Writing Great Fiction

Lecture 5: Call Me Ishmael—Introducing a Character

z Another method is to work out all of a character’s physical details,

history, and context in advance. Some writers even create dossiers

or journals for their major characters, crafting detailed histories and

compiling idiosyncrasies before they ever put the characters in a story.

This method may make it easier to decide what the characters are likely

to do in various situations as the plot develops.

z Many writers follow a more indirect, exploratory, and improvisatory

process. They may start with only a little bit of information about a

character—perhaps even a single trait—rather than a full portrait, then

gradually add details as the character develops. This method enables

the writer to learn about the character in the same way that the reader

will—a little at a time, through a process of discovery.

Burroway, :ULWLQJ)LFWLRQ.

Christensen, 7KH(SLFXUH¶V/DPHQW.

Conrad, /RUG-LP.

Faulkner, “A Rose for Emily.”

Figes, /LJKW.

Hynes, 7KH:LOG&RORQLDO%R\.

Stone, $)ODJIRU6XQULVH.

1. Choose someone, either in your personal life or in the public eye, about
   whom you know a great deal; write a paragraph about this person as if
   \RXZHUHLQWURGXFLQJKLPRUKHUIRUWKH¿UVWWLPHDVD¿FWLRQDOFKDUDFWHU
   Bear in mind as you write that your imaginary reader is meeting this
   FKDUDFWHUIRUWKH¿UVWWLPHWKXV\RXVKRXOGWKLQNDERXWZKDWVRUWRI¿UVW
   impression your character makes: how he or she looks, acts, and speaks.

Suggested Reading

Writing Exercise