Are you writing a scene that is moving as slow as a sloth? Is your essay only earning you an earful of exasperation? If so, try spicing your writing with a dash of alliteration.
You may be thinking, “I don’t want to over do it.” There is good intention to be cautious in this area, because you don’t want your readers to feel like you’re doing back flips to get their attention.
The trick here is to start using alliteration like you would use salt on a tomato. You want a little salt and a whole lot of tomato.
As you can see from this essay, titles are good places for alliteration. Humorous works can also gain a wispy, song-like quality from this technique. Don't expect the alliteration alone to make people laugh. Try saying something that is silly, yet true. Make people snort! And then sprinkle your draft with sassy samples of alliteration.
Keep in mind that serious works can also benefit when words flow together like honey. Read your work out loud. Does it sing? If not, try a taste of alliteration. As with all writing techniques, if your work feels like it is being forced, then delete it.
So experiment with words and expand your mind at the same time. Expect to write things that exalt! And remember not to over-salt your tomato.
Showing posts with label Plot and Structure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Plot and Structure. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Writing Process: Plotting
The plot is the beating heart of a novel. And despite character outlines and being aware of the conflicts and motivations of those characters, it can be as complicated and as delicate as open heart surgery to get the heart beating. One beat is not enough. The heart has to find its rhythm, and its continuity. The plot must be steady, reliable, strong enough to guide you through the writing process until it is completed.
I think the element that comes to mind here is courage. Courage to follow the voices in your head that tell you what your characters need or want to do in order to resolve or work out the elements of conflict that drive the novel forward. Courage, too, to say whatever needs to be said. Is this confusing? If someone had said this to me before I had written a novel myself I might not have understood it. But, believe me, to write the novel you will need courage.
The moment you start to write the plot, many conflicting voices will start to sound in your head. There’s the voice telling you that your idea is unrealistic. There’s another telling you it’s silly, superficial, unnecessary, boring. There’s yet another telling you that you’re not the one to write this novel. And another one, maybe the most powerful, telling you to quit having delusions of grandeur and to go back to your mundane existence. These are the voices of your fear and your resistance. These are the voices that will prevent many from ever putting pen to paper. These are the voices of your imagined, external world, a critical, unfriendly world.
These are not reality. They are just your imagination. And, in order to overcome them, you must make the decision that you are writing this book for yourself, in the first instance, and for a wider public, maybe. This book is for you; this is your growth, your development. This book is your way of making sense of the experiences you have and the events you have seen, and the people who have crossed your path.
So, if fear and embarrassment and a feeling of inadequacy prevent your literary heart from beating, then a certain selfishness, and a need to make sense of your world, and moreover an acceptance that you are writing initially for yourself, should be the jolt it needs to start it up.
You will be surprised, but even at the plotting stage you will feel the momentum gather, and the story take shape, once you have overcome this initial, paralysing fear. You know your characters, and what you want them to overcome and achieve. You also know, have decided where these conflicts take place, in terms of geography, history, and society. And once you blend these elements into a story, secondary characters, events, new conflicts needing to be resolved, will present themselves.
At this stage the plot can be written into a synopsis. How long a synopsis is, is purely personal. I prefer to keep a synopsis short, letting the secondary characters present themselves. I then return to my character sketches and write a rough outline of those characters to add to my initial sketches.
In the case of The Cloths of Heaven, when I had written about one A4 for the plot, I had added mothers, fathers, friends, etc to my three main characters. What also came to light at this point was my need to literally draw a map of a fictitious street in Limerick City, which was to be the common setting for the entire book. This street was the base for everything that happened in the book. The characters might move on, but the link, the core, would be this one street. I called it James’ Street, and set about drawing the map. I needed it to incorporate a Church, a shop, a pub, and schools. I also wanted it to be close the banks of the River Shannon, and yet not too far away from the city centre. And more importantly, it had to cease to exist once my story was completed. So it had to be an area that would be included in any inner city development plans which were taking place in Limerick at that time. I wanted these people to come together, create something together, deal with issues together, and once they had moved on, I wanted even the evidence that they had ever been together, to be no more than a story. I wanted the entire novel to have a mythological quality, to emphasise the very Irishness of it.
I drew the map, placed Michael at the Church, Sheila in one of the terraced houses with her mother and father, and decided that Maud would live in a caravan with her mother, who, with her gypsy-like wildness, might just become a more important character than even I had planned. Maud’s mother, Kitty, might just be the electricity that would keep this novel alive.
Being methodical and needing clarity, the next stage for me has to be the chapter breakdown. Not all writers need this much preparation – D.H. Lawrence preferred to let the book take him on a journey of discovery so he did very little preparation. John Irving and Minette Walters do a lot of research and planning. I fall somewhere in the middle. But I need a chapter breakdown if only to see if there’s enough muscle to the plot
I think the element that comes to mind here is courage. Courage to follow the voices in your head that tell you what your characters need or want to do in order to resolve or work out the elements of conflict that drive the novel forward. Courage, too, to say whatever needs to be said. Is this confusing? If someone had said this to me before I had written a novel myself I might not have understood it. But, believe me, to write the novel you will need courage.
