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Nattering about Writing
May. 6th, 2009 01:15 pmI was talking with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
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?
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?
