In a post on the Pub Rants blog, Angie Hodapp examines the use of rhetorical questions to deliver a character’s thoughts or information.
“Writers who use this device are giving us a glimpse of what’s going on inside the POV character’s head in moments of confusion or indecision,” Hodapp says. That’s not a bad thing, necessarily, but when over-used, rhetorical questions can sound corny or melodramatic, like an old soap opera narrator voice over.
“When you look at the device more closely, you can see that it fails to give meaningful insights into how a character thinks—that is, what makes that character unique and interesting,” Hodepp writes. “In other words, if they’re asking themselves the same questions anyone would ask themselves in the scene’s particular situation, they risk becoming everyman or template characters.”
Instead of letting your characters ask easy questions, Hodepp suggests turning those questions into value statements. “Instead of showing us your character’s confusion or indecision, show us their belief or their resolve,” she explains. “Then show us how they’re applying that resolve to their decision about what to do or say next.”
