--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is the character trying to say? Why?…" description: "\"What is the character trying to say? Why? Be as specific as you can, using sense images that evoke something about the character. Try using the charact..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/432/pat-pattison-51771_character_what-is-the-character-trying-to-say-why_2134748.jpg" --- # What is the character trying to say? Why? Be as specific… ![“What is the character trying to say? Why? Be as specific as you can, using sense images that evoke something about the character. Try using the character's senses, even if the character is you.” quote by Pat Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/432/pat-pattison-51771_character_what-is-the-character-trying-to-say-why_2134748.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/432/pat-pattison-51771_character_what-is-the-character-trying-to-say-why_2134748.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/432/pat-pattison-51771_character_what-is-the-character-trying-to-say-why_2134748.jpg) > “What is the character trying to say? Why? Be as specific as you can, using sense images that evoke something about the character. Try using the character's senses, even if the character is you.” [Pat Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-pattison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Use sensory details to reveal a character’s inner state, making their motives clear to the reader. **In simple terms:** Show, don’t tell, using senses. Key Takeaway Write with vivid sensory imagery. Themes creative writing character development sensory detail Mood instructive reflective Type educational practical When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - character sketches - role‑play exercises Key Concepts empathy psychology storytelling Questions to Reflect On - What senses best reflect this character’s conflict? - How can sensory cues deepen empathy? A Different Perspective May become overly descriptive, losing plot focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Songwriting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/songwriting/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I used to get stuck trying to find the first sentence of a story, then I realised that it was often because I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-gleitzman/i-used-to-get-stuck-trying-to-find-the-first-sentence-of-a-story-then/) [Morris Gleitzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-gleitzman/) > [Don't write stage directions. 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They're difficult to find and difficult to use well. Unfortunately, metaphors are a mainstay of good lyric writing-indeed of most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-pattison/metaphors-are-not-user-friendly-they-re-difficult-to-find-and/) [Pat Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-pattison/) > [Don't be afraid to write crap - it makes the best fertilizer. The more you write the better your chances of growing something wonderful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-pattison/don-t-be-afraid-to-write-crap-it-makes-the-best-fertilizer-the-more/) [Pat Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-pattison/) > [Never let reality get in the way of truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-pattison/never-let-reality-get-in-the-way-of-truth/) [Pat Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-pattison/) > [YOU CAN'T TELL UNLESS YOU SHOW FIRST. ... Showing makes the telling more powerful because your senses and your mind are both engaged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-pattison/you-can-t-tell-unless-you-show-first-showing-makes-the-telling-more/) [Pat Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-pattison/) > [“I hereby grant you permission to write crap. The more the better. Remember, crap makes the best fertilizer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-pattison/i-hereby-grant-you-permission-to-write-crap-the-more-the-better/) [Pat Pattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-pattison/) > [Songs are your best teachers. 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But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What is the character trying to say? 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