Character Basics Activity 05: Perception

About Standards

Characters and their experiences

What they perceive

We can describe what a character perceives—what they see, hear, smell and so on.

Above her somewhere, Stella could hear the flapping of wings. She looked up at the black sky, but couldn’t see where the owl was. The sound of the wings was getting louder and louder. Wagner was getting nearer and nearer.

Awful AuntieDavid WalliamsSource

This snippet uses a combination of seeing, hearing and sensing—but you could also talk about smelling, tasting and feeling.

When we describe a character's perceptions in this way, it brings us closer to them and makes us feel like we are experiencing what they are experiencing.

Is this character description or action?

Booger heard the deck groan and creak underneath him. The storm was causing the waves to swell around the ship. Howling winds drowned out the shouts of the rest of the crew. The ship was going to tip at any minute.

I see the tip of a cat’s nose barely peeking out past the door frame. Behind me, I can hear a faint scratching noise as the other cat wiggles into position. I look over my shoulder, but the hallway is empty. Even so, I know I am walking into an ambush.

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