Hi I have been trying to concentrate on the development of characters in my writing but have come across a possible stumbling block that I would appreciate some opinions on. I have found that when introducing the 'bad guys' the prose can get quite dark and the opposite is true with the 'good guys'. To the extent that it almost feels uncomfortable to me. Do you think it is necessary to have a more impartial narrative when introducing a character? Any advice/opinions would be much appreciated Sarah
Narrative is always subjective. It's only natural that the tone should change between describing something good and something bad. It is, however, something that is entirely within your control; if you feel it getting too dark, change the words you're using, change the way you are putting sentences together, change what you are describing. A good writer is always in total control. You're responsible for creating everything, but you're also responsible for hacking it up, fixing it and reigning it in.
thanks very much for the input!! Enjoying looking and reviewing work put on here - there is a great deal of talent on this site!!
My general rule is that if a descriptor is irrelevant or unimportant, leave it out. Don't use a character description to fill space and don't let it ramble on and on. It bores the reader when you write a full paragraph describing every item the character is wearing, how they did their hair and makeup, etc. unless it is somehow important to the story or helps describe the character's personality in an interesting way.
