Improve characterization by studying communication.

Jemini

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 27, 2019
Messages
2,037
Points
153
I just happened across this video on communication in a professional setting, and it made me realize something about how we characterize our characters.

It talks a lot about what the use of certain words says about you and what impressions it makes for the listener. Well, these sorts of communication tips also come up in writing in a very different way. It actually serves you as a writer to know all the communication habits a person can have and what that says about them, then use these things on purpose for their characters.

One example would be the use of "side particles" mentioned in the video. Side particles are words like "well," "umm," "so," or "like," used as filler words or things of the sort. The video recommends removing these words from your vocabulary because they make you sound insecure. In the case of writing though, we can actually use side particles like this intentionally by having a character we want to come off as unsure use them.

This is a tip a lot of people already know about and I see it frequently used to good effect. Studying up on it can help improve your characterization further, though.

On the flip side, you can also study the communication tips and follow them exactly with characters you want to come off as highly professional or effective communicators. To take your writing even farther to the next level though, you could put some thought into how normal everyday people in your world communicate. The people who are not wishy-washy uncertain people, but are also not highly effective professionals. These common people would have a few bad communication habits, but would not be the total mess of using words like "umm" and "so" all over the place followed by a bunch of ellipsis (...).

This is yet another one of those areas where a writer has a harder job than a common person. A common person can just learn to communicate like a professional. However, a writer has to learn how to communicate in every single way and in every single setting that is common for people to communicate, all in an effort to utilize those communication habits in their characterization.

Of course, this is all just a tip on how to further sharpen your writing and give it just that little bit of extra edge rather than being something absolutely necessary. However, it is definitely something I'd recommend if you are looking to improve.

(Here's the link to that video I kept talking about.)

 

ABCGUY

The German Idiot
Joined
Oct 22, 2021
Messages
144
Points
133
I dont need that

Because

I dont communicate at all ?
I would die from anxiety first ?‍?
I dont need that

Because

I dont communicate at all ?
I would die from anxiety first ?‍?
Verbally
 

Itroggu

Active member
Joined
Jul 30, 2021
Messages
4
Points
43
Actually, I really need some of these as a writer. It's really hard to come up communications in a story, especially when it comes to just talking to yourself with various questions acting as that character. You really need to put in to perspective from the character's eyes in order to pull off a genuine conversation. The sad idea is that I still feel like my own characters don't talk the way I think they were based on my own way of communication. Hell, although I base my communications out of my discord friends, I still feel like this is not the closest way a normal conversation would sound like
 

Ilikewaterkusa

You have to take out their families...
Joined
May 21, 2021
Messages
2,373
Points
153
I just happened across this video on communication in a professional setting, and it made me realize something about how we characterize our characters.

It talks a lot about what the use of certain words says about you and what impressions it makes for the listener. Well, these sorts of communication tips also come up in writing in a very different way. It actually serves you as a writer to know all the communication habits a person can have and what that says about them, then use these things on purpose for their characters.

One example would be the use of "side particles" mentioned in the video. Side particles are words like "well," "umm," "so," or "like," used as filler words or things of the sort. The video recommends removing these words from your vocabulary because they make you sound insecure. In the case of writing though, we can actually use side particles like this intentionally by having a character we want to come off as unsure use them.

This is a tip a lot of people already know about and I see it frequently used to good effect. Studying up on it can help improve your characterization further, though.

On the flip side, you can also study the communication tips and follow them exactly with characters you want to come off as highly professional or effective communicators. To take your writing even farther to the next level though, you could put some thought into how normal everyday people in your world communicate. The people who are not wishy-washy uncertain people, but are also not highly effective professionals. These common people would have a few bad communication habits, but would not be the total mess of using words like "umm" and "so" all over the place followed by a bunch of ellipsis (...).

This is yet another one of those areas where a writer has a harder job than a common person. A common person can just learn to communicate like a professional. However, a writer has to learn how to communicate in every single way and in every single setting that is common for people to communicate, all in an effort to utilize those communication habits in their characterization.

Of course, this is all just a tip on how to further sharpen your writing and give it just that little bit of extra edge rather than being something absolutely necessary. However, it is definitely something I'd recommend if you are looking to improve.

(Here's the link to that video I kept talking about.)

I know how to scam people, so I think I drifnitelu Ugh know how to do this yeah. So yeah there’s that. So yeah, wanna have a drink with me? Not like I’m going to pay for it or anything.
 

CupcakeNinja

Pervert Supreme
Joined
Jan 1, 2019
Messages
3,152
Points
183
I just happened across this video on communication in a professional setting, and it made me realize something about how we characterize our characters.

It talks a lot about what the use of certain words says about you and what impressions it makes for the listener. Well, these sorts of communication tips also come up in writing in a very different way. It actually serves you as a writer to know all the communication habits a person can have and what that says about them, then use these things on purpose for their characters.

One example would be the use of "side particles" mentioned in the video. Side particles are words like "well," "umm," "so," or "like," used as filler words or things of the sort. The video recommends removing these words from your vocabulary because they make you sound insecure. In the case of writing though, we can actually use side particles like this intentionally by having a character we want to come off as unsure use them.

This is a tip a lot of people already know about and I see it frequently used to good effect. Studying up on it can help improve your characterization further, though.

On the flip side, you can also study the communication tips and follow them exactly with characters you want to come off as highly professional or effective communicators. To take your writing even farther to the next level though, you could put some thought into how normal everyday people in your world communicate. The people who are not wishy-washy uncertain people, but are also not highly effective professionals. These common people would have a few bad communication habits, but would not be the total mess of using words like "umm" and "so" all over the place followed by a bunch of ellipsis (...).

