“Characterisation” is how we show, on the page, who our characters are.
But there are a couple of different ways we might go about that: direct characterisation and indirect characterisation.
Neither of these is right or wrong, but to really engage readers with your story, you’ll want plenty of indirect characterisation that lets readers form their own impressions of your characters.
What is Indirect Characterisation?
Indirect characterisation is when the author shows us who a character is through their action,
dialogue, thoughts, appearance, and through other characters’ reactions to them. For instance, if we see a character give money to someone in need, we’ll know they’re generous and kind-hearted.
With indirect characterisation, readers can come to their own conclusions, making inferences about a character’s personality traits from what they do and say, and from their physical
appearance.
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