Informed Attribute: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}{{page should be category}}

{{quote|''I have yet to have an author inform me that a character is charming, and then, by that character’s deeds and conversation, convince me of that fact.''|'''[[Dorothy Parker]]''', |"These Much Too Charming People"}}

Readers do not come to a story expecting to be spoon-fed what they ''should'' be feeling or thinking about things. They want to experience it for themselves and decide for themselves. They want the freedom to conclude that the [[Straw Man Has a Point]], that [[Paint the Anti-Hero Black|The Hero is really more of a villain]], that [[Broken Aesop|the aesop preached by the mentor is hopelessly misguided based on what happens five seconds later]], that the "ultimate" [[Dangerous Forbidden Technique]] is worthless.

Deny them this -- eitherthis—either by sketchy writing or [[Did Not Do the Research|not doing the research]] -- and—and there will be backlash. Readers will stop taking your word for it, whatever "it" is. They will actively seek reasons to hate the people you tell them they should love, to downplay the forces you tell them are powerful, to ridicule the concepts you tell them are profound. It's difficult to draw the line regarding where the ratio of informed feats to actual feats becomes unfeasible, but you can trust readers to recognize it when you cross it.

A [[Sub -Trope]] of [[Show, Don't Tell]]. See also [[Hollywood Homely]], [[Urban Legend Love Life]], [[Have I Mentioned I Am Gay?]], [[Overrated and Underleveled]]. When your informed attribute is being the good guy, you're a [[Designated Hero]], and when it's being the bad guy, you're the [[Designated Villain]]. If you're in a group whose informed attribute is their job, chances are you joined [[The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything]]. If everyone keeps going on about how great you are, it's [[Character Shilling]].

[[Category:Show Don't TellIndex]]

[[Category:TropeShow, Don't Tell]]