Today I read a student’s work (hi, Patti!) that was not only well-written, but the scene/character/situation was authentic. When I read the pages, I was so impressed by the scene’s plausibility, as if the writer somehow inhabited the character and knew things only someone in that situation would know. The voice of five year-old Ray in the scene was authentic. The scene was a 9.5 out of 10 on the Authenti-meter.
My student may not have started out writing this close to real experience. She observed, wrote, rewrote, practiced, listened, rewrote.
If there actually was an Authenti-meter, some gadget to measure the truth or genuineness of a story, where would your work land?
Writing Tip for Today: Look over your last writing session’s work. Are there places that step out of voice? Identify these places by asking yourself if the character would really speak, think or act the way you wrote it. Don’t protect your character from danger. From now on, practice authenticity in writing. Observe, listen to and remember unique qualities of people around you.