Indirect characterization reveals a character's personality through actions, speech, thoughts, and appearance. The author does not tell you the character is kind. The author shows the character helping a stranger. You infer the kindness. This method is subtler and more engaging than direct statements.

The acronym STEAL helps: Speech, Thoughts, Effect on others, Actions, Looks. What does the character say? What do they think? How do others react to them? What do they do? How do they look? Each detail adds to the portrait. A character who snaps at a waiter is different from one who thanks the waiter. The reader builds the character from evidence.

STEAL method

• Speech: what the character says and how they say it.
• Thoughts: what the character thinks and feels.
• Effect on others: how other characters respond.
• Actions: what the character does.
• Looks: the character's appearance and demeanor.

Indirect characterization is more work for the reader, but it is more rewarding. The reader feels smart for figuring out the character. The character feels real because the reader assembled them from evidence. Direct characterization is faster. Indirect is richer. Most skilled authors use both. They might state one trait directly and reveal others indirectly. The balance depends on the story's pace and the character's importance. A minor character might get a direct label. A protagonist gets the full STEAL treatment. The reader lives with the character for hundreds of pages. The character should feel like a person, not a description.