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what I'm reading wednesday
Oct. 16th, 2019 08:30 pm
shucks, I missed a day
The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface by Donals Maass
My friend at work finished his first draft of a novel, and I am slightly jealous. I've only ever finished the one thing a million years ago. I'm not saying it's good, but it has a beginning, middle, and engaging end, and most importantly, like I said, a finished thing. But we've been trading books back and forth, he lent me this one while he took a couple of mine.
I like Donald Maass. I met him once at a conference and he was a cool, helpful dude. I'm not finished with the book yet, but any amount is honestly useful. I tried to use a few tips in my Sam Wilson Birthday Bang and honestly I thought it helped. I might get the kindle version once I finish.
My favorite exercise was the Third-Level Emotions:
"That's how it works. Be obvious and tell readers what to feel, and they won't feel it. Light an unexpected match, though, and readers will ignite their own feelings, which may well prove to be the ones that are primary and obvious. Third-level emotions. That's the effective way of telling." p23
So in a scene, as the writer you know the obvious emotion, but what else is there? And beyond that, what's the third emotion? Tap into that, and the previous two are understood, but not spelled out. The audience knows.
Maass' other book Writing the Break out Novel and the Workbook are the best things on writing I have ever read.
Here's a ghost choir:
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ladybusiness has been reccing some good horror things. My favorite so far is FEMINIST & QUEER HORROR BOOKS RECS
The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface by Donals Maass
My friend at work finished his first draft of a novel, and I am slightly jealous. I've only ever finished the one thing a million years ago. I'm not saying it's good, but it has a beginning, middle, and engaging end, and most importantly, like I said, a finished thing. But we've been trading books back and forth, he lent me this one while he took a couple of mine.
I like Donald Maass. I met him once at a conference and he was a cool, helpful dude. I'm not finished with the book yet, but any amount is honestly useful. I tried to use a few tips in my Sam Wilson Birthday Bang and honestly I thought it helped. I might get the kindle version once I finish.
My favorite exercise was the Third-Level Emotions:
"That's how it works. Be obvious and tell readers what to feel, and they won't feel it. Light an unexpected match, though, and readers will ignite their own feelings, which may well prove to be the ones that are primary and obvious. Third-level emotions. That's the effective way of telling." p23
So in a scene, as the writer you know the obvious emotion, but what else is there? And beyond that, what's the third emotion? Tap into that, and the previous two are understood, but not spelled out. The audience knows.
Maass' other book Writing the Break out Novel and the Workbook are the best things on writing I have ever read.
Here's a ghost choir:
ladybusiness has been reccing some good horror things. My favorite so far is FEMINIST & QUEER HORROR BOOKS RECS
