Physical Characteristics Say More Than Words
In an earlier post, I mentioned how some books have the ability to make us cry. Now, to be fair, I never cried reading a book until after I had some kids. Then, suddenly, something happened to my hormones.
The first book that made me cry was Linda Howard's (ironically) Cry No More. She did an excellent job with showing in this book. In the prologue the heroine's baby is literally wrenched from her arms. Kidnapped. First chapter is years and years later. I can't remember if the reader is told that the heroine is still grief-stricken, that this event forever changed her. What I do remember is the heroine's hair, and the silver streak that appeared after her son's kidnapping.
Another book that showed a woman's grief using a physical characteristic is Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic. In this book, the widowed heroine loses her ability to see color when her husband dies. Eventually she sees color again, but never red, the color of the stop sign the teenagers ran when they killed her husband. It's been at least ten years since I read this book, and I still remember that.
We're not told "The heroine is sad", "the heroine is heartbroken". No, these clever authors gave their protagonists a characteristic that forever marks them as wounded, as changed.
It's a good lesson for me to remember when creating my own characters.
Do you use physical details to "show" the emotional/mental state of your characters?
The first book that made me cry was Linda Howard's (ironically) Cry No More. She did an excellent job with showing in this book. In the prologue the heroine's baby is literally wrenched from her arms. Kidnapped. First chapter is years and years later. I can't remember if the reader is told that the heroine is still grief-stricken, that this event forever changed her. What I do remember is the heroine's hair, and the silver streak that appeared after her son's kidnapping.
Another book that showed a woman's grief using a physical characteristic is Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic. In this book, the widowed heroine loses her ability to see color when her husband dies. Eventually she sees color again, but never red, the color of the stop sign the teenagers ran when they killed her husband. It's been at least ten years since I read this book, and I still remember that.
We're not told "The heroine is sad", "the heroine is heartbroken". No, these clever authors gave their protagonists a characteristic that forever marks them as wounded, as changed.
It's a good lesson for me to remember when creating my own characters.
Do you use physical details to "show" the emotional/mental state of your characters?
Comments
Great post! Thanks, Jessica.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Reading Donna's mention of Alice Hoffman reminded me of this, actually. :-) I hadn't read her in so long, but when Donna mentioned her, I realized how strong the characterization was that years later I remember this detail about the heroine of Practical Magic.
So Hoffman uses the same technique in a new book, huh?
I need to work on this.
Obviously it's the uniqueness of those physical characteristics that make them stick even years later in the reader's mind. A huge lesson in that.
Guess I better dig deep and come up with something very unique that only my character would experience.
Dara, it sounds like you have an interesting story that will hit home with a lot of readers.
Blessings,
Susan :)
We connect to what we can relate to.
Nice blog!
I bet you did fine with showing.
:-) Let me know what you hear back.
Hey Jessie,
No, I never have a clear pic of my MC. I've heard that some writers pick out pictures, etc. but I have to work to "see" my characters. I usually feel them, their internal strife and outer challenges, then start writing. You?
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I have to admit, quirks are really fun. I love a character who has some sort of "thing" they do. Romance writer Amanda Quick is particularly good at making her heroines quirky. ;-)
Interesting about them helping us to relate. I hadn't thought of that before.
Great post, Jessie! I'm going to have to read those two books now! I have seen the movie, Practical Magic, though. But I don't remember them trying to portray that particular physical trait. It would've been hard to, I think. Just another example of how books can lose a bit of the magic when transferred to the big screen, IMHO.
I saw the movie too, years after the book. The book was much more involved and many details were left out. Like in the book, the daughters grow up. It's way more sensual too (something I probably shouldn't have owned at sixteen, LOL).
Didn't the movie skip the death of her husband?
I like your blog. You've got some great writing tips! Thanks!
Jody
Thanks for stopping by! :-)