Writers' Wednesday!!!
Valentine's Day seems like it was just yesterday and yet, love is still in the air (and on clearance). Sure. We have one day of the year dedicated to loving, or (depending on your age) liking. But thankfully, love lasts longer than a pink Twinkie that rolled under your car seat.
As writer's, we must find a way to inject love into every story to remain relevant, marketable, credible, and universal. If your main character is incapable of love, it has to be shown by contrast to a love interest with the potential to warm him/her up by the end of the story, even if the Grinch ends up staying Grinch-y.
Everyone can relate to love. And if another character loves your central character, it makes it easier for your readers/audience to love the character. Love is also a great motivator for rational characters to do irrational things or take on insurmountable challenges.
That's all well and good, but how does one write love? It isn't an easy thing to define, and once you have, you've opened your story up for debate. It's in the action.
Any woman can tell you that actions speak louder than words. The most silvery of tongues will tarnish in idle hands. Conversely, a cold tongue can melt butter with a demonstration of the heart.
Don't try to shortcut the process of love in your story. Even if it's a survival-horror and that whole extreme-situations-can-create-extreme-emotions thing applies. A compelling subplot of love can help your story stand out in any genre.
Showing posts with label actions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label actions. Show all posts
15 February, 2012
19 October, 2011
Don't Play Nice
Writer's Wednesday!!!
In Enigma's song "The Rivers of Belief," the lyrics say "If you believe in light, it's because of obscurity. If you believe in joy, it's because of sadness. And if you believe in God, it's because of the devil."
Opposing forces create conflict. Conflict raises tension. Tension invokes an emotional response. Emotional responses separate bad writing from good writing. If you've ever teared up during a Budweiser Super Bowl ad with a Clydesdale, you know what I'm talking about even if you don't know you know it. Anything you write means more when there's risk involved.
Try to see how long you can keep the opposing forces separate, but affecting one another through their actions. This not only escalates the tension, but builds a great amount of anticipation for their inevitable meeting. (brilliant example: "Heat" directed by Michael Mann) Constant bombardment of combat involving the opposing forces can be entertaining, but every direct contact releases that tension and it can be difficult to recreate.
Also be aware of easy, trite, random, or overused resolutions. They not only invalidate your conflict and writing up to that point, but they also condemn your soul to an eternity of having your elbows banged up against the corner of your desk. The resolution must come from your main character, demonstrate real growth, and be so organic to your story that everyone will know exactly what story everyone else is talking about just on the briefest of mentions. (except lame random ones like falling frogs)
In real life, we learn and grow from our conflicts. Your characters should, too. If your character is not undeniably changed after overcoming the conflict he/her/they faced, then the conflict wasn't big enough or you cheated on the resolution. Most people avoid conflict because of a fear of the change that must come from learning and growing. This can be a very natural and sympathetic conflict for your character to overcome before the final conflict - Refusing to change.
There are as many different ways to create and resolve conflicts as there are people, forces, and ideals. This post is meant more as a tip to make sure you have conflict. See how much you can throw at your character before they snap. Really test his/her/their metal. The easier you are on them, the harder it will be for readers to care.
Does anyone out there have a favorite story that didn't have conflict? Anyone? Anyone?
In Enigma's song "The Rivers of Belief," the lyrics say "If you believe in light, it's because of obscurity. If you believe in joy, it's because of sadness. And if you believe in God, it's because of the devil."
Opposing forces create conflict. Conflict raises tension. Tension invokes an emotional response. Emotional responses separate bad writing from good writing. If you've ever teared up during a Budweiser Super Bowl ad with a Clydesdale, you know what I'm talking about even if you don't know you know it. Anything you write means more when there's risk involved.
Try to see how long you can keep the opposing forces separate, but affecting one another through their actions. This not only escalates the tension, but builds a great amount of anticipation for their inevitable meeting. (brilliant example: "Heat" directed by Michael Mann) Constant bombardment of combat involving the opposing forces can be entertaining, but every direct contact releases that tension and it can be difficult to recreate.
Also be aware of easy, trite, random, or overused resolutions. They not only invalidate your conflict and writing up to that point, but they also condemn your soul to an eternity of having your elbows banged up against the corner of your desk. The resolution must come from your main character, demonstrate real growth, and be so organic to your story that everyone will know exactly what story everyone else is talking about just on the briefest of mentions. (except lame random ones like falling frogs)
In real life, we learn and grow from our conflicts. Your characters should, too. If your character is not undeniably changed after overcoming the conflict he/her/they faced, then the conflict wasn't big enough or you cheated on the resolution. Most people avoid conflict because of a fear of the change that must come from learning and growing. This can be a very natural and sympathetic conflict for your character to overcome before the final conflict - Refusing to change.
There are as many different ways to create and resolve conflicts as there are people, forces, and ideals. This post is meant more as a tip to make sure you have conflict. See how much you can throw at your character before they snap. Really test his/her/their metal. The easier you are on them, the harder it will be for readers to care.
Does anyone out there have a favorite story that didn't have conflict? Anyone? Anyone?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)