When we meet a person (in fiction or real life), what's visible to us is like the tip of the iceberg. Skin color, hair color and texture, facial features, speech, clothes...we make snap judgments, conscious and unconscious, about that person.In real life, the only way to get below the surface is to ask the person and/or spend time with them. As writers, we have the ability to delve deep below the surface to inform our readers as well.
Have you gone deep below the surface to delve into the culture of your characters?
43 comments:
I love that picture! I hope by the end a reader would know my characters better!
What a great picture! When I looked at the below the iceburg, I realized that I might be missing a lot. Except for maybe the "definition of insanity". LoL.
~JD
Great post. Thanks Lydia.
regards
mood
I've certainly thought about it, but I suspect I could do this better. Love the visual! Have you ever read The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down? It's an amazing book about cultural differences and how they affect medical treatment.
I have .. but that's exactly what's missing in my current project. Time to go back and spend more time with those characters!
Sometimes I go so far beneath the iceberg, I tend to think of characters as real. Which is a good thing I suppose, but when the book is finished, I cry because I can't spend time with them anymore.
I need to print this iceberg picture for inspiration. I'm actually working on deepening some of my secondary characters right now--I'm filling out character worksheets and giving them secrets and weird personality traits so that they won't feel so flat. Most of the iceberg never makes it onto the page, but if you've done a good job with your characters, your reader will sense it.
sf
Ha! Great point. With all the action happening in my novel, it's easy to just skim the surface with my characters. I'll have to take a closer look at what's deeper.
I love the iceberg analogy! I'm going to print this up and save it for when I start my next novel.
Definitely bookmarking this for reference. Thanks SO much!
So true! It's always disappointing when writers don't go this route!
One of the things I love about writing is how you learn about the characters as you write them. Acting out scenes they're in, processing their actions, and often being surprised by the paths they take (and then going "damn, why didn't I put that in my original plan that's so *insert character's name*), is incredibly fun and teaches me alot about myself.
Thanks for the post.
<3 Gina Blechman
I just opened the picture link and saved the iceburg so that I can view it later.
This is so true. I think I need to spend some more time with my characters!
I'd like to get out of my comfort zone and dive deeper into my characters lives by doing what they do. For example, if they are a lego addict, I'd like to follow the lego club, maybe even participate. Or if they are a Star Trek fan, I'd like to attend a convention, in full dress (I don't even dress for Halloween)! But I'd draw the line at breaking the law.
I'd like to think that I'd do my research if ever I do write a character culturally different from myself. Or be convincing enough if I do write a totally sci-fi fantasy type creature/person! Take care
x
I need to spend more time with my characters, have not delved into their cultures.
There are two awards for you on my blog, Lydia.
That is one amazing graphic.
Great points and I am going to enlarge the pic to see all that is written under the surface!
Love this! I do character sketches, but this takes it to a new level.
Your picture/graph was truly illuminating. I try to give glimpses deep inside my characters by their reactions to the people and places they meet that are individual to who they are and what they've experienced.
It is always a challenge to do it realistically -- just like your posts are always enlightening, Roland
You are very true. That is the one reason I never get friendly with people soon. I keep a distance and only when I am sure that he or she is the right person I get deeper. My be because I am too prejudges. But it works for me.
It's interesting too, because often even after you've known someone for years, you still don't know much about their secrets, their past, or their subconscious.
That sort of stuff has always facinated me. I've never seen the iceberg chart--I shall have to save that to file, if you don't mind! :)
I've seen similar diagrams as a teacher, interesting idea to put towards characters.
I love the chart. This post is a great reminder to get into the details of our characters. They are so much easier to write when we do. And so much more interesting.
I love doing character profiles. Sometimes I have to write quite a lot of the story to really get into a character's head.
I try to treat of my characters with a similar level of insensitivity, it wouldn't be fair otherwise.
I'm doing this in the second book of my trilogy. I did quite a bit in the first, but the characters will really come alive in Opening so the reader either loves them or hates them.
I love thinking about the "culture" of my characters! Especially when if they really are from a different culture than me.
I've actually given this some considerable thought. A friend of mine's husband has been in the Middle East off and on, and I really want to interview him....to get a better grasp and understanding.
I agree that culture needs to be considered with characters and settings, whether in your own hometown, or across the world.
You know I stole your picture, right?
I agree with your writing. very interesting
What a great tool! I haven't thought too hard about cultural influences on my characters, but I'm saving this picture and going back through my WIP. Thanks!
that's a really neat chart and yeah, it could def be used to help character development! Flash judgements are made by readers as well and we gotta make them want to spend more time with our characters. GP!
This is a great reminder to dig deep with our characters. Good post.
Great analogy. I think our characters will be more real and have more depth if we explore that "under" stuff, beyond hair and eye color, etc. It's what makes a diff between a flat character and a well-rounded one. Happy Saturday, Lydia!
This is great, thanks! I just started a new project and I needed the reminder that I must get to know my characters sooner than later. :)
I agree that physical characteristics are only the tip of the iceberg. They can take you so far. It's what inside that shows the meaning of a man/woman. That's why serial killers are so scary! They seem normal and quiet on the outside, but they are complex and evil on the inside. Great post!
Thanks for sharing this great post!
And the photo is awesome!
I hope I go deep enough with my characters, but I'm honestly not sure that I do? There's always that fine balance between revealing too much and not revealing too much.
Great post!
I hope I go deep enough with my character, though no matter what I do, I feel like I've left out or forgotten something.
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An excellent example for character building! I love this. Thanks, Lydia.
So true, you never know someone until you start spending a lot of time with them. I still discover things about my character in the editing/re-writing stage.
I'm playing blog-reading catch up!
This is soooo very interesting. Being old-school, I like developing characters pretty deeply. I like knowing about them and the people around them. It leaks out, here and there, even if you never spell out the background knowledge. It makes it easier for the character to enflesh. This is a fun graphic and tool for doing that.
I love delving into the culture of my characters! It's one of my favorite parts of creating them. Your picture of the iceberg is brilliant by the way!
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