CREATING REAL CHARACTERS WITH DEPTH
- Dialogue should reveal more than just what the characters is feeling a given time. It should also give an insight into the background of that character. Sometimes a character will not tell the truth but will respond in such a way that we as a reader will be tipped off and sometimes not. If we are writing about an accomplished liar at some point they will gradually reveal themselves in small ways.There will have to be an 'ah' moment. That moment will have to have some foundation earlier in the story otherwise the reader will feel cheated. Most characters, like real people, lie in small ways and it's up to you as the writer to decide what your people will do.
- Actions speak louder than words. Some characters will say one thing and do another. This is very revealing and makes the reader question what is going in inside this character. E.g. 'I'm having a great time. Everything is fine,' she said as she plucked bits of a tissue, like pulling petals of a flower.The floor around her looked like a snow drift. This is overdone but it shows what I mean.She could have slammed the door or something else. It all depends on what you want from the character.
- Their emotions can be revealed by their facial expressions and how someone else responds to this stimulus E.g. 'You've gone white. What's upset you?'
- Even if we are not in that particular character's head, the viewpoint character can think. Oh, she's not herself today because I remember her telling me that she's going to the doctors later. If a character doesn't react to something that would ordinarily upset them, the viewpoint character might think...what's wrong with them? They usually hate...
Open the door and reveal hidden depths of a character.
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