Be True and it Will Resonate

When you write, it's important to write from your heart. A story can be done over and over and each one will be like a copy of the other. But if you inject an inner story into the mix, it will stand on it's own. 

There may be a scene that's taboo, maybe the reader will be thinking, I'd never do that! when inside they know it's something they'd very well do. It resonates. 

It doesn't mean the character thinking the way they do is a bad person for doing what they do, or thinking the way they do, in a story. It only means the character is representing the fact that there are real people in this world that think differently from others. 

Maybe the character sees a homeless man and thinks a certain way. Maybe a homeless person attacked her mom as they were walking through a park when they were younger. Maybe they have a world view on the subject. 

Whatever the case may be, that character has a reason they react to the world you are creating the way they do. It's what will make the story real. 

I've seen authors create characters based off of what they think society might want to read. It comes out sounding preachy. Or false. 

Or, lets go the opposite way, and the writer creates characters that are totally different from how they are, thinking this will make a unique character. But they try to hard and the character looks like he/she is trying too hard to be evil, or whatever. 

I don't know. Walking to the cafe this morning before work I started thinking about this. 

I know many creators go through similar things. I was thinking what makes a great story, great characters. A lot of things have to be there. Interaction, authenticity, flow, pace. All these things have to come together. 

If the story reads beautifully that's a great thing, but then what if the story itself is boring? That's relative, but still, in order to hit the target percentage of readers who may enjoy the book and buy it, you must take this into consideration. 

Of course, it is very important to make the story your own. Maybe there was something from the past that you can draw from, something that happened to you, or drove you to think a certain way. As an artist you may be able to think from outside the box and see a different perspective from the incident that happened that drove you to write/create your work. 

Whatever that may be, use it. It was given to you to use and on the side you may even sooth your soul by working out something that happened many years ago and understanding something about it you hadn't before. 

Hope this helps someone. 

Let me know what you think. 

And you can go to my YouTube channel here to hear more from me and another horror writer, Gary Buller, about writing and random things. We have some fun, as well. 

Now I must go and write before work. 


At least it's Friday. 

WCM





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Brightest Flame

Dying Light -- Will's Nintendo Switch Review

The Local Spirit Halloween Store Popped Up Again