Emotional Suicide
I was reading a fantastic article on Melissa James' website called Emotional Suicide. As I was reading about the depth that she goes to when writing her books, I started to wonder if my ms has enough emotional depth. As I'm writing, I always try to think about how I would react, what I would see, feel, hear etc, but I can't help but wonder if it is enough. Or, on the flipside, when is it too much? When will the reader think, "Oh, will you just get on with the story"?
I know that as a reader myself, if there is a lot of intense emotion and I want more of the story, I'm guilty of...skimming. Yes, I know. As a writer that's a dirty word. We put our blood, sweat, and tears into every word, and the thought of someone skimming over even one syllable is a blasphemous. But we can't control what our readers do. And ultimately we want to write a story that someone wants to read. Period.
I'd love to hear your thoughts. When is there enough emotional depth for you?
Marcy
1 comment:
Great comments, Lainey. You're right...if the emotion feels true, it keeps me reading. But sometimes, if the plot is really good, I find myself skipping the emotion to get to the action. But as a writer I will go back and read the emotion once I satisfy my curiosity about what is going to happen next.
Marcy
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