Ivy Keating's Blog - Posts Tagged "fiction"
Boo!
Boo!
Did I scare you? No, of course not. That's because there's no context here for a fright. This October's blog is on one of the best ways for an author to create drama!
On occasion, I've been asked to read other writers' works. The first thing I may notice from a new author is head hopping (changing from one character's point-of-view to another), but the other frequent mistake is that they often write situations that sound good but are not grounded in the moment. A trick to solving this problem is to write with 'mindfulness'. Through mindful writing an author can achieve a dramatic effect.
To write with mindfulness, the author must think about what the character is actually doing, hearing, seeing, and feeling - plus what is actually taking place in the setting. If an ambulance goes by, the character turns her head. If she thinks someone is following her, the quicker she steps. If she notices the branches on the bare trees look like gnarly fingers reaching down, then maybe if someone yells "Boo!" she'll jump!
Every action is grounded in the reality of the moment. It's never a beat ahead or written simply because it sounds dramatic.
When moving the plot along don't skip to where you want it to go. Take the reader there by allowing them to see and feel things through the reality of the moment. This awareness helps create a seamless narrative. The reader will not be distracted by inconsistencies, and this in turn sets the perfect platform for the creation of drama.
Did I scare you? No, of course not. That's because there's no context here for a fright. This October's blog is on one of the best ways for an author to create drama!
On occasion, I've been asked to read other writers' works. The first thing I may notice from a new author is head hopping (changing from one character's point-of-view to another), but the other frequent mistake is that they often write situations that sound good but are not grounded in the moment. A trick to solving this problem is to write with 'mindfulness'. Through mindful writing an author can achieve a dramatic effect.
To write with mindfulness, the author must think about what the character is actually doing, hearing, seeing, and feeling - plus what is actually taking place in the setting. If an ambulance goes by, the character turns her head. If she thinks someone is following her, the quicker she steps. If she notices the branches on the bare trees look like gnarly fingers reaching down, then maybe if someone yells "Boo!" she'll jump!
Every action is grounded in the reality of the moment. It's never a beat ahead or written simply because it sounds dramatic.
When moving the plot along don't skip to where you want it to go. Take the reader there by allowing them to see and feel things through the reality of the moment. This awareness helps create a seamless narrative. The reader will not be distracted by inconsistencies, and this in turn sets the perfect platform for the creation of drama.
Turkey Vulture
It's a few days before Thanksgiving, so this is the perfect time to tell about my mistake with a "Turkey Vulture".
I try to be mindful not to write anything just because it sounds good. But, my editor caught me doing just that.
In my mind, a turkey vulture is a big, scary bird. It's wingspan is up to 72 inches, and some in the species are larger than vultures. They're bodies are dark, brownish-black, and they often sit high in trees with their wings spread. The sight of such a bird overhead must mean trouble. I referenced them as a bird of "prey".
This was my mistake. I said it simply because it sounded good. But turkey vultures are, in fact, not birds of prey; they are opportunistic feeders.
To the plot of my novel--it made no difference. But, the mistaken reference took the reader, my editor, out of the story to make the correction. Anything that distracts the reader from the plot is something a writer must avoid.
The turkey vulture gave me a good reminder to proof-read carefully, and always write for accuracy-never just to sound good.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I try to be mindful not to write anything just because it sounds good. But, my editor caught me doing just that.
In my mind, a turkey vulture is a big, scary bird. It's wingspan is up to 72 inches, and some in the species are larger than vultures. They're bodies are dark, brownish-black, and they often sit high in trees with their wings spread. The sight of such a bird overhead must mean trouble. I referenced them as a bird of "prey".
This was my mistake. I said it simply because it sounded good. But turkey vultures are, in fact, not birds of prey; they are opportunistic feeders.
To the plot of my novel--it made no difference. But, the mistaken reference took the reader, my editor, out of the story to make the correction. Anything that distracts the reader from the plot is something a writer must avoid.
The turkey vulture gave me a good reminder to proof-read carefully, and always write for accuracy-never just to sound good.
Happy Thanksgiving!
