There were so many great things in the lesson this week! I really enjoy this Making Shapely Fiction book, I mean, I have been writing for years, and before I could physically write, I was telling stories. My family knew when I was 3 that I was going to be a writer. They have always felt that I was such a great story teller. The thing is though, there is always something to be learned, or relearned. Making Shapely Fiction is taking me back to some of the lessons I have learned over the years, and I am revisiting some great ones. I also like the wording, it is so straightforward and easy to understand and follow.
Scene, this can be done in a couple of different ways. First, there is the scene: the who, the where, the what, all that jazz. Then there is the scene, the action and emotion playing out, like a child throwing a fit. Making Shapely Fiction says, “Remember the wisdom of the child: Make a scene when you really want everyone’s full attention.” The aha! Moment is something, I’ll admit, didn’t fully understand how to do this is a scene or story or piece, until I was much more advanced in the writing process. I was putting way too much pressure on making sure that moment was perfect. I was forcing it. Don’t force it, just let it build naturally, it is more believable to the reader that way. Making Shapely Fiction says “The precipitating incident itself could be dramatic but it doesn’t have to be. The most intense feelings might result from noticing the difference between a character responding, ‘Oh, sure I love ya.’ Instead of the simple ‘I love you.’”
“The sequence of the story gives you choices in how you tell it.” As well as, “Stories need tension and compression.” Are both great for your list of must-haves in writing a story! Straight Pool by John O’Hara Here we have a very quick story about two men shooting a game of pool together and one talks, or better, complains about his wife. His wife seems to be sad or upset and he doesn’t’ know why or what to do. On the surface, this seems like a pretty straight forward story, but something deeper is going on. The wife seems like she is having an affair, or something just as shady. But the husband seems to have no idea, thinking that she is worried about dying of cancer like her aunt did. This piece gives the scene: a pool game. This piece gives a scene: the wife’s crying fits. Although, there doesn’t seem to be an aha! Moment just yet.
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