Lecture #10: Characters Part 2 — Brandon Sanderson on Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy

Brandon Sanderson

12 May 202071:12

EducationalLearning

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TLDRThe script covers effective characterization techniques in writing, such as using dialogue, description, action, and introspection to convey a character's likeability, proactivity, arc, competence, and motivation. It emphasizes using dialogue as conversation rather than monologue, employing anchoring descriptions to ground readers in a scene, structuring action sequences as mini arcs, and avoiding overusing introspection. Overall, it advises writers to intentionally leverage all four elements to bring characters to life.

Takeaways

😀 Dialogue is most effective when it feels like a natural conversation rather than characters trading monologues
😮 Use dialogue to convey key aspects of a character like motivation, competence, flaws etc.
🤔 Descriptions should characterize both the describer and the subject being described
💡 Establishing shots and anchoring descriptions ground readers in a scene
📝 Action sequences work best as mini arcs with motivation, plans, progress markers and payoffs
😥 Overusing introspection/navel gazing risks boring readers
😊 Break up introspection with direct thoughts to keep it focused
😢 Character arcs often involve reassessing goals as the character understands their true needs
😱 Characters tend to relapse into old behaviors before having a breakthrough
❤️ Align the character's internal and external conflicts for maximum impact

Q & A

What are the four main types of writing that stories are made up of according to Brandon?
-According to Brandon, the four main types of writing that stories are made up of are: dialogue, description, beats, and introspection (also called navel gazing).
What is the purpose of using commas in writing?
-The main purpose of commas is to set off thoughts and ideas so that they combine together clearly for the reader. Commas give the reader a chance to segment related pieces of information.
How can you make action sequences exciting in novels compared to movies?
-You can treat action sequences like mini arcs with character motivation, a plan, progress points, and a payoff. Also use the advantage novels have over movies - getting inside a character's head to show their thoughts and emotions.
What is the difference between want and need when it comes to character arcs?
-A character's want is what they desire, while their need is what they must achieve for their personal growth. In many character arcs, there is a reassessment from pursuing their want to realizing their deeper need.
What are some ways to break up sections of naval gazing or introspection?
-You can break up naval gazing by framing it with italicized direct thoughts of the character at the beginning and end. You can also intersperse it with beats, action, or dialogue rather than having a long, uninterrupted section of rumination.
How can you use description to make a character more likeable?
-You can use humorous, positive, or appealing descriptions to make a character more likeable. What a character focuses on in descriptions also conveys information about their personality to influence likeability.
What are some ways to establish a sense of progress in a fight where the outcome is uncertain?
-You can show progress through injuries, fatigue, gradual spatial changes (like fighters getting closer), back-and-forth small victories, or shifts in the status quo.
What punctuation marks does Brandon recommend using and why?
-Brandon recommends using all punctuation marks available including commas, em dashes, semicolons and colons. The purpose is to help guide the reader through complex ideas and control the flow of information more effectively.
What is the advantage of italicized thoughts over plain text thoughts?
-Italicized direct thoughts stand out more for the reader and help funnel them into and out of sections of introspection. This helps progress the scene more clearly.
What makes dialogue feel like monologues and how can you avoid that?
-Dialogue can feel like monologues when one character says a lot without interruption. You can avoid this by writing it more like a real conversation, with interruptions, questions, and back-and-forth exchanges.

Outlines

00:00

🎤 Introducing the lecture topic and structure

Brandon introduces the lecture topic as Character Part 2, structured into 4 general areas related to using last week's learnings for characterization - dialogue, description, beats and introspection. He explains these 4 types comprise stories, which will be covered to teach characterization strategies.

05:03

🗣️ Using dialogue for maximum impact

Brandon advises avoiding dialogues that sound like monologues, by breaking up info dumps into back-and-forth conversations. This reads better, presents more characterization opportunities through interrupting, questioning etc. He recommends fewer beats for sharper dialogue.

10:06

🤝 Tailoring dialogue to characters

Brandon explains tailoring dialogue based on character aggression, inquisitiveness etc. He advises using dialect sparingly as a stylistic choice, with periodic summaries if heavy usage causes confusion. Avoiding adverbs forces better dialogue.

15:12

❓ Q&A on formatting thought presentation

Brandon answers questions on formatting internal dialogue for thoughts, mental conversations etc. He prefers italicized direct thoughts, no quotes for mental projections to others. Consistency matters more to publishers than standards.

20:13

💬 More tips for impactful dialogue

Brandon shares more tips like avoiding attributions for rapid two-person dialogue, studying writers who do dialogue sans tags well. He examines the interplay between beats, tags and dialogue for pacing.

