This document discusses two types of characterization used by writers - direct and indirect. Direct characterization tells the audience about a character's personality directly through statements from the author. Indirect characterization shows a character's personality through their speech, thoughts, actions, physical appearance, and their effect on others, allowing the audience to infer the personality themselves in a way that mimics how we learn about people in real life. The document advocates that writers most often use indirect characterization techniques through STEAL - speech, thoughts, effect on others, actions, and looks.

1. Characterization is the way writers create
and describe a character for the reader.
There are two types of characterization:
Direct characterization
Indirect characterization

2. Direct Characterization
• Direct Characterization tells the
audience about the personality of
the character.

3. Direct Characterization
•Example: A patient boy and quiet girl
were both well mannered and did not
disobey their father.
•Explanation: The author is directly telling
the audience the personality of these
two children. The boy is patient. The girl
is quiet. These statements are directly
stated by the author.

4. Indirect Characterization
•It is more like the way we learn about
people in real life because we naturally
observe people and characters in films,
etc. to figure out his/her/its
personality.
•Remember the word, STEAL…

5. Writers most often use indirect
characterization to show (not tell) things that
reveal the personality of a character: STEAL
The character’s speech,
The character’s thoughts,
The effect the character has on others,
The character’s actions,
The physical “looks” of the character