Showing Character: The Layer-by-Layer Reveal

By Patricia Crisafulli

“The minute you walk out this door you show your character to everyone who sees you.” 

When I was young, my mother admonished me into good behavior with these words. What she did not know, and I could not fully appreciate until many years later, was just how valuable her advice was for writing. 

Layer by layer, we reveal the character of our protagonists and antagonists by what they say and do, particularly in interactions with others. 

There are endless possibilities in character-driven novels like cozy mysteries, while also advancing the plot. Here are some examples from my Ohnita Harbor Mystery Series: 

Edgy, Has Trust Issues, Buries Feelings: That’s the thumbnail description of my protagonist Gabriela Domenici, a 40-year-old single mother who had to leave her dream job at the New York Public Library and move back to her hometown, and now longs to return to New York City. In my first novel, The Secrets of Ohnita Harbor , I began revealing the many sides of her character as Gabriela reacts to the tragic drowning death of a local banker with whom she’d had a brief exchange earlier that day.

“… She made a cup of tea, scrubbed splotches from her counter, then started cleaning out the vegetable bins in the refrigerator. As she worked, Gabriela replayed her conversation with Ellyn that morning and the invitation to have lunch. Maybe it hadn’t been just social—perhaps Ellyn had been troubled and wanted to talk. And she had been too busy to make time for her … Gabriela began scraping a dried spinach leaf from a glass shelf inside the refrigerator, trying to evade another reason she had avoided Ellyn’s invitation until she had to confront the thought. She didn’t want to become invested in anyone in this town so that when she left, it would be a clean break.”

Prickly and even off-putting at times, yes. But in that manic scraping of the dried spinach leaf we see Gabriela’s grief, the bitterness of her regret, and her desire to do something to channel those feelings.

Human vs. Nature. It’s one of the classic conflicts in literature and an opportunity to reveal another aspect of character. In the opening of The Secrets of Still Waters Chasm , a hike on a beautiful fall day becomes emotionally triggering for Gabriela when she’s suddenly overwhelmed by irrational fears. 

“As she hoisted her backpack, Gabriela imagined yellow eyes peering out of the woods and her thoughts soured. Would those animals slink away from them, not wanting to be seen, or would they sense the vulnerability of two humans alone? Suddenly she felt certain something really was watching them. Her chest tightened and her breath quickened. Her ears strained to detect any sound other than the wind swishing the branches. A twig snapped and the clearing seemed to darken, as if thick clouds blotted out the sky. Her throat constricted, and she fingered the one-inch scar on her throat from a knife that, just three months ago, had flirted with her carotid artery. Glancing over, she saw Daniel adjusting the laces of his hiking boots as if nothing had happened. Because nothing did, she scolded herself.”

In that scene, much is revealed about Gabriela’s interiority, including her desire to dismiss her fears and desensitize herself to trauma (which are major motivations for how she acts in the novel).

Conflict Sparks Self-Disclosure. In my newly released novel, The Secrets of the Old Post Cemetery , Gabriela’s assumptions about how her world works are challenged after her boyfriend, Daniel Red Deer, is accused of a serious crime and hospitalized with critical injuries (slight spoiler alert). When Daniel’s sister, Rose, comes to town, Gabriela tries to assure her that the state police know him, which she believes will work in his favor. 

“‘Look, you don’t get this,’ Rose shot back. ‘The laws that protect you blame us.’ Heat flooded Gabriela’s face. Rose was right; she had no idea other than what she read—how the Thanksgiving stories she’d learned as a child of happy Pilgrims and friendly Indians had cloaked uglier truths of lands stolen from sovereign peoples and diseases used as weapons. Daniel was part Native American, but he never talked much about what that identity meant to him. Afraid of saying the wrong thing, she hadn’t asked him either. To be his life partner, she would have to change their dialogue.”

A Few Tips:

Show your characters among the people they care about to reveal their compassion, kindness, loyalty, and other positive aspects. Who makes it safe for them to expose their softer side, and when do they hold back?Divulge their insecurities, self-doubts, and feelings of inadequacy as they interact with those who challenge them. What’s their reaction—do they cower or bully others? Immerse them in a setting to show where they are most comfortable (relaxed, at home, in control)—and where they are uncomfortable (fearful, irritable, challenged). 

Layer by layer, our protagonists and antagonists reveal their character through interactions with others. What we learn just might surprise us.

 

 

Patricia Crisafulli is a New York Times bestselling author and an award-winning fiction writer. Her latest novel, The Secrets of the Old Post Cemetery, was published in October 2025 by Woodhall Press. It is the third novel in the Ohnita Harbor Mystery Series.

Showing Character: by Patricia Crisafulli
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