Story Plan Checklist: The Other's POV

[ladyseishou]

With eyes that look'd into the very soul--
. . . . Bright--and as black and burning as coal.

- Lord Byron (George Gordon Noel Byron)



And what do they say about your protagonist?

Today we're going to add more description for our characters but this time from an outsider's POV. Physical descriptions are often provided for the reader through other character's eyes. As Karen Wiesner points out:

Although this kind of description can include physical appearances, it should always incorporate impressions made by your characters upon the ones around them.

In the biographies for each of my main characters, I've listed the names of the other characters and note: (1) the scene where the two characters first meet, (2) their physical description for the character, and (3) their first impression of the character. For example, for my protagonist Alric:

• Jera: (1) Act 1, in Jera's tavern, (2) sharp, angular face; dark, darting eyes; wears his court finery with artificial ease, (3) haughty, braggart ways drive others away; he stands apart; intelligent but inexperienced.
  
  
• Teljus: (1) Prologue, End of Act 1, King's court, (2) unkempt, dirty; clear, focused eyes, (3) dangerous despite his youth, his appearance.

And what do your characters have to say about each other?

Tomorrow we'll offer our characters a mirror and ask them about what they see... Until then, keep writing!

Comments

[brutal]

Character 1: Storm cloud blue eyes. Suggest tumultuous homelife and rollercoaster emotions.

Character 2: Cold, ice blue eyes, chill to the touch. Has difficulty expressing emotion, but a look that will melt your heart.