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[ksmith]

Five day weekend coming up--I'm adding a couple of vacation days to the official holiday weekend.



Looking forward to the time off, even though home maintenance will most likely be committed. Mowed the backyard last night. Tonight, I'll let the pups play in the wading pool while I mow the front. Will need to at least try to install gutter covers. Boy, the excitement never stops.

Tossed my hat in the ring for another job opening. We'll see how that one goes.

Read SILENCE OF THE LAMBS last Sunday, and confirmed the sense that even in a thriller, depth of characterization matters. That isn't to say that books with lightly sketched characters don't sell--they do, and quite well in some cases. But from what I've seen, the memorable books, the ones folks talk about years later, contain characters that fix their attention. I was reminded of this as I read the verbal exchanges between Clarice and Hannibal, the scenes with Jack Crawford and his dying wife. Action alone can work, and quite well, too. The bestseller lists are filled with proof of that. But I'm convinced that characterization is what keeps most readers coming back. Character is what you remember.
At least, it's what I remember.

At this point, writing has become the opportunity for my characters to surprise me, to deviate from the outline and show me what they really plan to do. It's an interactive exercise, in a way. I've been following discussions in sartorias's blog, and wondering exactly how I fit in. Do I see my stories unfold as movies, with me as a viewer, or do my characters speak through me? I've tentatively concluded that I'm more of an observer, a visual writer,
simply because I have had plotlines derail so often because my characters wouldn't do what I wanted them to do. I would think that if they spoke through me, I would have more of a connection with them, and they wouldn't surprise me like they do. Maybe I need to think about this some more.

Comments

[galeni.livejournal.com]

I see scenes from my stories, but I have trouble turning these cool scenes (full sensaround you-are-there) into a plot. In my current work in progress, one character insists it's his story, but he hasn't told me enough to wrap a decent plot around. It's frustrating.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I have often visualized cool scenes, then plotted the chapter or book and realized that the cool scene didn't fit. Even though they serve as seeds, or triggers, they don't always work with the developed story.

I find that, seat-of-the-pants plotter that I am, I still need to work out some sort of story skeleton separately, on a sheet of paper, independent of cool scenes and other visualizations. I then try to fit in the various trigger scenes, like ornaments on the tree, but sometimes they just don't fit.

[technomage.livejournal.com]

However your writing works, I'm fine with that, as long as you keep getting it published.

It would be interesting to have characters you know well enough that they push back when you've written them into the wrong corner. It happens for my most used NPCs in my D&D champaign - they are like old coats I know perfectly. When I put each on I know how they'll move, where the holes are in the lining and how far I can reach without ripping out a shoulder seam.

Enjoy your weekend. Count your blessings. Thank a vet. Blow something up (textual explosions will do, you northern folks don't have the liberal fireworks laws we swamp dwellers can afford).

No comment

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

You know, for whatever reason, I did not receive email copies of your or galeni's comments. I have received email copies of responses to comments I made in other LJs. This is very weird.

I know LJ is having problems. Maybe the emails are just being held up.