Arthur Gibson's Blog: A Journey In Mind, page 7
March 8, 2011
Can Your Words Say It All?
Have you ever written without exposition? Without explaining anything? It isn't impossible. And it is a very useful exercise.
There are several fields of writing that revolve around scripts. These mediums are almost entirely dependent on dialogue. But pick up any script and you will find asides and stage directions that explain key comments and connections.
I am not talking about eliminating all description. If a tree is big, say it is big. But I am talking about harder more complex concepts. Whether it is historical, ethical, or political, can you write without explaining complex concepts AND have your audience understand you? It is an exercise in using minimal words, using dialogue, and mood/framing to show the audience what you want them to understand.
Imagine writing a short scene where a couple is sitting in a restaurant in Europe prior - but not by much - to the break out of the Second World War. There were a lot of politics going on. The Nazis were resplendent in their power. There were crimes against humanity occurring. There was a lot of prejudice, fear, greed, compassion, and moral certitude in the air. Your couple could be on the run. They could be an ethnic or sexual minority. They could be in politics. They could be people who are willing to die to create a free environment for all people. Pick who they are and why they are there. Figure out a bit about their backgrounds and their plans. Create an antagonist whether real or spectral (Bob of their opposition party or the secret police which could be anywhere).
Now write the scene. You cannot explain why they are there or what they fear. You cannot explain about the war or the issues in it. You cannot explain anything like that. Just minor things like clothes or the table or the temperature of the room. Let your characters talk and interact like real people. They won't say things like "if the SS come in here we are in trouble" because both parties already know that. They know the dangers, where they are, and what is going on. Just have them talk. If the antagonist makes an appearance, let them interact or react to the presence. But do not explain that "look, it is the captain" because a gesture or a nod would suffice. Remember, both parties already know all the explanation. Just write. It is hard, but it can be done.
The purpose of the exercise is to sharpen your word use. What we say and how we say it provides the clues our readers need to figure things out. We can explain and tell them everything. We can also tell them the minimum and let them figure things out on their own by telling them absolutely nothing. Both are extremes and most writing sits in the middle. But it is good to see both sides of the street. When you know you can show everything you want without telling anything it frees you up to point out and focus their attention on what you really want to say. And saying something is what writing is all about.
There are several fields of writing that revolve around scripts. These mediums are almost entirely dependent on dialogue. But pick up any script and you will find asides and stage directions that explain key comments and connections.
I am not talking about eliminating all description. If a tree is big, say it is big. But I am talking about harder more complex concepts. Whether it is historical, ethical, or political, can you write without explaining complex concepts AND have your audience understand you? It is an exercise in using minimal words, using dialogue, and mood/framing to show the audience what you want them to understand.
Imagine writing a short scene where a couple is sitting in a restaurant in Europe prior - but not by much - to the break out of the Second World War. There were a lot of politics going on. The Nazis were resplendent in their power. There were crimes against humanity occurring. There was a lot of prejudice, fear, greed, compassion, and moral certitude in the air. Your couple could be on the run. They could be an ethnic or sexual minority. They could be in politics. They could be people who are willing to die to create a free environment for all people. Pick who they are and why they are there. Figure out a bit about their backgrounds and their plans. Create an antagonist whether real or spectral (Bob of their opposition party or the secret police which could be anywhere).
Now write the scene. You cannot explain why they are there or what they fear. You cannot explain about the war or the issues in it. You cannot explain anything like that. Just minor things like clothes or the table or the temperature of the room. Let your characters talk and interact like real people. They won't say things like "if the SS come in here we are in trouble" because both parties already know that. They know the dangers, where they are, and what is going on. Just have them talk. If the antagonist makes an appearance, let them interact or react to the presence. But do not explain that "look, it is the captain" because a gesture or a nod would suffice. Remember, both parties already know all the explanation. Just write. It is hard, but it can be done.
The purpose of the exercise is to sharpen your word use. What we say and how we say it provides the clues our readers need to figure things out. We can explain and tell them everything. We can also tell them the minimum and let them figure things out on their own by telling them absolutely nothing. Both are extremes and most writing sits in the middle. But it is good to see both sides of the street. When you know you can show everything you want without telling anything it frees you up to point out and focus their attention on what you really want to say. And saying something is what writing is all about.
