We are complex. We are destructive. We are uplifting. We are surprising.
Can you imagine the laundry list of descriptive words it would take to develop what is essentially the human spirit. And even with the thousands of words floating around any given person, the ratios will be constantly changing and different from one to the next. Now imagine bottling a single person and putting them into a story. Then try a handful.
If you can develop one person in such a way readers foster a kinship with them, you are doing it right. As an author, you actually are much more than a dialog writer and plot developer. You act as the director. You tell your audience what they should know, where they are going and in some cases, why. You also choose how vividly your scenery and characters interact. You steer the ship with your words and phrases and every so often, a quote emerges.
The quote is what all authors truly aspire for, in my opinion. A single line standing out and magnifying the situation on the page as well as the reader’s life. It could be something smooth, captivating or heart-wrenching. However it speaks to one person, it will not always transcend to them all.
No matter how well we write or how descriptive we try and be, our craft is vastly different from the popularity of movies. In movies, you are shown exactly what the story and the director choose to have you see. They are retelling your story through their eyes. So, you will constantly hear people say the book is way better.
Well, sorry, but no shit. Even the speediest readers will take a good day to get through a novel. Most of us, it takes a good week. A movie lasts a couple of hours and those are the long ones. Plus, books allow our minds to formulate the look of our characters and their scenery to our specifications. So, each book of yours has millions of tiny variants you will never know because they exist in the Imaginarium of readers.
My premise tomorrow will be my best tips to help the Kansas City Shuffle going on in your head if you’re at all like me. (I’ll explain the KC Shuffle too)
P.S. If you’ve gotten this far and wondered how the title fits in … well it doesn’t. It’s a phrase to lighten your day. And if you think it’s stupid, say it out loud to the next person you see and try to keep a straight face.
NaNoWriMo: 5100
Jonas Lee 