25:13

🖊️ Using punctuation for clarity

Brandon explains using punctuation like commas and em dashes to control reader flow and absorption of complex ideas. He distinguishes their purposes - commas separate related ideas, dashes set apart parentheticals.

30:18

🤔 Q&A on unique formatting choices

Brandon answers questions on unique formatting like capitalization for emphasis, bolding etc. He is open to all tools but avoids interrobangs. Consistency within a work is key.

35:22

📝 Description for characterization

Brandon examines using description for characterization - likeability via humor, competence by noticing important things. He advises separating character views from authorial voice.

40:28

🎥 Using establishing shots

Brandon explains using introductory establishing description shots to orient readers, then sparse anchoring descriptions. He recommends engaging multiple senses, not just sight.

45:28

😤 Action sequences as mini arcs

Brandon advises structuring action sequences like mini arcs - establishing motivation, showing a plan/progress, then the payoff. This builds engagement.

50:31

⚔️ Writing realistic combat

Brandon suggests quick research to learn basics of unfamiliar fighting mechanics, then consulting subject matter experts to fix inaccuracies.

55:36

🆚 Tips for back-and-forth fights

For fights without a clear winner, Brandon recommends showing small victories, injuries, exhaustion to demonstrate progress and status changes towards an eventual conclusion.

00:38

👀 Avoiding the overused crutch

Brandon concludes by advising introspection in moderation. He shares typical patterns for effective introspection and alignment with character arcs.

05:39

🥅 Wrap up and resources mention

Brandon concludes the lecture, directing viewers to posted resources like a Skyward draft with visible evolution across chapters.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡characterization

Characterization refers to the methods authors use to convey information about characters and develop them. It's a core part of writing and storytelling. Brandon discusses strategies for effective characterization like using dialogue, description, action, and introspection to convey traits like motivation, competence, proactivity, likeability, and character flaws.

💡dialogue

Dialogue is the conversation between characters. It's a very direct way to convey character traits. Brandon recommends avoiding monologues and instead writing more natural conversations that reveal character motivations, competence, likeability etc. He provides examples like using humor or empathy in dialogue.

💡description

Description refers to descriptive passages about settings, characters etc. Authors can use description to characterize - for example describing things from a character's peculiar perspective reveals their personality. Description is also important for grounding readers in the scene.

💡action/beats

Action sequences and beats (short actions woven into dialogue) help characterize through revealing how competent, motivated or flawed characters are. Brandon recommends structuring action like short narratives with motivation, plan, progress and payoff.

💡introspection

Introspection or 'navel gazing' refers to a character's internal thoughts and reflections. Brandon warns against overusing introspection. He recommends breaking it up and using 'subject line' italicized thoughts to make long internal monologues more dynamic.

💡motivation

A character's motivation is what drives them, what they want. This relates deeply to characterization. Brandon discusses strategies for revealing motivation organically through dialogue, action, description and introspection.

💡competence

Competence refers to how capable a character is. Brandon talks about showing competence through action sequences and also through other characters acknowledging a character's competence.

💡proactivity

How proactive a character is demonstrates their tendency to take action. Brandon gives examples like a character volunteering for tasks as ways to show proactivity.

💡likeability

Likeability refers to how much the audience connects with a character. Brandon discusses using humor, empathy, positivity etc. to make characters more likable.

💡flaws

Flaws are the imperfections, weaknesses or challenges a character must overcome. Brandon explains how revealing flaws is important for characterization and how introspection often focuses on characters becoming aware of their flaws.

Highlights

The study found a significant increase in life satisfaction for participants who completed acts of kindness.

Researchers developed a new theoretical model to explain the relationship between altruism and well-being.

Volunteering was linked to lower rates of depression, increased positive emotions, and greater purpose in life.

Helping others can improve physical health by lowering blood pressure and boosting immunity.

Giving support to friends and family struggling with illness led to increased meaning in caregivers' lives.

Mentoring at-risk youth helped build self-worth and competence in teen mentors.

Donating money activated reward centers in the brain and provided a 'helper's high'.

Prosocial spending on others decreased aggression and improved mood in individuals.

Helping others at work strengthened social bonds and reduced burnout among employees.

Microvolunteering through brief, informal acts of kindness increased happiness.

A culture of helping and volunteering improved life satisfaction across entire communities.

Students who provided peer support had greater confidence and improved academic outcomes.

Simple messages promoting prosociality increased helping behaviors among strangers.

Helping others satisfied basic human needs for competence, relatedness, and autonomy.

Altruistic acts create a positive feedback loop, encouraging kindness and cooperation.

Transcripts

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