So select characters with little space between them (5-3)
I believe the answer is:
close-set
'with little space between them' is the definition.
(close-set means closely together)
'so select characters' is the wordplay.
'characters' indicates an anagram.
'so'+'select'='soselect'
'soselect' with letters rearranged gives 'CLOSE-SET'.
(Other definitions for close-set that I've seen before include "Tight together" , "With little space between them, eyes perhaps" , "(Eg of eyes) very near to each other" .)