This document provides an overview of techniques for characterization in fiction, including the four direct methods of presentation: dialogue, appearance, action, and thought. It discusses two indirect methods and focuses on dialogue as a direct method. It defines and provides examples of three types of dialogue: direct, summarized, and indirect. The document emphasizes using various characterization methods and forms of dialogue to develop complex, multidimensional characters and create engaging fictional works.

1. 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 American 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.

2. Characterization
There are four direct methods of
presentation:
 Dialogue
 Appearance
 Action
 Thought
Two indirect methods:
• Authorial interpretation
• interpretation by another character

3. Brief overviewof
characterization
methods
 I’m going to give a brief overview now,
and then we will delve in to the method
of dialogue to begin. After our dialogue
unit, in the coming week, we will look
at the other methods in greater depth.

4. 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, page 16)

5. 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, page 24)

6. 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

7. Character
Thought
Somewhat contingent on POV, but:
• like dialogue, should say more than it
means
• Can be offered either directly or in
summary
• Can create tension by contrasting with
action

8. Indirect
characterization
The two indirect methods of
characterization “tell” rather than
“show” the character.
• Authorial interpretation, in which an
omnipotent narrator describes a
character
• Interpretation by another character,
which may or may not be credible

9. CreatingTension
 Significant characters are so because
they are complex
 When various methods of
characterization are employed, using
conflict between them will show the
complexity of the character, i.e. when
appearance clashes with action (the
sloppy dresser obsessed with order)

10. Dialogue: a direct method of
characterization
Dialogue is an effort to take the internal (thoughts) and
manifest them (external). It tries to bridge emotion and
logic.
We are going to start with dialogue

11. Three Typesof
Dialogue
 Direct
 Summarized
 Indirect

12. Directdialogue
 Used for direct action
 Non-expository
 Conveys more than the actual words
said
 Shows the reader the character

13. Anexample,think
alsoaboutdiction
(typesofwords
used)andsyntax
(orderofwords)
 “You ought to either get a bigger tank
or else just don’t buy so many of them,”
Stacy said.
 Noonan laughed. “Stace,” he said.
“Compared to the cardboard boxes
these guys’ve been in, the fish tank is
lobster heaven. Four days of swimmin’
in this, they’re free range, practically.”
...”They don’t know the difference,
anyhow. They’re dumber than fish,
y’know.”
 “You don’t know what they feel or don’t
feel. Maybe they spend the last few
days before they die flipping out from
being so confined. I sure would.” (ibid,
18)

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. IndirectDialogue
 Reported by another character
 Creates the feel of direct exchange
 Similar attributes to summarized
exchanges

16. 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

17. Dialogueversus
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.

18. 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.
 Avoid distracting vernacular; focus on
word choice and syntax.

19. Announcements
and Homework
 We are going to schedule a class reading: five
minutes each, with refreshments and such as part of
the department’s activities. This will take place
during class. You are not required to read, but to
attend. How’s April 10 for everyone?
 I will be out of town this week on Wednesday.
Deborah Begel will be substitute teaching, taking
attendance and reviewing Feb. 11 homework
 Homework for Wednesday, Feb. 11: Read for class
discussion: “Poor Devil” by Charles Baxter (CASF)
page 75. Pay attention and identify different uses of
various methods of characterization, particularly the
use of the various forms of dialogue discussed in
class today. How does the use of dialogue help create
the characters?
 In advance of class: 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 during
our Feb. 4 discussion. 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.