A Guide to Interiority

An examination of the various ways in which writers can convey the states of mind of characters. 
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Why interiority is crucial

Storytelling resonates more with readers when they can understand what's going through character's heads. But readers also prefer not to have writers do all the work for them. So it's a matter of finessing character interiority. How can you, as a writer, help convey what's on a character's mind without always telling readers outright? 

Know what methods are available

When you know the different methods for conveying character states of mind, you have backup plans for whenever your writing feels off in some way. This course is packed with examples of each kind of interiority, and it provides exercises for most lessons so you can get to work on making the methods more instinctual.

A Taxonomy of Interiority

My goal is to help you understand craft so you can be deliberate about how you tell your stories. 

Taxonomy

| takˈsänəmē | noun
The practice and science of categorization or classification.

Naming = knowing. So I give names to the ways in which you can help readers see what's on the inside. This course provides three broader categories of interiority with multiple methods in each category. I discuss what they can do for you in your efforts to bring your characters to life. 

Interiority

| inˌtirēˈôridē | noun 
1. Any narration that describes thought or emotion. 
2. Inner character or nature. 

This course takes a broad view of interiority as anything that's going on inside a character's head. Sometimes, your narration will identify that inner stuff; elsewhere, it will be implied via other means. We look at all approaches to getting across what's on the inside. 

What's included?

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13

Lessons

You get 13 brief video lessons, averaging about 5 minutes a lesson for a total of just over an hour of instruction.
32

Examplars

The course provides 32 example passages to help illustrate what the various methods look like and how you can use them.
7

Exercises

There are 7 optional exercises you can attempt if you're looking to make these methods more instinctual. 
1

Instructor

One award-winning instructor delivering clear and practical lessons to help you master your craft. 
Meet the instructor

TD Storm

TD Storm is an award-winning writer and teacher whose stories have appeared in a number of journals. His passion for storytelling and its inner workings inform his teaching, editing, and mentoring. He has worked with countless writers on personal essays, novels, short stories, and more. And he's been teaching since 1999.

Want to know more about TD Storm? Check out the About page for the school.

Want to know more about his approach toward writing and teaching writing? Look at this post on the "Core Tenets of Storm Writing School."

Patrick Jones - Course author

Write your characters from the inside out

(This course is included free with your membership in the Writing Craft Club.)
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