WRITING TIPS: 4 WAYS TO SHOW YOUR CHARACTER’S WORLD OUTSIDE YOUR PLOT

A character always feels more real, no matter how much time they show up in a story, if there’s something else going on in their life.

We see this sometimes in cop shows when a character is being questioned and they can’t stop working or they dismiss the police to get back to work. That’s a silly stupid trope. All it does is tell us you’ve seen a formulaic cop show before.

But the point of giving your characters a life outside of the story is that is further develops them in the reader’s mind. It’s SHOWING instead of TELLING.

Here’s a 4 of ways to create your character’s life outside your story without having to pause the plot:

URGENCY – Like the suspect that just has to get back to work, giving your character somewhere to be other than where they are, creates a sense that there is more to their story. It can tell a lot about a character if they’re about to miss their orthodontics procedure. Are they vain or do they have a serious health issue? Follow up with another clue to direct your reader as to which it is. Maybe he keeps touching his jaw.

FASCINATION – People get hung up on things, like not tipping properly at a restaurant, or maybe they love the L.A. Dodgers beyond reason. Grammar police? A character that interjects their fascination into whatever is going on helps define the character, it can be used to reinforce cliches or reject them.

SCARS – Like a fascination, scars are things that are likely to give pause to your character. If they’ve been burned by love, they’re going to hesitate jumping in with the next person they meet. ‘Scars’ don’t have to be but can be physical. They can hint at adventures of old or of lessons learned. A character with a bad elbow from baseball, might mean a failed dream career has forced him into this other lifestyle. Giving your character a past without a flashback is a great way to keep the plot moving.

RUMORS – What other people say about your character says a lot about them. An off-handed comment can end up meaning the world. “She prefers wine.” That line is placed in the reader’s head and if she parties too hard or shows signs of regrets (scars) perhaps she has a problem. If She is only fascinated with the finer things, it might lean her toward upscale living.  But you’ll need to place more clues throughout the story to further the rumor in the direction you want the reader to go.

Want more tips on Writing? There will be a new one every last Wednesday of Every Month.