Labels

 One thing I don't like in writing (and in day-to-day life) is labels.  We have a tendency to slap a word onto our characters or real people and use that to describe them.  "He's OCD."  "I'm an INFJ."  "This character has depression."  "She's a Jesus freak."

Now, using a label isn't always bad.  We sometimes need a way to briefly describe someone, and using such a label often works.  But people are so beautifully complex, and we can't just be described completely with one word.  And even if someone is diagnosed OCD, they can be totally different from another person with OCD.  So when we put labels on people, we're often just calling to mind the stereotype or cliché of that word.


Using labels for the people in our stories often leads us to writing cardboard characters.  Imagine you're creating a new character, and for their description, you put something along the lines of  "They have PTSD from a tragic past (witnessing a murder).  This leads them to be moody and guarded and have random flashbacks."  This is an excellent way to start off creating a character, but do not end here!!! We need to dig deeper and really get into how the character thinks.  It will help us make them more real on the page.

For example, knowing the above information doesn't really help me with the character.  I'm end up making him/her crabby at everything, saying nothing at all about their past, and whenever I'm stuck with the story, I'll give them a flashback to make things lively.

But let's strip that label off, shall we?

Grab a piece of paper and think about that character.  What worries them?  What triggers those "random flashbacks."  Sirens?  Flashing lights?  Screams?  Maybe the sight of a knife or something seemingly harmless - like a cat?  A movement, even as friendly as a hug?  Flashbacks aren't really random.  They usually are triggered by something.

Why are they so guarded?  Hopefully it's not because you think guarded and "tough" characters are cool and fun to write.  This character needs a reason and slapping "PTSD" on them does not do the job.  Is it because he/she is always worried someone is trailing them?  Because they're embarrassed of their flashbacks and are always afraid of having one?  Maybe they're worried people will hate them if they talk too much.  Maybe they think that everyone else is just annoying and irresponsible.  On the other hand, what would make them smile and open up?  Do they like jokes?  Maybe they enjoy playing with children or animals.  Or when they see people get hurt they run to help them.  Maybe, once the others start working together, they get less snappy at them.

Now I can go back to that original character and fill in a little more about them.  "They don't like it when people scream or move quickly, because it reminds them of when they witnessed a murder, a few years ago.  They don't like bringing it up, because everyone is always asking them questions about the scene - who did it, who was murdered, etc - and they want so much just to forget it.  So they don't talk a lot, afraid that people will recognize them and the questions will begin again.  Once that character realizes the others aren't really interested in getting answers, and just want their help with the current task at hand, the character opens up a little more."

Do you use labels in your writing?  Can you toss them away and flesh out your characters a little more?  Remember, people are complex, and characters should be no different.  Don’t be a lazy writer. :)

16 comments:

  1. I don't think I use labels haha! But I think people life to label each other in real life. It's so much easier to understand someone if you apply a bunch of labels to them. Which annoys me because people aren't cardboard, as you say. And we can be so much more than a mere label. Humanity digresses or it grows, but rarely does it ever stay stuck under one single identity label. So, of course this would be true of our writing ;d When I write characters I start with a name and their personality unfolds to me throughout the story.

    keturahskorner.blogspot.com

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    1. I try not to label my characters, but I think I do tend to do it to people, sad to say.

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  2. SO TRUE!! I use a lot of Myers-Briggs labels (what can I say, I like psychology), but we need to come up with actual reasons why our characters are like that! Great post!

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    1. I actually don't care much for the M-B. Taking the test is fun, but I could answer just about every question differently depending on my mood, so I never see the results as super accurate.

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  3. Yesss, love this! Lables and broad generalizations are just the surface of a person. <3

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    1. We really need to dig down and get to know people-and characters!

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  4. Really loved this post! It definitely provoked me to think deeper about labels and things!

    ~Ceci

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  5. TRUTH! Its so easy to let one thing define a character (we even do this with real people too!).
    Like with villains, they often end up being dark and heartless - just because they're labeled the "bad guys" doesn't mean they aren't human anymore! They still have the same feelings as normal people (well, unless they have a certain disorder or something but still). Same thing with the "hero" and on. All people have a good side and a bad side - everyone has a comfortable at ease self where they laugh and joke - the same as an uptight side.
    Its kinda sad that we do this to real people too, we label them from a first encounter or impression of them and fail to see who they really are inside. One thing I've got in the habit of doing is when I see or meet someone, I view them in the same way I'd view a character in a book or movie - it helps me see the real them beneath the person they first display.


    ALSO, do my eyes deceive me or did you change your blog's look? XD

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  6. Interesting, I never thought about labelling characters very much. Maybe they start out as an adventurer but soon turn into much more. Com

    astorydetective.blogspot.com

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    1. We can start out with a label, but we really need to branch out more to get a fully-formed character.

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  7. I try to avoid labels as much as possible in my writing.

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    1. I used to use them a lot when I first started, but now I'm trying to flesh out characters more. :)

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