The moment you start to write the plot, many conflicting voices will start to sound in your head. There’s the voice telling you that your idea is unrealistic. There’s another telling you it’s silly, superficial, unnecessary, boring. There’s yet another telling you that you’re not the one to write this novel. And another one, maybe the most powerful, telling you to quit having delusions of grandeur and to go back to your mundane existence. These are the voices of your fear and your resistance. These are the voices that will prevent many from ever putting pen to paper. These are the voices of your imagined, external world, a critical, unfriendly world.
These are not reality. They are just your imagination. And, in order to overcome them, you must make the decision that you are writing this book for yourself, in the first instance, and for a wider public, maybe. This book is for you; this is your growth, your development. This book is your way of making sense of the experiences you have and the events you have seen, and the people who have crossed your path.
So, if fear and embarrassment and a feeling of inadequacy prevent your literary heart from beating, then a certain selfishness, and a need to make sense of your world, and moreover an acceptance that you are writing initially for yourself, should be the jolt it needs to start it up.
You will be surprised, but even at the plotting stage you will feel the momentum gather, and the story take shape, once you have overcome this initial, paralysing fear. You know your characters, and what you want them to overcome and achieve. You also know, have decided where these conflicts take place, in terms of geography, history, and society. And once you blend these elements into a story, secondary characters, events, new conflicts needing to be resolved, will present themselves.
At this stage the plot can be written into a synopsis. How long a synopsis is, is purely personal. I prefer to keep a synopsis short, letting the secondary characters present themselves. I then return to my character sketches and write a rough outline of those characters to add to my initial sketches.
In the case of The Cloths of Heaven, when I had written about one A4 for the plot, I had added mothers, fathers, friends, etc to my three main characters. What also came to light at this point was my need to literally draw a map of a fictitious street in Limerick City, which was to be the common setting for the entire book. This street was the base for everything that happened in the book. The characters might move on, but the link, the core, would be this one street. I called it James’ Street, and set about drawing the map. I needed it to incorporate a Church, a shop, a pub, and schools. I also wanted it to be close the banks of the River Shannon, and yet not too far away from the city centre. And more importantly, it had to cease to exist once my story was completed. So it had to be an area that would be included in any inner city development plans which were taking place in Limerick at that time. I wanted these people to come together, create something together, deal with issues together, and once they had moved on, I wanted even the evidence that they had ever been together, to be no more than a story. I wanted the entire novel to have a mythological quality, to emphasise the very Irishness of it.
I drew the map, placed Michael at the Church, Sheila in one of the terraced houses with her mother and father, and decided that Maud would live in a caravan with her mother, who, with her gypsy-like wildness, might just become a more important character than even I had planned. Maud’s mother, Kitty, might just be the electricity that would keep this novel alive.
Being methodical and needing clarity, the next stage for me has to be the chapter breakdown. Not all writers need this much preparation – D.H. Lawrence preferred to let the book take him on a journey of discovery so he did very little preparation. John Irving and Minette Walters do a lot of research and planning. I fall somewhere in the middle. But I need a chapter breakdown if only to see if there’s enough muscle to the plot
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Creative Writing Tips: Starting Out, Ideas, Characters, Plot and Structure, Viewpoints
Starting Out
Making the decision
So you've decided you want to write. Perhaps, you've been scribbling down snippets of thoughts on scrap paper for years, or maybe you have something important to say. It might even be you've just read a story or seen a film and thought, 'I could do better than that'. You probably can.
Personally, it's the thought of entertaining someone for the time it takes them to read one of my stories, that provides the enjoyment. If the tale provokes a subsequent moment of reflection or speculation, so much the better.
If the prospect of setting pen to paper, or finger to keyboard, and sending the finished product into the wide world seems daunting, remember all published authors had to start somewhere....
See, it's simple. Now you're ready to produce the masterpiece!
The Right Mindset
When you decide to become a writer, you may encounter various obstacles. The biggest of these is often self-doubt. After all, what right do we have to think we can succeed where millions of others have failed. Every right! Believe in yourself and others will too.
This is where a supportive family and friends can make the difference between completing that first special manuscript or resigning it to the wastepaper basket.
It's important to realise that writing can be a lonely profession but this isn't necessarily a problem. If you're doing it properly, you won't have time to feel isolated with all those characters inside your head clamouring for attention.
Confidence, perseverance, discipline, a willingness to learn and a thick skin.
Yes, you'll need them all to keep plugging away at the keyboard at odd and often antisocial hours, especially if the rejection slips begin to arrive.
Make time to write each day!
