Like this: the added emphasis of the one-sentence paragraph.
Or another nice bit I got from Gene Wolfe's website, about adding more information to the parts of the story that are important, to make the reader slow down and pay more attention, and in some cases to heighten and lengthen the experience of the tension. Suddenly, all of the fight scenes I ever read through made sense: *that* was why they told me about the history of every kind of weapon and discussed the different forms of self-defense between blows.
Or putting finished sheets from a story on the wall to check the balance of narration and scene from the amount of grayspace as seen from ten paces. I feel like there's more of these out there, but punching "hidden writing tricks" in google isn't coming up with much. Anyone have some simple, evil, and devastatingly effective writing tricks?
quote:
Like this: the added emphasis of the one-sentence paragraph.
Those one line paragraphs can really have a great punch and I think be very effectiv, so long as they aren't over used. Also, the end sentence of a chapter or segement is also a power position, where that sentence also has a particular importance, and with careful phrasing, can also have some of the same punch without the abruptness.
Often there is a sentence that just "makes" the paragraph, or page, or chapter. It varies completely from example to example, but sometimes it's just an odd tidbit thrown in at the appropriate time, sometimes an odd observation by the character, or a repeated sentence or recurring thought... and I feel really dumb now because I can't think of a single example...
[This message has been edited by TheoPhileo (edited April 08, 2004).]
Oh, and wrinting down scattered thoughs(as illistrated above) tends to irritate the reader.
~James
viva la living long!
[This message has been edited by FiveSides (edited April 11, 2004).]
Possibly clarifying what TheoPhileo said or maybe adding to our list...bring stories, scenes, or conversations to a point, a fulcrum where the content of a single line or even a single word defines everything that comes before and after that point.
I can think of a recent example from a story Eric was gracious enough to let me read...in that case it is the very last line of the story. Another such moment is the final line of the opening dialogue vignette of Ender's game, "All right. We're saving the world, after all. Take him."
Let your writing come to these sorts of decisive points where you irrevocably alter the fundamental relationship of the reader to the story. Because of that one line, Ender's Game wasn't a story about saving the world, it was a story about how one little boy was sacrificed to do it. The conversation isn't just exposition...something happens as a result.
But I would put both of these in the catagory of "things you should always do" rather than "evil tricks".
Or evil. Now If I were going for evil, I'd be posting something like the usual Submission Ceremony, the one that takes two cups of evil juice and a postal scale, finely emulsified, to outline the three cardinal points of clarity, brevity, and wit. "Oh slushreaders, we abjure you! By Gonzalez, of ROF! By Adams of F&SF! Come back without your SASE or on it!" Know I've got the full ritual somewhere...
Yes, I promise, I'm joking on the evil.
[This message has been edited by TheoPhileo (edited April 12, 2004).]
I've been trying to read and comment on a YA novel by a writer in my writing group, and the thing is driving me crazy because I can't believe that things would go wrong in the ways that the author is having them go wrong.
Anyway, we call each other on the phone (using the cheapest method possible, as our conversations are usually very long) and begin speaking in character after establishing a specific plot synopsis, setting, etc., to work on. Basically, we bounce back and forth in character, transcribing lines as we go. In this manner it is possible to build very realistic foundations for conversational development. You don't necessarily have to use the actual dialogue you come up with, but it serves as a nice basis or rough tone for future projects.
There is one major thing you need to consider before using this 'evil tactic'...make sure the person you are role-playing with is someone you can trust. Another good thing would be the establishment of an agreement regarding rights of usage, should you decide to publish some of the dialogue in the future. If it's a friend (or relative), you can generally utilize this method without trouble of any kind. Just make sure both of you don’t end up using the same dialogue in separate professional submissions. That could become decidedly...complicated. I've used this tactic randomly for a few years now, and believe me when I say it helps in many brainstorming situations. I suppose this can depend on personal preference, as well as the caliber of your role-playing partner. Just my two cents (approximately) on a tactic. If I think of anything else I’ll be sure to post again.
Inkwell
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"The difference between a writer and someone who says they want to write is merely the width of a postage stamp."
-Anonymous