Writing Excuses

19.28: A Close Reading on Character: Internal vs External Identity

Jul 14, 2024

C.L. Clark, the author of 'The Cook,' discusses the balance between external and internal expressions in character development. They highlight the importance of sensory details in conveying characters' internal landscapes. The podcast explores the use of infographics to understand character motivations and goals. Listeners are encouraged to analyze their characters' arcs from different perspectives. Sandra Tayler's new book and a Kickstarter campaign for short stories are mentioned as well.

24:24

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Episode guests

C.L. Clark

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Character identities are conveyed through external cues and actions, not just internal thoughts.

Trauma points shape characters' past experiences, influencing their present actions and relationships.

Deep dives

Exploring the Sensory Storytelling in 'The Cook'

The podcast delves into 'The Cook', highlighting its sensory storytelling approach. This story vividly describes smells, sensations, and sounds, focusing on external indicators rather than internal thoughts. Despite keeping battles off-screen, the story remains touchable and sensory-driven, showcasing character communication through external cues and subtle actions.

Intro

2min

Analyzing Character Identity: Internal vs External

2min

Exploring Character Identity through Internal and External Aspects

9min

The Power of Negative Space in Writing

5min

Exploring Character Identity and Development

11min

Balancing Creativity and Life Responsibilities

3min

Today, we’re focusing on C.L. Clark’s “The Cook,” as we explore external and internal expression. We chose this story because it's a remarkably physical and touchable story with myriad sensory details. While the audience gets very little information about what Clark’s characters are thinking, you can still understand their internal landscapes by what they seee and notice. How do these external indicators help us understand the internal worlds of the characters?

We mention two infographics during the episode– “Intersections of Self (Trauma Points)" and “Axes of Power." These are available on Patreon (they’re posted publicly, so anyone can view them!) Feel free to use them in your own writing, and let us know if you find them helpful!

Thing of the Week: “Bodies” (on Netflix)

Homework: Pick a major character in your story and write two short summaries of the character arc, one using your original motivation and goal, and a second with a different motivation but the same goal.

Liner Notes:

Sandra Tayler's new book, Structuring Life To Support Creativity. Preorder your copy today at sandratayler.com!

And help fund Mary Robinette Kowal’s Silent Spaces, a collection of short stories on Kickstarter here:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mary-robinette/silent-spaces?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=silent%20spaces%20

(Or go to kickstarter.com and type in “Silent Spaces”)

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Credits: Your hosts for this episode were DongWon Song and Erin Roberts. Our guest was Arkady Martine. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.

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