This is critical, even if it's only to write fifty words or edit an existing manuscript. The more practice you get, the better. Don't worry about the housework, the telephone or the garden. Get in there and create. After a while, you will probably discover that a certain time of day works best for you. Try to keep that time free.
Ideas
Useful Sources of Ideas
Ideas are everywhere. Some of them come naturally but it's worth knowing where to look for that extra piece of inspiration.
Making the Most of an Idea
Once something catches your fancy, interrogate it.
For example, if you see a young girl running for the bus in the rain, ask yourself plenty of why's.
Why is she running, why is she catching a bus, why does she look sad/ angry/ happy, why doesn't she have an umbrella, why is she carrying a suitcase, why is she alone?
Then you can go on to ask yourself; Who is she? Where is she from and where is she going? What is she planning to do once she gets there?
Approach the idea from all perspectives and let your imagination run riot with the what ifs...
Characters
Using People You Know
Yes, this is one method of developing a character. Many scripts have been written with a particular actress/ actor (or at least their screen/ stage persona) in mind.
The obvious drawback is that if your character is recognizable as a real person, you may leave yourself open to litigation. This might occur because the real person feels you have invaded their privacy or even slandered them. It is worth noting that we never know anyone as well as ourselves, so throughout the course of your story, no matter how well you think you know that person, there will be blanks to fill in. The potential to cause offence is enormous.
If you feel you must use a real person as a template, it is safer to incorporate traits from additional people so that you have a composite.
And above all, make sure real names are changed.
Creating and Developing a Character from Scratch
This is the safer and preferable option.
Plot and Structure
Three Acts
All stories, regardless of their subject or word count, should have three acts or a beginning, middle and end. They don't necessarily occur in that order but they should be in there somewhere.
In short stories, it is absolutely critical to make each word count. There is no room for padding. If the sentence (be it narrative or dialogue) doesn't move the story forward, it shouldn't be there.
Act I / The Beginning:
A good opening line or paragraph is essential. This is what determines whether the reader goes on to read the story or goes in search of another.
The opening should contain a Hook. This is used to grab the reader's attention. The hook may be witty, shocking or mysterious, but it must be interesting.
Many writers also structure the length of sentences within the opening paragraph. A short sentence to open, a longer one to finish. It is one way of drawing the reader into the story.
In short stories, it is important to introduce and identify the main character and conflict at the very beginning. Additionally, there should be an inciting incident. This is a mini climax which forces the protagonist into some sort of action that basically starts the story moving.
Act II / The Middle:
This forms the bulk of the story and is no less important than the beginning. A good start will not make up for a poor middle.
In this section of the story, the writer must develop the characters, plot and conflicts. Tension or interest is maintained using a series of small crises which inevitably lead to a climax.
Act III / The End:
Not surprisingly, the finale is equally as important as the previous two acts. A poor ending will leave the reader feeling dissatisfied and unlikely to search for more of your stories.
The ending is the climax of the story. By the time it is over, all the conflicts established and developed in the other two acts must have been resolved. It doesn't have to be a happy ending but many readers prefer an upbeat or uplifting ending.
Plot
There is usually only time for one plot in a short story. This should be well defined and clear to the reader. The plot is essentially the reason for the story. A good plot is invaluable although it won't make up for shoddy characterisation or dialogue.
A plot is the story's skeleton and it must hold together. In essence, the plot provides a conflict or an obstacle which tests the main character. This conflict is developed and the resultant tension maintained through a series of crises until the climax, at which point the conflict should be resolved.
A quick word about conflict. This can be relatively ordinary and recognisable, or outrageously dramatic. Its nature depends on the genre of story. For instance, science fiction is likely to have a more bizarre conflict than a romantic story.
There are three main types of conflicts:
a) The individual against his/ her-self.
b) The individual against another individual.
c) The individual against forces of nature.
These forces may be virtually anything beyond the character's control eg. the weather, natural or manmade disasters, war, corporations, the government...
Viewpoints
Types of viewpoints
First person - I go, ie. an eyewitness account
Third person - He/she goes, ie. narrator can be absent
a) Omniscient - voice of God type narration, can flit between characters
b) Limited - story is led by one character
Second person - you go, ( Used mainly in non fiction )
Third person plural - they go
Advantages, Limitations and Mistakes
First person
Advantages:
Creates an intimacy between the reader and narrator. The reader experiences everything through the narrator's perceptions, coloured by her motives, driven by her motivations
Less likely to inadvertently switch viewpoints
Disadvantages:
Narrator/ character must be present during key scenes
Readers can only know what this character knows unless the narrator either lies or witholds information
If the story is a thriller, then the reader automatically knows that whatever happened to the narrator they survived (unless they turn out to be a ghost). This may detract from the suspense
More skill required to provide a physical description of the narrator
Mistakes:
Revealed as a fraud ie. describes what is going through other characters’ minds rather than just her own
Narrator watches herself from a distance ie. tells the reader what happens to her but not why
Third person
Advantages:
Allows the reader to see all the events occurring
Allows the author to mislead the readers without cheating
Omniscient view allows us to see into many characters’ minds
Limited view allows the narrator to tell the story straight without being influenced by the character’s assumptions, prejudices etc
Limited also allows different levels of penetration
Both allow changes of viewpoint within a story
Disadvantages:
OV doesn’t allow a strong identification with any one character
Limited view takes longer to impart the same information than the omniscient
Mistakes:
More likely to switch viewpoints by accident
Choices
Assigning a viewpoint to a character automatically gives that person importance. They will be the voice of the story. Decide who is the most important character and with whom can you most closely identify.
