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Pick a date. Not just any date, however.
Pick one of those special dates we have imbued with some kind of
meaning, emotional impact or ritual -- Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's
Day, Veteran's Day, Halloween, Guy Fawkes Day, Christmas, Boxing Day,
New Years Eve, etc.
Holidays and other special occasions allow writers to focus on just
one aspect of life, freeing up the imagination to run rampant and as
deeply as possible within that narrow framework. It's a great
way to get beyond the obvious -- something that doesn't always happen
when we're focused on telling a wider story.
One of my favorite writers tools is memory. Memories are
extremely powerful and writers can use them in a huge variety of ways
to develop character and plot, as well as create an atmosphere or
feeling. Mention 9/11 and in an instant, everything you were
thinking and feeling over that day and the following weeks comes back
as if it was just yesterday.
This also works with personal memories. Everyone has in their
life something that happened that they will never forget, many of
which have an impact not unlike 9/11. You might not think about
it every day or even every week, but the right trigger will bring it
back as clear as recently cleaned glass - with no division between
then and now. All it takes is the right word, the right phrase,
a smell, a taste, a picture or a certain song on the jukebox to erase
the years since the event.
Holidays like Memorial Day and Thanksgivingin the United States,
Christmas, Veterans Day in many countries, or other emotionaly
charged special days are excellent times to open the toolbox and take
out the memory drill. Originally Memorial Day and Veterans Day
were designated as a time to remember the women and men who died
during military service - primarily WWI, WWII and then expanded to
include all the other wars.
Generally people use it for a three day holiday, but there are those
for whom the original intent still applies and they dutifully go out
to the cemeteries and lay flowers, listen to speeches, watch parades
and set aside the day to remember those who died.
Now your character may never have lost someone, but chances are she
has - grandparents, siblings, cousins, a friend or close relative of
some kind. It doesn't really matter who it was, only that your
character had a relationship of some kind with that person -- whether
good or bad. Maybe it was someone who bullied her in school and
then got killed by a drunk driver. Or maybe it was a beloved
grandfather or &ldots;
In each case, the character has some kind of feelings about that
person and their death is bound to affect your character in some way.
So for this next week, select a person your character was not fond
of. It can be outright hate or simply dislike for whatever
reason. It can be a relative or not.
Scenario: Something this weekend reminds your character of that person.
(Suggestion: Sometimes it's easier to get into your character's
skin if you pretend you are that character (like actors do) and write
in the first person -- perhaps writing a diary or a letter.)
What date did you pick? Why?
What was the name of the person who died?
Describe one or two of the attributes your character thinks of when
they remember that person.
Describe the relationship your character had with that person.
Was it long standing? Short? Positive or acrimonious?
How does your character feel about that person? Why?
How does your character feel about that person's death?
Does your character miss that person or is she glad they are
gone? Why?
If your character is glad the other individual died, why does she
feel that way and how does that make her feel? Describe how she
thinks about it.
What effect did that person have on your character -- both while they
were alive and the manner of their death?
How could you use this in your story?
Memories are generally all over the place. We are glad certain
people are dead and that others are still around -- it all depends on
our relationship with them and the effect they had on our thoughts
and emotions.
Your character's relationships -- both bad and good -- illuminate who
she is and give depth to her character that can play an important
part in your story. So this weekend, bring your memories of the
people in your life who have died to your writing space and , ______________. |
