Happy New Year's Day!!! I swore I was going to start the year blogging so here goes.
I read somewhere that a good blog, or a good topic to blog about is when you can answer the question - guess what I learned today? Well, today, I learned a few things - but I'll stay focused on the one about feelings and writing fiction.
Working with different critique partners and also feedback from a class and a writing contest I entered recently (but didn't final in and yeah, it happens:) I noticed a pattern in the comments - well, several, but one stuck out.
I kept reading the word 'feelings' or sentences like 'add more feelings'. What does your character feel? And yeah, I saw it, too. It's not an easy fix, mind you. So, I've been reading and found a couple of sources I wanted to share.
I don't have answers yet. Which is what I learned today. So I'm on a journey to find 'feelings', and make certain I create emotional characters and put them into emotional situations and 'listen' to them, and make certain their feelings make it on the page.
Oh yes, those sources that are helping me on my journey are: Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain and this one not so easy - Season 1 DVD for Fringe - and any of the commentaries, especially Evolution: The Genesis of Fringe.
Emotions are hard because they are something you have to allow the reader to experience. It's difficult to understand what a person feels during a particular moment and then translate that into words. Hell...I can't tell you what I'm feeling half the time much less these crazy people in my head. lol.
ReplyDeleteBut alas as writers it's something we have to figure out. I try to think about a time when I was in a similar situation. How did I feel? How did that emotion make me react? Is my character like me or different? If they're different, then how would they react? I try to use descriptions people can relate to. We might not all experience emotional pain, but most have experienced physical pain. Make the connection to help them see.
I haven't found any great answer to writing questions, just good exercises to bring me closer. Donald Maas's Writing the Breakout Novel was a good book to read.
You're good! I know you'll figure it out.
Viv