Use Body Language to Make Your Characters Come Alive on the Page
Writers are constantly reminded to show, not tell their stories. How does one actually do this, when writing a story is essentially telling?
Showing is about creating visuals. Through sensory detail, active verbs, and body language, the one-dimensional words on the page come alive like a movie reel, creating a vivid three-dimensional image in the reader’s mind.
In her 1982 article, The Masked Meaning of Nonverbal Messages, Victoria E. Jackson cites the findings of Albert Mehrabian, an authority on verbal and nonverbal communication at UCLA, in which he found that during interpersonal communication only 7 percent of the message is communicated verbally. 93 percent is communicated nonverbally. Of that 93 percent, 38 percent is communicated through vocal tones and 55 percent is through facial expression.
An understanding of body language is essential in being able to show your story to your reader in a believable way.
He was angry.
In this sentence the author is telling the reader how the character feels. In order to show it the writer needs to create a visual which shows that emotion. How?
The character could slam the door or swear.
This is a pretty easy, generic response. In order to refine the reaction the author must look at the back story they’ve created for that particular character, then use body language to transfer that information to the reader. How would a man show his anger differently from a woman? A child?
How might a young teen from the projects with several siblings, all raised by a single mother, show his anger in comparison to a prep school teen who grew up in home with an alcoholic mother and a father who was never home?
Authors should never tell the reader whether or not to like a character. Instead, allow the movements and reactions of your character as they react to the obstacles put in their path and to the other characters in the story. Give the reader a chance to learn who your characters are, the same way they would come to know a new neighbor or coworker.
In the same way we form judgments and opinions of people based on our interpretation of their body language, the reader too, forms opinions about our characters based on those visuals the writer creates.
So what is body language?
Body language is the non-verbal communication of feelings, attitudes, and moods. It is shown through body posture, movement, facial expression, eye movement and position in relation to other people. It can be conscious or unconscious.
Body language is partly inherited (the same for everyone), and partly environmental, reflective of a particular culture or a person’s physical limitations.
Inherited — 6 Universal Facial Expressions-
Happiness Disgust Sadness
Surprise Fear Anger
Our ancestors needed to be able to read the body language of not only other humans, but animals, in order to know whether to trust, defend or attack.
As a rule, women have a better understanding of body language than men, probably because thousands of years ago, they needed good body language perception to reduce their vulnerability to males and the threat not only to their own lives but their children.
Body language is also relative to age and gender. The frontal lobe of the brain, which processes the subtle nuances of facial expression isn’t fully formed until the early twenties, which is why teens sometimes misinterpret the reactions of teachers and parents.
The young also tend to display more obvious gestures because they are naturally energetic, uninhibited and subtle. While older folks are less energetic, adopt more modest postures and are prevented by clothing and upbringing to use less pronounced gestures.
Interpreting body language also depends on context. Someone could be rubbing their eye because of irritation, fatigue, disbelief, or upset. Crossed arms could indicate someone is cold and they are trying to stay warm, or they could be feeling defensive. Someone scratching their nose could indicate a lie or an itch.
In thinking about visceral reactions which are unconscious reactions remember they too, must be taken in context. Think about seeing someone with a rapid pulse, breathing heavily and perspiring. Have they just returned from a run? Are they sitting at their desk at work? Maybe they are in an interrogation room at the police station.
While voice is not usually considered a part of the study of body language, as writers, he tone and pitch of our character’s voice is important. It might be unconscious or conscious. How might a person react vocally to a sudden fright or shock? What about while making love?
Consider the human tendency to lie, deceive, manipulate and pretend. Of course the degree of each varies with each of your characters. Now think about two people making love when one hates the other, or the killer reacting with surprise at the death of his victim.
A person giving a speech before a large audience might unconsciously stammer or talk softly. In order to appear before the crowd as the confident person they are not, they might have to consciously remember to speak loudly and clearly.
Body language also involves touch, how we touch ourselves and others. How close to we get to people depends on our level of intimacy with that person.
Desmond Morris, Behavioral Scientist, Intimate Behavior: A Zoologist’s Classic Study of Human Intimacy , came up with the 12 Stages of Physical Intimacy.
1. Eye to Body
2. Eye to Eye
3. Voice to Voice
4. Hand to Hand
5. Arm to Shoulder
6. Arm to Waist
7. Mouth to Mouth
8. Hand to Head
9. Hand to Body
10. Mouth to Breast
11. Hand to Genitals
12. Sexual Intercourse
Romance writers use these steps as a guide to help develop the intimacy between the two main characters, but they actually reflect the level of our relationship between the people around us.
Think about people in your family, the people you work with, or strangers on the street. What level of intimacy to you allow with each person? What happens when someone jumps ahead from step one to step five?
Danger! Danger!
Stages 1–3 are what we use every day, making eye contact and having conversation with people. Moving into Stage 4 is the first step into physical contact. Allowing someone to touch us is makes us vulnerable. Which is why you can only be tickled by someone you trust.
How does your character interact with their environment? Do they fiddle with the pens on their desk, smoke, twirl their glasses, or fuss with their clothing?
The eyes are called the windows to the soul and writers use eyes to help show a character’s reactions. Without words the eyes can communicate strong emotion and likewise create strong reactions.
As you write, think about how your characters react to their environment, circumstances and other characters. Replace some of your speech tags and instead use body language to show your story. Layer in the emotion of your characters; allow them to come alive on the page. Create those characters your readers will never forget.
Sources:
Ackerman, Angela and Puglisi, Becca, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, Cyber Witch Press, 2012
Jackson, Victoria E., The Masked Meanings of Nonverbal Messages, Reprinted from the July 1982 issue of Modern Office Procedures, 1982, Penton/PC subsidiary of Pittway Corporation
http://www.businessballs.com/body-language.htm
Body Language-guide to reading body language signals in management, training, courts… Alan Chapman 2009–12
