2.2 Character presentation
The characters have to enter the scene at some point, but we often overlook that the first impression is undoubtedly one of the most important, if not the most. Introducing the characters is something that will have to be done in every novel we write, and it will be one of the most important things at the beginning of it.
What is the goal of introducing the characters?
Simple: Give those who read us enough knowledge to handle in their head the idea of those characters. This can range from simply putting them on stage so that whoever reads us knows that these characters exist, to giving a more elaborate idea of the personality and lifestyle of that character so that their thinking and behavior can be predicted.
Establishing the character
We establish the idea of the character in the mind of the one who reads us. With this we want you to have the concept of who that character is in relation to the story and its function. We can do this in several ways:
-Quick and simple: A brief description of what is necessary to understand that character. You can simply say the relevant things as information (e.g., "Avant was a knight of the kingdom, impassive and honorable"). The good thing about this is that we air the presentation in a pispás, the bad thing is that unless it is an easy character to handle, it is possible that whoever reads us will get lost or forget it soon (especially if he does not see examples of what we have told him).
-Through tone: The way in which the character performs his narrative functions (for example, narrating, or being the protagonist) gives us clues about what that character is like. For example, by his way of speaking or behaving, by how he does the things that the plot of that character requires, etc.
-Through the content: Instead of starting directly with the plot, we will make the presentation of the character the plot of that fragment of the story. This is usually done with introductory chapters in which we see how the character is in his usual environment (which also serves to establish what is normal in a story, the status quo, which we will see in next sections).
The first of the forms (quick and simple) is more functional and is usually used when there is not much time, such as in short stories, or when the character is not too important (secondary or tertiary characters). Regarding the other two forms, it is easy to see the presentation of the characters as a definition that we make of the character so that it makes sense what he does next, but for me this is the wrong approach in most cases (especially with important characters).
To present a character by showing it, you have to remember a key:
Don't define a character to explain their actions. Explain a character through the acts that define him.
Or put another way, don't tell us what it's like to justify what that character does. Let what that character does be the justification of how he is.
Establishing the character as a person
The characters in many cases are people (although they are not necessarily human beings) and as such, you have to establish what kind of person they are. We are not going to get into the depths of what constitutes a person because you could write long books about it, even simplifying it, but since human beings are usually good at characterizing other people, we are going to pull from there.
Think of someone you know. What defines that person for you? Some people are defined by who they are, others by what they do, by how they behave, by who they are with, by the decisions they make, or by the things they have done or the things they have been through.
Now you have to convey this to the page. How do you want whoever reads to remember such a character? Considering that the characters should be unique snowflakes, and that each should star in their own life story, what is that person like? What facets of him do we see?
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