The Character's Character – 'Show, Don't Tell'
Author: Melvin M. Harter

If readers can't identify with, care about, or somehow share
the feelings of the characters, despite a perfect plot and
poetic prose, the story is likely to bomb. Readers must respond
to the characters viscerally, with sympathy or antipathy, early
on. Readers want their primitive feelings titillated. They want
to feel different — better or worse — after reading the story
than before. So how do you do that? Consider the following:

The better the author knows the character, the better the
portrayal of her is likely to be. How do you get to know her?
What makes your hero or your villain exciting? What features
distinguish her from everyone else in the world and make her
interesting? What attributes resonate with the reader to make
her care? Keep this in mind as you rewrite.

The author must bring that dull, empty page to life, and make
it exciting. She needs to have some appreciation of her
character's physical appearance as well as here innate and
acquired capacity to make choices, for ultimately what moves
your reader is your character's character as determined by the
choices she makes.

Good physical description that conveys imagery is important. A
huge nose, bald head and twitching tic of the eyes or mouth?
Conservative or racy dress? Pot belly or overgenerous butt?
Race? I.Q? These are the innate, congenital factors. The writer
needs to know and understand them. They impact on character
definition. So, the author should describe the character's
interesting habits, manner of dressing and visceral reactions to
people, places and happenings as the plot progresses.

However, it is the choices the character makes move the reader.
And the more risk the character takes in choosing, the more the
depth of character's character is revealed.

What, then, determines how she makes choices that fundamentally
change her when she is confronted by a dilemma or conflicting
options? This event is a turning point, The character
fundamentally changes as she makes this difficult choice. It
moves (accelerates and/or resolves) the plot. We agree with that
character's decision or we don't, but we and we care are hooked.


All your character's physical being and learning tools are in
place from birth, indeed from conception. They are innate. The
quality of these physical features and learning tools and the
ability to use them varies from one character to another.

Past history and life experiences, i.e., the acquired factors
also contribute. The author should know them, too; know the
pertinent events in the character's past that impacted on her
personality and decision making: She nearly drowned at age
seven; She is anxious about boating or cruising, she's afraid of
the water; She was applauded for the dance she did when she was
five; She opted for study of music and performing arts and
frowns on the sciences. Her daddy loved her demonstratively; her
uncle abused her emotionally; the gardener raped her — all this
impacts on how, as an adult, she deals with men. But always
remember what is important: "Show, don't tell!"


About The Author: Melvin M. Harter is a retired physician. He
specialized in evaluation of the causes and extent of injury and
disability. He has become a freelance writer and author of the
novel, Some Kind of Angel. This sci-fi thriller explores the
world of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and genocide.
For more, visit http://www.somekindofangel.com and view the
video trailer.