Psychic Distance

I'm fascinated by the concept of psychic distance because it's something that I never really gave conscious thought to until recently, but it's also one of those things that you do need to consciously be aware of when you're writing unless you're some kind of magician who can automatically control how close or far from the protagonist you are.

What is psychic distance?

It's how "close" you (reader or writer) are to the protagonist at any given time. The closeness can change throughout the book depending on what the scene calls for. It can also be different in each story you tell.


Close

In a novel, a good time to get close to your characters is moments of high intensity, especially the climax of the story. (Gardner)

Example: Her legs trembled as her feet splashed into the water. What was that green stuff? Seaweed. Slimy, squidgy seaweed, coiling around her ankles like little snakes.

You can get a good idea about the protagonist's opinion of seaweed.


Far

In a novel, a good time to get distance from your character is during transitions. (Gardner)

Example: She stepped into the cold water, green with seaweed.

It gives no indication of the protagonist's emotions or thoughts.

Hemmingway has a skill for writing stories with a very distant narration. Take a look at "Hills Like White Elephants." Although it's told in third person, readers never get to get inside the characters' heads or emotions. It's told almost as though an observer from the next table over. All that he describes is what is seen, said, etc., not giving us insight into character emotion or letting the narration reflect that.