Using Characterization to Deepen POV
I'm reading Love Inspired author Cheryl Wyatt's novel Ready-Made Family. This is a sweet romance with an interesting plot and likeable characters. I'm really enjoying it. If you'd like to read a longer, more creative review, check out Jaime's blog.
One of the things I noticed about the characterization in this book is how the hero, a pararescue jumper, constantly thinks of things in military terms. Here are a few examples:
While they talked, questions popped through his mind like automatic weapon fire.
As if Harker's words hauled a heavy rucksack off Amelia's shoulders, they lifted.
The girl could scramble his brain faster than a missile lock scrambled fighter jet signals.
So, anyone here know the sound of automatic weapon fire? (Maybe Kristen does, lol) Held a heavy rucksack? Seen fighter jet signals get scrambled?
Nope. This is all in the hero's internal narrative, distinctly his POV.
How do you like to show characterization? Have you ever used this technique?
***I forgot to tell you that all commenters will be entered to win this book in a drawing, as well as a cool Cheryl Wyatt pen. :-)***
One of the things I noticed about the characterization in this book is how the hero, a pararescue jumper, constantly thinks of things in military terms. Here are a few examples:
While they talked, questions popped through his mind like automatic weapon fire.
As if Harker's words hauled a heavy rucksack off Amelia's shoulders, they lifted.
The girl could scramble his brain faster than a missile lock scrambled fighter jet signals.
So, anyone here know the sound of automatic weapon fire? (Maybe Kristen does, lol) Held a heavy rucksack? Seen fighter jet signals get scrambled?
Nope. This is all in the hero's internal narrative, distinctly his POV.
How do you like to show characterization? Have you ever used this technique?
***I forgot to tell you that all commenters will be entered to win this book in a drawing, as well as a cool Cheryl Wyatt pen. :-)***
Comments
The sound of automatic weapon fire? I'll talk to the hubby about that, he likes those kind of awful video games!
Sarcastic people crack me up, as long as it's not mean. Lucky you to be able to write a snippy character. They're fun to read, I think. :-)
Have a great Sunday!
Blessings,
Susan :)
I agree. I have a historical during WWI and I think it would come so much more alive if there was some timely slang in it (revisions needed, yeah).
Thanks for popping by! It's a great technique and I should use it more too.
Let's see:
"The burden of his transgression fell heavy against her chest, much like the weight of a toddler in a baby carrier."
LOL!
I do think it's intentional. Possibly, overused, it could be distracting. Like most things there's a certain level of balance to create that living, breathing character without going overboard. I think Wyatt did a great job with this.
Example:
My main character of my WIP is from the South, and so she compares some tears moving down her father's face to the drips of condensation moving down the outside of a glass of iced tea.
What a great example! That's very nice and sheesh, I can see it so well. Really nice imagery.
Literary devices, aren't they lovely? :-)
i've heard a lot about this book, so that would be WAY cool to win it. :)
I think she did too. I've heard she's excellent at characterization and this seems to confirm it.
I've noticed that technique in several novels i've read lately. Camy Tang, Patti Lacy, and Ginger Kolbaba all use it.
I think it ties the story together nicely, as well as teaching you some new things.
Camy even has a glossary at the end of her first book (I haven't read the others; perhaps it's in all of them), which is a fun touch.
Jen
This is one of my favorite techniques. Although I don't use it myself - much, I enjoy it immensly as a reader.
The one thing I find that you have to be careful with however, is setting up your technigued sentences so that if someone doesn't know what a certain item is, the sentence will qaulify it somehow in a readers head.
Like the rucksack. In general converstaion, not everyone would know what a rucksack is. But the way she worded it with the mental image of a sack being hauled off her shoulders, leads the reader to understand without actually having to write:
"As if Harker's words hauled a heavy imaginary duffle bag used for carrying military supplies...
This technique can backfire if you over-write the sent, or if you leave it without any supporting structure so the reader can't 'imagine' it right along with the writing.
Those three examples you used are stellar. Kudos to Cheryl Wyatt!
Candi
I first noticed it in Camy's books awhile back too. Really a neat way to do things. I think she and Cheryl may be crit buds, but I'm not positive. The glossary is fun, I agree.
Thanks for stopping by. You're so right about it backfiring if misused. I would even think, if overused, it could become distracting to the reader.
I'm kind of weird : ) ...
That's not weird at all. I think a lot of writers do that. A lady in my crit group wrote some diary pages for her characters, which I thought was pretty cool.
Then I went to NY to sign at BEA and just made it home.
Jessica, you have a wonderful blog and a great blog following. Excellent!
Thanks to each and every one of you for stopping by and for your kind comments.
I sense there's a LOT of great talent among you and many of you will be outstanding in your craft. What impressed me so about each of you is your eager willingness to learn and to grow.
I see a few old friends here too! Waving to Eileen.
Hope to see some of you in September at ACFW!
Hugs to Jessica for hosting me on your wonderful blog. It was truly an honor.
And yep...Camy and I are not only CPs but best buds.
God's best to each of you and your writing!
Warmly,
Cheryl
Thanks so much for stopping by! I'm sure you have a hectic schedule so it's such an honor that you bothered to even post a comment! :-)
Yeah, we're all impressed with your super cool characterization. :-)
I'm blessed to "know" all these blogger buddies. They're great, and kind, and I truly believe they'll succeed in their dreams too, because of their eagerness to learn (like you said.) (and hopefully I'm a good learner too, lol)
Thanks again for stopping by!
Also, thanks for your good comments on the post about "Parenting Extremes." wb
POV is actually point of view. We don't necessarily have to relate as long as the pov remains true to the character. Like some people are strong-minded, so they should have willful thoughts. Others are shy, and in their pov, that should come across. And that's very, very basic. LOL POV is much more in-depth than that. If you're ever interested in writing fiction, there are all sorts of wonderful articles and books about it. It's basically staying in character while writing a character's scene.
I'll stop now before I keep rambling on. LOL
Questions are great! They make me think, which is a good thing. Don't want my brain to atrophy. Heehee.