March 7, 2011
Discussion
The James Mason Community Book Club was kind enough to give me a thread for discussion of the first of the Den of 13 series The Gothic Prophet. Please feel free to drop by and discuss it.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...
Time Doesn't Matter
Imagine yourself living in the 13th century. The 1st. 20,000 BC. Who hasn't? We all do. And not just when we are kids running around wearing costumes made from Mom and Dad's old clothes. When was the last time you saw a movie set in another time period and loved it? Did you not at some point imagine yourself in those clothes? In that time? Interacting with those people? Of course you did. That is human imagination. We can project ourselves into other circumstances with ease. Now ask yourself this: When you "entered" that time did you change?
What I am referring to is change of personality. Were you totally different? Were you unable to recognize yourself? Were you really a different person all-together? Of course not. Mind you, sometimes it IS fun to be other people, lol. But that is not what I am talking about. No, when we imagine ourselves in other times, we are still "us". Our manners might be different. We might talk differently. We might act a little different. Our professions might change. But at our core we are the same. If we were not, it wouldn't really be us would it?
Now do the same with a character. We tend to imagine our characters a certain way. We see them entirely in the box that we have created for them. And so we should. That story is where they are going to live. But do you wonder if your character is "real?" I do. Are they three dimensional or cardboard cutouts? Will people identify with them? Are they driving the story forward or just in it? One of the best ways I have of answering some of those questions is to take a day or two and put my characters into another time.
One of the most fun things about art is its versatility. If you do a search for Steampunk imagery one of the many things you will find are pictures of Star Wars characters that have been drawn in a Steampunk style. They look totally different. Yet they are the same. You could see them going through exactly the same plot with different costumes, dialogue, and personality. They are characters that are real enough to manage the change. Think about your favorite fiction characters. Think about popular ones. Couldn't Harry Potter have gone on his journey in the 11th century as well? In many ways yes. It would be a slightly different story, but all the key points and personalities would be the same. They pass the test.
It is a fun exercise. It can show you character weak points. It reveals their strengths. And it can sometimes point you to things they are capable of doing that you would never have noticed. When you are finished, put them back in their own storyline and time and watch them go. They will be more vibrant to you and act more real because you have proven them to be real.
What I am referring to is change of personality. Were you totally different? Were you unable to recognize yourself? Were you really a different person all-together? Of course not. Mind you, sometimes it IS fun to be other people, lol. But that is not what I am talking about. No, when we imagine ourselves in other times, we are still "us". Our manners might be different. We might talk differently. We might act a little different. Our professions might change. But at our core we are the same. If we were not, it wouldn't really be us would it?
Now do the same with a character. We tend to imagine our characters a certain way. We see them entirely in the box that we have created for them. And so we should. That story is where they are going to live. But do you wonder if your character is "real?" I do. Are they three dimensional or cardboard cutouts? Will people identify with them? Are they driving the story forward or just in it? One of the best ways I have of answering some of those questions is to take a day or two and put my characters into another time.
One of the most fun things about art is its versatility. If you do a search for Steampunk imagery one of the many things you will find are pictures of Star Wars characters that have been drawn in a Steampunk style. They look totally different. Yet they are the same. You could see them going through exactly the same plot with different costumes, dialogue, and personality. They are characters that are real enough to manage the change. Think about your favorite fiction characters. Think about popular ones. Couldn't Harry Potter have gone on his journey in the 11th century as well? In many ways yes. It would be a slightly different story, but all the key points and personalities would be the same. They pass the test.
It is a fun exercise. It can show you character weak points. It reveals their strengths. And it can sometimes point you to things they are capable of doing that you would never have noticed. When you are finished, put them back in their own storyline and time and watch them go. They will be more vibrant to you and act more real because you have proven them to be real.
March 6, 2011
Small Changes
It is the small changes that make the differences. Sometimes you have a piece that just isn't working. I have been guilty of scrapping most or all of one because I have not been happy with it. But that is not always the best answer.
When we work on things we get close to them. It takes a special kind of person to stand apart from them. Those special kind of people are the difference between writers and those that write. I will be completely honest and admit that there are days that I am on the wrong side of that line.
But it is worth the extreme effort to re-look at our work and make changes. Sometimes the smallest changes make the difference. A phrase turned around. A scene moved in it's placement. Sometimes even just an added word of dialogue.
