TECH: Show a little life...

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting: Sun, 17 May 1998 01:05:47 EDT

:) From: Susannah
:)
:) Hi tink!
:) Thanks very much for this. I have a question:
:) Why stay out of your character's head? If I had not mocked up the
:) character and then written from his viewpoint, I would not
:) have a novel. Perhaps I don't understand what you mean?
:) One more below:
:) Susannah

This is very much a question of individual style. For example, 1st person writing very naturally gives access to the individual's thoughts (but not to other characters' thoughts!). 3rd person--the limited viewpoint hovering near a single character--does allow the author to dip into the main character's head.

But there is a danger here, similar to the danger in dialogue of "As you know" syndrome--where the characters talk for the benefit of the reader, rather than to each other. That danger is that instead of showing the reader the actions and dialogue that will let the reader figure out what the character is thinking/feeling, the author simply has the _interior monologue_ tell the reader.

I can remember one case where the writer actually had rather nice descriptions--and ended almost every paragraph with something like "He felt his rage rising." Just in case I had somehow missed the hands clenching into fists, the pounding roar in his ears, and all the other fine details. I didn't appreciate the continuing insight into what the character was thinking/feeling. I felt as if the author didn't trust me to figure out what was happening (or they had written the summary sentences first, then went back and filled it out--and forgot to remove the summaries?)

I'm really pointing to the thought which Renni Browne and Dave King express in Self-Editing for Fiction Writers in the section on "Interior Monologue." (p. 75 ff)

(p. 76)

"Interior monologue allows you not only to disclose information that would be hard to bring out in dialogue...but also to give your readers a feel for who your characters are. There is, arguably, no easier way to explore a character or express a reaction to events than through interior monologue. After all, you can let your readers in on exactly what your characters really think without having to filter that thought through dialogue and action. Interior monologue is an intimate, powerful way to establish a character's voice--and personality."

"And, as you might expect, interior monologue is so powerful and easy to write (though not easy to write well) that many fiction writers tend to overuse it..."

(p. 84) "One final caveat. When you're self-editing, be on the lookout for long passages of interior monologue. As we've suggested, they usually mean you are telling the reader things you should be showing..."

To keep it simple, I put it as "stay out of the characters' heads." I think there are times when this is ridiculous advice--what you really want to show is what is going on "in there." But in general, I'd suggest be sparing with the dips into the internal life of the character(s)--that's strong medicine, and you want to use it where it does the right job.

Does that help?
tink

Tech: Focus?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting: Thu, 5 Feb 1998 23:15:46 EST

On Thu, 05 Feb 1998 14:29:47 EST, BARBARA scribed:
:) Is focus the problem? Is inability to organize thoughts the
:) problem? If so, then how come I can do interactives, and gather my
:) thoughts reasonably coherently when I'm doing filler type things?
:) What is really the problem? Has anyone experienced this and found
:) some solutions?

Not sure what it is, but I think I recognize the symptoms...

Here's one of the tricks I use. I print out whatever I've gotten written (which often includes chunks from dictionaries, etc.)

Go away from the computer, sit down and read through it all.

Put the stack away.

Now, from memory, without pushing, write down the keywords, key points (pencil and pen works best for me here...err, make that pencil and paper) Not really an outline, just the main bits I want to stress.

Rearrange. I number them, mark through them, copy them to another sheet in a better order, discard the oddball one that doesn't fit.

(often, sleep on it and see what the backbrain wants to toss up. sometimes there's a great point or a metaphor just waiting for you to NOT pay attention, when it will casually wander out.)

And then, with this little list of points (3-5, seven if I'm pushing my readers), I'll sit down and pull out the pieces of the writing that fit the list. Discard extra. Add transitions and other stuff.

Put it in the oven and bake...no, that's another story. How to Serve Children? (do you prefer rare or well-done, sir?)

That "put the detailed writing away for a while and write down a simple list" step seems to help me focus a lot.

Maybe?