Yes, buuuut... I'd rather be shown, not told, that the character is "a monster, a ruthless leader, and a good father."
Descriptors work well for more basic stuff (hair color, distinctive physical features, etc.) but if you're going to describe personality, it should rather be done through scenes. So have the character do something despicable, then in the next scene show how he interacts with his son, thus revealing how he is a good father.
Which is kind of what happens in your example of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"... but then, in film & television, you kind of have to show ;)
BTW, regarding physical descriptors, my favorite author (Roger Zelazny) had this rule of only using three when he first introduced a character. Go to the essentials. Add more later if needed, and as needs arise.
Hi thanks for the response! Certainly, and I don't disagree at all! It's less so about, "Hey list out these things and you've done all the work you need to on the character." Whether you're showing or telling, each bit of information acts as one of those pins that lets readers triangulate their view of the character. That can take place over the course of one sentence or an entire series of novels depending on the situation.
And hadn't heard of him before! Sounds like great advice. I very much dislike when folks grind a story to a halt to list out a dozen different physical traits when just a few will do and people can fill in the rest.
Exactly! I always struggled with writing descriptions, especially of characters, so when I read that advice from him it really hit its mark and I've been sticking with that. It's really more than enough.
And you should look up Zelazny's work, if you're into fantasy. His most popular books are the Amber Chronicles--about a dysfunctional family of godlike beings who can travel through "shadows" (essentially an infinity of parallel universes) that spread between Amber (the "good" side) and Chaos (the "bad" side).
Yes, buuuut... I'd rather be shown, not told, that the character is "a monster, a ruthless leader, and a good father."
Descriptors work well for more basic stuff (hair color, distinctive physical features, etc.) but if you're going to describe personality, it should rather be done through scenes. So have the character do something despicable, then in the next scene show how he interacts with his son, thus revealing how he is a good father.
Which is kind of what happens in your example of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"... but then, in film & television, you kind of have to show ;)
BTW, regarding physical descriptors, my favorite author (Roger Zelazny) had this rule of only using three when he first introduced a character. Go to the essentials. Add more later if needed, and as needs arise.
Hi thanks for the response! Certainly, and I don't disagree at all! It's less so about, "Hey list out these things and you've done all the work you need to on the character." Whether you're showing or telling, each bit of information acts as one of those pins that lets readers triangulate their view of the character. That can take place over the course of one sentence or an entire series of novels depending on the situation.
And hadn't heard of him before! Sounds like great advice. I very much dislike when folks grind a story to a halt to list out a dozen different physical traits when just a few will do and people can fill in the rest.
Exactly! I always struggled with writing descriptions, especially of characters, so when I read that advice from him it really hit its mark and I've been sticking with that. It's really more than enough.
And you should look up Zelazny's work, if you're into fantasy. His most popular books are the Amber Chronicles--about a dysfunctional family of godlike beings who can travel through "shadows" (essentially an infinity of parallel universes) that spread between Amber (the "good" side) and Chaos (the "bad" side).