The Importance of Interiority in Novels and Memoirs

Today’s post is an excerpt from Writing Interiority: Crafting Irresistible Characters by Mary Kole.

A lot needs to be conveyed in a story, from the most superficial ideas to the most profound, and character is the lens through which everything is channeled.

In broad terms, the concept of interiority can be defined as a character’s:

• Thoughts
• Feelings
• Expectations
• Reactions
• Inner struggle

These can be expressed in moments big and small. Interiority can be used to mark character growth and change, as well as scene-level reactions to events.

Generally, information can be deployed at four levels of narrative depth.

1. Narration: The reporting of events without reaction or interpretation, as if the character is a security camera, seeing the scene with no specific slant. Though a lot of narration is going to be rendered in a concrete point of view, which is inherently biased, this portrayal of events is about as neutral as you can get. Narration can be played out in a full scene, or in compressed narration, which means a summary of events—like a progress montage in a movie. Most narration is not considered interiority.

2. Interpretation: Interpretation happens when a character sees a scene from a specific emotional or intellectual perspective, with commentary and context that add a personality layer to what is being shown and experienced. Interpretation can be added to small and big moments in a story to develop a character and their unique point of view. We’ll mostly find thoughts, feelings, and reactions at this level of depth.

3. Extrapolation: This involves a character making significant meaning from the stimulus or event in the scene, whether they remember something relevant from the past, change their perception of the present or future, or decide something about the self or another character. Extrapolation is usually reserved for describing bigger or more pivotal moments of character development, or is attached to a reaction or decision that will angle the plot in a different direction due to cause-and-effect logic. In addition to applying to thoughts, feelings, and reactions, extrapolation is closely related to setting, resetting, and analyzing expectations. Here, characters can also ask questions, reexamine their positions, and otherwise dig into what a specific event, relationship, or piece of information means to them in a deeper sense.

4. Subsumation: The character uses the information or stimulus to perform self-reflection and integrate this new information or emotional development into their sense of self, to expose something hitherto unknown about their subconscious, or to grow or change on a deeper level. For example, extrapolation might inspire a character to take a different action, based on perception and interpretation, but subsumation will inspire a character to behave differently from a moral perspective. All of the functions of interiority can come into play at this deepest level, but especially inner struggle.

Contained within these levels of narration is a writer’s opportunity to connect deeply with their own point of view character first, and then, eventually, foster that relationship for readers. By using the tool of interiority, you are adding emotional context for what your character is experiencing in the moment (and outside of it, too, as they remember the past and wonder about the future).

If we review the above list, we’ll notice that narration is going to almost always be present as characters go through scenes and move the plot along. It’s crucial to note that not every moment needs interiority. Sometimes, narration is sufficient. But when we start to go deeper into character perspective with interpretation, extrapolation, and subsumation, we’ll find ourselves adding different layers of depth and meaning. This is the realm of interiority.

The science of thinking, how people think, what they think about, as well as how the mind interfaces with the body and vice versa, has come a very long way in the last century. We are far beyond simplistic (and largely discredited) ideas like a “left brain” or “right brain” personality now. Without getting into psychology and neurology, there’s a very helpful and simple set of questions that can also help you access deeper levels of character and interiority: “And? So?”

If you realize that you’re having trouble getting to a juicy level of depth with your interiority, stop and ask yourself what’s really going on, or how you can make additional meaning for your character in the moment. Here’s an example of how to use “And? So?” when training yourself to think more profoundly about your character’s experiences, reactions, and choices.

Let’s say we have a scene where the protagonist, Sharon, is merely attending a work meeting before anything disruptive happens. (If nothing disruptive ever happens, of course, you may want to consider whether the scene is pulling its weight.) We’ll get some narration of people filtering in, but that’s not exactly story-worthy, so let’s start digging.

And?

Well, what if this is the meeting where the big promotion will be announced?

So?

Sharon wants it.

And?

If she doesn’t get it, she will be humiliated.

So?

Sharon will have to save face.

And?

In front of her boss …

So?

Who’s Sharon’s father.

Of course, this is exactly why Sharon probably won’t end up getting the promotion. The optics are too dicey, and the father and protagonist both want to avoid nepotism accusations.

For this scene to really sparkle, though, Sharon should either be kept in the dark or actively misled about her chances by the father himself (or one of Daddy’s sycophants). That way, her expectations at the beginning of the scene will generate tension and inner struggle, and the events of the scene—and the final outcome—will matter more.

Notice how “And? So?” keeps us focused on continually not only digging deeper but raising the stakes of the situation.

At the surface narrative level, Sharon is sitting in a conference room and watching her colleagues filter in. But once significant events start happening, interiority kicks in to convey some of the wrinkles we just discovered with “And? So?” Interpretation should become involved, at the very least, but maybe some extrapolation and subsumation, too. Sharon might leave the present moment and start thinking or worrying about how events will impact her, or go back in time and replay a gaffe she now fears will doom her. She’ll fixate on every conversation she’s had with her father in the last few weeks, sifting around for clues.

But job and family aside, what about Sharon’s deeper sense of self?

Let’s say she’s a workaholic. Her job is a major part of her identity. Whatever happens with this job is going to either raise up Sharon’s self-worth or plunge her into despair. There’s also the potential for a twist, because success can sometimes be more fraught than failure. If she does get the job, will she always wonder whether she truly earned it? Will she forever have to watch her back against jealous colleagues?

