Reading Workshop:
Characterization
Direct
 Sometimes characters in stories are easy to figure out because the writer tells you what they are
like.
 Writers who tell you what a character is like are using direct characterization.
Indirect
 Writers who show you what a character is like are using indirect characterization.
 Most writers try to make their stories more like real life — they want you to get to know
fictional characters by observing them.
 Writers who use indirect characterization want you to decide for yourself what kinds of people
their characters are.
How does an author show you what a character is like?
 Action
 Speech
 Appearance
 Thoughts and Feelings
 Other characters’ reactions
 Appearance is often your first clue to character.
 Action is another clue to character.
 Pay attention to how a character talks, and his/her speech will tell you what he/she’s like—
indirectly.
 Thoughts and feelings can show you exactly how a character reacts to certain types of
situations.
 Other characters’ reactions to a character can be helpful — as long as you evaluate the source.
 If a character has something insulting to say about everyone, his/her comments
probably tell you more about him/her than other characters.