creative writing – Education Universe

August 13, 2025August 13, 2025 Education Universe Literature

The Character Analysis Handbook

How to Identify and Understand Characterization in Fiction

Introduction

When you read a great story, the plot might pull you along — but it’s the characters who stay with you. They make us laugh, make us angry, and sometimes break our hearts. In literature, understanding how characters are built and presented is key to understanding the work as a whole.

This handbook will help you identify characterization in fiction — the techniques writers use to bring fictional people to life — and give you tools for deeper analysis. Whether you’re reading a classic novel or a contemporary short story, being able to spot and interpret characterization will deepen your understanding and appreciation of the text.

Click here to see a short video that is related to this information.

What Is Characterization?

Characterization is the process an author uses to create and develop a character. It’s how a writer transforms a name on a page into someone who feels real — with a personality, desires, fears, and flaws.

There are two main types of characterization:

Direct Characterization – The author tells the reader what a character is like.
Example: “Maria was generous and kind, always ready to help a neighbor.”
Indirect Characterization – The author shows the character’s traits through their actions, dialogue, thoughts, appearance, and interactions with others.
Example: Maria quietly slips a $20 bill into her struggling neighbor’s mailbox without saying a word.

Good writers often blend these approaches, letting us both see and hear about the character in ways that make them vivid and believable.

The Role of Characterization in Fiction

Characterization isn’t just about creating “interesting people” — it’s about building the emotional and thematic core of the story. Here’s why it matters:

Drives the plot: The choices characters make push the story forward. Hamlet’s indecision, for example, shapes every turn of Shakespeare’s tragedy.
Creates emotional connection: Readers care more when they understand a character’s motives and struggles.
Reveals themes: The way a character changes (or fails to change) often reflects the story’s deeper meaning.
Builds authenticity: Strong characterization makes fictional worlds believable, even if they’re far removed from reality.

Tools for Identifying Characterization

When you’re reading fiction and trying to analyze characters, you’ll want to pay attention to several key elements. A good way to remember them is with the acronym S.T.E.A.L., which stands for:

Speech – What does the character say, and how do they say it?
Thoughts – What private thoughts or feelings does the narrator reveal?
Effects on Others – How do other characters react to them?
Actions – What do they do, and what choices do they make?
Looks – How are they described physically, and what does their appearance suggest?

By tracking these clues, you can piece together a full picture of who the character is — often without the author directly telling you.

Types of Characters

Part of identifying characterization is understanding what “kind” of character you’re dealing with. Some common categories:

Protagonist: The main character whose journey we follow.
Antagonist: The character (or force) opposing the protagonist.
Major Characters: Characters who play significant roles in the story’s events.
Minor Characters: Supporting characters who contribute to the setting, plot, or theme.
Dynamic Characters: Characters who change in significant ways over the course of the story.
Static Characters: Characters who remain essentially the same from beginning to end.
Round Characters: Well-developed, with complex personalities and motivations.
Flat Characters: Simple, often defined by a single trait or role.

It’s important to note that “flat” doesn’t necessarily mean “badly written” — some stories deliberately use flat characters for symbolic or functional purposes.

Steps to Analyze a Character

When tasked with a character analysis, here’s a step-by-step approach that works well in both academic and personal reading:

Identify the Character’s Role
Is this the protagonist, antagonist, or a supporting role? Knowing this will help you understand their importance.
Gather Direct and Indirect Evidence
Highlight passages where the author describes the character outright, and note moments where characterization comes through actions or dialogue.
Consider Motivation and Goals
What does the character want? How badly do they want it? How does this desire shape their actions?
Look for Change or Consistency
Does the character grow or learn something by the end? Or do they stay the same? What does that tell you about the story’s message?
Connect to Theme
How does the character’s journey reinforce or challenge the story’s main ideas?

Examples of Characterization

A few quick examples can help illustrate how this works:

Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen uses both direct description (“lively, playful disposition”) and indirect cues (Elizabeth’s witty banter and independent thinking) to develop her as intelligent, principled, and sometimes stubborn.
Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald builds Gatsby’s character through mystery, reputation, and glimpses into his longing for Daisy. His lavish parties and secretive background reveal ambition, romantic idealism, and vulnerability.
Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe reveals Okonkwo through his actions, fears, and relationship to tradition. His pride and fear of weakness drive the plot and highlight cultural and generational tensions.

Why This Skill Matters

Being able to identify characterization in fiction does more than help you write a good essay — it strengthens your ability to:

Recognize bias and perspective in real-world narratives.
Understand how storytelling shapes public opinion.
Appreciate different cultural and historical contexts in literature.
Engage more deeply with the texts you read, making literature a more personal and rewarding experience.

Practice Exercise

Choose a short story or chapter from a novel you’re currently reading.

