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This week: Inspecting Introspection Edited by: zwisis
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Early literature often employed a character who narrated the story, meaning the story was told from one person's point of view. Frequently this "narrator" did not even appear in the story - he was a storyteller rather than a character or participant in the story. Over time the narration has changed, so that more modern stories are told by a character taking part in the story. This mean a change in writing techniques, enabling the reader to understand the "storyteller's" thought and opinions. This is called introspection, enabling the reader to see and experience the story from the character's point of view. |
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Introspection is details about your character, specifically his thoughts and feelings. Introspection allows readers to identify with a character and feel their emotions, reactions, perceptions and opinions. Introspection allows a reader to see the world in which you've set your story - the world your characters inhabit.
There are no set rules and guidelines for fiction writing. While some writers still use an "omnipresent voice" to tell a story, others use a single character. Still others use several characters to tell the story. This can ensure your story remains fresh and allows readers a choice of characters with whom to identify, but it needs to be done carefully. Your story's success depends on your reader, and if the use of multiple points of view is not done correctly you risk disturbing or distracting your readers.
Anyone who reads fiction knows the story and experiences are not real, and they are reading about a time and a place they may never have visited inhabited by people who don't exist. To help the reader "forget" he is reading a book and help him enter the story and feel a part of what he is reading the writer should present the story in such a way that it does not appear to be written. Does that make sense? Anyone who reads fiction wants to escape from the real world for a while, and put aside the tedium of everyday life, so readers are willing to get to know a character, especially a convincing, believable one. The more your readers get to know a character, his quirks, thoughts and beliefs the more they will identify and accept him as "real". Readers will care about the character, and trust him to make the right decisions. This in turn keeps your readers interested in your story. They want to know what happens next.
Reflecting several characters' point of view to tell a story takes time and effort. It's not really something that can be done in the short story format, which is really too brief to be told from more than one character's point of view. In a novel which contains chapters it is wise to use one character's point of view per chapter. Lee Child's "Tripwire", the third book in the Jack Reacher series, differs from the first two in that it is told from the third person point of view, which means different characters are able to provide their own version of events in different chapters, as well as giving the author the opportunity to delve into different character's backgrounds to help the reader understand each one's personality and traits.
English author Susan Howatch has written a number of family saga books, two of which I want to refer to here. Her books "Penmarric" and "Cashelmara" are centred on two houses responsible for the book's title. Each book is divided into six parts, with each part narrated by a different member of the family living in the house. For me, these books have always held my attention, because each part overlaps so we come to understand why each character behaves in a specific manner. As the narrating characters interact between each of the six parts, the reader learns about sibling rivalries and marital woes, and develops an affinity and understanding for each character that is never possible in the book. Howatch allows the reader the opportunity to get into the head of every character, something none of the characters can do... much like us in real life.
There is a risk when writing introspection for several characters. A sudden change in narration can distract the reader from the actual story, and there's a chance he may decide not to continue reading the book. Susan Howatch and Lee Childs handle this by ensuring any new narrative is done by characters that have already appeared in the story in some detail. This means the reader has already "met" the character, and has some understanding of his role in the story. When the new character takes up the story it usually begins at the point the previous chapter ended, with references to activities and characters that appeared in the previous chapter. Gradually the new narrator moves to tell his story, with references back to people, places or events detailed in earlier chapters. The reader is then able to continue reading and, if the change into a new character is done right, will want to continue reading to see chat happens next.
As writers we need to make sure the change of character narrative is smooth. The best way to do this, especially if you're just starting to write, is to concentrate on writing single point of view stories. Practice makes perfect, and once your characters are believable and living in the pages you can start tackling multiple characters' narratives.
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#1161676 by Not Available. |
One day six months after we met, she came to me with a haggard look on her face. It was the first time I had seen anything other than joy on it, though I knew she had been worried about something.
She wondered if she’d left work late on purpose, unconsciously hoping to miss seeing her father at the hospital that night. He looked so fragile lying in that bed.
“Oh, look.” The young woman sat with a thick folder in her lap. “Mom kept a file of copies of letters she sent us. Listen . . .” Her voice faltered.
Anyway, the older kid, his name’s Brandon, suddenly thinks he’s too big to be my son. I spoiled that kid rotten. Bought him every damn thing he wanted.
“Jenny.” He reaches out to touch her, instinct leading him to untangle a thread from the confusion and recognise a face youthful and beautiful, unchanged. Speaking her name as if she was never lost, his voice wavering from the aftermath.
| |  | Faded Hearts (E)
A widower and his grandson spend time together as he deals with the memories of his wife.
#1687964 by BScholl   |
Are you sure you can handle Erik staying here for two weeks?”
“Why sure! I love my grandson. About time we went fishing.”
Erik scrunched up his nose. “Fishing?” He muttered. “Got any arcades?”
| | | Sorry (E)
A short story based on a boy caught up in a difficult lifestyle
#1704776 by susie buckle  |
How could he tell anyone that his mum had a major drinking problem, to the point she didn’t even know who he was? That was one of the main questions swimming in his mind, swimming there for over four years. |
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BIG BAD WOLF is hopping 
Sometimes, someone important to the Hero has to die, so that he will face the Villain.
In "The Last Stand" for instance, the Sheriff looses a young deputy, who wanted to be just like him, to the bad guy, causing the Sheriff to set things up, so that he, and his remaining deputies, and avenge their friend.
In "Drive Angry" a murderer busts out of Hell when his child is murdered and his grandchild is kidnapped by this cult, causing him to go on a rampage through several states, from Colorado to an abandoned prison in Louisiana.
Good points and very true. These are classic examples of "hero vs villain", with the second one being a slight twist on the usual example.
dwarf2012
Thanks for a great newsletter. It inspired me!
My pleasure!
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Drama: May 21, 2014 Issue [#6332]
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