowing the reader to get into the characters' heads. However, if the author keeps shutting the reader out, he never gets to understand the characters better. Dialogue can show characters' motivations. It can show what they're feeling. It can foreshadow action. It can reveal secrets.
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Author
"So then I ran into the Hall of Dungeons, to see if Frederick was there," Marcus said, glancing over at Anwin. "It turns out he was - he was one of the guards. And before I knew it, he had struck me in the temple. He just ... hit me, over and over. Then he ordered the guards to throw me out. He was so angry that I'd left him when the thieves had come on us ... I suppose he was right ... I suppose ... I don't know," he finished, shaking his head.
He looked away.
Anwin reached over and touched him.
"You're a better man than you realise," she whispered. "I value those who can recognise their own faults."
Reader
(Turns the page.)
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All of a sudden, the author's work has suddenly become a story - because a story is fundamentally about people. Dialogue is a magnificent tool, and when used well, it has great power to hook your readers. Another way you can use dialogue to develop your characters is by making each character speak a little differently. You don't have to be too overt, but it's helpful when someone is from a different culture or background to reflect that in their speech. Take this excerpt, for example:
A loud oath behind caused Rafen to freeze, his hands shaking. Then he realised it was Fritz’s voice he had heard.
Sherwin made a disapproving noise.
“Was tha’ the king I ’eard swearin’?” he said.
“Sherwin, shove me,” Fritz commanded loudly.
“Blimey, I dunno if I can even reach ahead of myself in this place. Are yer stuck? I guess there’s no ’ope for me then.”
“I am more muscular than you,” Fritz said through clenched teeth.
Sherwin laughed.
“Well, it’s not a competition in this ’ere place,” he said.
Fritz speaks more properly than Sherwin, but it is out of character for him to swear. He's obviously under a bit of pressure in this situation. Sherwin is from Southwark, near London. He's also from the twenty-first century - whereas, Fritz is from the age of Parath in the Mio Pliamur. This dialogue makes both characters seem somewhat engrossing. Sherwin is humourous; but Fritz takes himself very seriously.
In conclusion to four weeks' writing about character development: the most important thing the author can do is stand back and let the characters live. We're human, and I hope we all understand what it means to be human. Poor character development happens when we are too busy writing our own story to let our characters grow. Poor character development happens when we don't believe enough in the people we write about - when we don't see them as real; when we don't visualise them. If we treat those we write about as real people, we'll become interested in them, and we'll want to see them develop. We'll let them do what they want, and see what happens.
And chances are, no one's going to get annoyed enough to burn our books.
(Tears hair out.)
No! This author did it again.
Author
So he told all that had happened to him on his journey, and she expressed her commiserations. Together, they began to travel the long road to the village of Anmark, talking all the way. She told him about her childhood, in which her father had beat her. He listened patiently, and then sympathised at length. His female companion registered disbelief at his views on the subject. But they grew closer all the while.
Reader
(Leaps up in frustration.)
This book is the limit.
(Runs over to nearby bonfire, hurls the book in, and toasts marshmallows over it.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Over the past three weeks, we've looked at various aspect of character development: physical descriptions, histories, and motivations. This week, I want to highlight the importance of dialogue.
The above paragraph of prose is aggravating to the reader because he never gets to hear the characters speak. There's much that is worthwhile in just letting your characters speak for themselves. The story isn't about you; it's about them. Sometimes the best thing an author can do is just get out of the way.
The reader in this situation has waited several chapters to hear the characters speak. But every time a perfect opportunity comes up, the author wades in and tells the story, rather than letting it happen. So the reader is left none the wiser about the characters.
Dialogue can show so much about your characters. It's another vehicle for allowing the reader to get into the characters' heads. However, if the author keeps shutting the reader out, he never gets to understand the characters better. Dialogue can show characters' motivations. It can show what they're feeling. It can foreshadow action. It can reveal secrets.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author
"So then I ran into the Hall of Dungeons, to see if Frederick was there," Marcus said, glancing over at Anwin. "It turns out he was - he was one of the guards. And before I knew it, he had struck me in the temple. He just ... hit me, over and over. Then he ordered the guards to throw me out. He was so angry that I'd left him when the thieves had come on us ... I suppose he was right ... I suppose ... I don't know," he finished, shaking his head.
He looked away.
Anwin reached over and touched him.
"You're a better man than you realise," she whispered. "I value those who can recognise their own faults."
Reader
(Turns the page.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All of a sudden, the author's work has suddenly become a story - because a story is fundamentally about people. Dialogue is a magnificent tool, and when used well, it has great power to hook your readers. Another way you can use dialogue to develop your characters is by making each character speak a little differently. You don't have to be too overt, but it's helpful when someone is from a different culture or background to reflect that in their speech. Take this excerpt, for example:
A loud oath behind caused Rafen to freeze, his hands shaking. Then he realised it was Fritz’s voice he had heard.
Sherwin made a disapproving noise.
“Was tha’ the king I ’eard swearin’?” he said.
“Sherwin, shove me,” Fritz commanded loudly.
“Blimey, I dunno if I can even reach ahead of myself in this place. Are yer stuck? I guess there’s no ’ope for me then.”
“I am more muscular than you,” Fritz said through clenched teeth.
Sherwin laughed.
“Well, it’s not a competition in this ’ere place,” he said.
Fritz speaks more properly than Sherwin, but it is out of character for him to swear. He's obviously under a bit of pressure in this situation. Sherwin is from Southwark, near London. He's also from the twenty-first century - whereas, Fritz is from the age of Parath in the Mio Pliamur. This dialogue makes both characters seem somewhat engrossing. Sherwin is humourous; but Fritz takes himself very seriously.
In conclusion to four weeks' writing about character development: the most important thing the author can do is stand back and let the characters live. We're human, and I hope we all understand what it means to be human. Poor character development happens when we are too busy writing our own story to let our characters grow. Poor character development happens when we don't believe enough in the people we write about - when we don't see them as real; when we don't visualise them. If we treat those we write about as real people, we'll become interested in them, and we'll want to see them develop. We'll let them do what they want, and see what happens.
And chances are, no one's going to get annoyed enough to burn our books.
