I am working on this character who appears timid and shy but is actually mischievous and clever. How do I show the character's true colors with it feeling natural.
I'm gonna expand a bit on what Rosey said. It would be best if your piece was in first person so that you could display these two sides more easily. I've got some more questions to add onto what Rosey said, as well. Why is she timid and shy? Is she always timid and shy, or does she let her other side out around certain people? What about those certain people make her feel safe enough to reveal her other side? In your story is the character development in that she learns to show her other side to everyone? Or does she stay timid and shy throughout the story?
Question 1: are they a point of view character, a major character, or a minor character?
This character is a minor character and it would be noted her thoughts will be revealed most of the time.
Question 2: is this in third person or first person?
It switch from person to person to third person ominant.
Question 3: why do we need to know they have this other side to them?
I am planning a backstory where they are socailly isolated which causes them to be socially awkard and shy around human interation but like to use tricks for amusement or getting what they want.
Hope this helps answer your questions and thank you for helping.
-if this character acts timid and shy as you said, you have to work on or have a strong past or a realistic backstory of why this is happening -Show that the real person is different with bits and pieces throughout the whole story just give us hints using his thoughts,feelings, and actions so it is not a huge surprise for us as readers -since this is a minor character, try to mainly concentrate on the main character and build that up. -I would also recommend doing this in first person just so we get inside their head, but sometimes do it from third person to observe their actions, smart choice.
Hope that this reply helps and if you have any more questions feel free to PM me!Thanks!
A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads only lives once ~George R. Martin Life isn't about finding yourself; it's about recreating yourself. ~George B. Shaw
See, you've kind of answered how to get readers to see both sides with your own reply:
socially awkard and shy around human interation but like to use tricks for amusement or getting what they want
All you have to do is actually show this character using tricks for amusement or manipulating others and people will understand they have multiple sides to them.
"Shy" and "trickster" aren't mutually exclusive. You don't have to have a trickster be a super extroverted character to get people to understand that they're a trickster. Both of those are simply character traits, and not the be all, end all of a character's personality.
So long as you write them with those traits in mind, and have their interactions reflect both of those traits depending on the current situation, readers should get it no problem.
A writer is a world trapped in a person— Victor Hugo
Ink is blood. Paper is bandages. The wounded press books to their heart to know they're not alone.
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