Being a Better Writer: Character Foils · 8:02pm March 4th
Welcome back, writers, to the final Being a Better Writer post … of Topic List #23. Sorry couldn’t resist. If some of you felt a flash of panic there, well, then my prank has been carried out to my satisfaction.
But yes, it is the final topic from Topic List #23. Which means next week, we’ll be starting over with a new list, #24! But it also means that requests are now open to what topics deserve to be on that list. So if you haven’t yet, please head on over to the topic call or even just post below if you’re in a real hurry, and let us know what writing topics you would like to hear about in the upcoming months!
Oh, and don’t worry if the topic is one we’ve covered before. BaBW has been around for over ten years. At this point, we’ve covered a lot of topics, and retread and revisited topics more than once. In fact, today’s topic was covered about nine years ago, but here we are again covering it once more. So you can request something we’ve covered before. At this point, it’s hard not to step on familiar ground.
With that said, let’s dive into today’s topic and start talking writing. Today we’re talking about character foils, a trait that is important for any writer to understand and acknowledge … even if we’re only using it sparingly.
And to understand that, I want to start out by discussing something that doesn’t seem to have any application to writing at first glance. I want to talk about The Rockettes. The Rockettes are a long-standing US-based dance company who perform in a number of annual shows. Most people who know a little bit of history associate them with the famous New York City Radio Music Hall. We won’t go into the history here, the key thing you need to know is that they’re a dance troupe.
A large dance troupe that nonetheless manages to keep its dancers to some really specific requirements. For example, when performing in one single line, part of the visual flair is that all of the Rockettes are the exact same height.
Or are they? Because they actually aren’t. Though the troupe has some strict requirements by necessity of their performances, the actual height of the members involved can vary by as much as five and a half inches. Put two dancers that have a half-a-foot of height difference between them next to one another and you’ll certainly see it. So how, despite this, do all the Rockettes appear to be the same height?
Perspective. Specifically, perspective using contrast. What does this mean, and what does it have to do with writing? Hit the jump, and let’s find out.
