Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Hiding in the shadows

photobomb that guy - Here Girl, This is How It's Done
see more This is Photobomb

The couple in the foreground of this picture are having fun, but not as much fun as their shadows. Look again you'll see what I mean.

I write a little different than most writers as on my first draft the plot and dangers are subdued and other things are pushed to the front. I believe this is because of my education as an English major. We poured over books and stories to find the deeper meanings. Often times concentrating on one line so long we lost the plot of the story.

I like to give the reader stuff to dig in to.

The problem is if I bury it to deep there is a good chance that the reader will miss it. Just like at first glance that photo just looks like a couple playing a game.

I find myself having to go through and emphasize the major plot points to make them clear. Risking the chance that I'm beating the points on the readers head.

It is always a tricky thing finding the right balance.
By Darrell B. Nelson author of I KILLED THE MAN THAT WASN'T THERE

1 comment:

Stephanie Barr said...

Won't argue with that. Had an English professor read my poetry in high school (my teacher was very impressed) who complained that it was all surface, no depth.

But then he thought my anti-war poem was GLORIFYING war, completely missed the use of language, the symmetry of the nightmare and actuality. I.e., he missed the depth.

My teacher said, well, you can make it more obvious. Yeah, I could, but then, for someone who got it (and there were some), it would lose it's power.

For prose, I try to make sure there's a viable surface story that anyone could get. I like to add shape and nuance to it, undercurrents that the more adept might discern that add depth and texture to the story without changing it so much as making it more meaningful.

I also try to remember to have fun.