Crafted work is just that: crafted. It is molded and altered and chiseled and touched until it is done. I will admit that sometimes chunks need to be thrown out. But usually mild and small changes are all that is needed to fix something that really at the end of things not truly broken.
When we work on things we get close to them. It takes a special kind of person to stand apart from them. Those special kind of people are the difference between writers and those that write. I will be completely honest and admit that there are days that I am on the wrong side of that line.
But it is worth the extreme effort to re-look at our work and make changes. Sometimes the smallest changes make the difference. A phrase turned around. A scene moved in it's placement. Sometimes even just an added word of dialogue.
Crafted work is just that: crafted. It is molded and altered and chiseled and touched until it is done. I will admit that sometimes chunks need to be thrown out. But usually mild and small changes are all that is needed to fix something that really at the end of things not truly broken.
March 5, 2011
When All You Have Are Words
Can you write a story purely in words? Without directions as to where your "actors" should be standing or what they should be doing? Can you exist purely in dialogue?
It is a hard thing. But it is something that script writers (film, stage, or graphic) deal with every day. Sure, they use stage directions to let the directors and artists know what they envision the characters doing. But there is nothing to say that the directors or artists will follow them. Once the script is written and passed off the author fades into the background. All they really have is dialogue.
Dialogue is a powerful tool. It shapes and defines character. It leads a plot. It is a major tool of communication. Do not underestimate it. There is one book I have read where an entire long chapter is a dinner conversation between a man and a woman. There are no directions telling me what they are eating or doing. There are no indications of who is speaking or if they are whispering or shouting. All the dialogue is capped with simply "he said" or "she said". The chapter is almost pure dialogue. And it sings. It is amazing. You imagine so much that the characters are doing. It is vibrant piece of writing.
Word choice is important. Some words mean only one thing. You anchor the story in certainly. Others can add a sense of secretiveness or evasiveness. Well written dialogue - the best and the rarest - can only be said one way. It is almost impossible to paraphrase. You need an example? Take some of Shakespeare's work and try to translate it into modern English. So much of it cannot be done. With so much of it you end up using the same words simply because they are the best words to use.
Dialogue is tricky and it takes time to write it. But it is worth it. Try writing it separate from the rest of your story. Really work to make it do your work for you. To describe for you. To let your readers feel. Just from the words you choose. Aim for great heights. If you even come slightly close your work will sing.
It is a hard thing. But it is something that script writers (film, stage, or graphic) deal with every day. Sure, they use stage directions to let the directors and artists know what they envision the characters doing. But there is nothing to say that the directors or artists will follow them. Once the script is written and passed off the author fades into the background. All they really have is dialogue.
Dialogue is a powerful tool. It shapes and defines character. It leads a plot. It is a major tool of communication. Do not underestimate it. There is one book I have read where an entire long chapter is a dinner conversation between a man and a woman. There are no directions telling me what they are eating or doing. There are no indications of who is speaking or if they are whispering or shouting. All the dialogue is capped with simply "he said" or "she said". The chapter is almost pure dialogue. And it sings. It is amazing. You imagine so much that the characters are doing. It is vibrant piece of writing.
Word choice is important. Some words mean only one thing. You anchor the story in certainly. Others can add a sense of secretiveness or evasiveness. Well written dialogue - the best and the rarest - can only be said one way. It is almost impossible to paraphrase. You need an example? Take some of Shakespeare's work and try to translate it into modern English. So much of it cannot be done. With so much of it you end up using the same words simply because they are the best words to use.
Dialogue is tricky and it takes time to write it. But it is worth it. Try writing it separate from the rest of your story. Really work to make it do your work for you. To describe for you. To let your readers feel. Just from the words you choose. Aim for great heights. If you even come slightly close your work will sing.
March 3, 2011
Form of...
It should not matter too much what form your story is created in. Prose, screenplay, comic script, etc. A story is a story. It has the same characters. It has the same plot. It should just be a matter of more or less description and maybe a few visual changes. But in practice this does not often seem true.
I have a story that I have worked on for years. And depending on what form it took there were many changes made. Characters were added. Others were altered. Scenes appeared. Others vanished. If I posted each version you would read three completely different stories. The flavor would be the same, but the meat completely changed.
