A Lack of Understanding

[Incanus]

There have been short stories where I've been pushing my limits, and I just couldn't nail the story. One story, no matter how many times I would edit, it would always feel flat. At a certain point, I just said this is as good as I can make it right now and moved on. A few weeks later, I was taking a long drive and my mind was drifting, and suddenly the solution came to me.

Went back and rewrote the story, and it worked. I'd found what was missing. Sometimes you just need to walk away for a while.

I've had this kind of experience a few times, and it's really amazing when it happens. The image of the luminous light-bulb spontaneously appearing just above one's head as this happens is pretty appropriate. I may very well have shouted "Eureka!" once or twice!

The plan is to finish this one through, as best I can, then revise a story I completed 3-4 weeks ago, then draft a brand new story, and THEN return to this one with a fresh eye. I guess the thing to figure out is if this current story will be worth revising or not. It may remain 'flat', but I know I'm learning from this--I just know it--its damn near palpable.

 

[Incanus]

I think it's a mistake to believe character stories are "in right now". It's been a major part of written, and oral, story telling for a very long time.


Quite a lot. Good execution can get a reader to care in less than a chapter, even a few paragraphs. Ten thousand words is plenty of room for a reader to emotionally invest in a character.


There's a market for everything under the sun, if you can interest the reader. That's the only "Golden Rule" as far as I'm concerned. It has to be interesting.

I agree with the other posters that said it takes practice. It's not easy, for anyone, to convey emotion in writing. You have to study concepts & techniques, then work at perfecting them by trying them in your own writing.

You shouldn't expect to naturally have an ability which takes a long time to develop. You have to work at it.

I think it's safe to say that I agree with every last word of this. What I originally said shows clearly my ignorance of the fiction 'marketplace'. My view is more nuanced than it may appear here, I just wanted to get the ball rolling. I'm really only mildly interested in perceived current trends, but I've been reading a few submission guidelines and this seems to be one of the main points brought up consistently.

That said, its quite wonderful to hear that there are markets for works that may not display this kind of material so fully. Eventually, I'll have to start finding some of these. I've no idea how at this point--I'm not quite ready yet, but I'm getting there.

I may never master depicting emotions, but making my stories interesting? That, I think I CAN do.

 

[Ronald T.]

Hi, Incanus.

Through recent communication, you and I have learned a few things about each other. I learned that you are basically an intellectual writer, and I think you've discovered that I'm an emotional writer. So I don't think you'll find what I'm going to say here any sort of revelation. We each have our own styles and techniques, making life that much more interesting. Having said that, I mean this post for those who don't know me.

Based on what I've read, I'm probably the complete opposite of many who post here. I'm a very emotional person, and by extension, a very emotional writer. So my problem is not in suffering from a lack of emotion, but in trying to limit what I feel so deeply as I write my stories. Either extreme -- no emotion or too much emotion -- can be off-putting to a reader. The goal is to find a mix that allows the writer to satisfy his or her particular needs, while at the same time making the story entertaining for the reader. It's not an easy juggling act, but a necessary one. And it's one that must be practiced to be effective overall.

I wonder what the ratio is between intellectual writers and emotional writers.

I think people read for two reasons -- to learn or to feel (or both). However, I believe a need to be entertained is at the heart of all reading. Learning something new, or having one's emotions tweaked, can provide that entertainment. Failing to supply one or the other of those reader motivations limits a particular segment of readership. Lacking both seems a sure way for an author to see their work fade to obscurity.

But what do I know? I'm just a hermit in the woods.

As always, my best to all of you.

 

[Heliotrope]

Ronald T I'm also a highly emotional writer. I tend to be much more character driven than plot driven.

Incanus, I highly suggest picking up some of Donald Maass' books on writing if you can. I know, I talk about them and quote them ALL the time to people here, but it is because I feel that he really has important things to say about developing characters and stories that have high emotional impact. I think there is a ton of stuff out there about how to use structure/plot to it's maximum benefit, but Maass gets back to the human element of writing, which I think is very important. He gives a ton of activities and exercises that we can use to create depth in our characters. Real, hands on, exercises.

I also like to read short stories of the Literary fiction genre to give me a better understanding of how other authors play with their character's emotions. The online magazine Crazy Horse has some great stories. Check out the link and read "You'll apologize if you have to."

Number 85 |

It is an excellent story about a boxer, written in a very sparse/intellectual style, yet conveys a vast array of conflicting emotions that really ties the reader to the character. Reading these stories really help me to analyze my own characters.

