Writing Interiority: Techniques to Deepen Character Development

Are you ready to unlock the power of interiority in your stories? Getting inside a character's head can bring a story to life, making it more compelling and engaging. But what is interiority, and how can you use it to write a compelling story? In today's post, we'll define interiority and discuss how to use it to craft a compelling story, with tips and examples!

What is Interiority?

Interiority is a concept that refers to the inner world of a character or hero. It's their subjective experience of their inner life, their feelings, thoughts, and emotions. Interiority is a hero's psychology–their unique perspective of the world and how they see it. This allows the reader to connect with the hero and understand their motivations and decisions. This way, you can create a compelling story by revealing the hero's innermost thoughts and feelings. It can also be used to create empathy and understanding between the reader and the hero as they become more aware of the hero’s struggles and triumphs. Interiority helps to build tension, develop relationships, and move the plot forward.

How to write interiority

There are four foundations for a character's interiority. These are:

Wounds: The emotional scars that a hero carries from their past. It could be something simple like feeling unnoticed or failing to meet an essential goal to a traumatic childhood event. Wounds are a vital piece of a hero’s backstory, but they may not be conscious or aware of them.

Needs: Needs are formed by the pain from the hero’s wounds. If they were ignored in childhood, this might lead to a need for attention as an adult. If they were abandoned as a child, it might lead to a need to protect themselves from getting hurt, so they don’t get close to others as an adult. Often your hero is not conscious of their needs.

Objective: This is what your hero wants. Remember, this is different than their needs. They may need attention and validation from others, but how they go about getting that is their true objective. For example, their objective may be to win the school talent show or get a promotion at work.

Motivations: Are why your hero wants what they want. This will relate to your hero’s objectives. Remember, their wounds and needs are a subconscious part of their interiority. The objective and motivations are the conscious parts of their inner world. If their objective is to win the school talent show, then their motivations might be to beat their rival or prove someone wrong. While on some level, these motivations may be true, their underlying need is what’s truly driving them to pursue their objective–even if they don’t know this.

Tips for writing interiority in fiction

Focus on the four foundations of interiority

In order to create dynamic and compelling characters that drive your story forward, you need to focus on the foundations we discussed earlier: wounds, needs, objectives, and motivations. Learn the basics of these four concepts and work them into your story. Understand what motivates your characters. What is it that drives each character to pursue their objectives? Ask yourself, what insecurity do they have from an emotional wound? Where does this wound come from, and how has it shaped their needs? Based on this understanding, you can create a character arc that drives them to pursue their objectives–but will ultimately lead them to discover what they truly need.

Explore your hero's inner life

Your hero’s thoughts or inner monologue can play a huge role in their interiority. We have tens of thousands of thoughts each day. They range from simple and mundane, such as “I’m hungry,” to complex thoughts, such as planning out the details for a new project. Consider how you can use your hero’s inner monologue–their thoughts–to reveal more about who they are and what their subconscious wounds and needs are.

For example, thoughts like, “If there's another fight, I'm calling it quits,” can reveal a lot about the hero’s personality and their situation and the stakes. It tells us this person probably tries to avoid fighting and conflict and that they're at the end of their rope in their relationship. We also get a hint at the stakes–one more fight equals calling it quits. So we know there's already been a lot of fighting in this relationship. There's so much complexity and nuance that we can extract just from that one thought.

Balance interiority with external action and dialogue

While interiority provides insight into a character's thoughts and emotions, it must be balanced with external elements to maintain a dynamic and engaging story. By seamlessly interweaving interiority, action and dialogue, writers can create a compelling story that keeps readers invested in both the internal and external aspects of the story.

For example, let's consider a scene in which two characters, Susan and James, are having a heated argument:

Susan clenched her fists, her anger simmering beneath the surface. How could James be so thoughtless? The weight of disappointment bore down on her chest as she struggled to control her rising emotions. She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself before speaking.

"James, I can't believe you would do this," Susan said, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt.

James crossed his arms, his eyes narrowed. Susan heard the frustration in his voice when he said, "What's the big deal, Susan? It's not like it affects you."

Susan's jaw tightened, her nails digging into her palms. The hurt welled up inside her, but she knew she had to choose her words carefully. "It does affect me, James. It affects us. How can you be so dismissive?"

In this example, Susan's interiority is balanced with her external reactions and dialogue. Susan's clenched fists, her attempt to control her emotions, and the description of her trembling voice reveal her internal struggle and emotional state. Her inner thoughts and feelings are then expressed through her dialogue, allowing readers to understand the depth of her hurt and disappointment.

Similarly, James' defensive stance, narrowed eyes, and frustrated tone demonstrate his exterior response to the situation. The combination of inner thought, action, and dialogue in this scene provides a rich portrayal of the characters' emotional states, allowing readers to engage with their inner turmoil while also witnessing their external conflict. This balance between interiority and external elements helps create a compelling scene.

Align interiority with character voice and perspective

Aligning interiority with character voice and perspective is essential for creating an authentic and believable story. By ensuring that the character's thoughts, emotions, and reflections are consistent with their unique voice and perspective, writers can deepen the reader's understanding of the character.

Here's an example. Let's say we have a character named Maya–a middle-aged detective with a sharp intellect and a cynical outlook on life. Here's how interiority can be aligned with Maya's character voice and perspective:

Maya stared at the crime scene, her mind buzzing with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. Another day, another puzzle to solve. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the clichéd tableau of broken glass and scattered documents.

"Just what I needed," she muttered.

As she surveyed the room, her thoughts raced, connecting the dots, seeking out the hidden truths. Maya's mind was a web of suspicion, always questioning, never taking things at face value. She knew the faintest hint of doubt could unravel the most convincing alibi.

She pulled out her notepad and scribbled down her initial observations, the ink flowing like an extension of her thoughts. The victims, the evidence, the possible motives—all jumbled together in a mosaic of possibilities. Maya relished the chase, the adrenaline rush that came from piecing together the fragments of a crime.

In this example, Maya's thoughts and reflections are expressed with a touch of cynicism and sarcasm, reflecting her jaded outlook on life. Her skepticism and relentless questioning are apparent, demonstrating her sharpness and investigative nature. The use of phrases like "Just what I needed" and "always questioning, never taking things at face value" encapsulates Maya's unique voice and perspective. By aligning Maya's interiority with her character voice and perspective, readers gain a deeper understanding of her personality, motivations, and the lens through which she views the world.

Ready to use interiority in your fiction writing?

Developing strong interiority is essential for creating powerful and engaging stories. By focusing on the four foundations of interiority, balancing interiority with external action and dialogue, maintaining consistency with character voice and perspective, and utilizing interior monologue, writers can create compelling scenes that draw readers in. With a little bit of practice, you can develop your skills in writing effective interiority and create characters and scenes that keep readers hooked!