Readers don’t have to be told everything. Sometimes they will intuit how a character feels about a plot development or another character. Or they know what’s unsaid. Or they understand that the quiet character who rarely says anything is vibrating with mysterious depths.
Good storytellers are masters of the reader’s curiosity and emotions. They know what they can plant between the lines and how to make readers fill the blanks. So how do they do this? And how might it go wrong?
Today KM Weiland has invited me to her fabulous blog Wordplay, where I’m discussing this tricky – and exciting – balance. Do come over.
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This entry was posted on May 17, 2013, 7:13 pm and is filed under Creating a character. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0.
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Readers don’t have to be told everything. Sometimes they will intuit how a character feels about a plot development or another character. Or they know what’s unsaid. Or they understand that the quiet character who rarely says anything is vibrating with mysterious depths.
Nail Your Novel 
#1 by Dina Santorelli on May 19, 2013 - 7:27 pm
I’m a big believer in less is more. However, sometimes I don’t say enough, and my intentions are not properly conveyed. The key is finding a balance for sure, but I think some writers don’t give readers enough credit.
#2 by rozmorris @NailYourNovel @ByRozMorris on May 20, 2013 - 5:33 pm
It’s a fine balance isn’t it, Dina? Sometimes we simply can’t tell by ourselves if we’ve got it right.