“Regardless of what you know before embarking on the novel proper you will have to discover, or rediscover, your characters in the prose of the work.” (Walter Mosley, Elements of Fiction)
Writing Exercise: The Words That Change Everything
Key Writing Practice Development Techniques
1. Discovery Through Writing – Characters should evolve naturally on the page rather than conforming rigidly to pre-planned traits or backstories. Writers must allow surprises in dialogue, actions, and internal conflict to shape who the character becomes.
2. Dynamic Characterization – Instead of static descriptions, characters reveal themselves through behavior, choices, and contradictions that emerge in the writing process. Strong characterization comes from movement and change, not summary.
3. Immersive Point of View – A character’s thoughts, speech patterns, and sensory experiences should create a lived-in perspective. Writers must inhabit the character’s consciousness fully, discovering new facets as they write.
500-Word Writing Prompt
A character has planned meticulously for a crucial conversation—resigning from a job, confessing a betrayal, declaring love, or confronting an enemy. They believe they know exactly what they will say and how they feel about it. The scene begins the moment they step into the room to speak. However, once the conversation begins, their words, emotions, and understanding of the situation shift in unexpected ways. The character discovers something about themselves mid-scene that they had not acknowledged before.
Write the scene in real-time, without flashbacks or exposition. Let the dialogue, body language, and interiority reveal the character’s evolving realization. Do not summarize what they intended to say—show how they struggle to articulate it and how the interaction forces them to confront a truth they did not see before.
Evaluation Criteria for Success
• Character Evolution in the Scene – The character should not leave the conversation the same person they were at the beginning. The shift should be evident in how they speak, what they notice, or how their actions change.
• Authenticity in Dialogue and Action – The interaction must feel organic, not forced to fit an outline. The way the conversation unfolds should surprise both the character and the reader.
• Deepening Point of View – The character’s internal landscape should be rich, but not through over-explanation. Instead, their emotions and realizations should emerge from language, rhythm, and physical reactions.
• Avoidance of Static Description – Weak responses will rely on summarizing emotions or over-explaining thoughts instead of letting character be revealed through struggle, hesitation, and unintended confessions.
Follow-Up Questions for Workshopping/Revisions
• Where does the character’s perception of the situation shift, and is that moment clear in the writing?
• Does the dialogue sound natural while still carrying emotional weight? Where does it feel too controlled or pre-planned?
• How does the character’s body language and voice change over the course of the conversation? Are these shifts visible to the reader?
• What surprises did the writer discover in the process? Does the final scene reflect a genuine unfolding rather than a forced outcome?
Recommended Reading
• “The Cheater’s Guide to Love” by Junot Díaz – A masterful depiction of a character’s shifting emotional state, showing the unexpected ways realizations emerge over time.
• “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin – Demonstrates how a conversation can evolve naturally, revealing unspoken tensions and emotional undercurrents.
• Excerpt from The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro – Explores a character’s gradual realization of their own emotions through controlled yet deeply revealing dialogue.
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