“Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.” – Stephen King, On Writing

So far in these workshops on character we’ve thought about our characters’ habits, gestures, deepest secrets and favourite foods. We’ve got to know them on the inside. This week, we’re thinking about what our characters’ look like and figuring out how to include this information in our stories. Stephen King in his masterful book On Writing (I haven’t recommended this to you yet, but I do recommend it highly) gives a good example. He says if you describe a character as a ‘pimply faced high school outcast’ you should trust that we’ve all met someone like that. He suggests letting THE READER fill in the rest using their imagination.

The best time to include physical description is when you introduce your character. If you don’t tell your reader until the tenth chapter that your character has a limp and woolly grey hair, they’ll be surprised (and annoyed) you didn’t give these details before.  They will have an image of the character in their heads from the first moment they meet the character on the page.

Our exercise this week is to introduce a character. We’re going to write an opening of a scene, with action and dialogue, including some physical description.

Before you start, here are six tips to make your character introduction, including your physical description, stronger.

1-     Think very carefully about key words that define this character, words like ‘pimply faced high-school outcast’. Cut the rest. Trust your reader.

2-     Remember how important action is to character. Is there a way that the action can give hints about the character’s physical self? For example: She couldn’t lift the chair, although she tried. It was too heavy for someone so fine-boned.

3-     A friend of mine, author Maria Meindl, suggests thinking with all five senses when you describe. How could you use this advice in your introduction of your character?

4-     Watch for clichés. Don’t describe someone GENERAL describe someone SPECIFIC. Focus on a key detail about the character so we can see them clearly in our minds.

5-     Is your character looking in the mirror? STOP RIGHT NOW! One of the ‘tricks’ writers use is to have their character look in a mirror/reflective surface to describe what their character looks like. But thousands of writers have done this before. Push yourself a little harder to find a way to introduce your character.

6-     When you describe someone (or something) describe in VISUAL ORDER. Don’t start at someone’s head, then pop to their feet, then focus on their tummy. It makes it hard for a reader to follow. Work top to bottom, left to right as you visualize your character – the same way we read a page.

This week’s writing prompt:

I’m using an image prompt this week – the backs of two people, a woman and a boy, on a ship (I’m all about ships in these workshops, I guess because I was just in Vancouver!)

Use this image to write a scene introducing these two characters. Write no more than 300 words. (If, instead, you’d rather use a character you’ve already been working with, that’s fine with me).

This week we’re looking at characters as The Pulsing Heart of A Good Story.

This is because I think that to tell a good story you have to have a character ACT and REACT. The way your character ACTS and REACTS makes your story change and move forward. What your character DOES is THE PLOT.

It took me years and years to understand this concept.

Here’s an example of what I used to think was a good story opening: A character is sitting in a room looking out the window, thinking about his lost love, re-reading a letter she sent him.

Instead, now I think this is a good story opening: A character gets a letter from his lost love. He grabs his suitcase and starts packing.

Which story is the one you’d want to read? In the first instance, the character isn’t doing anything. NOTHING HAPPENS. I’d pick the second story every time.

I don’t want to hammer home the metaphor of the character as the pulsing heart, but indulge me for a minute. I believe if you make your characters ACT and REACT your story will be propelled forward as if the character is the one pumping the story’s blood through its body.

When a character ACTS and REACTS it must change the events of the story. In the second example I’ve given above, because the character starts packing, the story has a place to go. The plot is impacted, the narrative moves forward.

Try thinking of your character as the heart of your story. Remember, the word REACT means two things: responding emotionally and responding by taking action. Show me as your reader how your character reacts to the events of your book, how your character makes the story change because of the things they do, and I will be your reader for life.

This week’s writing prompt:

This week there are two components to the prompt.

1. This is a thinking exercise. I want you to find your favourite novel and I want you to look at two key moments in the book when the main character ACTS and REACTS. How did this impact the plot?
2. This is the writing part. Your character sees someone standing at the edge of a tall building. What does your character do? How do they ACT and REACT? Write up to 300 words.

This is the first of five workshops focusing on dialogue.

Conversation is one of the key ways we get to know people in real life and on the page. When creative writing teachers, editors and readers say to you SHOW DON’T TELL, and you can’t quite figure out what they mean, one place to look is your dialogue. Dialogue gives you a perfect place to show the reader who your characters are.

Clear, articulate, well-written dialogue gives sound and music to your writing. Your reader hears your characters’ voices in their mind.

There is much to focus on when learning how to write better dialogue, but this first week we’re going to look at how to make your characters sound distinct from each other. Just because you’re the author, doesn’t mean you’re allowed to have every voice sound just like you. It seem obvious that each character you write has to sound DISTINCT, but take a quick glance through anything you’ve written recently where your characters are talking – are there words and phrases that you keep going back to as an author? Moments when it’s hard to tell exactly who’s speaking?

Me too. As a writer, it’s hard to let go of those speech crutches. But my job is to make my characters sound like themselves, not like me.

The best way to make everyone sound different from each other is to actively look out for and notice when your characters sound too similar. Notice words that are unusual that one character might use. Notice if one character speaks more formally and if another is more relaxed.

Next, look for key words, verbal ticks, and ways of talking that fit each character. Use them.

Like this:

“Totally,” said Alissa.

“I’m not sure.”

“We have to. Like, right now.”

“Alissa, you always say that… I’m not-”

“I always say it cos I’m always right.”

“Maybe.”

“We’re totally doing this.” She grabbed my hand. “Stop wasting time.”

Alissa is obviously (totally) enthusiastic and lively, self-confident and ready for anything. She interrupts, uses the words ‘right’ and ‘totally’ and is clear about what she wants. The other character is more hesitant. She pauses, uses words like ‘maybe’ and lets Alissa take control.

Each character has their own way of speaking even though the dialogue is very short. See how writing dialogue is an opportunity for you to make your characters clear to your readers?

One final thing for this week: make sure you USE A LINE BREAK when each different character speaks. It’s a visual clue to a reader that someone else is talking.

This week’s writing prompt:

Three characters – a janitor, a rich woman and someone else (you decide) – are in an elevator when it gets stuck on the thirteenth floor. Write the conversation that follows. Use up to 300 words. Make each character sound DISTINCT.