Describing Through a Character's Experiences
18:58
Our experiences colour the way we see the world. When we’ve
had a bad experience with something, it takes on a negative association in our
minds. And when we encounter something new, we view it in terms of what we
already know. In the same way, how our characters see the world should be
coloured through their experiences. It can be as simple as the way their
background affects their views now, or as complicated as a person from another
world seeing our modern, 21st century life for the first time. Today
I’d like to talk about describing from the point of view of a character from
essentially another world.
A good example is Captain America. Coming from a world 70
years in our past, he views the 21st century through his past
experiences. To him, the internet is to be read like an encyclopaedia or a
history book in his time. Text messaging might be understood as sophisticated
telegrams. He is confused by the slang of today. But things such as army bases
are familiar because of his experiences. When moving a character from one time
period to another, describing the new world through their eyes means drawing
associations between what they know already, and what they are presented with,
and often involves much confusion.
Things get complicated when characters come from a world
which is totally different to our own. We’re all very familiar with characters
who go from our world to another, such as in the Narnia books. But when moving
a character from a fantasy world to ours, understanding how that character sees
the world can often require a lot of thought. What from their world would they
compare a car to? Would they be confused by the customs? Maybe they’d see
morning coffee as a ritual, or consider deathmetal music as a form of torture.
If a character from The Lord of the Rings came to our world now, would they see
a computer as a palantir in another form?
An excellent example of this is Thor. Coming from Asgard, he
finds many things difficult to understand. His experience of travel, when not
flying, is to ride, so he goes looking for an animal he can ride, whether it be
a horse, or a cat, rather than trying to find a car to drive. When he wants to
describe how his people go through the world trampling things in their path, he
describes them as being like a Bilgesnipe, an animal from his world, rather
than as an elephant, as we might. From the way he travels to the metaphors he
uses, his viewpoint is coloured by the experiences he has had in his own world.
When describing what a character sees, it is important to
get inside their heads and understand what they have experienced before so as
to understand how they would view the world now. This is especially important
when the character comes from a world that is very different to our own,
whether that world be a different time period, or a fantasy realm. Knowing their
past experiences and being able to apply them to what they experience now gives
the character more depth and strengthens their voice throughout the story. So
when your characters experience something new and unfamiliar, spare a thought
for what they already know. You might find your descriptions are stronger told
through the lens of the character’s experiences, rather than your own.
What are your
favourite examples of well written descriptions through a character’s
experiences? What authors do you think do this well? Do you agree it’s
important to describe through a character’s experiences? What advice would you
give for doing this well?
6 comments
This is an important aspect to think about, yes. My character's are from this modern 21st century world but they travel to another world, and to them, it is difficult for them to adapt because it's a step back of what they are used to. I'm not sure what authors do this well, nor much advice, but if I did have to give advice, it's for characters to act accordingly to who they are, because sometimes writers can be lost in creating that they forget the roots of their protagonists.
ReplyDeletexoxo Morning
You're totally right Morning. I think one of the dangers that author faces, especially when they've done a lot of worldbuilding, or a lot of research, is that of wanting to show off their world to the detriment of character voice. I know I definitely have to remember to let my characters say what they see instead of me breaking through the whole time and showing off all the awesome details I just thought up.
DeleteI think the Avengers is such a pertinent example for this idea, just because these people have such variety. I mean, I think you could apply it to all the characters. I mean, Captain America is also a soldier, which means that he's going to be goal oriented and looking for a way to get everybody out safely, looking for the best tactical situation to take on the bad guy. Iron Man and Bruce Banner, on the other hand, are scientists, which means they're much more prone to experimentation will be looking for more factual and scientific information when they first enter a scene. Everyone's perspective is different, and the details they prioritize really determine that part of their identity.
ReplyDeleteExactly right. It's like in The Avengers when Tony Stark hacks into the computer system while Captain America goes and investigates personally. They do things differently and think differently, even when the end result is the same. It's actually even harder to portray this sort of thing in movies I think, because you don't have the luxury of describing in words and pinpointing the important things. So much has to be done through actions and especially words.
DeleteI like your Avengers analogies- especially Captain america. I've always thought the adjustment to modern times is the most interesting thing about him, and the sense that he's a man out of time. The best stories about him have played up that angle, IMO. And Thor too- it's fun to see what he thinks of our world, coming from a Viking- ish otherwordly background.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Thor and Captain America are definitely the two Avengers who show this concept the most. Stark and Banner are both so comfortable in their world, but seeing the other two reacting to the world and the way they perceive things tells so much about the characters and makes them so much more unique.
Delete