If you want the narrator to be a part of the story, then the first person works best. However, if the narrator isn’t one of the characters involved in events, then use the third person.
As a rule, first person narrators are distanced from the story in time and third person narrators, in space.
Humour - first / omniscient
Brevity - third person omniscient
Emotion - third person limited
Sense of truth - first
Writers lacking confidence should consider the third person limited
Rules involving viewpoints
Vary depending on whether you are writing a short story or novel.
Short stories:
Don’t change viewpoints! Not only is it confusing for the reader but it also lessens any emotional energy you may have generated towards your main character. In other words, there isn’t time within the rigid structure of a short story to enter too many minds and establish empathy between them and the reader.
However, you can use different viewpoint when a character is telling a story to someone else, ie. a tale within a tale.
Novels:
Multiple viewpoints are not only allowable but useful!
In the third person, several viewpoint’s allow the reader wider access to knowledge and events not necessarily involving each character in the story.
In addition, changing the viewpoint will often increase the pace of the story.
However, shifting viewpoints too often may irritate the reader. It is also bad practice to change viewpoint within a paragraph.
Trading viewpoints:
Making the decision
So you've decided you want to write. Perhaps, you've been scribbling down snippets of thoughts on scrap paper for years, or maybe you have something important to say. It might even be you've just read a story or seen a film and thought, 'I could do better than that'. You probably can.
Personally, it's the thought of entertaining someone for the time it takes them to read one of my stories, that provides the enjoyment. If the tale provokes a subsequent moment of reflection or speculation, so much the better.
If the prospect of setting pen to paper, or finger to keyboard, and sending the finished product into the wide world seems daunting, remember all published authors had to start somewhere....
- Okay, first and foremost, set aside a space for writing, preferably somewhere quiet where you can work uninterrupted.
- Invest in a word processor or computer. Some publishers still accept handwritten manuscripts but their numbers are dwindling.
- Read as much as you can about the art of writing. Local libraries are a good place to start. Consider subscribing to Writers' News, sister magazine to Writing Magazine. Both publications are excellent sources of information for new and established writers.
- Buy a current edition of the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook and/ or Writers' and Artists' Handbook. The Small Press Guide is also an extremely useful source of markets looking for short stories and poetry.
- Enrol in a writing course or workshop. There are plenty available on a variety of subjects.
- Join a writing circle. At the very least you will meet people with similar aspirations. The better groups will set homework and provide constructive criticism on your work. In time, you will be able to return the favour. Many groups also engage the occasional guest speaker.
- Network. Tell your friends what you're up to. If you can pen a press release, critique or newsletter, they'll be knocking on your door in no time.
See, it's simple. Now you're ready to produce the masterpiece!
The Right Mindset
When you decide to become a writer, you may encounter various obstacles. The biggest of these is often self-doubt. After all, what right do we have to think we can succeed where millions of others have failed. Every right! Believe in yourself and others will too.
This is where a supportive family and friends can make the difference between completing that first special manuscript or resigning it to the wastepaper basket.
It's important to realise that writing can be a lonely profession but this isn't necessarily a problem. If you're doing it properly, you won't have time to feel isolated with all those characters inside your head clamouring for attention.
Confidence, perseverance, discipline, a willingness to learn and a thick skin.
Yes, you'll need them all to keep plugging away at the keyboard at odd and often antisocial hours, especially if the rejection slips begin to arrive.
Make time to write each day!
This is critical, even if it's only to write fifty words or edit an existing manuscript. The more practice you get, the better. Don't worry about the housework, the telephone or the garden. Get in there and create. After a while, you will probably discover that a certain time of day works best for you. Try to keep that time free.
Ideas
Useful Sources of Ideas
Ideas are everywhere. Some of them come naturally but it's worth knowing where to look for that extra piece of inspiration.
- newspapers - especially the news-in-brief columns
- magazines - especially letters to the editor or agony aunts
- other people's conversations - eavesdrop shamelessly
- other stories - remember, there's no copyright on an idea, just the finished product. That said, don't go 'borrowing' characters or large wads of print from
- other people's work. You don't need to.
- jokes - most of them are mini stories in themselves
Making the Most of an Idea
Once something catches your fancy, interrogate it.
For example, if you see a young girl running for the bus in the rain, ask yourself plenty of why's.
