Below are some extracts from an article in the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin October 2004, about establishing truth in crime reports. I was struck by how these things also apply to fiction.
Are You Telling Me the Truth?
Indicators of Veracity in Written Statements
A second relationship that the authors found between veracity and features of the examined statements involved the inclusion of unique sensory details. Such information recounted by a suspect or victim includes detailed depictions of the five sensory perceptions—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. In an assault case, for example, a truthful victim might describe the alcoholic smell of an assailant’s breath or the rough feel of his callused hands. Unique, rather than generic, descriptions add to the specificity of the sensory details.
Studies contrasting truthful, experienced memories with false, or constructed, ones have shown that the experienced memories contain more sensory information. Similarly, in studies of oral statements, researchers have found that truthful accounts include more details than deceptive ones.
The final part of the research involved examining the relation ship between veracity and the inclusion of emotions in the 60 written statements.
Memory studies have revealed that the recall of experienced events includes more affective information, such as emotional reactions, than the recall of created events. In oral statements, researchers have found emotional experiences present in truthful witness accounts but not generally in constructed ones.
More
So if you want something to sound real, include specifc sensory details and emotional experiences.
Showing posts with label writing process. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing process. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Language Making
I find made up languages in fiction annoying at best. So why am I now adding one to this WIP?
It seems to me that if a character comes from a family who speak a different language at hime, then words from that language are going to slip into his speech from time to time. Maybe expressions his parents used, or single words like "No" or "Wait" that he doesn't bother to convert, or long words when he's frustrated or upset.
If those single words and short phrases are going to have some consistency, then I understanding of the syllables and words are put together, and the accompanying grammar. Then once these starts to develop, I start to play with more complicated constructions.
It's a slippery, this language constructing. And, of course, I have no idea if it works :)
It seems to me that if a character comes from a family who speak a different language at hime, then words from that language are going to slip into his speech from time to time. Maybe expressions his parents used, or single words like "No" or "Wait" that he doesn't bother to convert, or long words when he's frustrated or upset.
If those single words and short phrases are going to have some consistency, then I understanding of the syllables and words are put together, and the accompanying grammar. Then once these starts to develop, I start to play with more complicated constructions.
It's a slippery, this language constructing. And, of course, I have no idea if it works :)
Sunday, December 7, 2008
It grows
Why is that simplifying a section and making less things happen leads to the number of scenes increasing?
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Or maybe not
Possibly I was wrong about the source of slowness, at least in part.
The last two or three, rather long, scenes have been in Gwyn's point of view. Writing them was like pulling teeth with a pair of toothpicks. The one I've been working on today is from Jenn's point of view, and it's more like "Hey wait for me, I can't write that quick."
Now, Gwyn is a private sort of person. He doesn't like to give out his thoughts on things. With some coaxing, he'll tell me what he's doing, but his emotional state and observations have to be dragged out, word by word. He's happy enough when saying what other people are doing, where he can fade into the backgroudn and become an "invisible narrator" (grumbles) but once the focus of action turns to him, he doesn't want to be part of it.
On the other hand, Jenn wants to be the center of attention and he's also happy to share his observations on things. If he had his way, he'd spend the whole novel sitting on the edge of the river watching the world go by and tell me about it.
It's not the first time I've noticed different in how my POV characters share information. I've had some who only notice what immediately effects them, and others who have to look at everything and anything and comment on it. It's a strange phenomomen. I have to work out how to use it to my advantage.
The last two or three, rather long, scenes have been in Gwyn's point of view. Writing them was like pulling teeth with a pair of toothpicks. The one I've been working on today is from Jenn's point of view, and it's more like "Hey wait for me, I can't write that quick."
Now, Gwyn is a private sort of person. He doesn't like to give out his thoughts on things. With some coaxing, he'll tell me what he's doing, but his emotional state and observations have to be dragged out, word by word. He's happy enough when saying what other people are doing, where he can fade into the backgroudn and become an "invisible narrator" (grumbles) but once the focus of action turns to him, he doesn't want to be part of it.
On the other hand, Jenn wants to be the center of attention and he's also happy to share his observations on things. If he had his way, he'd spend the whole novel sitting on the edge of the river watching the world go by and tell me about it.
It's not the first time I've noticed different in how my POV characters share information. I've had some who only notice what immediately effects them, and others who have to look at everything and anything and comment on it. It's a strange phenomomen. I have to work out how to use it to my advantage.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Note to self
When trying to work out the best course of action in a scene, stand back and let the characters decide.
Any other approach, invariably leads to forcing them to do things that are out of character.
I really should know this by now.
Any other approach, invariably leads to forcing them to do things that are out of character.
