Revealing Character

							Revealing Character

You can reveal characters to
  readers in three ways.
       1. Through Actions
• What the character does.
  – Example 1: Joe steals a bike.
  – Example 2: The building is on fire, and Jane
    rushes in and saves her little sister.
• What the character says.
  – Example 3: “I think we can do it,”James said,
    looking up the mountain.
  – Example 4: “We’ll never make it,” Peter said,
    looking up the mountain.
   Through Actions continued
• What characters say or think about a
  character.
  – Example 5: “Alice Foster is one person you
    can count on," Jake said.
      2. Through Description
• Example 6: Samantha’s brown hair curled
  down to her shoulders.
• Example 7: Mario’s muscles bulged as he
  helped his father move the sofa. At
  fourteen he was big for his age and could
  lift as much as many men.
       Description continued
• Example 8- Bailey’s eyes were cold and
  blue and he talked like the bad guy in a
  typical Western- slowly, between gritted
  teeth, as if he might lose his patience at
  any moment and just shoot you.
        3. Through thoughts
• Example 9: I’ll never pass that test, Marty
  thought, sighing. It’s hopeless.
• Example 10: Marsha thought of the
  upcoming swim meet. There’s no way I’ll
  let Deanna beat me.