When you bring characters on stage, it’s tempting to tell the reader everything about that character. But is this how we learn about people in life?
Writing Tip for Today: We’re told not to stereotype others, but in fact we do it every day. We see a scruffy man pushing a shopping cart down the sidewalk and think he’s homeless. We observe a woman driving a new Beemer and think she’s a success. Neither may be true. There are lots of prince and pauper stories, but a reader must make some assumptions based upon a first glance or two. Learn to make your character’s actions describe him/her as much as the appearance.

• Wanna Get Physical? If the character’s outward appearance is important to the story,  show it to the reader right away. If you wait until the character has been on stage a while to say she’s a red head or he’s wearing an eye patch, it frustrates readers. They’ve already imagined the person at the beginning of the scene.
• Characteristic Actions. To help readers understand your character’s motivations, show him/her acting out a minor version of that characteristic. For instance, if you want the reader to know your hero is kind and generous, you might show him taping nickels to parking meters.
• Too Much Information. You may be tempted to put everything you know into the description of your character. This might include back story, how the character likes his coffee or even the type of setting she prefers. Resist this urge. Most of the time, descriptions and back stories can’t support the story for longer than a few sentences. It’s that “Cold Mashed Potatoes” rule: Any time the scene stops to give back story or description, the mashed potatoes your character was eating are frozen in time and getting way too cold.