In a post on the Killzone blog, Sue Coletta examines how scars can reveal character. “Scars tell a story, an undeniable truth of the past,” she says. “What seems like a minor detail like a scar adds to the hero’s characterization. And you can bet an emotional scar lurks behind the physical disruption.”
Any character might carry a scar of some kind, including physical scars that symbolize emotional hurts. And scars can be represented by more than a break in the skin. “Tattoos are often reminders of a special time in one’s life or symbolize what the wearer loves, embodies, or believes in,” Coletta says. “They can also help the wearer regain control over a trauma or cover, even enhance, a physical scar.”
Surgeries, accidents, physical abuse, birth defects, and self-harm can leave physical reminders. How your character lives with the scars can say a lot about them. Do they try to cover their scars or avoid going out in public? Do they embrace their scars or even forget they’re there? Can the scars be addressed with plastic surgery? Will your character pursue it? Can they afford it?
What do the scars represent, not just physically, but emotionally. Did your character lose or gain something with the scar? How did they recover from the scarring event or do they still suffer with the emotional wound? How did the scar change them?
Who else sees your character’s scars? Are the scars visible to everyone or hidden from anyone but close friends? Or are they something your character reveals only when alone?
