by Jean Henry Mead
I once read a magazine article titled, “Action, the Heartbeat of Fiction” by Jordan E. Rosenfeld, which I thought was worth discussing. Rosenfeld said, “Action is a dynamic word that calls to mind a director hooting into a megaphone at his actors. It's also the heartbeat of good fiction that keeps readers riveted to the page. Action is comprised of all the elements a reader can 'witness' taking place. From physical movement to spoken dialogue, action transports your readers into your writing and brings your writing to life. Despite all this, many writers have a tendency to shuffle important action offstage, relying on pace-dragging narrative summaries and recaps instead.”
The solution to preventing pace-dragging scenes is to write them within a framework. By presenting scenes as though they were happening on a theater stage, all the drama takes place as it happens, not offstage and something for the characters to discuss. Readers remember what happens on stage and can make their own deductions. They needn’t wait for the characters to endlessly discuss what has just taken place.
The scene’s momentum keeps the reader reading and her heart pounding as the action accelerates if the plot situation seems real, particularly when the character is in danger. Instead of characters talking about a past experience, replay the scene in flashback action. By reliving it in living color, the reader can experience it for himself.
Another good way to involve your reader in a scene is to reveal information in dialogue. A good plot reveals new information in each chapter and one of the best ways to deliver the news is to have the characters act it out. Give the narrator a rest. It’s much more powerful to have events happen now than to hear about it later, secondhand.
Character movement is essential in a good scene, whether the protagonist throws a chair through a window in anger, or flicks ashes from a cigarette into his cup. Don’t leave your characters standing around without something to do. Body language is a giveaway when a character’s motives are in question. If a man drops his head when asked if he killed someone, it usually means he’s guilty or knows who committed the crime. If a woman lifts a palm to her chest while denying something, changes are she’s telling the truth.
If your character comes to an important decision or suddenly realizes that he has the answer to a problem, avoid internal monologue as much as possible. The realization will have more impact if it happens in someone else’s presence because it raises the emotional stakes for all concerned, as well as your storyline.
And finally, turn your backstory into frontstory whenever possible or delete it from the plot. It’s usually spooned in as narrative summary instead of dialogue and lacks the elements of scene writing. Because it doesn’t take place in the present, there’s no dialogue or scene setting or action taking place. When that happens, the best part of backstory is casually written off without the slightest hint of emotion. And emotion definitely drives the plot.
Showing posts with label emotion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label emotion. Show all posts
Friday, February 6, 2015
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Lonely Hearts
By Mark W. Danielson
It could have been a scene from a novel. An elderly couple dining on burgers, lost in thought. Neither exchanging glances. No words being spoken. When the man finished, he put his frosty to his mouth like an ice cream cone, his spoon in hand an unused accessory, slurping as he turned it while his wife forked her baked potato. Soon, the man gathered his trash, dumped it in the bin, and walked out to the car. But rather than follow, she remained behind, casually spooning her frosty, occasionally looking out the window, no doubt contemplating her marriage that died many years ago. Cruelly, Kerry Underwood’s song about how love, compared to everything else, seems small, played in the background.
Watching this scene play out from six feet away, I thought about past relationships. Lonely hearts of days gone by. There is noting worse than feeling alone while your mate is right there with you. And yet couples like this routinely stay together, for worse, not for better. In the case above, the old woman was still inside when I drove off; her husband still slurping his frosty in the car.
Encounters like this inspire heartfelt characters. Readers empathize because at one time or another, they have been there themselves. Well-written characters can launch readers into the past, or send them into the future. But to write about love, one must first experience it. To write about kids, one must first have them. Love and kids both create a range of emotion that would otherwise be impossible to describe.
As I watched this couple, my heart went out to them, and I thanked God I have a wife that loves and stands by me. Having seen both sides of the spectrum, I'll choose love over solidarity every time.
They say that writers are loners, and in part that’s true. A writer does not write well with constant interruptions or distractions. But soulless writers cannot write at all. They must still get out and live. This holiday season, don't sweat out your deadlines. Instead, get out, smile, share your love, and enjoy the company of your friends and family.
It could have been a scene from a novel. An elderly couple dining on burgers, lost in thought. Neither exchanging glances. No words being spoken. When the man finished, he put his frosty to his mouth like an ice cream cone, his spoon in hand an unused accessory, slurping as he turned it while his wife forked her baked potato. Soon, the man gathered his trash, dumped it in the bin, and walked out to the car. But rather than follow, she remained behind, casually spooning her frosty, occasionally looking out the window, no doubt contemplating her marriage that died many years ago. Cruelly, Kerry Underwood’s song about how love, compared to everything else, seems small, played in the background.
Watching this scene play out from six feet away, I thought about past relationships. Lonely hearts of days gone by. There is noting worse than feeling alone while your mate is right there with you. And yet couples like this routinely stay together, for worse, not for better. In the case above, the old woman was still inside when I drove off; her husband still slurping his frosty in the car.
