Last week we talked about interiority and its subconscious aspects you can use to ground your readers in your character’s viewpoint. Today, I want to move on to the conscious side of character interiority. This is the part that shows how characters actively think and respond to the world around them.
Conscious Mind Interiority
Unlike the subconscious mind, the conscious mind takes what it knows and forms a decision. These are intentional choices and actions your character will exhibit in the story. While the subconscious aspects we discussed last week reveal who your character is at the core, the conscious side of interiority shows who she chooses to be.
This type of interiority is linked to the character’s likability. If she was raised to hate a specific race of people, she can’t help that those biases are ingrained in her. However, she can choose to recognize she has those biases and then act contrary to them. That makes her likable because she is striving to be better. But, if she chooses to mistreat people because of her biases, she loses her likability. When you are writing one of the seven conscious interiority types below, make sure you are portraying your character to the readers the way you want (whether as a likable or unlikable character).
As I stated last week, I give examples for each interiority type from the book The Black Prism by Brent Weeks. Some examples include interiority from more than one category. That happens since weaving together interiority makes it feel the most natural, but I’ll do my best to give each a straightforward definition and example.
1. Assumptions
Assumptions are how a character fills the gaps in her knowledge. Let’s say you are at work, and your coworker comes in the door but then immediately turns around and leaves. You can assume she forgot something in her car and went back for it. Or, if you two had a fight yesterday, you might assume she doesn’t want to see you. Either way, you don’t know why she left. You only have educated guesses.
Assumptions can be inserted in your story any time your POV character doesn’t have all the facts. When you have something suspicious or surprising happen, you can insert what the character’s assumptions are about it. Did she see her boyfriend leave a jewelry store? Perhaps she thinks he bought something for her. Or maybe she thinks it’s for another woman. You have to give her assumptions so the reader stays on the same page with the character.
Example
His night vision must have been ruined by staring at the brief flame on his match, now a smoldering red ember, because his eyes passed right over Kip.
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks, Chapter 1
Kip has two facts: the man had just lit a match and he didn’t react to Kip’s presence. So, Kip’s assumption is that the man’s eyes were still adjusting to the darkness after seeing the flame and he couldn’t see Kip. It’s an educated guess.
2. Judgments
Judgments are how a character’s biased opinions lead to conclusions. They are different from assumptions because they are opinions about the correctness of something. If a character thinks her boyfriend bought jewelry for another woman, that’s an assumption. If she goes on to think he’s a two-timing jerk because her dad was and all men must be that way, then she is passing a judgment on the correctness of his actions.
Putting judgments in your story is simple. You take the character’s biases you already created last week for the subconscious interiority list, and you have her judge what happens around her in that light. Remember, judgments are about how she perceives something is right or wrong so make sure you give her a stance on things. Neutrality is not interiority.
Example
“Burn in hell, coward,” he said. “You’re not even good at running away. Caught by ironfoot soldiers.”
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks, Chapter 1
In this part, Kip is yelling at a runaway prisoner he found. Kip is clearly judging the man, thinking him a coward for not facing the consequences of his choices. Kip also insinuates the man is worthless, not being able to run far and getting caught by average soldiers. According to Kip’s beliefs, he thinks the prisoner is in the wrong.
3. Evaluations
Evaluations are how a character interprets facts and assess it for value. Unlike assumptions, this is when the character has all the facts and then puts a value on what it all means. A woman may see her boyfriend leaving a jewelry shop and then learn later that the gift wasn’t for her. Some would evaluate the situation as a soul-crushing experience because they assume it was for a lover. But our character may know that the man’s mother has a birthday soon so she evaluates it as nothing worth worrying about. She assessed the situation in a different light than someone who grew up thinking all men are cheaters.
Evaluations are important to put in your story because they let the reader know what value to put on events and people. The reader depends on the POV character to tell them if the man she just met is a desirable love interest of an annoying antagonist. If you have something important happen in the story, you need to show that through your character’s assessment. If she just brushes past it, then the reader will too.
Example
It was too much information to soak up at once—broken the halo?—but it was a straight answer.
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks, Chapter 1
Kip made a deal with the prisoner to help him if he gave Kip straight answers. Here, Kip can’t make sense of all the information, but Kip does think the man kept his word. He evaluated the situation and found it met the criteria to force Kip to keep his side of the promise.
4. Decisions
Decisions are what a character chooses to do and why. It’s easy to show a character deciding to do something, but you have to explain why too. If a character doesn’t go to work one day, the reader needs to understand her motivation. Is she sick, avoiding her ex who works there, or just lazy? Each explanation gives the reader a different view of the woman’s character.