This is yet another one of those areas where a writer has a harder job than a common person. A common person can just learn to communicate like a professional. However, a writer has to learn how to communicate in every single way and in every single setting that is common for people to communicate, all in an effort to utilize those communication habits in their characterization.

Of course, this is all just a tip on how to further sharpen your writing and give it just that little bit of extra edge rather than being something absolutely necessary. However, it is definitely something I'd recommend if you are looking to improve.

(Here's the link to that video I kept talking about.)

I always see these kinda threads and think, "Nah, I'm already perfect" knowing, deep down, I am the Terry Goodkind of the generation.

But not the Tolkien. To quote a popular Tolkien meme, that guy "wrote an entire universe of bloody theological history and dozens of devastating wars, then wrote a children's book in it."
 

ThrillingHuman

always be casual, never be careless
Joined
Feb 13, 2019
Messages
4,738
Points
183
I don't feel the need to improve my writing. Not that I'm content with my style. Any better, and people will begin to wage religious crusades over them in some centuries.
 

2021

super straight male & the opposite sex of female
Joined
Jun 24, 2021
Messages
702
Points
93
Insane mana guide: Just have voices in your head
 

Ai-chan

Queen of Yuri Devourer of Traps
Joined
Dec 23, 2018
Messages
1,669
Points
153
Ai-chan doesn't care about speaking like a leader. Ai-chan will lewd everyone. Yes, Ai-chan will lewd you too. There is no lewd police that can contain Ai-chan's unending lewdness.
 

Deeprotsorcerer

Skeletal Eromancer
Joined
Aug 24, 2021
Messages
347
Points
133
Ai-chan doesn't care about speaking like a leader. Ai-chan will lewd everyone. Yes, Ai-chan will lewd you too. There is no lewd police that can contain Ai-chan's unending lewdness.
You would lewd the Ur-Quan?

1644380062141.png


Kinky
 

2021

super straight male & the opposite sex of female
Joined
Jun 24, 2021
Messages
702
Points
93
Ai-chan doesn't care about speaking like a leader. Ai-chan will lewd everyone. Yes, Ai-chan will lewd you too. There is no lewd police that can contain Ai-chan's unending lewdness.
Ew
 

Ai-chan

Queen of Yuri Devourer of Traps
Joined
Dec 23, 2018
Messages
1,669
Points
153
You would lewd the Ur-Quan?

View attachment 12098

Kinky
If you have to ask... Ai-chan shall have to say 'yes'. Why wouldn't Ai-chan do that? Why must aliens be discriminated? What sins did they commit to be excluded from lewdness? We should be lewding all of them even more, that way the evil ones will run away for fear of being lewded. And only the friendly ones who want to be lewded will come to us and share their technology with us. Lewdness is for goodness.
 

SakeVision

Sama/kisama
Joined
Jul 30, 2021
Messages
1,013
Points
153
So, if you use these words, it makes me sound insecure? Smells like bullshit. Well, it's fine for her, as long as it gives her $$ from...umm...'naive' people, but let's be better than average youtube user and not fall for the scam.
I always see these kinda threads and think, "Nah, I'm already perfect" knowing, deep down, I am the Terry Goodkind of the generation.

But not the Tolkien. To quote a popular Tolkien meme, that guy "wrote an entire universe of bloody theological history and dozens of devastating wars, then wrote a children's book in it."

No. Tolkien didn't have the whole universe planned when he wrote the hobbit. Hence many worldbuilding inconsistencies between the hobbit and later works. He didn't even have it refined when writing lotr, though it's far more truthful to Silmarillion, which was his worldbuilding magnum opus. And it was also not what made him famous.

Btw, who is Tom Bombadil again?
 

ConcubusBunny

Chaotic lewd enby bunny. They/them
Joined
Feb 10, 2020
Messages
261
Points
83
I just happened across this video on communication in a professional setting, and it made me realize something about how we characterize our characters.

It talks a lot about what the use of certain words says about you and what impressions it makes for the listener. Well, these sorts of communication tips also come up in writing in a very different way. It actually serves you as a writer to know all the communication habits a person can have and what that says about them, then use these things on purpose for their characters.

One example would be the use of "side particles" mentioned in the video. Side particles are words like "well," "umm," "so," or "like," used as filler words or things of the sort. The video recommends removing these words from your vocabulary because they make you sound insecure. In the case of writing though, we can actually use side particles like this intentionally by having a character we want to come off as unsure use them.

This is a tip a lot of people already know about and I see it frequently used to good effect. Studying up on it can help improve your characterization further, though.

On the flip side, you can also study the communication tips and follow them exactly with characters you want to come off as highly professional or effective communicators. To take your writing even farther to the next level though, you could put some thought into how normal everyday people in your world communicate. The people who are not wishy-washy uncertain people, but are also not highly effective professionals. These common people would have a few bad communication habits, but would not be the total mess of using words like "umm" and "so" all over the place followed by a bunch of ellipsis (...).

This is yet another one of those areas where a writer has a harder job than a common person. A common person can just learn to communicate like a professional. However, a writer has to learn how to communicate in every single way and in every single setting that is common for people to communicate, all in an effort to utilize those communication habits in their characterization.

Of course, this is all just a tip on how to further sharpen your writing and give it just that little bit of extra edge rather than being something absolutely necessary. However, it is definitely something I'd recommend if you are looking to improve.

(Here's the link to that video I kept talking about.)

Very nice tips and could be helpful, except this will take work to implement abd I'm too used to my style, so maybe I'll some part of and try to implement it
 
Top