Encounters like this inspire heartfelt characters. Readers empathize because at one time or another, they have been there themselves. Well-written characters can launch readers into the past, or send them into the future. But to write about love, one must first experience it. To write about kids, one must first have them. Love and kids both create a range of emotion that would otherwise be impossible to describe.
As I watched this couple, my heart went out to them, and I thanked God I have a wife that loves and stands by me. Having seen both sides of the spectrum, I'll choose love over solidarity every time.
They say that writers are loners, and in part that’s true. A writer does not write well with constant interruptions or distractions. But soulless writers cannot write at all. They must still get out and live. This holiday season, don't sweat out your deadlines. Instead, get out, smile, share your love, and enjoy the company of your friends and family.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
A Good Synopsis Helps to Sell Your Book
By Jean Henry Mead
Condensing the important aspects of a 100,000-word novel into a 10–page summary isn’t easy. In most cases, it’s harder than writing the book. The reason you need to write the darn thing is to prove that your story is logical, realistic and well organized. Are your characters acting and interacting with others in a reasonable manner?
Editors and agents have different views on how characters should react. I once had a manuscript rejected because my protagonist was too reckless. The next editor, who accepted the story for publication, thought the main character was a little too hesitant to act and requested a small rewrite. So luck is always an ingredient in the submission process.
A synopsis should be formatted like a manuscript, usually 5-10 pages, the shorter the better if you can include the essentials in fewer words. Always write in present tense, such as “Tom finds his best friend murdered and decides on revenge.” Characters' names should be typed in bold or capital letters the first time you mention them.
Editors are busy people so make reading easier by keeping your paragraphs short. There’s no need to include secondary characters’ names, colors, descriptions, etc. if they add nothing to the story. In other words, tell the story in the fewest words possible and leave out unnecessary details.
What then should you cover in a synopsis? In order to hook the editor, you need to present your story as concisely as possible with the plot problem, location, main characters’ backgrounds and the time frame or era. Answer every question you ask. Don’t leave the editor hanging.
Your main characters' bios should be brief, such as “John's a stubborn country lawyer, lanky with a mop of red curly hair.” Strive to make the editor feel a connection with your protagonist.
Conflict is essential, either internal or from outside the character, which is where your antagonist comes in. State upfront what the conflict is and don’t forget to resolve it before the end of your synopsis. Also, don’t forget to include major plot deviations whenever something unusual happens. That, however, doesn’t include subplots.
Emotion and action are important plot points that need to be included. Action drives the plot but only include actions that result in consequences. And how does the protagonist react when something jars her world? A sprinkling of dialogue can be included if it helps to describe something better than narrative, but keep it to a minimum.
Novelist Rebecca Vinyard says that a black moment should be briefly described when the characters realize that all is lost and they won’t be able to accomplish their goals. Then, when your story comes to its conclusion, insure that its done satisfactorily. Don’t leave your editor or agent in the dark. They need to know whether you’ve successfully resolved your character’s problem(s).
Remember to avoid passive voice, leave out nonessential details, make your sentences flow, and write a concise and clearly stated synopsis. Most publishers prefer a double-spaced summary because it’s easier to read. Read that publisher’s guidelines and stick to them, include an SASE and your title, last name and page numbers in your headers.
And most important, make sure your synopsis is the best work you’re capable of producing. It’s the only chance you have to make a first impression.
Condensing the important aspects of a 100,000-word novel into a 10–page summary isn’t easy. In most cases, it’s harder than writing the book. The reason you need to write the darn thing is to prove that your story is logical, realistic and well organized. Are your characters acting and interacting with others in a reasonable manner?
Editors and agents have different views on how characters should react. I once had a manuscript rejected because my protagonist was too reckless. The next editor, who accepted the story for publication, thought the main character was a little too hesitant to act and requested a small rewrite. So luck is always an ingredient in the submission process.
A synopsis should be formatted like a manuscript, usually 5-10 pages, the shorter the better if you can include the essentials in fewer words. Always write in present tense, such as “Tom finds his best friend murdered and decides on revenge.” Characters' names should be typed in bold or capital letters the first time you mention them.
Editors are busy people so make reading easier by keeping your paragraphs short. There’s no need to include secondary characters’ names, colors, descriptions, etc. if they add nothing to the story. In other words, tell the story in the fewest words possible and leave out unnecessary details.
What then should you cover in a synopsis? In order to hook the editor, you need to present your story as concisely as possible with the plot problem, location, main characters’ backgrounds and the time frame or era. Answer every question you ask. Don’t leave the editor hanging.
Your main characters' bios should be brief, such as “John's a stubborn country lawyer, lanky with a mop of red curly hair.” Strive to make the editor feel a connection with your protagonist.
Conflict is essential, either internal or from outside the character, which is where your antagonist comes in. State upfront what the conflict is and don’t forget to resolve it before the end of your synopsis. Also, don’t forget to include major plot deviations whenever something unusual happens. That, however, doesn’t include subplots.
