The journal is the most distilled form of narration in fiction. In essence a character is jotting down their thoughts as they see fit. They are their only audience and are logging those thoughts for their own benefit. There is no outside influence to alter what they put onto the page. This can lead both … Continue reading The Journal: A Narrative Squared Problem
Tag: Narrative
Solely Spoken
After rereading Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants I noticed a similarity in style to that story and what I’m currently writing. There’s a high bar of quality to match and it has me contemplating the techniques used and how else they can be applied. If you’ve never read the story go straight there. It’s four … Continue reading Solely Spoken
Infallible Characters
Except in the eyes of some religious devotees and in the mirrors of narcissists, no one on earth is infallible. Everyone makes mistakes. I used spell check on narcissists ten seconds ago. What allows you to progress as a person is the ability to recognize why those mistakes arose from your own failings and work … Continue reading Infallible Characters
Setting-Narrative Symbiosis
Throughout my writing tenure I’ve focused more on characters than places. Often that’s to the benefit of the stories I write but some stories call for an in-depth, sensical universe. Rarely a universe but at least a lived-in town. Invariably with my chosen focus what brainpower I expend on settings hit a cookie cutter problem. … Continue reading Setting-Narrative Symbiosis
Vignettes and the Baton Pass
When my writings turn exploratory or freewheeling, my favorite story structure is the vignette. Unhindered by ongoing plot bloat, naturally disposed to changes in tempo and pacing, the vignette is a neat little tool for when you want to write a varied, shifting story featuring a pantheon of characters and their different perspectives. Every input … Continue reading Vignettes and the Baton Pass
Colin Klawans 