I never get writer’s block, but I do admit to a few dry spells. During one of these desert episodes, I’ll be drafting and suddenly realize that I’m only saying abstract or informational stuff. I have to remind myself to write from the deepest places.
Writing Tip for Today: Here are some ideas for writing deep:
Deep POV
If you write fiction, you most likely write in third person (he, she, they). While this is the most common point of view in fiction, it’s easy to allow the camera to slide far away. When you write scenes, if you only record the action in a sequential way, you may miss writing important cues and clues for readers.
Deep POV anchors readers inside your POV character’s mind. Instead of simply observing the world, deep POV puts a unique spin on events by filtering them through a character’s attitudes, hopes and dreams. If your POV character observes a man walk into her shop, we don’t know what she thinks about it.
By adding in the emotional response to what happens, we stay close to the character and can sign on to the suspense of wondering if the initial reaction will change or grow. When the man walks in to her shop, she reacts with inner thoughts: Oh there’s that hot guy; What the? Did that guy just push that old lady out of the way?; Oh no not another Boomer. You can manage or manipulate your reader by keeping the camera close and revealing how the POV character feels about an event.
Just the Facts, Ma’am
Another way we avoid writing deep is by sticking to Exposition instead of bringing an event to life. Exposition (telling) is sometimes useful, but nothing draws in readers like a scene involving deep emotions. Readers are drawn first to dialogue, then action, description and finally exposition.
If you write about your life, you’ve probably encountered this problem. By zooming out the camera to cite statistics, a general problem or use the “we” voice, you neutralize emotion. In some instances, the work sounds preachy, especially in the “we” voice. Your theme may be to highlight the challenges of single motherhood. Yet if you don’t illustrate what it feels like from at least one single mom’s viewpoint, readers have a more difficult time relating to the work.
Anne Lamott advocates using a “one-inch window” to narrow down the way you’ll illustrate your theme. Broad topics can have a greater impact if readers are shown actual examples of the point you’re trying to make.
Nothing draws in readers like a scene involving deep emotions.
Open the Vein
A writer’s adage claims you must open a vein and bleed out on the page. Kind of gory, huh? Yet every writer’s draft can probably go deeper until the writer’s truth is uncovered. When I taught Memoir and Essay writing, I would encourage student writers to “crack it open,” that is, take an action or attitude and drill down to see what motivates the passage.
In both fiction and nonfiction, we talk a lot about motivation. Understanding why we do what we do makes all the difference. Our motivations can shed light on the reasons we’re striving for a goal and trying to overcome any obstacles. People don’t act randomly on things they care about. Dig at your character’s or your own “whys” of the story. If those whys make logical sense to readers, they’ll keep reading to find out what happens next.
Most motivation can be found in a character’s back story. Instead of trying to shoe-horn in all that back story at the beginning, practice weaving a sentence here and there on a need-to-know basis. Let your character’s motives bleed through in their attitudes and reactions. Writing deep can be messy with emotions, but that’s the best way to reel in readers and keep them coming back for more.
