Writing Things You've Never Experienced & Other Writing Questions
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
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QUESTIONS
0:00 - Intro
0:20 - Boundaries when taking inspiration from real life
1:27 - Incorporating subtlety
2:20 - Writing about something you've never experienced
4:42 - Does contemporary need less description?
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The flip side of that last question: When writing speculative fiction resist the urge to over-describe. It can bog down your writing. Your readers don't need to have an image of the star ship which exactly matches yours.
I've often written about things I've never or rarely experienced, and I 100% agree that making it specific to your character helps: it can make these experiences easier and more fun to write about, while also making the story more interesting. Definitely one of my favorite ways to write. (Not just for unfamiliar things either: writing about familiar things from a completely different perspective can be fun as well!)
Some other little things that could help if you still feel unsure:
- Relating in other ways. In a book I wrote, one of the main characters loves sport and bullying: two activities that I don't usually enjoy. However, I know what adrenaline feels like. I can describe the thrill Tammy feels while rope climbing in P.E. class or picking on her classmates, despite probably not feeling the same adrenaline if I personally would climb up a rope or be mean to some poor kid. It doesn't even have to be the exact same feeling: if you've never been in love, you may still have had overwhelming positive feelings about something or someone, like a new friend, a beautiful landscape or a favorite book that you can't stop thinking about.
- 'Research' in the broadest sense. Sometimes seeing things from your characters' perspectives is enough and you don't really need research. Other times, you might want a bit more knowledge on the subject, or just a bit of extra inspiration. This 'research' can come in a lot of different forms, like googling how things work, watching/reading how other stories interpret the topic, or thinking about other people's experiences and see which parts might overlap with your character and which would be different.
I'd like to know about how to write deep POV. Is it a useful style?
I love writing deep POV! It's fun to read and fun to write. Is there anything specific you'd like to know? I don't think I can answer whether it's 'useful', since that would depend on the story you're trying to write.
I'd recommend storygrid for that
@@booklanerecommendations how do you explain time jump in deep pov since it feels unnatural to explain to yourself the time has passed?
@@user-ym1zs8sd2y Ooh tricky question, but here are a few different options (with examples):
1. Go out of deep pov for a moment, but keep it as brief as possible. You can usually do this in a sentence or less. Psychic distance isn't something that has to stay exactly the same throughout the whole story: it's okay to zoom in or out sometimes, and a time jump is a reasonable place to zoom out. (If you're confused about psychic distance, Shaelin from Reedsy has a couple videos on it, both on Reedsy and on their own channel, ShaelinWrites.)
'Four years later, I found a sticky note taped to my door.'
'After three weeks of intensive training, Lou finally stood before the doors of the palace.'
2A. Make it clear from the context that there has been a time jump. You can use things like places, people's ages, important changes in characters' lives etc.
'Irene climbed the long, winding stairs to the fifth floor. She still wasn't used to her new apartment.'
'I sat on a stool in the garden and watched Benny play. He toddled through the grass and chased after frogs, trying to kiss them like the girl in the fairy tale.' (If Benny was a baby before the time jump, this would make it clear he's older and that time has passed.)
2B. If this isn't clear enough, you can also use the paragraph/sentence before the time jump to refer to the next part.
(Chapter end before time jump:) 'In just a few years, I'd be standing on a stage. Everyone would love me. I could already imagine the cheers.' (After time jump:) 'The crowd booed. A thickset man ushered me off the stage before I could deliver my last line.'
(Dialogue just before time jump:) '"Remember, when you meet the Warden, keep your head bowed and don't ask any questions."' (After time jump:) 'The Warden was a shorter man than Willow had expected.'
3. Have the character briefly recall the time in between.
'Ori stood, staff in hand, ready for his first duel. The training had been intense - eight months of running laps, memorizing spells, and many collisions with unfortunately heavy objects - but what was coming was even worse.'
'I sat in my rocking chair by the crackling fire. The house felt empty now that Dylan had moved out. I remembered his cheeky smile the day he left, the heavy bag over his shoulder. He'd waved at me, looking over his shoulder for one last goodbye, and walked straight into a tree. I missed his tomfoolery now, sitting at the fire alone.'
4. Use headers or something similar to indicate changes in time. This technique works best in longer books and/or books with lots of bigger time jumps.
'Six Years Ago'
'10 months later'
'August 14th, 1981'
5. Sometimes characters can mention the 'time' if it ties into their emotions.
'The day of the ball had finally arrived!'
Does this help?
I'm writing a fiction in 3rd person. When I write the thoughts of the character should I put them in first person or third?
History of writer's block?