Hello, friends!
This time, I'll explore the mistake of giving your characters more knowledge that they should logically have. This usually happens when the writer doesn't realize that just because one information has been told already to a group of people, it doesn't mean all the others will automatically possess the knowledge as well. But how to deal with it, if there's a lot of POVs, and we don't want the reader to be annoyed to death reading the same “new” information be passed for the tenth time?
Let's dive into it!
First, what's up with the “characters knowing too much”?
Just because you as a writer know something doesn't mean your characters have to know it too - and the same way, just because one character knows something, other characters don't have to.
Sometimes, it's unrealistic for a character to obtain a certain information - for example not enough time has passed for the news to reach them, or they were travelling the wilderness for the past few months.
That's why it's important not to make this writing mistake - and now, I'll share some advice on how I do it.
As you may know from my previous posts, I'm a huge supporter of making notes and plans for writing before you sit down and actually do it.
The easiest way to remember which information is possessed by a certain character is to note it down and to have your notes always near when writing.
Before we progress, I want to tell you about my two favorite methods for making this type of notes:
A THOUGHT MAP
Create a thought map for the chosen information. Put it in the middle, with lines pointing at it. The lines will be the most crucial characters (I recommend using colors). Now add a small note to each line regarding WHEN they will learn the information.
Now as you write, you just have a look at your thought map and cross out or put a ✓ at the proper character.
TABLE
The next I want to say regarding the topic is HOW TO WRITE characters learning certain kind of information other than describing it directly (as in the example: “X opens the letter and their eyes widen from shock”).
I learned those ways from reading the Game of Thrones series, where there are many POVs and the situations when different characters find out things at various times happen a lot.
DESCRIBE THE REACTION
- set the descriptions right after the character learns a fact, not during:
Ian was walking back and forward, his heart beating so hard he’d swear he could hear it. How could she do this to him? After all those years?...
CONVERSATION
- describe the character already knowing the information; ideally state where do they know it from
‘My king, your cousin…’
‘...didn’t make it,’ he interrupted her. ‘I know. The envoy arrived earlier this morning.’
And I won't waste any more tears, he added in his thoughts. This wasn't the first time he lost someone like that. A few months beforehand…
ACTION
Describe an action that could only resolve from the character having the specific information. You can point out others’ reactions to it, their surprise or relief.
‘So you're telling me,’ Larry began, and the people gathered covered their mouths in shock from his audacity. The king raised his eyebrows. ‘That if I throw water at you, you won't transform? What if we try it out?’
He grabbed his cup of tea, and before anyone managed to move a finger, he spilled all the drink at the man. How does he know?!, I only wondered before the king's body began to change.
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