This week, it’s all about emotion!
Firstly, I have to tell you about the outcome of the ‘Codename Wedding Belles’ poem. Yesterday my cousin and her partner tied the knot; seeing them descend the stairs in their beautiful dresses did make me feel a little teary-eyed I have to admit! I had to pull myself together pretty quickly though because the order of service had my poem first – I had to keep those emotions in check to get through the reading!
I have never written a commissioned piece before and it was a bit nerve-wracking but the feedback I got was very kind and incredibly positive. I was just glad that I wrote something that could be read as part of their service, and that I was able to play a small part in such a fabulous day.
And so on to fictional emotions… These are all over the place in the woods novel, from bone-deep sadness to furious anger and the bitterness of betrayal. I remember one of my assignments was very emotionally charged with a woman on the verge of collapsing under the pressure of life, and one thing my tutor said was (to paraphrase) be aware of the amount of times a character cries as it doesn’t work as a dramatic device if it’s too regular. Therefore I am very aware of how I assign emotion – smiling, laughing or crying can become very boring words!
I’m not too concerned about this in the first draft – but when I revise it I will have to think about how to describe certain emotions in more interesting yet unobtrusive ways.
The third part of my thought process here was about re-reading the family tree novel. I have to admit I laugh at my own jokes (terrible, I know!); so it stands to reason, I get sad at my own sad scenes. When re-reading anything I’ve written, I look for the emotional investment I am trying to engender in the reader. If I don’t laugh, or smile, or cry at appropriate points, there’s no chance a reader will.
My advice, from my experiences, would be to do a read-through of your draft(s) before starting to make any amendments, because once you start revising sections you lose the flow of the story/poem – and stop thinking about the reader!
In other news – it’s Golden Globes night tonight; what often strikes me with these events is the focus given not to awards but to outfits. Wear the right thing, and win an award or not, you’ll be the star of the night. This got me thinking about how a book can attract attention.
I have long had an idea in my head about the possible cover of the family tree book, but I have no similar idea for the woods. I wouldn’t buy a book just for its cover, but it is important, and people do judge books by their covers, despite the old adage! Now I am reaching the end of the first draft, I’m going to sketch a few ideas. They may never be looked at again but if I can give the story its own identity it’ll help me when I edit it.
And finally – on the subject of the woods novel, I have just two days left to complete it – I will be posting on the 15th to confirm, either way. I may be jinxing myself, but I feel remarkably hopeful!
Happy writing,
EJ
🙂
Becoming a writer 