Chao- A lot of us want to tell our story the best we can. We must remember descriptions of characters, their actions, and their surroundings. Whatever we write about a character needs to be believable. We just can't say a character is nice, smart, arrogant, a hero, a villain or athletic without proof. We can't say their home is a wreck if there's no description of unorganized boxes, rotting trash, or clothes that haven't been washed in weeks stay on the floor.
Example: "The boy's room was messy. His mother always nagged him to clean it up. She said he could win the Messy Room Award one day. He didn't want to do his chore because he'd much rather play his videogames."
Chao- Is this really convincing that a room is messy? Perhaps not. But this is seen in many fan fics, and readers need to take the word of the author. Fans are already aware of certain character traits. We see this in the actual world of the character whether it's through a TV show or book. And even though readers may overlook this, as an author it is your job to show what world your character lives in, even for a fan fics.
Example revised: "The boy's room was messy. His floor that had once been a clean creamed color carpet was now covered with his untidy clothing. Piles and piles of wrinkled jeans, T-shirts marked up with juice stains, and disregarded rolled up socks layered the ground. His wooden desk underneath the window was shrouded in unorganized school papers and his collections of monster action figures and trading cards. Inside his drawer were his disorderly school supplies. He had some unsharpened pencils and cases of pens that no longer worked. His tape was crumpled up, and he never knew where his scissors vanished to. His miniscule grey trashcan nearby with a clear garbage bag was empty, but plenty of crumpled up tissues and clothing tags littered the area around it. His unkempt bed tangled in orange sheets and a misshapen pillow. His closet was no better. A place that would be utilized for hanging clothes and storing boxes was always shut due to all his junk of old school projects and costume pieces clogged the space.
"His mother always nagged him to clean it up. She couldn't stand the stench of rotting food. She had given him a few spray bottles to improve aroma, but he lost them. She once threatened to go in and pack everything up and donate it to charity. She said he could win the Messy Room Award one day.
"He didn't want to do his boring chore because he'd much rather play his videogames. He couldn't be bothered with something as time consuming as hanging up his clothes and investigated his papers to see which ones to keep when he was so close to the final boss. Plus he enjoyed the chaotic room; he knew where everything was, even if it took him several minutes just to find a clean outfit to wear."
Chao- That was an example showing the boy's room was messy. We saw how his room was messy (naming a few items and their condition), how it affected someone around him (his mother and what she tried to do about it), and a why he didn't want to do it (he was lazy and more interested in his game). That was for a setting. It's also important to add traits to characters' appearances and attitudes.
Example 2: "The girl was very pretty and fashionable. As she walked down the sidewalk on her way to a friend's house, people would stop to look at her. She was smart and caring despite taking pride in her looks."
Chao- So again we see something like this in fan fics. And we do get these examples in visuals if we watch an Anime or read a Manga. But when reading someone else's work, people are impress with how much detail is within the words. Aside from a good plot, people want a story that is easy to understand.
Example 2 revised. "The girl was pretty and fashionable. Her long brown hair flowed passed her shoulders. Her split ends free locks glowed as the sun shone down. She carefully brushes it often, cautious to not yank. Her blue eyes sparkled with care. She acted vigilant to never strain them with dim lighting.
"As she walked down the sidewalk on her way to a friend's house, people would stop to look at her. Her white blouse pressed gently against her upper body and down her thin waist. An open rose short sleeved shirt covered right on top of that. Her blue jean skirt flew down, resting just above her knees. Though bystanders were awestruck with the view, they did not know they had been charmed with her bright smile most of all.
"Despite taking pride in her looks, she was smart and caring. She earned good grades, awarding her a spot on the honor roll system at her school. She was on her way to a friend's house to help tutor her in math. Their teacher meant well, but the students sometimes were lost in the lectures. She could only hope her friend had at least tried to do the work; she would not spoon feed the answers."
Chao- Why should any of this matter? Readers need to be convinced of what authors write, especially if authors try and write something for an original work outside of fan fics. It is good practice. One way to practice is to find a place for practice. Every word in stories count. If authors write one shots, it be a good way to focus on one aspect at a time. Maybe one one shot could be for plot, another for character description, and another for settings. (The same could also be applied to chapters.) It is ok for fans to place in their own ideas while reading, like their own impression with a classroom, but if you have an idea in your head of how you want something to look like, whether it is a character or a place, then go ahead and type it up. But if you don't know what either one looks like, neither will your readers, especially in original work.
No comments:
Post a Comment