PhoenixFreak002 asks: One thing I struggle with a lot is introducing new characters. Whenever I try to introduce a character at the start without it sounding like a information dump. Any tips?
Introducing characters in a story is not like a job interview. There's no formality to it. There's no need to explain everything up front. We want to gradually let the reader get to know this new character. There are a few ways to approach this.
A Quick Sentence or Two
When you bring your little brother to meet your friends at the movies, you might introduce him as, "Hey, this is my brother, Sam. My parents made me bring him." And then you go on with your usual conversations with friends. You don't tell them what cartoons he likes. You don't explain how he prefers Cocoa Puffs to Apple Jacks. You don't even have to tell them how old he is. Introducing a new character can be like that.
EXAMPLE: In my distress, I called Deb. Deb would understand, because Deb saved me from bullies on the playground when we were eight. She knew what a wuss I was.
Work it into Conversation
A common way to reveal details in stories without the info-dump is to have characters reveal them during conversation. The trick is to make it seem natural, rather than wooden, disjointed statements that make it obvious you're trying to feed information to the reader.
EXAMPLE:
In my distress, I called Deb.
She answered on the second ring. "Best friend in the world, at your service!"
I smiled, already at ease. "You won't believe what happened."
"Is it like that time I saved your ass from bullies when we were eight?"
I gaped. "How did you know?"
"Your voice is all high and squeaky, just like that day."
Context Clues
Readers are smart. They are constantly putting together clues and forming ideas about what's going on in the story. They often enjoy figuring out relationships in the story without things being spoon-fed to them. Try dropping hints instead of spelling things out.
EXAMPLE:
In my distress, I called Deb.
I glanced at the cork board on my wall while I listened to the phone ring. On it hung a photo of us when we were eight. I had a skinned knee, and Deb had her usual confident smile.
"Hey, what's up?" Deb answered.
"You won't believe what happened!"
"Calm down. This isn't like that day on the playground again, is it?"
I pouted at being reminded of that day. Bullies suck. "Why do you say that?"
"I know you."
Each style offers a different way to introduce a character. The style you choose depends on the tone you want, or the voice you're using. Introductions should be quick and natural, but it doesn't need to end there. Move the story forward, and then offer more tidbits if you like. Like dating, the reader should gradually get to know more and more about the character as the story goes on.
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