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Let Interactions Bear Some of the Weight of Worldbuilding
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Coffee Talk:
The idea of characters ‘playing off of each other’ is as old as dialogue. When the main characters in stories or scenes don’t interact, they can feel disjointed – almost as if they are not occupying the same space, at the same time. There are, of course, instances where writers will want to use this disconnect to dramatic effect. For most narrative moments, however, my characters will be interacting. Interacting with each other, with themselves, and with the scenery itself. Deciding how to manage those interactions can lead to a wealth of fun.
Just like interacting with the environment, characters need to fill each other’s space.
When painting an object close to another, light from the environment will bounce off of the setting as well as other objects, changing the light before it reaches the object.
The same is true for characters in their environments. Each individual views the setting through their own eyes and yet, what they see is indeed colored by the presence of others. Just as in life, how you feel about where you are is tempered by the company kept.
A scene where a character is visiting the pier that they grew up fishing from could be warm and nostalgic…
…were it not cooled by the assassin marching them to the boat that will likely be the place they die.
Character interactions can also be a fun way to divulge to the reader important information that you don’t want to state outright. When characters react not only to the presence of one another, but the very words a character says, things can get interesting. Depending on how you have fleshed out the relationships, the same phrase can mean something totally different from one conversation to the next. It can also bear some of the responsibility of tying together distant moments in a story.
EARLY:
“You’ll have to carry your own baggage from here on out, Eliza.” Mother was more hen today than usual, clucking about and taking her pecks where she could get them. “I can’t be expected to do your lifting for the rest of your life.”
LATER:
The valet tapped me on the shoulder gently, tilting her head toward the door marked ‘21’.
“You’ll have to carry your own baggage from here, miss. Sorry, but we can’t cross the thresholds.”
“It’s fine,” I said, “I’m used to doing my own lifting.”
Interactions need not be more than simple conversation if they are intended to bear the weight of important information.
Character conversations can be to narrative effect and are oftentimes the most realistic and organic way to divulge lore that is not otherwise written out for the reader. A simple conversation is a great medium for foreshadowing.
When folding in further elements of interactivity, simple conversations can be made to carry complex messages. A touch of a leg, a glance over a shoulder, a smile that disappears as quickly as it appears. When used in contrast to the words spoken, non-verbal interaction can enhance a scene in evocative ways.
Character physical interactions also can give you a better sense of the space that they fill.
Imagine two characters: one needs to carefully squeeze past the other, maybe wrinkles their nose at the scent of someone’s cologne – or – wishes they were one step closer so that they could hold the other’s hand, perhaps they strain to hear the words spoken over the wind howling between them.
Interactions can reinforce how a character feels about another, or, create tension, should the character not behave the way that they feel – or the way they speak.
Using interactions can help to add weight to a story without the need to add volume. Sure, every writer counts their words at some point, but what matters most is making every word count.
-R.E.