I'm about a third of the way through the story now and I'm beginning to wonder if I've missed any instances of this earlier on. This isn't a big deal because I will be going through it again with a fine-tooth comb after this round of editing is done, but being someone who can't stand a job half done, I've developed a bit of a brain itch about it and I'm fighting myself not to go back to beginning until I've finished this round. If I kept going back the the beginning every time I thought, "I wonder if I've missed anything like this earlier on," I'd never get anything done beyond the first few chapters.
I think story telling rather than story showing is an easy trap to fall into, particularly when you're carried away with getting the ideas down on the page. Sometimes the plot runs away with us before we even think about the little touches that help the reader get into the character's head and experience their feelings and surroundings. I often come back to descriptions after outlining what's happening.
The trouble is I've used a lot of phrases like, "She saw," "He felt," "They thought," rather than describing their physical and emotional reactions. The reader will feel far more engaged with the story if, instead of saying "She felt anxious," we say "Her heart raced, her chest tightened and her palms began to sweat." It helps people to experience what the character is feeling rather than just taking the author's word for it.
My work, being so largely character driven, should be full of these touches from beginning to end. It's not that I haven't used them at all, but there are plenty of times when I have "told" when it's been possible to "show," creating barriers between reader and character. I want my readers to become totally immersed in by book. I want them to feel like they're right there with the character and like they can be a part of them. There is still a fair bit of work to do.
I've found, because of my heightened awareness of this, I'm seeing examples of "telling" everywhere. I'm reading the Poldark novels by Winston Graham, which was written in very different times. Novel writing has evolved a lot since then. I love the plot, which is why I have been enjoying the books so much, but I have always been aware of my lack of engagement with the characters. Having seen the TV series, I can imagine more than I may have been able to from the writing alone because everything is "told." There is very little "showing" in there at all. Now I'm so acutely aware of it, it's making me feel less engaged. For me, the characters are one of the two most important parts of a story, the other one being plot. If I can't empathise or connect with them, it takes away a lot of the feeling. How can I feel the emotions of the characters if I haven't been allowed to connect with them?
In "Demelza," the second book of the series, the death of her first child was glossed over. The reader is not allowed anywhere near her emotions in this significant moment. When I saw it on TV, I cried because the screenplay had been written so beautifully and Eleanor Tomlinson played it so well. When reading the book, I felt nothing.
This is precisely the kind of thing I want to avoid in my own work. If there are barriers between reader and character, I need to break them all down before anyone else reads it. It should engage all the senses where they are appropriate. I want the reader to be able to see the views, hear the sounds, taste the food and smell their surroundings. I want them to feel the fabrics of the characters' clothing on their skin and the handle of a sword in their hands.
I've a way to go, but I will crack this, because it's the most important part for me. Reading, as far as I'm concerned, is a form of escapism. A person can't escape reality if they're not drawn into the story or they feel there's a wall between them and the world the writer has created.
So, off I go with my bulldozer, ready to smash down some walls. It's going to be great!
Happy writing!
V.
No comments:
Post a Comment