In the end it helped me to learn what was substance and what was flash. There were some plot points that were vital. Others were just moving people around. There were first, second, and third string characters. Depending on how much room I had to play in would depend on who came on stage. It was interesting and at times disconcerting what was needed and was not. Some of the "not" were things I had spent serious time crafting. But you cannot fool an editor. Once the form changed some things just didn't work anymore.
If you want an eye opening experience, take a story you like and alter its form. See if you still like it. What you had to kill. What you got to keep. There are ways around everything, but it is amazing how much the forms really are different from each other. Same story, different words.
I have a story that I have worked on for years. And depending on what form it took there were many changes made. Characters were added. Others were altered. Scenes appeared. Others vanished. If I posted each version you would read three completely different stories. The flavor would be the same, but the meat completely changed.
In the end it helped me to learn what was substance and what was flash. There were some plot points that were vital. Others were just moving people around. There were first, second, and third string characters. Depending on how much room I had to play in would depend on who came on stage. It was interesting and at times disconcerting what was needed and was not. Some of the "not" were things I had spent serious time crafting. But you cannot fool an editor. Once the form changed some things just didn't work anymore.
If you want an eye opening experience, take a story you like and alter its form. See if you still like it. What you had to kill. What you got to keep. There are ways around everything, but it is amazing how much the forms really are different from each other. Same story, different words.
March 2, 2011
Minimalist Painting
How many strokes of the pen are needed for a picture to look like a picture? How many dabs of paint? How many words?
Description is not about describing everything to a reader. Description is about giving them what they need to see the scene and then focusing on what is important. You say "bus station" and everyone has a picture in their mind. Don't describe everything. Just the style of station you mean. Then on the detail you want them to notice.
Too many authors describe everything. It takes away from the pace of a book. It breaks up good dialogue. It is pointless. Describe what you need to and then keep on going.
That is not to say that thorough description isn't useful. Robert Jordan for example is a master. Read a few paragraphs of his description and you will see what I mean. It is not dry. It is rich with lore and information and color. He gives us just what we need and builds on it.
Less is often more. More is often too much. Break things up. Give a broad outline and then focus our thoughts. It works. Sure your mental picture might not be exactly their mental picture, but it will be close enough that we can go on the journey together and see the same basic things.
Description is not about describing everything to a reader. Description is about giving them what they need to see the scene and then focusing on what is important. You say "bus station" and everyone has a picture in their mind. Don't describe everything. Just the style of station you mean. Then on the detail you want them to notice.
Too many authors describe everything. It takes away from the pace of a book. It breaks up good dialogue. It is pointless. Describe what you need to and then keep on going.
That is not to say that thorough description isn't useful. Robert Jordan for example is a master. Read a few paragraphs of his description and you will see what I mean. It is not dry. It is rich with lore and information and color. He gives us just what we need and builds on it.
Less is often more. More is often too much. Break things up. Give a broad outline and then focus our thoughts. It works. Sure your mental picture might not be exactly their mental picture, but it will be close enough that we can go on the journey together and see the same basic things.
March 1, 2011
How Do You Speak?
Have you ever really listened to yourself? The words that you say when you talk? Do you ever really listen to other people around you? Try it sometime. You might be surprised.
We do not talk anything like people in stories. And I do not mean the pat answers, cool lines, and amusing comments. Just the pace and rhythm of speech. The umms the uhhs. The pauses. The repetition. We are messy speakers. It is a wonder that we can understand each other at all.
When we write, we seek to emulate that speech. But we can't. At least, we can but it would be a huge mistake. It would be very sloppy writing. It would not look right, it would not sound right, and it would not read smoothly. That is one of the reasons that no one in a story talks the way real people do. The other reason is that when we write we have time to come up with good lines, lol.
Our task is to find a way to get our characters to speak so that they sound like real people without sounding like real people. Sound hard? It is. If you want to know exactly what I mean, read something by Elmore Leonard. He is truly gifted at it.
Dialogue is one of the hardest things to master. Combined with good solid background to stand on, it is the mark of a truly great writer.
We do not talk anything like people in stories. And I do not mean the pat answers, cool lines, and amusing comments. Just the pace and rhythm of speech. The umms the uhhs. The pauses. The repetition. We are messy speakers. It is a wonder that we can understand each other at all.
