TECH: Make your story sweat?

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Original Posting 21 June 2012

Writer's Digest, March 1994, pages 29 to 31, have an article by William M. Ross with the title "Make Your Story an Experience." The subtitle indicates "The best fiction writing involves readers emotionally in the story, so they sweat when the characters sweat and cry when they cry."

The beginning of his article suggests that "... A good story is immediate and alive. It quivers, breaths, sweats." Then he says that a sweating story depends on how you render the plot and characters -- how you make them concrete and specific so they create an emotional experience for the reader. Then he suggests several techniques that you can use.

1. Combine the physical and emotional

Descriptions often are given either in emotional or physical terms. However, William suggests that integrating physical and emotional words and descriptive details makes a stronger impression. How do you do that? Start by deciding the emotional impression you want to make, then think about physical details to fit that impression, and then combine the two.

2. Paint a picture

The Impressionists tried to show the essence, how something feels, not just how it looks. In the same way, writers can use striking metaphors to capture the sense of things. "Metaphors toss literal description to the wins; their sole purpose is to conjure up images." From Raymond Chandler, "As inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of angel food." Look for similar evocative comparisons and apt metaphors.

3. Make your characters sweat

This is kind of a variation on number one, but the point is that our emotions and our feelings usually have physical effects. Instead of having your character be nervous, describe the sweat on his forehead, the way he's breathing, and other physical responses.

4. Write for all the senses

All too often, we describe what something looks like and stop there. Go on and use the other four senses to give your writing more depth. Sounds and smells, at the very least, can make that setting or that person much more realistic.

5. Write with rhythm

You don't have to be a songwriter or public, which you can use parallel phrasing and breaking the rhythmic format to emphasize things. Repeat a grammatical form -- a type of sentence, a series of questions, or even a single word. Then break the rhythm to emphasize a punchline. You can also use rhythm to capture the feelings of a character. Parallel phrases and repetition all adds up very quickly.

"You too can make your stories ring true, make readers feel the experiences your characters feel, care about what happens to them, and forget that they're characters. All you must do is make your story an experience."

Combine physical and emotional, use striking metaphors, let your characters respond physically, use multiple senses, and use the rhythm of language. Make the story come alive!

TECH: Get That Novel Started (2)

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Original Posting 27 June 2012

All right, here we are again with Get That Novel Started! (And Keep It Going 'til You Finish) by Donna Levin. Chapter 2 has the title "A Journey of a Hundred Thousand Words Begins with One Sentence."

There's a certain amount of truth there. No matter what you are writing, you have to start somewhere!

This chapter starts with the point that in order to write, you have to have some time. Admittedly, we all have lots of other demands on our time, but if you want to write, you have to set aside some time. Donna doesn't suggest a drastic lifestyle change. No, do it like you would exercises or something else -- start with a little bit, and then expand that when you can.

In particular, Donna recommends starting with 10 minutes a day. Almost anybody can figure out how to fit 10 minutes into their day. Get up 10 minutes early, stay up 10 minutes late, 10 minutes at lunch, 10 minutes somewhere during the day when you are going to write.

This is a startup. Admittedly, 10 minutes a day probably isn't going to be enough, but you can start there and then grow it to a half hour or an hour or more. Quite a few novelists have written their novels in an hour a day. It takes discipline, but it can be done.

The real critical part is that you're learning to do a little bit of writing every day of the week. Your mind is being set to expect we're going to do writing. This stimulates your unconscious, gives you practice, and is just a good habit. And like most habits, regularity is important. Try to write at the same time every day.

Now, once you've gotten into the habit, you may want to start looking at your priorities. How can you expand those 10 minutes into an hour or more? Well, you may have to give some things up. How important is your writing to you? What else are you willing to cut out, give up, or change? Consider cutting back on the games, television, dusting, etc. Also, think about the order -- writing needs a wide-awake, fresh mind. Some of your other tasks may not need quite that degree of attention.

Donna also has a section for people who don't have anything else to do but write. Apparently, people who inherit a fortune, win the lottery, or whatever and suddenly decide to start writing full-time often run into difficulties managing their time. After all, there's no deadlines. When do I start writing, how do I handle it all, and so forth.

So having pointed out in Chapter One that today is a good day to get started, Donna recommends in Chapter 2 that we start out with reasonable goals, doing a little bit of exercise of that flabby writing muscle on a regular basis instead of sitting down to try to bash out the whole thing in one big marathon. I think it makes sense. Start out with something that you know you can do, make sure you do it regularly so that you build the habit, and then expand from that.

Or, as chapter 2 says at the end, "To get that novel started: set aside 10 minutes to write, every single day."

It's an interesting question -- do you have a regular time for writing? How long a period do you try to write every day? What about those awkward weekends, vacations, and other intrusions?

Write! Start today, 10 minutes a day.

(Watch for chapter 3 coming soon to a list near you... :-)