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| Revealing Character Through Setting |
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| To review, details about how your character moves through his world reveals his morals, values, and basic personality. Your character�s possessions can also reveal these things as well as his history and conflict. Open her closet. If you haven�t done so, list the things in her closet. Be specific. For instance: 3 brown skirts (wool, silk, and suede), 16 pairs of black pumps, 13 pairs of white shoes (in the back of the closet), 1 beaded bag, 1 black tote with a laptop inside. What impressions do you get from this character?
How about this one? ~2 pairs size 3 jeans in the back of the closet ~1 calico dress ~1 pair white rubber-soled shoes ~1 pair canvas sneakers ~1 pair black pumps Peek into your character�s bathroom. In the medicine cabinet. In the refrigerator. List the things you see. A character who lines her tub with shampoos, conditioners, bath gels, lotions, and a loofah sponge feels differently about herself than the character who keeps a bar of Ivory� soap and a bottle of Suave by the tub. Or maybe it�s for economic reasons. Take a few minutes and describe your character�s morning routine. Does she hit the snooze button five times before rising out of bed? Does she brush her teeth while sitting on the toilet? Does she listen to music or talk radio? Sip coffee, scan The National Enquirer or The Wall Street Journal? What is in her refrigerator? Is it filled to the brim or does she only keep condiments in there? Why? Maybe she keeps her refrigerator fully stocked because she often entertains. Or maybe it�s because she had gone hungry often as a child and resolved she never would again. How does she shop? Does she clip coupons, write lists, use a calculator, or does she not keep track of what or how much she�s buying? How does she interact with people at the store? Does she acknowledge them? When she makes purchases, does she swipe a credit card, write a check, or count the exact change? You may never use these scenes in your stories. The objective of this exercise is to find details that are relevant to the story. Maybe you�ll never show your character on a shopping trip. But you may show her eating. What she eats is a telling detail. While you can use setting to reveal your character, you can also use it to reveal what is not. For instance, your character might take great pains in keeping the lawn manicured, flowerbeds weeded, and the shrubs clipped in uniform lollipop shapes. But if you move inside her house, it�s total chaos. Dust bunnies collect in corners, dishes with food still stuck on them overflow the sink, and so on. Recently a couple was investigated for murdering their 4-year-old son. When the police interviewed the neighbors, they commented on how clean and neat the yard and house were. However, when the police moved inside the house, they found it a wreck. Human waste all over the place, garbage full of maggots, and so on. The neighbors were shocked when they learned of the situation. When you visit someone or go to a place for the first time, what impressions do you get about the people who live there? Is their behavior consistent with what you see? I play a game when I have to wait in line at the grocery store. I look at what�s in the cart of the person in front of me. From the items, I form an impression of their home, occupation, and lifestyle. Play games like this. Then ask how you can apply what you�ve observed in your fiction. |
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