Emotion and action are important plot points that need to be included. Action drives the plot but only include actions that result in consequences. And how does the protagonist react when something jars her world? A sprinkling of dialogue can be included if it helps to describe something better than narrative, but keep it to a minimum.
Novelist Rebecca Vinyard says that a black moment should be briefly described when the characters realize that all is lost and they won’t be able to accomplish their goals. Then, when your story comes to its conclusion, insure that its done satisfactorily. Don’t leave your editor or agent in the dark. They need to know whether you’ve successfully resolved your character’s problem(s).
Remember to avoid passive voice, leave out nonessential details, make your sentences flow, and write a concise and clearly stated synopsis. Most publishers prefer a double-spaced summary because it’s easier to read. Read that publisher’s guidelines and stick to them, include an SASE and your title, last name and page numbers in your headers.
And most important, make sure your synopsis is the best work you’re capable of producing. It’s the only chance you have to make a first impression.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Put zip in mysteries by Vivian Zabel
I tried to read three different books a few weeks ago, two of which were mysteries or sub-mystery genre. I couldn't force myself to plow through the words between the covers. Another two books, mysteries, too, were sent to me to review. I don't know what to do about those reviews because the books are poorly written, except in a few spots.
I'm a avid reader. When I can't find anything else, I may read the back of cereal boxes. But these books defied my attempts to force myself to read them. So, I decided to analyze the problem or problems as to why the reading was labored and uninteresting.
Using four of the five books, the mysteries, (but not identifying them to protect the poor authors) as examples, I can give several reasons that books can be unreadable, things that an author needs to avoid. However, this time I'll discuss five.
1.Too many subplots can become confusing. Confusing, and thus losing, readers isn't a good thing. That doesn't mean that having subplots is a bad thing, just that too many spoil the book. Too many subplots makes the overall plot too complex.
2. Making "make-believe" world unbelievable. Readers can suspend belief IF authors develop a world in writing that a reader can accept, can suspend belief enough to accept. However, a reader must be able to say, "Oh, yes, I can see how that might happen if such a world or circumstances did exist." Therefore, as Laura Whitcomb states (Writer's Digest, March/April 2009), "Readers need to buy into the reality put forward by what they're reading." An author cannot go too far with a plot point or not far enough as the reading audience is being prepared. The plot cannot become too far fetched, or readers will not be able to suspend belief enough to accept it.
3. Dialogue can't be just talking heads. Action needs to be involved as well as conversation, and conversation with action should move the plot along and reveals character. Also, the reader needs to know who is talking when.
4. An unsatisfactory conclusion should be avoided. A twist or surprising ending that has a good foundation laid in the story is good. An ending that does not "fit" is bad.
5. Forced emotion can destroy believability. Most people do not sit mulling over their inner most thoughts and emotions in the midst of action. Yet, I'm discovering many novels that have a character do just that. Not only does such needless and in depth thinking tell and not show, but it becomes monotonous.
There, five ways that cause mysteries to become targets for the waste basket, when avoided can improve a story. Of course more ways exist, but those can be covered another time.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
4RV Publishing
I'm a avid reader. When I can't find anything else, I may read the back of cereal boxes. But these books defied my attempts to force myself to read them. So, I decided to analyze the problem or problems as to why the reading was labored and uninteresting.
Using four of the five books, the mysteries, (but not identifying them to protect the poor authors) as examples, I can give several reasons that books can be unreadable, things that an author needs to avoid. However, this time I'll discuss five.
1.Too many subplots can become confusing. Confusing, and thus losing, readers isn't a good thing. That doesn't mean that having subplots is a bad thing, just that too many spoil the book. Too many subplots makes the overall plot too complex.
2. Making "make-believe" world unbelievable. Readers can suspend belief IF authors develop a world in writing that a reader can accept, can suspend belief enough to accept. However, a reader must be able to say, "Oh, yes, I can see how that might happen if such a world or circumstances did exist." Therefore, as Laura Whitcomb states (Writer's Digest, March/April 2009), "Readers need to buy into the reality put forward by what they're reading." An author cannot go too far with a plot point or not far enough as the reading audience is being prepared. The plot cannot become too far fetched, or readers will not be able to suspend belief enough to accept it.
3. Dialogue can't be just talking heads. Action needs to be involved as well as conversation, and conversation with action should move the plot along and reveals character. Also, the reader needs to know who is talking when.
4. An unsatisfactory conclusion should be avoided. A twist or surprising ending that has a good foundation laid in the story is good. An ending that does not "fit" is bad.
5. Forced emotion can destroy believability. Most people do not sit mulling over their inner most thoughts and emotions in the midst of action. Yet, I'm discovering many novels that have a character do just that. Not only does such needless and in depth thinking tell and not show, but it becomes monotonous.
There, five ways that cause mysteries to become targets for the waste basket, when avoided can improve a story. Of course more ways exist, but those can be covered another time.
Vivian Zabel
Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap
4RV Publishing
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