1 For many of us creating characters comes naturally. We ourselves might not always be the Most Interesting People Alive but we’ve encountered enough interesting people in our lives, in our popular entertainments, and in our reading that we often have an intuitive sense of how to
Junot, thank you for this--"I promise you, if the body is not performing in the world of the text the reader will become abstracted from both the character and the world they inhabit." I'm writing a scene rn and took a break to read your column--so worth it! You NAIL it down so clear, just absolutely crush it with your lucid explanations. Thank you, thank you.
This was really helpful, thank you. One thing I struggle with is how much body to show at the beginning. Sometimes, I feel the need to show how the character’s body interacts with the world more during their introduction so that later descriptions and actions don't disrupt the image the reader has of them. However, sometimes, it feels forced to have all this body near the introduction.
This is so helpful and instructive. Your writing, with the examples and personal experience is a an excellent example of the lesson here.
thank you james, glad its helpful
Junot, thank you for this--"I promise you, if the body is not performing in the world of the text the reader will become abstracted from both the character and the world they inhabit." I'm writing a scene rn and took a break to read your column--so worth it! You NAIL it down so clear, just absolutely crush it with your lucid explanations. Thank you, thank you.
This was really helpful, thank you. One thing I struggle with is how much body to show at the beginning. Sometimes, I feel the need to show how the character’s body interacts with the world more during their introduction so that later descriptions and actions don't disrupt the image the reader has of them. However, sometimes, it feels forced to have all this body near the introduction.