Why is she running, why is she catching a bus, why does she look sad/ angry/ happy, why doesn't she have an umbrella, why is she carrying a suitcase, why is she alone?
Then you can go on to ask yourself; Who is she? Where is she from and where is she going? What is she planning to do once she gets there?
Approach the idea from all perspectives and let your imagination run riot with the what ifs...
Characters
Using People You Know
Yes, this is one method of developing a character. Many scripts have been written with a particular actress/ actor (or at least their screen/ stage persona) in mind.
The obvious drawback is that if your character is recognizable as a real person, you may leave yourself open to litigation. This might occur because the real person feels you have invaded their privacy or even slandered them. It is worth noting that we never know anyone as well as ourselves, so throughout the course of your story, no matter how well you think you know that person, there will be blanks to fill in. The potential to cause offence is enormous.
If you feel you must use a real person as a template, it is safer to incorporate traits from additional people so that you have a composite.
And above all, make sure real names are changed.
Creating and Developing a Character from Scratch
This is the safer and preferable option.
- Get to know your characters, everything about them. Their pasts, family, occupations, hobbies, upbringing, physical appearance and so forth. You may never use a quarter of the information you have generated but your characters will be more three dimensional and credible for it.
- Don't give minor characters names unless it is necessary to the story. This is particularly applicable to short stories, in which there is little enough time to develop the main characters let alone supporting ones.
- Short stories should have no more than three main characters. More than this and readers may become confused or fail to develop the emotional response to the characters.
- Be clear in your own mind when writing the story of the varying relationships between the main characters. For example, how does a interact with b in c's presence/ absence, b with c in a's presence/ absence and so forth.
- Try to ensure each character has a function. Don't be tempted to add one to pad out a story.
- Be clear on their roles within the story. If you're confused, it's a safe bet your readers will feel the same.
- Make them believable, give them dimension. Readers are willing to suspend their disbelief when it comes to plot, provided the characters are credible. A great plot is nothing if the people within the story are cutouts or caricatures.
- Above all, make your characters behave in a consistent fashion throughout the story, whatever happens to them. Characters tend to take on a life of their own some time into a story. You need to know when they say or do something 'out-of-character'. Of course, at certain times you may wish this to happen, in which case make it clear to the reader that they are acting 'out-of-character' for a reason, not simply because you've lost control of them.
- The more interesting characters tend to be flawed.
- The main characters should develop during the story although this personal growth is necessarily limited with short stories.
- Make sure you know which characters you want the readers to like. You must develop an empathy for these characters in the early stages of the story. Equally, ensure your villains are hateful especially if they have a nasty comeuppance in store.
- Establish the identity of the hero(ine) of your story. These characters usually undergo the most change.
Plot and Structure
Three Acts
All stories, regardless of their subject or word count, should have three acts or a beginning, middle and end. They don't necessarily occur in that order but they should be in there somewhere.
In short stories, it is absolutely critical to make each word count. There is no room for padding. If the sentence (be it narrative or dialogue) doesn't move the story forward, it shouldn't be there.
Act I / The Beginning:
A good opening line or paragraph is essential. This is what determines whether the reader goes on to read the story or goes in search of another.
The opening should contain a Hook. This is used to grab the reader's attention. The hook may be witty, shocking or mysterious, but it must be interesting.
Many writers also structure the length of sentences within the opening paragraph. A short sentence to open, a longer one to finish. It is one way of drawing the reader into the story.
In short stories, it is important to introduce and identify the main character and conflict at the very beginning. Additionally, there should be an inciting incident. This is a mini climax which forces the protagonist into some sort of action that basically starts the story moving.
Act II / The Middle:
This forms the bulk of the story and is no less important than the beginning. A good start will not make up for a poor middle.
In this section of the story, the writer must develop the characters, plot and conflicts. Tension or interest is maintained using a series of small crises which inevitably lead to a climax.
Act III / The End:
Not surprisingly, the finale is equally as important as the previous two acts. A poor ending will leave the reader feeling dissatisfied and unlikely to search for more of your stories.
The ending is the climax of the story. By the time it is over, all the conflicts established and developed in the other two acts must have been resolved. It doesn't have to be a happy ending but many readers prefer an upbeat or uplifting ending.
Plot
There is usually only time for one plot in a short story. This should be well defined and clear to the reader. The plot is essentially the reason for the story. A good plot is invaluable although it won't make up for shoddy characterisation or dialogue.
A plot is the story's skeleton and it must hold together. In essence, the plot provides a conflict or an obstacle which tests the main character. This conflict is developed and the resultant tension maintained through a series of crises until the climax, at which point the conflict should be resolved.
A quick word about conflict. This can be relatively ordinary and recognisable, or outrageously dramatic. Its nature depends on the genre of story. For instance, science fiction is likely to have a more bizarre conflict than a romantic story.