When we write, we seek to emulate that speech. But we can't. At least, we can but it would be a huge mistake. It would be very sloppy writing. It would not look right, it would not sound right, and it would not read smoothly. That is one of the reasons that no one in a story talks the way real people do. The other reason is that when we write we have time to come up with good lines, lol.
Our task is to find a way to get our characters to speak so that they sound like real people without sounding like real people. Sound hard? It is. If you want to know exactly what I mean, read something by Elmore Leonard. He is truly gifted at it.
Dialogue is one of the hardest things to master. Combined with good solid background to stand on, it is the mark of a truly great writer.
Topic Theme Please
Do you remember how to write an essay? The way they taught us in school? Do you remember the repetitiveness?
There were only a couple of simple rules and a formula to follow. 1) start with your topic sentence. 2) at the end of the first paragraph we should know your three main points. 3) Close first paragraph with the idea behind the topic sentence -- in case they forgot it from two or three sentences before. 4) Each of your three points should be a paragraph. This paragraph should begin with the point and close with it. 5) In the final paragraph, re-iterate your three points and close with the topic sentence. Done deal.
Craft your stories in the same way. But ignore topic sentences. Instead, theme is the thing. In your opener, you should set the theme. The tone. Every section that follows should contribute to it in some way. The ending should bring that theme to startling conclusion.
A theme is built because things within the text reverberate with it. That will make the theme rich. That will give it depth. That will help to give the story meaning. The ending (assuming it is not a cliff-hanger or a continuing series) should tie the loose ends tight and leave the reader with a sense of satisfaction.
There were only a couple of simple rules and a formula to follow. 1) start with your topic sentence. 2) at the end of the first paragraph we should know your three main points. 3) Close first paragraph with the idea behind the topic sentence -- in case they forgot it from two or three sentences before. 4) Each of your three points should be a paragraph. This paragraph should begin with the point and close with it. 5) In the final paragraph, re-iterate your three points and close with the topic sentence. Done deal.
Craft your stories in the same way. But ignore topic sentences. Instead, theme is the thing. In your opener, you should set the theme. The tone. Every section that follows should contribute to it in some way. The ending should bring that theme to startling conclusion.
A theme is built because things within the text reverberate with it. That will make the theme rich. That will give it depth. That will help to give the story meaning. The ending (assuming it is not a cliff-hanger or a continuing series) should tie the loose ends tight and leave the reader with a sense of satisfaction.
February 27, 2011
Sweat vs Inspiration
There are those that believe that good creativity is 90% sweat and 10% inspiration. There are those that believe the opposite. It is really a question of style.
There are those that work best when they work through the doldrums. They do not start with a particular idea. They trust that if they keep working and putting things down on paper that they will become inspired and turn out good work.
There are those that work best when they think through the doldrums. They do not work at the empty page. They think and imagine and create in their minds until they hit upon an idea that will work well.
I admit that I am more in the second line of style. I think and create in my mind until I get an idea. Then I work it out. And I will continue to work it until it succeeds or dies. Some ideas are great, but they are not enough to carry a story. Until more ideas show up to help them, they sit in the dustbin. So I am in the middle. 60-70% inspiration and the rest is work.
Whatever your own formula, both elements are needed. Pure inspiration can be pretty, but will just show promise without good form. Pure work can be technically proficient, but will lack beauty. A truly good piece of writing will be an inspired idea well crafted.
There are those that work best when they work through the doldrums. They do not start with a particular idea. They trust that if they keep working and putting things down on paper that they will become inspired and turn out good work.
There are those that work best when they think through the doldrums. They do not work at the empty page. They think and imagine and create in their minds until they hit upon an idea that will work well.
I admit that I am more in the second line of style. I think and create in my mind until I get an idea. Then I work it out. And I will continue to work it until it succeeds or dies. Some ideas are great, but they are not enough to carry a story. Until more ideas show up to help them, they sit in the dustbin. So I am in the middle. 60-70% inspiration and the rest is work.
Whatever your own formula, both elements are needed. Pure inspiration can be pretty, but will just show promise without good form. Pure work can be technically proficient, but will lack beauty. A truly good piece of writing will be an inspired idea well crafted.
A Journey In Mind
Thoughts, feelings, and discussions on writing, publishing, creative solutions to issues, and generally anything else that might come up along the way.
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