Making characters move

[Stacey Sweeney]

I've been noticing that in my slower scenes, I tend to make my characters walk a lot. Like they walk to the door, or walk to the shower, etc. In the scenes that seem to write themselves, I don't have this problem. It's just happening in the scenes that I have to force myself to write. Does anyone else have this problem? How else can I make my characters move, without actually saying it?

I'd love some examples if anyone has any.
Thanks,
Stacey

[NeuroFizz]

Use a prop. Put something in the room that has some form of symbolism, either to the story, or more appropriately, to the character. That can stir emotion in the character and shift the emphasis from animation to characterization. Just a quick thought.

[azbikergirl]

Maybe focus on what the characters want -- the end result. If they're walking to the door, is it because someone's knocking? "He opened the door" implies he went to the door, turned the knob, etc. so you don't need to show the walking to the door.

But if you have to force yourself to write these scenes, maybe they're not needed. Readers probably won't like them any more than you do, so find ways to make them more interesting to you. Do they have enough conflict?

[Bufty]

Stacey, things don't just happen and folks don't move unless there's a reason for moving. If you can create a reason for your character to move - a stimulus or cause for them to move - you may find it easier. Maybe you are making your characters move when there's no reason for it other than that you feel there should be a movement to perhaps break a run of dialogue.
And the movement needn't be a movement from one place to another - it could be a body or facial movement or expression that conveys a reaction to dialogue or an inner uneasiness or whatever. Any help?

[Jamesaritchie]

I've been noticing that in my slower scenes, I tend to make my characters walk a lot. Like they walk to the door, or walk to the shower, etc. In the scenes that seem to write themselves, I don't have this problem. It's just happening in the scenes that I have to force myself to write. Does anyone else have this problem? How else can I make my characters move, without actually saying it?

I'd love some examples if anyone has any.
Thanks,
Stacey


I try not to make characters move. Movement is usually implied, and there's seldom reason to detail it. If a character opens a door, or gets in the shower, the reader will assume he walked there. No need to tell them so.

Even taking a trip across town or across country is no different. "I had to see the papers Cliff Ryan had, and that meant yet another trip to New York. I caught the midnight special, and was knocking on his door as false dawn lit the eastern horizon."

No need to mention the taxi ride to the airport or anything else. Just get the character where he needs to be, whether it's the shower or another city. The only movement you need to mention is important movement.

[PattiTheWicked]

I agree with what's been said so far. If you say "Angie walked to the door and opened it," why not just replace it with "Angie opened the door"? Unless the walking is important to the story -- as in "Although she had been crippled since the age of four, that Tuesday morning Angie walked to the door and opened it" -- the walking isn't really necessary.

It's kind of like writing "I thought to myself". Well, of course you thought to yourself, who else would you be thinking to? The very act of thinking implies the self is the recipient. Likewise, the act of opening a door implies that at some point, somehow, one actually got to the door.

[loquax]

To add to James' comment, sometimes movement is never needed, ala graphic novels. If anyone's interested, look into the works of Scott McCloud and Will Eisner for explorations of the philosophies behind sequential art and story telling. They both discuss our ability to "fill in the gaps".

In essence, movement is implied by the changing pictures you create. If less is more, then I suppose the same can work for novels.

[jst5150]

It's been said that anything that's done within the body of the novel has to have purpose. Movement shouldn't be any different. Fidgeting fingers. Skipping down a street. That movement has to describe, allude or other provide something that helps move the story along or provides foundation/background for the character in question.

[Flapdoodle]

I've been noticing that in my slower scenes, I tend to make my characters walk a lot. Like they walk to the door, or walk to the shower, etc. In the scenes that seem to write themselves, I don't have this problem. It's just happening in the scenes that I have to force myself to write. Does anyone else have this problem? How else can I make my characters move, without actually saying it?

I'd love some examples if anyone has any.
Thanks,
Stacey

I suppose characters should only do things if it's relevant to the plot or their characterisation. If they're just walking around for the sake of it, then you may be just filling space for the sake of it - the action equivalent of dialogue that goes "Hello, what's your name" "Fred Blenkinshop" "Where are you from?" "Barnsley." "Baaaaaa"

If your setting a scene where they're walking down a street, then that should be enough. Where they stop may be important, or why they stop...

[zornhau]

Shift the conversation to a moment of suspense or jeopardy, e.g. while waiting to go over the top, or while hiding from a sniper.