Identify the protagonist and one supporting character.
Write down three examples of direct characterization for each.
Write down three examples of indirect characterization for each, using S.T.E.A.L.
Reflect: What do these examples tell you about the character’s personality, motivations, and possible role in the story’s themes?

Doing this regularly will make character analysis second nature.

Characterization is the heartbeat of fiction. Without well-crafted characters, even the most exciting plot can feel hollow. By learning to identify how authors bring characters to life — through speech, thoughts, actions, appearance, and the responses of others — you’ll not only do well in literature classes, but you’ll also become a sharper, more insightful reader in every part of your life.

Sources

Become A Writer Today. “Direct And Indirect Characterization: Painting Characters.” Become A Writer Today, 2023, becomeawritertoday.com/direct-and-indirect-characterization/. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.

“Characterization.” Wikipedia, last updated July 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Characterization. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.

Indiana University Pressbooks. “Characterization – Prose Fiction.” IU Pressbooks, Indiana University, n.d., iu.pressbooks.pub/prosefiction/chapter/chapter-4-characterization/. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.

LiteraryTerms.net. “Characterization: Definitions and Examples.” Literary Terms, 2019, literaryterms.net/characterization/. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.

Bookish Bay. “Character Analysis: Protagonists and Antagonists Explored.” Bookish Bay, 2024, bookishbay.com/character-analysis/. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.

February 3, 2025 Education Universe Uncategorized

Using the 5 Senses in Personal or Creative Narratives

When you’re writing a personal or creative narrative, one of the best ways to draw your reader in is by appealing to their senses. The senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell—are how we experience the world, and when you use them in your writing, you make your story come alive. It’s like letting your reader step into your shoes (or your memory) and really feel what you’re feeling.

Let’s break down each sense and look at how you can use them to enhance your writing.

Sight: What Do You See?

Definition:
Sight is probably the easiest sense to describe. It’s all about what you can see with your eyes—the colors, shapes, and movement in your surroundings.

Example:
Instead of just saying, “The sky was beautiful,” try something more vivid:
“The sky was painted in shades of pink and purple, like someone had splashed watercolor across the horizon.”

This description makes the scene feel more tangible, like the reader can actually picture it in their mind.

Why It’s Important:
Describing what you see helps the reader visualize the setting, characters, and key moments. It’s your opportunity to paint a picture with words.

Sound: What Do You Hear?

Definition:
Sound is about the noises in your environment—the subtle hum of traffic, the chirping of birds, or the loud chatter in a room. Every sound has its own texture and rhythm, and it can evoke different emotions.

Example:
Instead of just saying, “It was noisy in the city,” you could say:
“The city buzzed with the hum of car engines, the distant wail of sirens, and the constant murmur of people walking by, each sound a reminder of the world moving around me.”

Why It’s Important:
Sound brings energy to your story. It can make a moment feel frantic, peaceful, or even eerie. For example, the soft tapping of rain can create a calm mood, while a loud crash can heighten tension.

Touch: What Do You Feel?

Definition:
Touch is all about physical sensations—whether it’s the warmth of the sun on your skin, the roughness of an old wooden fence, or the chill of winter air. It’s how the environment interacts with your body.

Example:
Instead of saying, “It was cold outside,” you might write:
“The cold air bit at my cheeks, and my fingers went numb as I shoved my hands deeper into my pockets.”

Why It’s Important:
Touch makes the experience feel real. It can convey discomfort, comfort, or even add a layer of intimacy to a scene. How something feels physically can tell the reader a lot about the mood or atmosphere.

Taste: What Do You Taste?

Definition:
Taste is often tied to food, but it can also extend to anything that has a flavor or that creates a sensation in your mouth. Sweet, salty, bitter, sour—taste can even capture emotions in a more subtle way.

Example:
Instead of simply saying, “The cake was good,” you could describe it like this:
“The rich chocolate melted on my tongue, a burst of sweetness that lingered long after the last bite.”

Why It’s Important:
Taste can trigger memories and emotions. Have you ever tasted something that instantly reminded you of a specific place or time? That’s the power of taste—it connects us to the past and enhances sensory details in your writing.

Smell: What Do You Smell?

Definition:
Smell is a powerful sense. It’s often connected to memories and emotions because scents can trigger vivid recollections, even ones we don’t expect.

Example:
Instead of just saying, “The flowers were nice,” try:
“The sweet scent of jasmine filled the air, wrapping around me like a comforting hug, reminding me of summer nights back home.”

Why It’s Important:
Smell can instantly transport a reader to a place or moment. It’s often an underused sense in writing, but when you tap into it, it adds a layer of depth and emotional connection to your story.

Why Use the 5 Senses?

