Writing Tips - Characters in their environment

The way characters interact with their settings reveals a lot about them. Different characters will notice different things and feel distinct emotions in response to their environments.

A sunset:

• ​A painter might wonder what colours to use to reproduce it on her canvas.
• Another character might be awed by the beauty.
• An astronomer might say, ‘great, only one more hour until it’s dark enough to get out my telescope.’

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At my writing workshop, Story Club, ideas flowed. One young writer drew her setting to help her get a sense of what characters would notice once they entered the room. A clever cat shied away from a hidden camera in a plastic flower. While another character discovered a magical item disguised as a TV.

Other ideas from the group - an ex-army character noticed how the set up of a camp in the woods was all wrong. A family reacted emotionally to the vase of a deceased mother, all feeling different things reflecting their age and memories.

It's worth spending time examining the world through the eyes of different characters, to help bring their unique, distinct personalities in the story.