I really should know this by now.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Sense words
A technique for adding a touch of individualness to a character's dialogue is to pay attention to what sense-related cues a character uses. I'm sure there's a technical term for them. People tend to stick to one type of sense & visual words are the most common:
I see what you mean.
That doesn't look good.
Do you want to look into it?
Instead, someone could say:
I hear you.
Do you want talk about that?
That doesn't feel right.
How do you feel about that?
Of course, this should go beyond just word choice. A character who is aurally inclined is going to behave in a slightly different ways to a predominently visual person. Do they give verbal directions or draw a map? Do you talk a lot when nervous? Make frequent eye contact? Or touch people for reassurance? Look? Listen? Do?
I see what you mean.
That doesn't look good.
Do you want to look into it?
Instead, someone could say:
I hear you.
Do you want talk about that?
That doesn't feel right.
How do you feel about that?
Of course, this should go beyond just word choice. A character who is aurally inclined is going to behave in a slightly different ways to a predominently visual person. Do they give verbal directions or draw a map? Do you talk a lot when nervous? Make frequent eye contact? Or touch people for reassurance? Look? Listen? Do?
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Scene Structure
I've been analysing the structure of the scenes in WIP. It is discouraing.
For each Scene, there has to be a Goal, a Conflict/Obstacle and a Disaster.
Following this, the Sequel, which has a Reaction, Dilemma and Decision.
The scenes as they are don't work like that. The biggest problem being, I often end scenes with a positive rather than a negative (disaster). For example, the MC wants revenge on a former friend and he thinks his ex-girlfriend knows where the friend lives (Goal) so he goes to the shop her family runs to get her address but her sister doesn't want to give it to him (Conflict) until he goads her into giving it to him (not a Disaster).
But, I might be looking at the concept of a Scene in the wrong way. I see it as a section of writing with blank lines or other markers separating from the other sections. However if I look at the above scene (section) in conjunction with the following section, then it goes: MC wants to find where his friend lives (Goal), ex-girlfriend's sister won't give up her address (Conflict), ex-girlfriend won't give up friend's address (more Conflict), she chases MC out of house because her husband is coming home (Disaster). Then, MC is trying to get work and grumbling about things (Reaction), goes back to ex-girlfriend's house and finally offers to tell him if he'll agree to stay away their daugher (Dilemma), which he agrees to (Decision).
Scene & Sequel.
It fits!
Not so discouraging now!
For each Scene, there has to be a Goal, a Conflict/Obstacle and a Disaster.
Following this, the Sequel, which has a Reaction, Dilemma and Decision.
The scenes as they are don't work like that. The biggest problem being, I often end scenes with a positive rather than a negative (disaster). For example, the MC wants revenge on a former friend and he thinks his ex-girlfriend knows where the friend lives (Goal) so he goes to the shop her family runs to get her address but her sister doesn't want to give it to him (Conflict) until he goads her into giving it to him (not a Disaster).
But, I might be looking at the concept of a Scene in the wrong way. I see it as a section of writing with blank lines or other markers separating from the other sections. However if I look at the above scene (section) in conjunction with the following section, then it goes: MC wants to find where his friend lives (Goal), ex-girlfriend's sister won't give up her address (Conflict), ex-girlfriend won't give up friend's address (more Conflict), she chases MC out of house because her husband is coming home (Disaster). Then, MC is trying to get work and grumbling about things (Reaction), goes back to ex-girlfriend's house and finally offers to tell him if he'll agree to stay away their daugher (Dilemma), which he agrees to (Decision).
Scene & Sequel.
It fits!
Not so discouraging now!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Walk-on characters
In writing, I find there are two types of characters:
- the ones I create and put on the board
- the ones who walk onto the board and say "Here I am".
The first usually result from a story need, there's a role to fill so it's filled. They tend to be well behaved, but this can make them dull to write.
The second appear in the story, often for no apparent reason, or they're minor characters who are given a bigger role than originally intended. These are the ones who like to take the story into interesting or different places. If they're not the main character, they believe they're entitled to their own subplots, and then their own book. They walk on, and take over their little corner of the story
It's these characters who bring in interesting plot twists, who offer interesting world building details, who make the stories worth writing.
But where do they come from?
Deliberately trying to create them just leads to more type one characters. They come from the dark pool as story ideas, no doubt. Story ideas come from random thoughts, little details, interesting phrases and odd concepts that fall into the pool where they float around looking for other bits to join up with, until they spark and create a storyline. Maybe walk-on characters take a swim in the pool, and pick up the bits that make them spark.
- the ones I create and put on the board
- the ones who walk onto the board and say "Here I am".
The first usually result from a story need, there's a role to fill so it's filled. They tend to be well behaved, but this can make them dull to write.