There are three main types of conflicts:
a) The individual against his/ her-self.
b) The individual against another individual.
c) The individual against forces of nature.
These forces may be virtually anything beyond the character's control eg. the weather, natural or manmade disasters, war, corporations, the government...
Viewpoints
Types of viewpoints
First person - I go, ie. an eyewitness account
Third person - He/she goes, ie. narrator can be absent
a) Omniscient - voice of God type narration, can flit between characters
b) Limited - story is led by one character
Second person - you go, ( Used mainly in non fiction )
Third person plural - they go
Advantages, Limitations and Mistakes
First person
Advantages:
Creates an intimacy between the reader and narrator. The reader experiences everything through the narrator's perceptions, coloured by her motives, driven by her motivations
Less likely to inadvertently switch viewpoints
Disadvantages:
Narrator/ character must be present during key scenes
Readers can only know what this character knows unless the narrator either lies or witholds information
If the story is a thriller, then the reader automatically knows that whatever happened to the narrator they survived (unless they turn out to be a ghost). This may detract from the suspense
More skill required to provide a physical description of the narrator
Mistakes:
Revealed as a fraud ie. describes what is going through other characters’ minds rather than just her own
Narrator watches herself from a distance ie. tells the reader what happens to her but not why
Third person
Advantages:
Allows the reader to see all the events occurring
Allows the author to mislead the readers without cheating
Omniscient view allows us to see into many characters’ minds
Limited view allows the narrator to tell the story straight without being influenced by the character’s assumptions, prejudices etc
Limited also allows different levels of penetration
Both allow changes of viewpoint within a story
Disadvantages:
OV doesn’t allow a strong identification with any one character
Limited view takes longer to impart the same information than the omniscient
Mistakes:
More likely to switch viewpoints by accident
Choices
Assigning a viewpoint to a character automatically gives that person importance. They will be the voice of the story. Decide who is the most important character and with whom can you most closely identify.
If you want the narrator to be a part of the story, then the first person works best. However, if the narrator isn’t one of the characters involved in events, then use the third person.
As a rule, first person narrators are distanced from the story in time and third person narrators, in space.
Humour - first / omniscient
Brevity - third person omniscient
Emotion - third person limited
Sense of truth - first
Writers lacking confidence should consider the third person limited
Rules involving viewpoints
Vary depending on whether you are writing a short story or novel.
Short stories:
Don’t change viewpoints! Not only is it confusing for the reader but it also lessens any emotional energy you may have generated towards your main character. In other words, there isn’t time within the rigid structure of a short story to enter too many minds and establish empathy between them and the reader.
However, you can use different viewpoint when a character is telling a story to someone else, ie. a tale within a tale.
Novels:
Multiple viewpoints are not only allowable but useful!
In the third person, several viewpoint’s allow the reader wider access to knowledge and events not necessarily involving each character in the story.
In addition, changing the viewpoint will often increase the pace of the story.
However, shifting viewpoints too often may irritate the reader. It is also bad practice to change viewpoint within a paragraph.
Trading viewpoints:
- requires a chapter break or line space
- line space usually marked with three asterisks
- the opening line of the new paragraph should immediately establish whose viewpoint it is
- readers adapt better if they have already met the new viewpoint character
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Setting the Mystery Scene
Your characters are the appetizer when setting the scene for mystery ... but locale is the entree
You can go a long way in writing a mystery without fleshing out the main characters. But try doing the same with the locale--the story's physical scene--and you'll soon wind up in a boatload of trouble.
Readers don't mind having to wait awhile to get all the information they can possibly get about the people in a mystery. They're used to having characters developed slowly, a little at a time, as events take place and the story unwinds. Characters, after all, show the reader what they're made of by reacting to action and relating to specific events--and those things take place in due time. It's hard to know just how selfless a hard-boiled P.I. is until the reader witnesses his leap off a towering bridge to save a hapless suicide victim.
But readers can and do object to being kept in the dark for too long when it comes to setting a mystery's scene. And for good reason. The scene sets the stage for the element of mystery and triggers a readiness in the reader to be, well, mystified. Does the story take place at midday in a bright, sunny park filled with tittering children and chattering old maids? Or does it unfold at midnight in a rainy alleyway where the only sign of life is a stoop-shouldered ghost of a man shuffling slowly along ... and the only way out is up? It makes a difference. Whereas the one creates within the reader little speculation about mysterious unfoldings soon to take place, the other fills the reader with trepidation and tension--two of the staunchest allies of the eternal mystery.
Take one of the earliest scenes in Arthur Conan Doyle's tales of the exploits of Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles. The lord of the manor, in hosting a dinner party for some friends, took time out to run food and drink down to a young maiden, whom he held captive, when he discovered her cage empty.
Racing back up through the house, he beseeched his guests to join him in pursuit. ".... Whereat Hugo ran from the house, crying to his grooms that they should saddle his mare and unkennel the pack, and giving the hounds a kerchief of the maid's, he swung them to the line, and so off full cry in the moonlight over the moor.