What started as a pretty normal meeting full of narration is now a potential inciting incident, midpoint, act break, or climax scene. If this moment ends up being pivotal, and Sharon is confronted with the loss of her job or becomes her father’s scapegoat to demonstrate a commitment to corporate restructuring, she’s now set up for some very interesting reactions and decisions.

This hypothetical scenario brings me to a crucial question that many writers have about the logistics of interiority use. When is interiority appropriate, and how much do you use?

When and How Much Interiority to Use

To address this question, I like to pull out my favorite idea of the writer as a spotlight operator. Imagine a darkened theatre, a proscenium framing a stage, alive with activity during a dance number, and then, suddenly … a beam of light shines on the soloist. The audience will automatically know to look there. In short, it is your job to draw attention to the important elements of your story. By directing reader attention to an event, impression, or interpretation, you are, in essence, shining a bright spotlight (in the form of additional interiority) and making a big statement: Look over here! Remember this! It’s a big deal! This matters!

The more time, description, reaction, and emotion you lavish on a story element, the more a reader will believe that this thing, person, event, or idea is important. Spotlight moments in the plot are major turning points, instances of character change, events that alter the trajectory of a character’s objective, motivation, or need, and other places where character, plot, and the novel’s big-picture theme intersect. Interiority is often used to brighten and focus that spotlight.

You’ve gone through the trouble of creating this plot for this character. (That’s right, the plot should be a very intentional choice to showcase your character development.) Make the important moments more impactful with interiority and juice maximum emotion from the events you’ve engineered.

Another great time to use interiority is when you’re establishing who your character is, their past, their present, and their imagined or expected future. No, I don’t mean an info-dumping chapter of backstory right as the novel is trying to get off the ground. That’s very much frowned upon in most contemporary writing that aims for traditional publication.

Instead, I mean areas that could use more context. As a character’s mind changes on an issue, is there any background that becomes especially relevant? Do we deepen interiority as they vacillate or decide to go against their moral compass? As they’re worrying about the future, is their inner memory zooming back to some past event that makes the present even more poignant?

As you get more comfortable with this tool, you can also play around with the type of interiority you use, offering a superficial narration and coupling it with deeper extrapolation to enhance a moment. Sometimes all it takes is a few sentences of insight—a dash of seasoning instead of a whole side dish.

Formatting Interiority

So what does interiority look like on the page? How do we format this stuff? Is it just italicized verbatim thought?

There are a few set formatting conventions, but their ultimate use is up to you and your own writing style. Interiority generally appears either folded within the narration or in italics, whether in a quiet moment of reflection or in the midst of scene and action. The first option means narrating as normal and incorporating interiority into the flow of the text itself, without any special formatting. This can work in either first or third person. The second option renders the verbatim text of the thought, impression, reaction, or interpretation on the page, which separates the content of that interiority either via italics or with a “thought” tag before or after the content. Again, this is common in both the first and third person.

If we’re folding the interiority into narration, alongside some dialogue, for fun, it might look like this:

“This is so yummy,” she said, wondering how she might sneak away to the bathroom and spit out the steak, which was tougher than shoe leather. This would be risky, and Jim would no doubt notice. What a disaster.

If we’re using italicized verbatim thought or “thought” tags, it might look like this:

“Oh, so this is your favorite steak place?” she asked, forcing a smile. Maybe the kitchen’s having an off night? she thought. But Jim seemed to be enjoying the food. Maybe this guy doesn’t have taste buds.

In the modern publishing marketplace, more writers weave interiority into the narrative without offsetting it, as we saw in the first example. You wouldn’t normally need both, or you can add the “thought” tag the first few times you offer verbatim thought, then let the italics formatting stand alone. This approach tends to be more common in third person, as in first person, everything the character thinks is biased and slanted through their lens, so the argument could be made that it’s all interiority.

The more interiority you read, the more you’ll internalize how to use it within the flow of your own writing. It’s important to note the overlap of interiority and voice here. Both rely on writing style, syntax, and word choice. By practicing one, you will always be homing in on the other.

Today’s emotionally intelligent and nuanced fiction and memoir markets put a premium on getting to know your character deeply. Interiority is your best bet for adding vulnerability and authenticity, which are huge factors that pull readers into a story. At this turning point in our culture, when humans can be found pouring out their feelings, perspectives, and identities left and right via social media, readers want more access to a protagonist’s inner life. They want to experience entertainment that thinks deeply and asks big questions. Once you train yourself to use interiority and ask those big questions of yourself and your characters, you’ll never look at writing the same way again.

Writing Interiority: Crafting Irresistible Characters by Mary Kole features excerpts of interiority from over fifty published works. It takes a deep dive into every major character development topic, including theme and premise, point of view, backstory, objective and motivation, need, inner struggle, character growth arc, secondary characters, information reveals, reactions, decisions, stakes, world-building, and voice and writing style. Written for any serious creative writer who is hoping to add more nuance and character to their, well, characters, Writing Interiority is available in both ebook and print format.

Mary Kole

Former literary agent Mary Kole founded Mary Kole Editorial in 2013 and provides consulting and developmental editing services to writers of all categories and genres, working on children’s book projects from picture book to young adult, and all kinds of trade market literature, including fantasy, sci-fi, romance and memoir. She founded Good Story Company in 2019 with the aim of providing valuable content—like the Good Story Podcast and Crit Collective writing forum—to writers of all categories and ability levels.

She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and has worked at Chronicle Books, the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, and Movable Type Management. She has been blogging at Kidlit.com since 2009. Her book, Writing Irresistible Kidlit, a writing reference guide for middle grade and young adult writers, is available from Writer’s Digest Books.