Which term describes 'the process by which an author creates a vivid, lifelike, and believable character'?

• A. Indirect Characterization
• B. Direct Characterization
• C. Metaphor
• D. Characterization

Answer: (D)

Characterization is the process by which an author creates a vivid, lifelike, and believable character. It covers all the ways you learn about a character’s traits: what they say, how they act, what others say about them, and even what the narrator reveals about their nature. This broad term includes direct characterization, where the author explicitly states traits, and indirect characterization, where you infer traits from thoughts, dialogue, behavior, and reactions. The other option, metaphor, is a figure of speech used to make comparisons and isn’t how a character is built. So characterization best names the entire craft of presenting a believable character.