"Now, for some space the revellers stood agape, unable to understand all that had been done in such haste. But anon their bemused wits awoke to the nature of the deed which was like to be done upon the moorlands. Everything was now in an uproar; some calling for their pistols, some for their horses, and some for another flask of wine. But at length some sense came back to their crazed minds, and the whole of them, thirteen in number, took horse and started in pursuit. The moon shone clear above them, and they rode swiftly abreast, taking that course which the maid must needs have taken if she were to reach her own home.
"They had gone a mile or two when they passed one of the night shepherds upon the moorlands, and they cried to him to know if he had seen the hunt. And the man, as the story goes, was so crazed with fear that he could scarce speak, but at last he said that he had indeed seen the unhappy maiden, with the hounds upon her track. 'But I have seen more than that,' said he, 'for Hugo Baskerville passed me upon his black mare, and there ran mute behind him such a hound of hell as God forbid should ever be at my heels.' So the drunken squires cursed the shepherd and rode onward. But soon their skins turned cold, for there came a galloping across the moor, and the black mare, dabbled with white froth, went past with trailing bridle and empty saddle. Then the revellers rode close together, for a great fear was on them, but they still followed over the moor, though each, had he been alone, would have been right glad to have turned his horse's head. Riding slowly in this fashion they came at last upon the hounds. These, through known for their valour and their breed, were whimpering in a cluster at the head of a deep dip or goyal, as we call it, upon the moor, some slinking away and some, with starting hackles and staring eyes, gazing down the narrow valley before them.
"The company had come to a halt, more sober men, as you may guess, than when they started. The most of them would by no means advance, but three of them, the boldest, or it may be the most drunken, rode forward down the goyal. Now, it opened into a broad space in which stood two of those great stones, still to be seen there, which were set by certain forgotten peoples in the days of old. The moon was shining bright upon the clearing, and there in the centre lay the unhappy maid where she had fallen, dead of fear and of fatigue. But it was not the sight of her body, nor yet was it that of the body of Hugo Baskerville lying near her, which raised the hair upon the heads of these three dare-devil roysterers, but it was that, standing over Hugo, and plucking at his throat, there stood a foul thing, a great, black beast, shaped like a hound, yet larger than any hound that ever mortal eye has rested upon. And even as they looked the thing tore the throat out of Hugo Baskerville, on which, as it turned its blazing eyes and dripping jaws upon them, the three shrieked with fear and rode for dear life, still screaming, across the moor. One, it is said, died that very night of what he had seen, and the other twain were but broken men for the rest of their days ...."
Just a light-hearted ditty? Hardly. Read at any time of day or night, the scene inspires chills and even fear in the reader--this, in part, for the remarkable clearness with which the author detailed the scene, using words that still today--nearly 200 years later--bring forth mental images of such clarity and reality that hardly anyone could walk away untouched.
Doyle described: the moon shining bright upon the clearing. The unhappy maid where she had fallen, dead of fear and of fatigue. The thing plucking at [Hugo's] throat ... a foul thing, a great, black beast, shaped like a hound. When suddenly the thing turned its blazing eyes and dripping jaws upon them.
As in the best descriptive passages in literature, Doyle used imagery as a painter uses oils on canvas. A stroke of his literary brush evoked not only a mere understanding of the artist's words, but also a feeling, a string of emotional responses, that a more careless or lazy writer might never have known.
Unlike descriptions of people or things, however, Doyle's descriptive passage was designed to set the scene and--in so doing--set the stage for the rest of the novel. Something evil lurked among the moors of Baskerville manor. Something frightening and unearthly, some devil of a creature unlike any other known to man. Something hideous. Something immortal. Something ... well, you get the point. By the time the passage had ended, the stage was set for mystery.
So the next time you set out to pen a mystery--whether a novel or a short feature--remember to pay special attention to the scene. That is, after all, where everything within the story lives, from characters to action, from story line to story's end. Set the scene properly, evocatively, and early, and you'll find that the rest of the story will practically write itself. Oh, yes, and your readers will thank you for it.
You can go a long way in writing a mystery without fleshing out the main characters. But try doing the same with the locale--the story's physical scene--and you'll soon wind up in a boatload of trouble.
Readers don't mind having to wait awhile to get all the information they can possibly get about the people in a mystery. They're used to having characters developed slowly, a little at a time, as events take place and the story unwinds. Characters, after all, show the reader what they're made of by reacting to action and relating to specific events--and those things take place in due time. It's hard to know just how selfless a hard-boiled P.I. is until the reader witnesses his leap off a towering bridge to save a hapless suicide victim.