I actually try to stay away from Meyers Briggs and personality tests. They are too generic. What makes a person who they are, really? And what makes them interesting? We don't see people as INFJ's or ESTP's or whatever. We see them as flesh and blood. Limiting ourselves to certain stereotypes isn't helpful.

Maass gives the advise that the "secret to standout characters is their uniqueness. It can be developed in any number of ways, from their appearance to their opinions. Principles, perplexing quirks, and inner puzzles all can help, but are too often are shortcuts and substitutes for the harder work of building standout characters from the ground up…. Making a character different than any who's existed before begins with making that character like you, only more so. The store of individuality at your disposal is your own incomparable self. Borrow it, but blow it up. Let yourself loose. The more singular you become on the page, the more your readers will see themselves there, too. Look, we're all crazy, sane, and sublime in the same ways as you…" (Maass, Writing 21st Century Fiction, pg 104)

He says that using the opposite of what the reader expects can be HUGELY beneficial. For example, what if the little old lady in the library suddenly took a gun out of her purse? What if you learned that your old Aunt Ethel who makes the best blueberry muffins used to be a stripper? What if you learned that your neighbour who is so particular about his lawn being perfect was once a navy seal? What makes people unexpected is also what makes them more human.

The same goes for emotions. Try to use unexpected/ conflicting emotion. Sure we all have the hairs on our neck stand up when we are afraid, but that is boring. It is expected. What makes a person really human is when they show us something unexpected.

"Julie froze in the darkness. She could feel each hair on the back of her neck rise and bristle. She shuddered, then smiled. She loved this. The exhilaration of the fear. The sound of her her pulse in her ears. If she leaned back, every so slightly, she might brush against something. Being so close to death only made her feel more alive."

Crappy writing courtesy of me, but you get what I'm saying. Give the reader something they don't expect and your character becomes more real.

Whew. I have a passion for emotion and characters so I could keep going. But I will stop now.

 

[Incanus]

Oh, this old thing?

Yeah, this was me over a year ago. I never did finish the story that got me going on all this (sitting at 4000+ words, it's not even half complete). It was this mini-crisis I had that led me to understand that I'm squarely on the intellectual side of the spectrum. I've sort of made my peace with the issue and have moved on, so to speak.

Still, I'm doing the best I can. My novel will contain some pretty dramatic moments and already has a good deal of character conflict. I think I was doing things a bit backwards back then--trying to drum up emotions out of a particular situation. Whereas now-a-days, I'm setting things up so that conflict and emotion result naturally from the premise.

I've learned quite a bit over the last year, mostly from hands-on work, but with much thanks going to this site and its members.

Edit--I am sort of a fan of the Meyers-Briggs thing. Of course its 'generic'. That's the point. It's not the be-all-end-all of personalities, just a jumping off place. If you're familiar with it, it should come as no surprise I test as INTJ, the scientific type.

 

[Ronald T.]

Hi, Heliotrope,

I knew there must be others who consider themselves "emotional" writers. I couldn't believe I was the only one. And my novels are also quite character driven. But, hopefully, I infuse them with a sufficient amount of action and adventure. Just as I'm sure you do with your stories.

I have a couple of Donald Maass' books, and I found them very helpful and informative. I also met him at the BEA in LA a few years ago. I ask him to sign one of his books, which I had purchased previous to the Expo. He did so with a gracious heart. And I was tickled to find that he wrote an encouraging and personalized note to me as a struggling writer. It's probably what he does for most hopeful writers, but it was quite a thrill, nevertheless.

Donald Maass suggests a particular writing technique that I agree with whole-heartedly. That is -- dig deep, feel the emotions and the passion, and be true to those feelings in your writing.

That is something that comes very easy to me. In fact, my problem is in making certain I moderate my deeply-felt emotions, for fear that I might alienate readers who find such writing far too emotive.

As Incanus and I have discussed, it's about finding a satisfactory balance. Search for a way to combine the intellectual and emotional aspects of writing, but never betray your natural instincts.

I believe that readers are smart enough to know when an author is not being truthful.

So practice that balancing act. Write from the heart and the intellect. But most importantly...be true to who you are.

But what do I know? I'm just a hermit in the woods.

As always, my best to all of you.

 

[spectre]

The most important character is you. Your influences may take a backseat to what you want to portray at times and that is where the danger lies, not being able.to portray anything but what you see. Step outside of your interpretations and take in your vision. It helps to have real world experience when you want to fashion realism but even then only if you can write a scene so that the correlations of emotion, logic, and pressures are believable. If people have a hard time believing what you are writing it could only be your setting. A lot of artists do well in stereotypes so maybe you can garner practice from creating cutscenes versus immersive ones and that practice might coax a writing style out of you that best befits you.