- Act first, explain later. Get the character moving at the beginning of your story. A reader will follow a character without demanding to know more if they are engaged with the character and what the character is doing. You can divulge information bit by bit as you go along.
- When you explain, do the iceberg. Don’t tell everything you know right away. Give 10%, just enough to help the reader know what is going on and then save the 90% for later on in the story. Reveal the rest a little at a time.
- Setting information inside confrontation. Sometimes the best way to reveal information is to set it in the midst of great conflict. A character’s thoughts or even dialogue are great ways to toss information to the reader.
I am thoroughly enjoying this book. It is full of excellent information, told in a way that I can understand and grasp. It will definitely be one of my go-to books!
The iceberg rule was my favorite. Icebergs are deceptive and reveal little of the true nature of the beast! Catastrophe happens before you know it and you find yourself sinking fast!This could prove invauable to our characters. We should keep much of the back story hidden, giving just enough to hint at something mysterious and quite possibly dangerous! (I feel an evil laugh coming on.)
Strangely enough, I find that I am like an iceberg at times! Just letting a little of the real me show, because I am afraid of what others might really think if they see what’s below the surface. I wonder how many of us are like that. I wonder how many of our characters are like that.
What I really wonder is what Jeannie The Character Therapist might say to that! lol
Leave a Reply