Monday, July 11, 2011

MFA Monday: Stop Your Crying

"No character should cry more than once in a book," more than one of the faculty advisors said this past residency.

Having written a book in which the character cries probably four or five times - and all, I'd say, with really good reason - this made me stop and think. Is it cliche to have a character cry? Or worse, is it lazy on my part?

What is the more creative way to show emotion? How can we surprise our readers?

By showing them trying NOT to do it, Ellen Bass says. Show your characters trying NOT to be undone by their feelings - trying NOT to cry, trying NOT to get angry. THIS is the interesting emotion!

And above all, not resorting to cliche bodily function to tell us how a character is feeling.

How many times have you read (or written) that someone's heart was pounding? That their hands were sweaty? That they cried?  If you're like me, probably a lot. And does that make my own heart pound, feel nervous and anxious or scared or excited? No. It makes me know that the character feels that way, but it doesn't make me as a reader feel that way.

And isn't that what we want from a reader? Their participation in the story? For them to feel as though they are right there with our character?

Replace those cliche bodily functions with gestures, Bass suggested to us. Observe yourself and others. What do we do when we are nervous or scared or excited? What do we do when we are crying, or better yet, trying not to cry?

I think, even here, it is tricky not to fall in cliches. Biting nails, twisting hair around a finger, biting the lip. These are all so common they can become as emotionally desaturated as a heart pounding.

I read a chapter of a friend's WIP last week that was riddled with this kind of cliched telling. I felt completely detached watching the scene, and I know that was the opposite of what she wanted. When she went back to re-write it, she replaced much of the telling me how the character's body was acting (crying, clenched stomach) with much more interesting gestures (closed eyes, brow furrowed, reaching out but then dropping his hand before he touched her) and some dialogue that told me more about how the characters were feeling that narrative ever could, even though (or because) the characters never really SAID how they were feeling.

For me, this is the hard work of writing: finding a way to say my story in a way no one has before. Using images and gestures that are unique to my characters that will bring the reader in rather than leave them on the outside observing. It's something I'm struggling with right now, and yet so excited about as well. It's one thing, I think, that can truly make good writing great. I'm certainly not there yet!

How about you? Do you find your character crying too much? Do you tend to lean on tried-and-true (but often cliche) gestures or feelings, and does it work for you?

9 comments:

  1. I'm working on a story where the guy loses his mom. It's been really hard because he's in this constant process of pushing things down, once in a while a tear escapes, but (as of right now) he really only cries once. It's been exhausting.

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  2. This is such great advice. It's hard to think of different ways that a person reacts to stress, happiness, or nervousness, but it's worthwhile exploring different ways to say it, because you do get tired of the cliches. Thanks for sharing what you've learned.

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  3. I've been trying to really use different words/phrases when it comes to these types of emotions. Unfortunately, since I seem to cry at the drop of a hat (seriously - even some commercials make me cry!), I tend to let my characters do the same. But I know when I'm writing it that it will need to be changed later...thank the Lord for revisions!

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  4. "Biting lip" and "sucked in breath" drive me crazy! My character is holding back tears and I'm trying to find more words beside "burning" or "tingling". Yuck! I think I'll go watch a A Bridge to Taribitha, a movie that I try to hold back tears from the beginning, and check in on my facial expressions. Maybe if I'm really brave I'll take a self-portrait or two! :) Great advise. Thank you.

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  5. Awesome post! It's so hard to find that line. I think, like you said, so many things can border on that "cliche" line. That being said, like you, I have a book where a character cries more than once, but I think (or hope) it's needed. Now, I must read through and check. LOL

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  6. I think out of all the stories I've written, only one character cries. Interesting post, Heidi. It makes me think about how many times I've had my characters laugh...

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  7. Is it cliche if I cry while writing? Not because I'm sad...but because it's so hard?! LOL Good post! It's tough to be original...so tough.

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  8. I am really enjoying your MFA!

    I think about the cliche things a lot. For the last few years on the medication trip I've been either unable to cry or unable to control the crying. And I get tired of thinking about it so I sure don't want to write about it but it's al ways there, so the boredom potential is really hard...

    So now my challenge is the opposite : to describe feelings without going overboard with descriptions so strange they're distracting.

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  9. I am really enjoying your MFA!

    I think about the cliche things a lot. For the last few years on the medication trip I've been either unable to cry or unable to control the crying. And I get tired of thinking about it so I sure don't want to write about it but it's al ways there, so the boredom potential is really hard...

    So now my challenge is the opposite : to describe feelings without going overboard with descriptions so strange they're distracting.

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