Hi Reader,
Over the weekend I went on a short girls’ trip getaway to Bodega Bay, home of the Alfred Hitchcock cinema classic, The Birds. We laughed, we ate, we chatted, and we hiked down to the shore.
As I was sitting on the sand, watching the waves crash against the rocks, a thought came to me. A reaffirmation, if you will.
I started thinking about perspective and character, and how our group of six women were each bringing with us different thoughts and feelings and histories to that shoreline. We were in the same place, seeing the same thing, but our perspectives might be vastly different.
Same thing with your characters. They bring with them a variety of thoughts, feelings, wounds, personalities, etc. when presented with a certain stimulus.
For example, one person might have been sitting on that shore and seen only the dirt and death there. The beached jellyfish, the crab carcasses, the rotting seaweed, broken mussel shells littering the beach, the dirty sand.
An entirely different person might see only the terrifying power of the sea—the waves crashing violently against the rocks, the riptide, the way the sea pulls you toward it if you’re standing in the surf.
Someone else might only see the beauty—the salt-smoothed stones and shells, the beauty in the rhythmic waves, the seagulls calling and soaring overhead, the pinpricks of sun through the clouds, the mystery of the ocean and its stunning vastness.
And then of course is the person who sees nothing at all because they’re too wrapped up in their own thoughts or fears or worries.
Your job as an author is to show us which of these is your character. And why.
When you write a character, the more deeply you know them, the more you can get across what it is like to walk in their shoes. Every scene, setting, interaction, line of dialogue, etc. is an opportunity for you to let the reader into their psyches.
One simple question that was drilled into me in my book coaching training was the question “What does this mean to them?”
Perspective (POV) is intimately wrapped together with character and voice and so the trick is really getting inside their psyche and showing the reader who they are.
Here are some things to consider when thinking about perspective and character when you’re writing or revising a scene:
Mood/state of mind
What mood is your character in and why? What happened in the scene prior (or before the story started)? Are they elated after some good news? Pensive as they embark upon a new journey? Angry and hurt after a devastating betrayal? Grieving an enormous loss? On an emotional high after a thrilling meet cute? How can you bring that mood into their POV? What do they notice, see, hear, smell that they might not were it not for their state of mind?
Personality
Personality is one of those ambiguous, tricky things to pinpoint. Sometimes it’s hard to describe a person’s personality—largely, I think, because a person’s personality is made up of so many different factors (values, morals, quirks, strengths and weaknesses, etc.). This is where different personality tests can help. Consider figuring out your character’s Enneagram or Myers-Briggs or Big Five tests. Then have them bring their personality to the table when they’re examining something from their own perspective.
Backstory
So much of our human experience and interactions are colored by our personal histories. Our biases, our wounds, our upbringings, etc. change the way that we interact with and see the world. It should be the same for your characters too. Think of it like this: If all we have ever experienced in life is abandonment, it’s going to make it very difficult to open our hearts up to someone if we believe that they will just abandon us. These fears and wounds bring a perspective to how we interpret and make meaning out of events. And they then affect how we behave. So how does your character’s personal history affect how they think, behave, feel in a given situation?
What is your character’s perspective on that shore?
Not sure how to answer these questions? Maybe it means that you need to take some time to go deeper into your character. Get to know them a little more. I know I talk a lot about character and desire—which is absolutely a tentpole for fiction—but for your character to feel real, and fleshed out, you do need to analyze what kind of person they are. What their perspective on the world is.
Remember, they are the lens through which we view their world. So it’s your job to put that lens in front of our eyes so we don’t color them with our own personalities, backstories, and mood.
Upcoming Free Workshop Next Week
Join me for my next live, free workshop. This time, we are covering openings. From your first line, to your first page, to your first chapter.
Agents get hundreds of queries a week—and your opening pages are your one shot to stand out. In this workshop, we’ll dive into what makes a novel’s beginning irresistible to agents and editors, and why many openings fall flat. You’ll learn how to craft a compelling hook, establish voice and stakes right away, and avoid the most common pitfalls that land manuscripts in the rejection pile. Whether you're querying for the first time or revising after rounds of rejection, this session will help you turn your novel’s beginning into a page-turner that demands attention.
As a special bonus, I'll be giving away 10 first-page critiques. Sign up and be entered to win.
When: Tuesday, May 6th, 9:30 PT
Where: Zoom
Happy writing!
Karyn
P.S. Loving these emails? Buy me a cup of tea to say thanks. Or you can book a free 30-min story strategy chat here if you're interested in getting specific help with your book.
Granite Bay, CA
Unsubscribe · Preferences