The second appear in the story, often for no apparent reason, or they're minor characters who are given a bigger role than originally intended. These are the ones who like to take the story into interesting or different places. If they're not the main character, they believe they're entitled to their own subplots, and then their own book. They walk on, and take over their little corner of the story
It's these characters who bring in interesting plot twists, who offer interesting world building details, who make the stories worth writing.
But where do they come from?
Deliberately trying to create them just leads to more type one characters. They come from the dark pool as story ideas, no doubt. Story ideas come from random thoughts, little details, interesting phrases and odd concepts that fall into the pool where they float around looking for other bits to join up with, until they spark and create a storyline. Maybe walk-on characters take a swim in the pool, and pick up the bits that make them spark.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
An Odd Thing
I am rewriting the novel I wrote in last year's Nanowrimo.
Not that's anything odd about rewriting a Nanowrimo novel, I do this all the time. The odd thing is, I've only just completed the first draft and now I'm doing a rewrite.
My usual process, and I've done this for far too many novels and not enough short stories, is this:
* Write a quick & short first draft.
* Put it aside for a few months while I work on other things.
* Come back to it fresh, and do a rewrite. This is where I add in all the structure, make all that has to happen does happen and get to know the characters.
* Put it aside for a few months while I work on other things.
* Come back to it fresh and add in the emotional & descriptive stuff.
* Fuss, fiddle & tweak, while writing query letters & stuff
So it's a slow journey for an individual novel (this is why I've only got one submittable) but it's a sort of a rolling process that, on theory, moves all them closer to being "finish".
When I've tried to do a two-draft novel (with one major) rewrite, I've got bogged down because I was trying to do too much. It's also hard to say "Just get it down and fix it in the rewrite" when you don't intend to do a rewrite. So this is my process that works for me.
Enter Falcon.
This novel's coming-to-be was different from the start, but that's another post. Come November, it took me about *mumble* days to write and then I went off to concentre on exams and other WIPs. Towards the end of November, I started getting whispers "Rewrite me." No bloody way. It was just over two weeks from when I'd finished. Instead, I started on the "final" draft for Fox, the other planet-highwayman books, because it's closed to being done. But I couldn't get into it, what with it being summer and all the end-of-year/Christmas/New Year stuff and this other novel screaming "Rewrite ME."
So, come the turn of the year, I went back to Falcon. There was this thought that it would soon become stale and I could go back to working on what I "should" be working on.
I'm currently partway through chapter 2 and I've discovered two more odd things. It's trying to be a "two draft" novel and working! And somewhere during December, my writing style changed. The words I use & the type of sentences I put them in has changed. I also prefer to work first thing in the morning rather than last thing at night.
All of which is good. But it does show that just because something works for you, doesn't mean it will always work for you.
Not that's anything odd about rewriting a Nanowrimo novel, I do this all the time. The odd thing is, I've only just completed the first draft and now I'm doing a rewrite.
My usual process, and I've done this for far too many novels and not enough short stories, is this:
* Write a quick & short first draft.
* Put it aside for a few months while I work on other things.
* Come back to it fresh, and do a rewrite. This is where I add in all the structure, make all that has to happen does happen and get to know the characters.
* Put it aside for a few months while I work on other things.
* Come back to it fresh and add in the emotional & descriptive stuff.
* Fuss, fiddle & tweak, while writing query letters & stuff
So it's a slow journey for an individual novel (this is why I've only got one submittable) but it's a sort of a rolling process that, on theory, moves all them closer to being "finish".
When I've tried to do a two-draft novel (with one major) rewrite, I've got bogged down because I was trying to do too much. It's also hard to say "Just get it down and fix it in the rewrite" when you don't intend to do a rewrite. So this is my process that works for me.
Enter Falcon.
This novel's coming-to-be was different from the start, but that's another post. Come November, it took me about *mumble* days to write and then I went off to concentre on exams and other WIPs. Towards the end of November, I started getting whispers "Rewrite me." No bloody way. It was just over two weeks from when I'd finished. Instead, I started on the "final" draft for Fox, the other planet-highwayman books, because it's closed to being done. But I couldn't get into it, what with it being summer and all the end-of-year/Christmas/New Year stuff and this other novel screaming "Rewrite ME."
So, come the turn of the year, I went back to Falcon. There was this thought that it would soon become stale and I could go back to working on what I "should" be working on.
I'm currently partway through chapter 2 and I've discovered two more odd things. It's trying to be a "two draft" novel and working! And somewhere during December, my writing style changed. The words I use & the type of sentences I put them in has changed. I also prefer to work first thing in the morning rather than last thing at night.
All of which is good. But it does show that just because something works for you, doesn't mean it will always work for you.
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