Character Moments

Sometimes as I'm editing, I see a scene that I've written, but doesn't seem to have a place in the plot. Yet I have a hard time cutting it, and I wind up leaving it in, saying that it's a "character moment."

What does that even mean? I think what I'm trying to get at is that sometimes, a scene doesn't advance the story, but does deepen the reader's appreciation for or connection to a certain character. When it comes to our friends, we can always come up with examples of, "Oh, that's exactly something she would do." Character moments in writing are how the reader learns about those very traits.

So I guess what I'm trying to figure out is this: is it sloppy writing? Ideally, those character moments would be included in a scene that also advances the plot. It's a two-for-one deal. Other times, learning that character trait is so vital to the later events that it cannot be cut--it sets up the plot, even if it doesn't advance it.

In any other case, though, I should think about the length of the story before I decide whether to leave it in. For a short story, everything has to serve a purpose, maybe six or seven purposes. If it doesn't, then the length of the story outstrips its worth, and that kills it. For a novel, you can get away with more digression.

Think, for example, about Harry Potter. There are lots of scenes that serve no purpose other than to show off the world in which the stories are set. Gnome hunting in the Weasley garden, for instance. That scene did not communicate anything that could not have been added into another scene, but it gives us a connection to that magical world. Plus, it contributes to Harry's character, because we see the delight he takes in something that others around him consider a thankless chore. The series is richer because of it, even if it had nothing to do with defeating Voldemort.

(I just accidentally spelled that Voldemart. Like he's a convenience store. Heh.)

My general rule of thumb should be the longer the story, the more pure character moments I can get away with. But genre comes into play as well. Emotional stories can get more character moments, whereas more action-oriented stories need less to keep up the pace. Fantasy stories should get world-defining moments--what's the point of a fantastic setting if you never get to see it?

That being said, clever writing should do as much as possible to layer in extra in these scenes. A character moment can occur just before a plot point, or during a world-building scene. It can change drab exposition into something vivid and interesting.