Names and Pronouns are not enough.
May 16, 2021 5:48:17 GMT -5
Post by Radrook Admin on May 16, 2021 5:48:17 GMT -5
First-Names and Pronouns are not enough.
There are writers who tend to use only names and pronouns for the protagonist such as Joe Jane, he and she. Well, please note that the only thing that a reader understands from these is a gender. A "he" is male and a "she" is female. Joe is male Jane is female. This goes for him and his, her and hers as well. A reader doesn't see race, age, skin complexion, hair texture or color, tallness, or facial features. The reader doesn't see the character's body type either. Is the protagonist skinny, fat? stout?, husky? athletic? How is he dressed? Is he wearing a turtleneck sweater? Bermuda shorts? A white laboratory jacket? A dress suit? Does he have a deep voice? A squeaky voice? A hoarse voice? Is he mute? Is he young? Middle aged? Old?
When writers fail to provide essential details, then readers will be forced to provide the necessary details themselves taken from their own personal experiences, prejudices and preferences. For example, if the behavior reminds them of a certain ethnic group, such as Afro Americans, or of an age group, such as teens then they will visualize the protagonists as members of that group.
Now, if the writer finally becomes specific in mid story, readers will then be forced to discard all those images and recreate the world as the writer had been intending all along. This frustrating and totally unnecessary hassle might make the reader stop reading the story and avoid reading any of the author's works again.
Unfortunately, when this very serious counterproductive flaw is brought to their attention, some writers blame the reader for the serious confusion that they generate by saying that they simply prefer to leave such specific details entirely up to reader. Which means that the writer might not appreciate how important description is to a story, doesn't know how to describe a character effectively, or else, is simply too lazy to try, or just doesn't care.
In response to such an irresponsible and unprofessional attitude, I have seen supposedly qualified persons tell the writer that having that attitude is OK because it his right. In other words, that his attitude is an accepted and acceptable one within literary circles. Well, it isn't. It is considered a very serious basic flaw. So in such a case, it is the proverbial blind man guiding a blind man and both winding up in a pit.