This document provides an overview of techniques for character development in fiction writing, including characterization methods, dialogue types, and dialogue mechanics. It discusses using sensory details, actions, thoughts, and dialogue to reveal characters and make them seem real. Students are given exercises to practice applying these techniques by analyzing characters in short stories and writing dialogue exchanges between characters. The document aims to introduce students to formal fiction critiques later in the semester by having them first analyze published works using these characterization elements.

1. Let’s get
warmed up!
• Last week, we discussed using sensory
imagery to show rather than tell.
• Using as many of the five senses as
possible (sight, sound, touch, taste,
smell):
• Describe the most beautiful place you
have ever seen.

2. Let’s hear
some more
reading
• Tell us the book and author
• Read two or three paragraphs
• Tell us why you chose this

3. Overview to
Techniques
• Sensory Detail
• Characterization
• Point of View
• Plot and Structure
• Fictional Places
For each technique, we will drill down into the
elements, and attempt to analyze published
short stories from the literary canon for each of
these elements. This will be an introduction to
the formal fiction critiques we will undertake for
our own stories in the second part of the
semester, and reflect the way in which editorial
critique and revision takes place for working
writers.

4. Character
Characters, when constructed well, become real for
the readers: Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice),
Harry Potter, Sethe (Beloved). Who are some for you?

5. Characterization:
Methods for
making fictional
people seem real
There are four direct methods of presentation:
Dialogue *
Appearance
Action
Thought
Two indirect methods (which we will discuss next week):
• Authorial interpretation
• interpretation by another character

6. Appearance
• Use of concrete and significant details
in appearance is a facet of “showing”
versus “telling” the reader what the
character looks like.
Telling: Stacy was an attractive 28-year-
old woman.
Showing: “...she had the healthy, ash
blond good looks of a poster girl for
women’s Nordic sports: tall, broad-
shouldered, flat-muscled, with square
jaw and high cheekbones (“Lobster
Night” by Russell Banks)

7. Significant
Details
• “...there was his face a bare few inches
away, his large, blood-shot brown eyes
and his porous, peach-colored skin
with black whiskers popping through
like lopped-off stalks, soft caves of
nostrils, red lips, tobacco-stained teeth,
wet tongue...” (ibid)

8. Action
• Significant characters in fiction must be
capable of causing change and being
changed.
• They must be driven by internal desire,
not necessarily for the holy grail, but
within each important character, there
is quest for something.
• We will discuss more when we look at
plot, but key point: Action should be
both external and internal
• In other words, they do things

9. Thought
• Characters, like people, have thoughts
• like dialogue, thoughts should carry
weight
• Thoughts can be offered either directly
or in summary
• Can create tension by contrasting with
action

10. Dialogue
Dialogue is an effort to take the internal (thoughts) and manifest
them (external). It tries to bridge emotion and logic.
Means more than it says
Can help convey theme and mood

11. Three Types of
Dialogue
• Direct
• Summarized
• Indirect

12. Direct dialogue
• Used for direct action
• Non-expository
• Conveys more than the actual words
said
• Shows the reader the character

13. An example, think
also about diction
(types of words
used) and syntax
(order of words)

14. Summarized
Dialogue
• Condensed
• Part of the narrative
• Helps move action along
• Fills one character in on events that
have happened
• Should not be used to gloss over
important moments in a story

15. Summary>
direct

16. Indirect
Dialogue
• Reported by another character
• Creates the feel of direct exchange
• Similar attributes to summarized
exchanges

17. All together!
• Using all three methods of dialogue
creates variety in the text
• Eliminates long pages of direct
indented dialogue, as does
interspersing dialogue with physical
action and description.
• Combines the telling and showing of
character interaction

18. Dialogue
versus
transcription
• In “real” life, conversations if
transcribed may include filler,
interjections, meaningless comments.
In fiction, dialogue should function in
the same manner as significant detail.
In other words, the characters should
say what they mean, but also evoke
emotion, perhaps images. Dialogue is
distilled speech.

19. Dialogue
Mechanics
• Direct dialogue uses quotation marks.
• Each speaker uses a new paragraph
• Quotation marks within punctuation
• Use basic talking verbs for dialogue
tags (said, says); dialogue tags should
be invisible.
• Use actions rather than modifiers to
characterize emotions. i.e. Avoid “she
said, sadly.”
• Avoid distracting vernacular; focus on
word choice and syntax.

20. This week’s
characters
• Write down one word to describe:
• Anders (“Bullet in the Brain”)
• Margot (“Cat Person”)
• Robert (“Cat Person”)

21. Group Work
• Group 1: Together, discuss “Bullet in
the Brain” by Tobias Wolff and find a
few examples of direct characterization
of Anders (appearance, action,
thought, dialogue) and how they reveal
who he is.
• Group 2: Same exercise for Margot in
“Cat Person” (Kristen Roupenian)
• Group 3: Same task for Robert in “Cat
Person”
• Think about the word you chose to
describe your character: find the
techniques used that created that
impression.

22. Character
Writing
Exercise (p. 73)
• 5. Two characters in a room. One is
trying to throw stuff away that the
other ants to keep. Characterize by
dialogue, appearance, the objects and
action. Let us infer what they’re
thinking.
• 6. Write an exchange that begins with
the words, “I’m sorry, but…” What
comes after the “but”? What does the
other character say in response? Let
them carry on for a while. Keep them
talking.

23. Next week
• Read Chapter 4 in Writing Fiction: The Word
Made Flesh, Characterization, Part 2
• Read (links and downloads on
Canvas): “Kindness” by Yiyun Li (link) and As
always, focus on applying the craft element we’re
reading about (characterization) to the stories
and come with observations to share
• Last: Eavesdrop! At some point during the week,
go to a coffee shop, a museum, a bar, wherever
you like, and listen in on a conversation. Take
notes and render the conversation in dialogue
form as discussed today (use textbook if you get
stuck). Some of these will be read in class. If you
don’t feel comfortable or able to eavesdrop, just
keep quiet for a few minutes in a conversation
you’re part of and write down what other people
say.