Limits of fiction
September 22nd, 2007Know what makes me slightly stabby? When I want to accomplish something in a story that requires a different medium to be effective. Examples:
She paused. “[dialogue...]”
Usually I intend a pause that adds meaning, like you’d hear if it were a radio play. Important silence. On paper, it just looks clumsy.
I stared at him.
This is me trying to write a movie. An actor would convey the necessary meaning through facial expression. In fiction writing, this sentence is semi-useless.
Of course, I’m sure scriptwriters envy my freedom to dip into multiple people’s heads and just TELL the reader what the character is thinking if I want to.
In this situation, I usually try to form the prose in such a way as the ,” she said, ”
comes right where I want the pause. Particularly useful if hte pause comes in mid-sentence, but at also works between sentences.