Character-driven stories are more captivating and engaging than plot driven stories. Readers wants a story with characters whom they can relate to and emotionally invest in. Reading a book takes time and energy and one way that writers can respect that time, is by creating these captivating characters with intriguing storylines for readers to spend time with for two or three hours. 

There are four tools for characterization and showing character and they are action, description, dialogue and introspection. Each tool can be used on their own or in complementary with each other, all with the purpose to developing character, establishing or moving the plot, and/or creating the world in which the story is built in. 

One of the biggest mistakes that writers make is to tell or state the emotions that their character is feeling, or telling what is happening with a lack of imagery or tone. These four tools are the best ones in a writer’s toolkit to mitigate this mistake and develop the skill to show, infer and create subtext or layers within the scene. 

Don’t make the sentence itself complicated, but make the scene a complex one layered in several emotions, stakes and implications. Not only does the main character’s thoughts and feelings inform their actions but their actions have consequences that affects the other characters and how the story itself unfolds. 

A good writer is able to incorporate a mix of these tools to create a substantial and compelling scene, but it is always best to start with each individual tool and spending time on each one to understand how they work. A good way to spend time on each tool could be to look at youtube writers such as Brandon Sanderson and Hello Future Me. And of course, by staying update on the posts from Prose weaver. What is your favourite story? And why? Let us know in the comments below!