In your story, you don’t have to explain every decision your character makes. Sometimes it might be enlightening to know why she chose to wear a blue blouse, but often it won’t matter. Showing decisions is always good as it makes the character have agency, but only dive into explanations when it’s an important decision that affects the story.
Example
It was a mistake to bring the keys over. Kip knew it. The color wight wasn’t stable. He was dangerous. He’d admitted as much. But he had kept his word. How could Kip do less?
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks, Chapter 1
Kip unlocked the man’s manacles, and then the padlock on the chains.
Here we have Kip making a decision to free the prisoner. His explanation for why is because the man had kept his side of the deal. Kip refuses to be dishonorable and not keep his promise.
5. Calculations
Calculations are how characters assess information for future plans. Unlike evaluations, this is when the character takes it one step further and makes a plan to move forward. Back to our jewelry store scenario, if the woman thinks her boyfriend bought something for his mother, she could ask him about what he got for his mom’s birthday. If, on the other hand, she thinks he’s cheating, she might hire a private investigator to tail him. She’s assessing the facts and calculating what to do next.
Writing your character’s calculations are important any time she does something big. The character will have a goal in each scene, and you need to show how she takes what she knows and plans to achieve that goal. Plus, all those small goals need to add up to her big plan to achieve her overall story goal. By showing the readers your character making plans, you give her agency in the story.
Example
Kip ran.
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks, Chapter 1
He reached the funerary hill where the sentry had been, taking care to stay on the far side of the army. He had to get to Master Danavis. Master Danavis always knew what to do.
After Kip releases the prisoner, Kip runs and plans to visit someone for help in the village. It isn’t a full plan, but it is a clear calculation of what happened and what the next best move is for the boy.
6. Intents
Intents are what a character wants from doing something. If our character asks her boyfriend about what he got his mother for her birthday, her intent could be to find a shirt that would complement the new jewelry. If she hires a private investigator, her intent could be to prove his guilt or his innocence, depending on what she expects is the truth. Intent goes hand in hand with decisions. While there are explanations for why she decides to do certain things, intents are what she hopes to get out of it. She may explain to everyone that she hired a private investigator because she thinks her boyfriend is cheating, but her intent may be to prove to herself that he isn’t.
Showing intent in your character’s interiority is like showing the readers her hopes. If she does things to make a situation worse or make it better will determine how a reader thinks of her. Is she a villain or a heroine? People can do the same things for different reasons, and showing what your character wants to happen will give insight to how she is unique from others. It also provides opportunity for tension if what she intended and what happens doesn’t align.
Example
Scavengers had long since taken all the valuable arms, mail, and luxin from the battlefield, but as the seasons passed and rains fell, more mysteries surfaced each year. That was what Kip was hoping for—and what he was seeking was most visible in the first rays of dawn.
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks, Chapter 1
This explains Kip’s intent for going to the battlefield. He hopes to find something valuable so he can sell it and buy food for his family. It shows he might be doing something that is frowned upon, but it’s for good reasons.
7. Expectations
Expectations are what a character thinks will happen but may not happen. Unlike intent, this is what the character has reason to believe will occur, not what she hopes. She may investigate her boyfriend with the intent to prove he isn’t cheating, but she may expect him to be cheating based on her past experiences. Intent and expectations can align, but they don’t have to every time.
Showing your character’s expectations sets up your readers to be surprised if it doesn’t happen. She may visit her boyfriend at night expecting to see him giving the jewelry to his secret lover, but instead she finds him giving it to his brother who asked her boyfriend to buy earrings so the brother could keep the purchase a surprise for his wife. If you spent the last few chapters building up her worry and anger at him cheating, this will come as a surprise the reader didn’t see coming. Remember, interiority doesn’t mean it’s the truth. It’s just what the character believes is true. So, her expectations can be wrong, but the reader won’t know that until your reveal it.
Example
Kip unlocked the man’s manacles, and then the padlock on the chains. He backed away carefully, as one would from a wild animal. The color wight pretended not to notice, simply rubbing his arms and stretching back and forth.
The Black Prism by Brent Weeks, Chapter 1
Kip backs away from the prisoner after releasing him, clearly expecting the man to attack him like the rabid dog he alluded to earlier. We see, though, that those expectations are wrong, and the man is not a threat to Kip at that moment.
Final Thoughts
I hope these last two posts have helped clear up any confusion about what interiority is and how to include it in your stories. Subconscious interiority shows who your character is at the core, and conscious interiority shows who she chooses to be, affecting her likability for the readers. Last week, I asked you to practice putting subconscious interiority in a scene you wrote. Now, I want you to revisit that scene and add these seven conscious interiority aspects. At the end, you should have a passage that is in the character’s deep point of view.
Thanks for reading!
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