When you weave the five senses into your narrative, you’re allowing your reader to experience your story more fully. The senses are your gateway to creating a rich, immersive experience. Think about it: when you read, you often “see” a scene unfold in your mind, and sometimes you can almost feel the atmosphere or hear the background noises. You’re engaging more than just the intellect—you’re reaching the senses, too.

So, next time you’re writing, remember: you’re not just telling a story—you’re helping your reader experience it. Use the 5 senses to add detail, evoke emotions, and create a narrative that feels real and vibrant.

Happy writing!

October 17, 2021 Education Universe Script Writing, Uncategorized

What is Story?

Whether you are writing a short story, a novel, a film, or a graphic novel, readers/viewers have certain expectations. The main thing that the readers/viewers will expect is a good story equipped with stimulating images (visuals for films/descriptors for written stories), well-developed/interesting characters, action that moves the story forward to accomplish the goal/move closer to the answer to some question. For example, in Romeo & Juliet, the question that the audience wants answered is will they end up together in a happily every after? The question in The Wizard of Oz is will Dorothy make it back home to Kansas? You get the idea. Starting with a question can certainly help but is not necessarily the only way to handle a story during development. A point of caution – even though you may not begin with a question, the audience will subconsciously seek out one, so make sure in the end that you are answering the question that the reader/view has on his/her mind.

Writing a Story Question

So, the question is important, right? You bet! How does one figure out how to develop this one question?

It is based on what the central character (generally the protagonist) wants. Next, comes the question – how might the character work toward the goal/achieve the goal? If we go back to Romeo & Juliet, there are barriers in place to their love – two feuding families, Romeo kills a family member, he has to go on the run, and the list continues. Each barrier blocks their ability to be together. Hence, the question arises will they end up together in a happily every after? Once you know the character’s goal – in this case, Romeo and Juliet want to be together – then the question is easy – will they be together? It’s a fairly simple process.

Answering the Story Question

Know thy characters’ goals. The writer(s) must use the characters to move toward answering the question. To do so, there must be the ultimate goal of the character (such as getting home to Kansas in The Wizard of Oz or marrying the girl/guy in Romeo & Juliet). Before getting to the goal, the main character must have multiple obstacles in the way (such as the wicked witch – one of Dorothy’s obstacles – or killing someone and having to go on the run – one of Romeo’s obstacles).

In the end, the answer was no to whether or not Romeo and Juliet would end up together/married in a happily ever after. However, in The Wizard of Oz, the answer is yes – Dorothy makes it home to Kansas.

So, simply put, create a question and answer it before the end of the story. Make sure there are obstacles in the way (usually created by the antagonist).

Lastly, make sure the question is not announced – it is posed through the progression of the story.

Click here to red about Loglines.

October 16, 2021October 16, 2021 Education Universe Script Writing

Story Development – Loglines

A logline is typically a one-sentence summary that tells what your story is about. This one-sentence summary typically applies to films and television shows but can also apply to other types of stories. They offer a precision that other methods of beginning a story do not provide. For lack of a better term, the logline is the hook (attention getter) for your story. In general, loglines must be very specific and include various essential components depending on the formula used to develop the logline.

Logline template

There are several ways to construct a logline. Two of those ways are shared below, but there are other methods as well.

The Short Version

The short version of a logline is helpful but may lack the pizzazz required if you plan to market a script or story. However, it is useful and may serve as a starting point like a working thesis statement in an essay – a rough draft.

To construct a simple logline, look at it like the following:

Something happens to move the protagonist forward, who the protagonist(s) is/are, what action the protagonist is taking, and who the antagonist(s) is/are in the story.

An example of your story in a simple logline might look like the following:

When a young scientist disappears, her best friend and high school boyfriend must confront a violent gang to get her back.

The Long Version

The long version of a logline is useful and has a bit more pizzazz. It may serve as a final version of a one-sentence summary of your script or story. It’s much more like a final thesis in an essay as opposed to a rough draft. It adds in the stake(s) (what the protagonist has to lose if they don’t take action) and the protagonist’s goal in the story.

To construct the next version of the logline, look at it like the following:

Who the protagonist(s) is/are, what action the protagonist is taking, who the antagonist(s) is/are in the story, the goal that moves the protagonist(s) forward/what the protagonist will lose if no action is taken.

An example of your story in the alternate version of the logline might look like the following:

A young entomologist’s best friend and high school boyfriend must confront a local gang before their best friend is tortured and murdered.

The most crucial part of any logline is getting started. To do that, put some thought into a story that you might want to write and play with the loglines a bit. First, ask who your protagonist(s) and who your antagonist(s) are in your story. To help you, here’s a random logline generator that may or may not fit into the script above as they are linked to the industry film/television standard. So, be cautious when using a logline from a generator. With that said, generators can help with a starting point if you are having trouble generating ideas.