tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311874471131728227.post5180585135507123468..comments2024-03-27T11:40:33.128-06:00Comments on September C. Fawkes - Editor & Writer: Let Your Reader Do the WorkSeptember C. Fawkeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03229411886583938325noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311874471131728227.post-4968258021475068482017-01-07T08:20:52.274-07:002017-01-07T08:20:52.274-07:00Yes, it can be a fine line.
Definitely agree that ...Yes, it can be a fine line.<br />Definitely agree that people have different responses to different emotions. Actually, I blogged about that once too ^_^<br />http://www.septembercfawkes.com/2014/10/the-emotional-range-of-teaspoon-your.htmlSeptember C. Fawkeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03229411886583938325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311874471131728227.post-24155429893323509702017-01-06T10:19:12.226-07:002017-01-06T10:19:12.226-07:00Found this post three years later than the rest of...Found this post three years later than the rest of the world, but here goes: I kept a tight rein on my protagonist's emotions, but my editor thought she seemed like a weird android girl without feelings. So I let my girl get lumps in her throat, and I let her shed tears now and again. It's a fine line to walk, because neither all people nor all characters respond emotionally to life in the same way. Furthermore, crying is not everyone's default response to sadness. When I'm sad, for example, I go numb. Good post--thanks.Delaneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05547110687684578056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311874471131728227.post-17748148117200991992013-09-11T02:01:46.585-06:002013-09-11T02:01:46.585-06:00This post is dead on. It's definitely somethi...This post is dead on. It's definitely something we need to be reminded of on a regular basis. I read a book in a series by an author that I have enjoyed for years. For some reason (I think the author must have been experiencing a bout of depression...) her strong, tough, sassy heroine started crying, frequently. It didn't take long before I stopped caring about what she was going through. I couldn't even feel sad for her; I just wanted her to snap out of it and stop being a baby. This is an extreme case of course, but it shows that it's something we have to be on guard against with every book.<br /><br />Thanks for the post!Heidi A Wildehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15154433131897961031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311874471131728227.post-67543277849167233092013-08-04T17:46:09.822-06:002013-08-04T17:46:09.822-06:00Alright, I've known this for a while but alway...Alright, I've known this for a while but always get accused of not putting enough emotion into my writing. I've been trying to marry the idea of not having crying characters but giving more of an emotional reaction and your example was great.<br /><br />Thanks Kami!Small Town Shelly Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13535247595352753415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311874471131728227.post-79128267641819396122013-08-04T16:41:40.996-06:002013-08-04T16:41:40.996-06:00Hey thanks for reading and commenting Christine. G...Hey thanks for reading and commenting Christine. Glad I could help!<br /><br />Interesting. I was totally devastated with Sirius's death...but he was one of my favorite characters, and I also really like the whole gateway between life and death with the curtain. But, I've heard people complain about it. Lupin and Tonk's didn't really get their own death scene...so I didn't cry for them either.<br /><br />Happy revising! September C. Fawkeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03229411886583938325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311874471131728227.post-39168754927686408392013-08-04T16:39:09.010-06:002013-08-04T16:39:09.010-06:00uummm... er.... no...uummm... er.... no...September C. Fawkeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03229411886583938325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311874471131728227.post-40794684342099178802013-08-04T16:38:51.762-06:002013-08-04T16:38:51.762-06:00I'm sorry about your doggie :( but I'm gla...I'm sorry about your doggie :( but I'm glad I could spotlight you. Thanks for commenting.September C. Fawkeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03229411886583938325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311874471131728227.post-24853432383888245212013-08-04T16:38:19.742-06:002013-08-04T16:38:19.742-06:00Yeah, once I heard about it, I started paying atte...Yeah, once I heard about it, I started paying attention, and it seemed to hold true for me. Thanks for reading James.September C. Fawkeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03229411886583938325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311874471131728227.post-86010189416685376832013-08-04T16:37:22.673-06:002013-08-04T16:37:22.673-06:00I think you're right. I was thinking this was ...I think you're right. I was thinking this was related to voice and penetrating your character's viewpoint deeply.<br /><br />Yes. I know I overuse some actions to convey emotion (but I'll edit them out eventually). It's a step up from saying "Jodie was mad," but pulling your reader deeper into the experience is the higher road to take. But again that has to do with viewpoint. If your viewpoint character is watching someone get mad, then it would be more physical (clenched fists etc.)<br /><br />Thanks for commenting Shallee. I think you got what I was trying to say in this post. :)September C. Fawkeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03229411886583938325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311874471131728227.post-64460146287150223792013-08-03T17:18:21.995-06:002013-08-03T17:18:21.995-06:00This is awesome insight, and exactly what i needed...This is awesome insight, and exactly what i needed to read today. This will definitely affect my next round of revisions.<br /><br />But i'd just like to add that Sirius' death had absolutely no emotional pull on me. He fell through a curtain. Ugh. And Lupin and Tonk's deaths as well--just no buildup. Interesting characters with boring deaths.Christine Tylerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08711726941768571495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311874471131728227.post-44992958121318381772013-08-03T16:04:39.264-06:002013-08-03T16:04:39.264-06:00Wait...Sirius died?!Wait...Sirius died?!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14595770248127475629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311874471131728227.post-84331066590383386612013-08-03T15:33:06.798-06:002013-08-03T15:33:06.798-06:00Great thoughts Kami! Thanks for the spot light too...Great thoughts Kami! Thanks for the spot light too! The tears have been flowing here for our poor doggie. Sorry I didn't see this until now. (hugs)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03884912115599229843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311874471131728227.post-30502975987243913852013-08-03T14:11:00.529-06:002013-08-03T14:11:00.529-06:00I've never thought about this. I'll need t...I've never thought about this. I'll need to pay more attention now and with other applications. There are only two books that have brought me to tears, and I don't think the main characters ever cried when it happened.James C Ducketthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02146631393982590968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4311874471131728227.post-15553506416714137342013-08-03T11:41:36.797-06:002013-08-03T11:41:36.797-06:00This is one thing I've found that makes charac...This is one thing I've found that makes character voice SO important. If you're conveying a character's viewpoint well, you are conveying their emotions through their experience-- like Rowling did in the section you quoted.<br /><br />I also think that actions showing emotion are often overused in the same way crying is (mad = clenching fists, etc.). There's a time and place for those things, but I found when I relied on them to show emotion, it weakened the impact on the reader the same way a crying character does.Shalleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09907680428735740943noreply@blogger.com