Post by The Voice on May 2, 2016 6:09:42 GMT -6
I'm certainly no expert in writing, but I have learned a few things during my journey so far and I thought I'd share some of it here.
One of the challenges I see many new writers face (indeed, it's something I struggle with even now) is creating subtext. New writers often spend so much time working on plot, they forget to write an actual story. A good tale is more than just a series of events that take place. A writer must concern himself with not just the "What" but also the "Why".
It helps if the writer understands the characters and the "story behind the story" in order to describe the action that takes place on the pages. This is more challenging in a short story (especially flash fiction) than in a novel, where the writer has time to expand on the back story. In short stories, it is often what is NOT said, but only hinted at where the reader finds the intrigue. When word space is limited, each word then must be used economically and should serve a purpose.
Let's start with a basic framework:
Technically, this could be a story. There is a beginning, a middle and an end. It has a character and action. It just isn't very interesting. Why should the reader care about what happens when we know nothing about the character? Where is the conflict?
We can layer in some context though, and radically transform the story by adding a back story and some tension. The following story is posted on my blog (Yes, a cheap plug) and it was written using only the story above as inspiration.
Now we have more than just plot. We have been given a glimpse of who "the man" in the first story is and why he's pounding nails into a plank of wood. We understand he's fearful and racing the clock. There is an element of danger. The reader can relate to the action because we now understand something about the character's motivation.
It's easy to look at the story we're writing through a microscope and in doing so, we can lose perspective. Sometimes it helps to back up and examine the bigger picture. If you find yourself getting stuck with the old "What happens next?", try to develop your characters and provide more of a back story. You'll see that when you breathe some life into them, characters will often let you know what they will do in any given situation.
Ok, that's about it. Thanks!
One of the challenges I see many new writers face (indeed, it's something I struggle with even now) is creating subtext. New writers often spend so much time working on plot, they forget to write an actual story. A good tale is more than just a series of events that take place. A writer must concern himself with not just the "What" but also the "Why".
It helps if the writer understands the characters and the "story behind the story" in order to describe the action that takes place on the pages. This is more challenging in a short story (especially flash fiction) than in a novel, where the writer has time to expand on the back story. In short stories, it is often what is NOT said, but only hinted at where the reader finds the intrigue. When word space is limited, each word then must be used economically and should serve a purpose.
Let's start with a basic framework:
A man picks up a hammer and some nails.
He pounds the nails into a piece of wood.
When he's finished, he sets the hammer down.
He pounds the nails into a piece of wood.
When he's finished, he sets the hammer down.
Technically, this could be a story. There is a beginning, a middle and an end. It has a character and action. It just isn't very interesting. Why should the reader care about what happens when we know nothing about the character? Where is the conflict?
We can layer in some context though, and radically transform the story by adding a back story and some tension. The following story is posted on my blog (Yes, a cheap plug) and it was written using only the story above as inspiration.
Second Funeral
I grabbed the hammer in my right hand and snatched up a handful of nails in my left. My hands trembled so badly I could barely steady the first nail long enough to drive it into the wooden plank.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Each strike of the hammer against the nail echoed the thumping of my heartbeat. I knew I had to work quickly. The animal tranquilizer I’d stolen from the veterinarian’s office wouldn’t keep it immobile for long.
When the last nail was gone, I let the hammer fall from my hand. It thumped into the soft dirt under my feet.
The trip to Haiti had been for naught. That voodoo witch doctor had lied to me. The resurrection spell he’d provided re-animated my dead wife’s corpse, but it didn’t bring her back. Not the way I’d wanted. Whatever it was that had returned to me was something horrible. I realized only now that what was dead must stay dead.
I sucked in air and filled my lungs and let it out with a loud “Whoosh”. I was out of time.
I bent low and lifted the oblong pine crate up on one end and moved it over onto the ropes I’d laid out. I repeated the movement with the lower end until the ropes I’d rigged with pulleys hanging from the tree above were firmly underneath. Then I pulled hard and hoisted the makeshift coffin into the air and pushed it over the hole I’d dug.
It was taking too long to lower the crate. I thought I felt stirring inside. I’d dug the grave six feet down but I wasn’t sure if that would be deep enough. I prayed that it was.
When the box settled on the bottom, I quickly tossed the ropes in on top of it. Grabbing the shovel I started to scoop the freshly turned dirt from the pile next to the grave. As the first shovel full of dirt hit the box below, I heard a loud moan. The second shovel full landed and was followed by a powerful bang against the boards. The tranquilizers had worn off.
I shoveled faster.
I grabbed the hammer in my right hand and snatched up a handful of nails in my left. My hands trembled so badly I could barely steady the first nail long enough to drive it into the wooden plank.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Each strike of the hammer against the nail echoed the thumping of my heartbeat. I knew I had to work quickly. The animal tranquilizer I’d stolen from the veterinarian’s office wouldn’t keep it immobile for long.
When the last nail was gone, I let the hammer fall from my hand. It thumped into the soft dirt under my feet.
The trip to Haiti had been for naught. That voodoo witch doctor had lied to me. The resurrection spell he’d provided re-animated my dead wife’s corpse, but it didn’t bring her back. Not the way I’d wanted. Whatever it was that had returned to me was something horrible. I realized only now that what was dead must stay dead.
I sucked in air and filled my lungs and let it out with a loud “Whoosh”. I was out of time.
I bent low and lifted the oblong pine crate up on one end and moved it over onto the ropes I’d laid out. I repeated the movement with the lower end until the ropes I’d rigged with pulleys hanging from the tree above were firmly underneath. Then I pulled hard and hoisted the makeshift coffin into the air and pushed it over the hole I’d dug.
It was taking too long to lower the crate. I thought I felt stirring inside. I’d dug the grave six feet down but I wasn’t sure if that would be deep enough. I prayed that it was.
When the box settled on the bottom, I quickly tossed the ropes in on top of it. Grabbing the shovel I started to scoop the freshly turned dirt from the pile next to the grave. As the first shovel full of dirt hit the box below, I heard a loud moan. The second shovel full landed and was followed by a powerful bang against the boards. The tranquilizers had worn off.
I shoveled faster.
Now we have more than just plot. We have been given a glimpse of who "the man" in the first story is and why he's pounding nails into a plank of wood. We understand he's fearful and racing the clock. There is an element of danger. The reader can relate to the action because we now understand something about the character's motivation.
It's easy to look at the story we're writing through a microscope and in doing so, we can lose perspective. Sometimes it helps to back up and examine the bigger picture. If you find yourself getting stuck with the old "What happens next?", try to develop your characters and provide more of a back story. You'll see that when you breathe some life into them, characters will often let you know what they will do in any given situation.
Ok, that's about it. Thanks!