Seeing a Clear Picture

When I lived in Illinois there was a house across the backyard. I mean a big, mama of a house that looked modest enough (in a Victorian kind of way) from the street front, but then extended half a block to the rear. One of their third floor windows allowed me to see that they had a whopping huge TV. The screen faced my kitchen window, and if I focused, I could see bright color, movement and large shapes. Viewing pleasure on that sucker must have been fantastic.

There were a few reasons why I couldn't watch TV surreptitiously on my neighbor’s big-screen. There was a big old tree outside the window. It’s branches fragmented the window and thus the screen, like grouting between pieces of tile in a mosaic. I could tell that objects onscreen were moving but not what they were doing exactly. Then there was the distance from the house that kept me from seeing the action clearly. Finally, there was the fear factor-- always the danger they could be staring back, you know? Being caught in the act of snooping is so darn embarrassing.

Not enough to stop me, of course, but better not to be seen.

It occurred to me lately that trying to see that TV screen clearly is like what happens when we write. Whether it’s a written outline, a grid or simply a developed plan in your mind, you need to have an idea of where your story starts and ends, and what’s going to happen in the middle. You need a clear path you can follow while at the keyboard. Otherwise, newly injected plot ideas, unplanned characters and unintended consequences can interfere with your thinking. Like that tree, it’s branches moving back and forth across the window making it difficult to piece together a cohesive picture, not having a good idea of where you’re going in a book will slow your writing and prevent your accomplishing a book that flows from point to point.

In the same way that my being far away from the TV kept me from breaking out the popcorn and setting up TV-watching shop in my kitchen, having a distance between you and your characters can prevent them from coming to life. For your characters to read as well-rounded and three dimensional, it takes more than knowing hair color, size and weight. Where did your hero come from? What did his father do? Who was your heroine’s best friend in high school? What was her favorite subject? What bad habits do they have? Where’s one place in the world they’d like to see?

I don’t mean you need to know the answers to all of these questions, but you should know as much as possible. The more you know about your characters, the more realistically you’ll portray them to your readers. Before you know it, they’ll feel as though your characters are neighbors, dropping in for a visit. That’s a joyful situation! So don’t keep yourself at a distance from your characters. Treat them as friends. Get to know them, inside out. (The great thing is, they don’t know you, so go ahead and tell them how much you spent on that new pair of shoes. It’s okay. They don't care.)

Finally, there’s fear to face. Writers have all kinds of fears: that you might not be able to pull off the grand book plan you’ve spend years dreaming about or that you might not do your characters justice. Even that you might succeed in everything you’ve ever hoped for. (Weird, huh? But it happens.) Then there’s that greatest fear, that someone else will soon pick up your manuscript and read it—the equivalent of my nervousness at the thought of looking up to see my neighbors watching me watch them. Unlike my situation, facing fear is something writers must excel at doing. Unless you’re someone who writes strictly for your own entertainment, someone else is going to read your work—many someones, you hope. If this is something that’s slowing you down, follow the advice of my New York/New Jersey friends: get over it.

If you suffer from this problem, hold your nose, close your eyes and repeat the mantra Readers will love my book. Write it on an index card and tape it to your bathroom mirror. Make it the background on your computer. Stick the sentiment in your lunch bag. The more you read it and say it, the less trepidation you’ll feel when you hand your work over to a stranger to read. Believe it.

The fact of the matter is, almost no one has an easy time of writing a book. It takes a lot of dedication, thought, and just plain time with butt in chair. But if you form a plan to guide you through the process, develop your characters as full-fledged people and force yourself to persevere over all your writer fears, you’ll find the finished product to be one you and others will enjoy reading.

Now, after thinking about trying to see into my neighbor's house for my entertainment, I'm in the mood for a quick run to Blockbuster.