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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Something I read recently...

In one of the books I'm reading, "The Writer's Digest Handbook of Short Story Writing, Vol II", an article told of how one should start their story at the moment where the main character was teetering on the edge of something big. Where major change was imminent.

The author, Ray Sorrels, illustrated the concept with a table and a fragile teacup resting in the middle of it. He said that as long as the teacup sat in the middle of the table, it was safe. Nobody was worried about it, and there was nothing really worth talking about.

But, as the teacup was moved closer to the edge, tension mounted. Worry, suspense, anticipation all went up. People's heart rates increased. They moved a little closer to the edges of their seats and watched. They bit their nails, they had to have a cigarette, they paced.

And when the teacup was poised on the very brink of falling over and breaking, at that moment, frozen in time, everything was about to change. In a huge way. Especially for the teacup.

That's where the author of the article said to start your story.

He said to think of the teacup as your main character. Put him or her at the instant of that change, and go from there.


I thought about this. Especially being a relatively new writer and always looking for ways to motivate myself or make my task a little more doable.

And being a person with a lot of empathy, I put myself there too. I felt what the character was feeling.

This came really easy to me. I wondered why, and then it hit me: This very moment when my character is teetering on the brink of a huge change... I'm right there with him.

I'm on the brink of a major change too.

Considering all the work that goes into writing a novel or a story; all the time and energy and coffee and late nights and beautiful sunny days where I'm sitting inside racking my brains for just the right words... All the Ibuprofen I'm going to need. All the booze and all the cigarettes... all the missed soccer games and the dishes that never get washed...

It's a huge commitment.

If... and that's the big word.. IF... I make this decision and stick with it, not only is that teacup going to be changed... my character changed...

I'm going to be changed. I'll never be the same. Good or bad, I will have changed, permanently.


I thought about that too...

If there's going to be huge change inside of me, I can channel those feelings. If I look at what I'm going through and the flow of the story and the obstacles I need to overcome, I can pour those same feelings into my character. All the nervousness, the self doubt, the anticipation and excitement. All the frustration and struggle, and the successes and milestones. I can project through him or her what is happening inside of me.

And you know, I think this is what happens with all novelists and story writers. A part of themselves is channeled into the character, or characters, or story or setting or theme.

All of this is probably so obvious to you who are either professionals or have been doing this for some time. But for me, as new to this as I am to blogging, this realization is a revelation... an epiphany...

I see that I don't necessarily have to be alone on this journey. My character is there with me. We're travelers together. He or she follows along with every word I write and struggle over. And struggles with me to get it all said. And I'm sure we will have occasional disagreements. But, like in a real relationship, we're in it together. He or she gets to explore the unopened rooms and talk to the police and chase after the crook and climb the face of the cliff and crawl through the tunnels.

And I get to carry the sticky notes and scraps of paper and laptop and spiral notebook and pencils and follow where he or she goes and write down what matters.

I just have to be willing to jump off the edge with them.

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