Nattering about Writing

[botias]

I was talking with beanbeans about romance novel characters and how we often wouldn't tolerate the heroes for five minutes in RL. In one of the most emotionally effective romances I have ever read, the hero expresses his very extreme anger and frustration at the heroine after their climax confrontation (in which she has betrayed him horribly--or so he thinks--and given him his marching orders on no uncertain terms--he's got that part right), by going outside and throwing all of her glass and metal deck furniture off a cliff into the ocean; much crashing and breaking ensues. Wow. Woodsy Owl would be appalled, not to mention the Crimestopper Dog and anyone hoping to walk barefoot there in the near future. I feel I should note that he was not punishing the heroine via death to her 'outdoor living', but that he simply had to smash something.

I was just now reading about writing emotions, and encountered the 'show not tell' advice and a lightbulb went off. Unless romance authors have their characters do 'over the top' things, they cannot convey 'over the top' emotions in this way. Yes? No?

Comments

[rpggurleli.livejournal.com]

I guess it depends on who's POV/narrative you write in. The series I follow flips between the lovers POV so you know what's going on in their heads and you know what they are feeling.

[botias.livejournal.com]

Some of it can be a POV issue. But I'm talking about the 'tell vs. show' advice that we hear so often (and I'm assuming is correct). I'm thinking the only way to 'show' is with action of some kind. Otherwise it is 'telling' even if we are in the character's head. Yes?

[rpggurleli.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's a hard one to say, really. Most of the romances I have read have been action heavy (adventure action and bedroom action). The guys did have to do something expreme to prove their love for the heroine is genuine.

Emotions are hard to 'show not tell' because they aren't tangible things.

[botias.livejournal.com]

Personality traits are not tangible things either, though, but the consensus seems to be that the most effective way to communicate them is through character action. The opposite extreme would be to offer character sheets as a novel intro. Actually, there's this device where a character is looking over a dossier of another character that comes close, now that I think about it. :)

[elynne.livejournal.com]

I'm not familiar with romances, but extreme emotional responses can be shown in a variety of ways, including very very small and subtle things that have the emotional impact of a kick in the head. Like the guard captian who always punches the wall after his meetings with the city boss, and the boss can tell how mad he is by how deep of a dent he leaves... until one day, the guard captian doesn't punch the wall at all, and the boss suddenly wonders if maybe he pissed him off too much this time.

It's a TV example, but the latest Doctor Who special I saw had this amazing scene... a guy's wife is killed, he goes nuts for a while, then finds his young son, and he's talking to the Doctor, and he says something like "Now I have something to live for!" while holding his son and smiling hugely. "Don't you have something to live for?" The Doctor just gives him this look, and the guy goes "Oh... I'm so sorry."

Big tantrum scenes are easy; little moments can be amazing. It'd also be fun to have a scene where a person throws a major huge tantrum of some sort while secretly feeling guilty that they aren't really that upset, they're just going through the motions.

Darnit girl, you're making me want to write again. ;)

[botias.livejournal.com]

I agree and disagree. In dramatic performances, it's really a very different medium when it comes to modes of communication, a picture is worth a thousand words after all. You can try and describe 'that look', but I'll bet that a writer is almost always better off doing something that better suits their medium.

Having someone act out-of-character is going to be a good tool for showing extreme emotion. That could be smashing things or NOT smashing things.

Writing is evil. >:) Tempts you...

[rpggurleli.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think that you are right. But then again, it wouldn't be a page turning novel if things weren't a little extreme.

[cleoius.livejournal.com]

He threw her furniture off the cliff? I'm torn between jaw dropping shock, and giggle fits. XD

[botias.livejournal.com]

Threw her deck furniture off a cliff. :| I swear. *crash!* Still working away on Chapter 13.

[cleoius.livejournal.com]

That's the point you need to reevaluate the relationship cause dude seems a bit....unstable. XD

Yay!! \o/ I'm thinking of getting my fingers flexing towards a fic...maybe something new so I don't have to reread anything. XD

[botias.livejournal.com]

Well, she had already broken up with him. Yay? Like Lotor's super stable. XD

Yay! :D

[cleoius.livejournal.com]

Lotor...Lotor has special needs! We make exceptions for him! *coughs and force Allura to to! cough*

:D

[botias.livejournal.com]

And for Lezard too, who makes this guy look like a model citizen. XD

[cleoius.livejournal.com]

*evil giggles* Yes....those two get a out of jail free card from the fans! XD

[botias.livejournal.com]

This is the task of the romance writer. To turn her readers into fangirls.

[cleoius.livejournal.com]

I never thought of it that way before, but you're right! 0_0

[botias.livejournal.com]

That's a big theme in romance. The heroine is powerfully attracted to the hero, even if she doesn't like everything about him, or even much of anything in the beginning.

[cleoius.livejournal.com]

And...then there's the alpha males who tend to border on obsessive, stalker like behavior...and are so possessive of their woman. At least in the romances I've read....^^''

[botias.livejournal.com]

Yup. They are always practically abducting them, or coercing them into marriage or sexual relationships. But they feel bad about it in the end! Sometimes.

[cleoius.livejournal.com]

Heh heh....sometimes. But the gal usually forgives 'em, and it makes it all a okay! XD

[botias.livejournal.com]

He feels bad in my favorite ones. Yup, she always forgives him and settles in to spend his millions and have his gorgeous babies. :P

[cleoius.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to recall ones where the guy felt bad. But for the most part, the guys felt they were doing what was right, and just waiting for the lady to come around to his way of thinking...Especially with alphas in paranormal romances..."You're my mate, no doubt about it, you just gotta learn to live with it."

One or two I recall feeling bad because circumstances led them to rape their beloved. But not bad enough to consider letting her escape afterwards...^^;;

[botias.livejournal.com]

I like the ones where the guy is heavy-handed with her because he's got some sort of grudge or thinks she's evil for some reason, and, just to frost his cake and make him that much more obnoxious, he's sooper attracted to her in spite of his bad opinion. But hen! At the end he discovers he was mistaken all along, and he's just been a complete butthead to his one true love, and he's sure she'll never forgive him. All he can do to make amends is to never darken her door again. But she forgives him. :)

[cleoius.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Sounds delicious! XD

[botias.livejournal.com]

Harem Slave is kinda that way. :)

[cleoius.livejournal.com]

*evil giggles* Yeah!

[(Anonymous)]

Just write sex scenes. Everybody does it and enjoys it anyway! There you go, lots of emotions. *smiles*

[botias.livejournal.com]

Have you read my fic? There will be sex, oh yes. Alas, there must be conflict too unless I just want to write straight porn. :)