Friday, September 2, 2016

I is for Intensity

Margaret talks about intensity in writing


Thomas Edison said genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration. This can be said about writing as well. Personally, as I’ve said before, I start out with the germ of an idea, hopefully an inspired idea, and simply take it from there. It’s not as easy as it sounds because there is still a lot of thinking and plotting and planning to do. The initial inspiration has probably gone, as well as the first writing surge, but if I’ve succeeded in immersing myself in my characters then the intensity of their fears and hopes become my fears and hopes too. I dig into their psyche, read their thoughts, transfer them to myself, and then put those thoughts down on paper.


If only it were that easy!


But it is imperative for writers to engage with their characters and let readers know what is going on in their minds. (Well, most of them – readers do like some surprises) What we basically want, though, is for the people who read our books to feel the same things that we do, to love or hate the people we have created. Only in this way have we reached our goal.


 

 

8 comments:

  1. Great post, Margaret.
    I don't write strict deep POV, but a good romance conveys the reader the emotional joys and pains of the characters.

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  2. Oh yes. I love falling into my characters and living vicariously through them.

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  3. Agree 100% that we need to live through every story with our characters. We must think and feel as they do, so that the reader can relate to them.

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  4. Such a satisfying feeling when it all comes together.

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  5. It IS fun to vicariously live the lives of so many different people.

    And I definitely have to agree with Mr. Edison!

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