Tuesday, July 6, 2010

The Invisible Writer

Imagine going to a play. You've gotten involved with the characters. Fiona is yelling at Douglas about how he's never at home anymore and Douglas grabs his keys and walks off stage left. Then the playwrite enters stage right, stands in the spotlight and says "You know, Fiona really loves Douglas. And Douglas cares for Fiona. They are just going through a rough patch." Chances are, you'll hope the writer gets off the stage quickly. You'll think about getting the hook yourself. If he stands there and pontificates long enough, you may go to the box office and ask for a refund.
The same holds true for fiction. So avoid the impulse to explain what you are writing and why to your reader. Trust that they are smart enough to follow the story. If you've done your job well, they will.

No comments:

Post a Comment