But readers can and do object to being kept in the dark for too long when it comes to setting a mystery's scene. And for good reason. The scene sets the stage for the element of mystery and triggers a readiness in the reader to be, well, mystified. Does the story take place at midday in a bright, sunny park filled with tittering children and chattering old maids? Or does it unfold at midnight in a rainy alleyway where the only sign of life is a stoop-shouldered ghost of a man shuffling slowly along ... and the only way out is up? It makes a difference. Whereas the one creates within the reader little speculation about mysterious unfoldings soon to take place, the other fills the reader with trepidation and tension--two of the staunchest allies of the eternal mystery.
Take one of the earliest scenes in Arthur Conan Doyle's tales of the exploits of Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles. The lord of the manor, in hosting a dinner party for some friends, took time out to run food and drink down to a young maiden, whom he held captive, when he discovered her cage empty.
Racing back up through the house, he beseeched his guests to join him in pursuit. ".... Whereat Hugo ran from the house, crying to his grooms that they should saddle his mare and unkennel the pack, and giving the hounds a kerchief of the maid's, he swung them to the line, and so off full cry in the moonlight over the moor.
"Now, for some space the revellers stood agape, unable to understand all that had been done in such haste. But anon their bemused wits awoke to the nature of the deed which was like to be done upon the moorlands. Everything was now in an uproar; some calling for their pistols, some for their horses, and some for another flask of wine. But at length some sense came back to their crazed minds, and the whole of them, thirteen in number, took horse and started in pursuit. The moon shone clear above them, and they rode swiftly abreast, taking that course which the maid must needs have taken if she were to reach her own home.
"They had gone a mile or two when they passed one of the night shepherds upon the moorlands, and they cried to him to know if he had seen the hunt. And the man, as the story goes, was so crazed with fear that he could scarce speak, but at last he said that he had indeed seen the unhappy maiden, with the hounds upon her track. 'But I have seen more than that,' said he, 'for Hugo Baskerville passed me upon his black mare, and there ran mute behind him such a hound of hell as God forbid should ever be at my heels.' So the drunken squires cursed the shepherd and rode onward. But soon their skins turned cold, for there came a galloping across the moor, and the black mare, dabbled with white froth, went past with trailing bridle and empty saddle. Then the revellers rode close together, for a great fear was on them, but they still followed over the moor, though each, had he been alone, would have been right glad to have turned his horse's head. Riding slowly in this fashion they came at last upon the hounds. These, through known for their valour and their breed, were whimpering in a cluster at the head of a deep dip or goyal, as we call it, upon the moor, some slinking away and some, with starting hackles and staring eyes, gazing down the narrow valley before them.
"The company had come to a halt, more sober men, as you may guess, than when they started. The most of them would by no means advance, but three of them, the boldest, or it may be the most drunken, rode forward down the goyal. Now, it opened into a broad space in which stood two of those great stones, still to be seen there, which were set by certain forgotten peoples in the days of old. The moon was shining bright upon the clearing, and there in the centre lay the unhappy maid where she had fallen, dead of fear and of fatigue. But it was not the sight of her body, nor yet was it that of the body of Hugo Baskerville lying near her, which raised the hair upon the heads of these three dare-devil roysterers, but it was that, standing over Hugo, and plucking at his throat, there stood a foul thing, a great, black beast, shaped like a hound, yet larger than any hound that ever mortal eye has rested upon. And even as they looked the thing tore the throat out of Hugo Baskerville, on which, as it turned its blazing eyes and dripping jaws upon them, the three shrieked with fear and rode for dear life, still screaming, across the moor. One, it is said, died that very night of what he had seen, and the other twain were but broken men for the rest of their days ...."
Just a light-hearted ditty? Hardly. Read at any time of day or night, the scene inspires chills and even fear in the reader--this, in part, for the remarkable clearness with which the author detailed the scene, using words that still today--nearly 200 years later--bring forth mental images of such clarity and reality that hardly anyone could walk away untouched.
Doyle described: the moon shining bright upon the clearing. The unhappy maid where she had fallen, dead of fear and of fatigue. The thing plucking at [Hugo's] throat ... a foul thing, a great, black beast, shaped like a hound. When suddenly the thing turned its blazing eyes and dripping jaws upon them.
As in the best descriptive passages in literature, Doyle used imagery as a painter uses oils on canvas. A stroke of his literary brush evoked not only a mere understanding of the artist's words, but also a feeling, a string of emotional responses, that a more careless or lazy writer might never have known.
Unlike descriptions of people or things, however, Doyle's descriptive passage was designed to set the scene and--in so doing--set the stage for the rest of the novel. Something evil lurked among the moors of Baskerville manor. Something frightening and unearthly, some devil of a creature unlike any other known to man. Something hideous. Something immortal. Something ... well, you get the point. By the time the passage had ended, the stage was set for mystery.
So the next time you set out to pen a mystery--whether a novel or a short feature--remember to pay special attention to the scene. That is, after all, where everything within the story lives, from characters to action, from story line to story's end. Set the scene properly, evocatively, and early, and you'll find that the rest of the story will practically write itself. Oh, yes, and your readers will thank you for it.
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