“L'église de tout à l'heure. Plus de tapis rouge. Ce soir, une vierge de moins.”

Hi, darling!  Thanks for your question and your patience <3

My god, do I love Captain Holt (and all of the B99 characters really)!  I think the show and the actor have done this character very well, balancing his stoic nature with a sense of understood genuineness.  This can be a challenge, of course – especially when you don’t have an actor and their nuances to work with.  But I have some tips for you!

Writing “Emotionless” Characters

No one is truly emotionless.  People who appear “cold” or unfeeling are simply not outwardly expressive.  Either they’re very much in control of their emotions (due to social pressures, strict parenting, career/status demands, self-defense), or they naturally process emotions internally, preferring not to share with others.  Inexpressive people aren’t necessarily stifling anything – they just don’t feel as strong of a compulsion to cry, grimace, laugh, etc.  This can actually be a neurodivergent trait!

Being inexpressive is NOT being indifferent.  Too often, quiet/stoic characters are given a passive role in fiction, but the two traits aren’t linked at all.  Inexpressive people still care about issues and people; they can take leadership roles and direct action/conversation.  They can be as direct or indirect as anyone else.  Being stoic ≠ being shy, blunt, or mean.

Inexpressive characters must have strong dialogue.  The less body language/emotion at your disposal as a writer, the more important your dialogue choices are.  Show their personality through their words – what they notice, what they find amusing, what they care about, and how they share themselves with others.  Even if they don’t talk much, use their instances of dialogue to your advantage.

Inexpressive characters must express themselves somehow.  Whether it’s through a personal activity, through their humor, or through certain communities/environments, they have to get their emotions and their personality out somehow.  Some people come alive online; some people open up more while they’re playing, working, or discussing their interests.  Some people just need a quiet or private environment to feel comfortable.  But no one is 100% stone-cold all the time.

Inexpressive characters can be a great comedic tool.  Having a normally-straightforward character make a well-timed remark can catch the reader off-guard in a very good way.  Inexpressive people can play a good “straight man” (in the comedic sense – not the sexual sense), or deliver the deadpan-Jim-Halpert-jokes we all know and love.  I’ve seen deadpan characters make simple sarcasm or awful puns hilarious through the element of surprise.  Stoic characters do not have to be boring or serious!

That’s all I’ve got for you right now, but if this doesn’t answer your question, the inbox should be open soon!  Thanks again, and good luck :)

– Mod Joanna ♥️

all my unfinished projects:

for the self-conscious beginner: No one makes great things until the world intimately knows their mediocrity. Don’t think of your writing as terrible; think of it as preparing to contribute something great.

for the self-conscious late bloomer: Look at old writing as how far you’ve come. You can’t get to where you are today without covering all that past ground. For that, be proud.

for the perfectionist: Think about how much you complain about things you love—the mistakes and retcons in all your favorite series—and how you still love them anyway. Give yourself that same space.

for the realist: There will be people who hate your story even if it’s considered a classic. But there will be people who love your story, even if it is strange and unpopular.

for the fanfic writer: Your work isn’t lesser for not following canon. When you write, you’ve created a new work on its own. It can be, but does not have to be, limited by the source material. Canon is not the end-all, be-all. 

for the writer’s blocked: It doesn’t need to be perfect. Sometimes you have to move on and commit a few writing sins if it means you can create better things out of it.