How does wording choice develop a story's
character? How do you use and select your words?
Big topic but an interesting one. The topic was suggested
and this was the theme. Sometimes find myself writing down turns of phrase
like:
She
had to be the sexiest-looking 42-year-old on the planet, the best that money
could buy.
Is
this a positive or a negative when you read a book? How can such statements be
used to describe character?
Honestly,
when I read something like that, if it’s from 1940, maybe 1950, it fits within the
era. I smile and enjoy the description. It’s usually
from a PI about a client or a woman in a bar.
If
it’s contemporary, I read it but it pulls me out of the book. Wording choice has to be relevant to the
genre, the era, and the time frame. It’s important to use words to grab he
readers and hook theme to the character but it has to relate to the reader.
For
me, building a character is my challenge. I love to develop a plot, but the
character something that will resonate with a reader, drives the plot. So, I have
to use words to develop a character. I try to use words that will grab a reader
and my editor won’t cut. They need to be descriptive, evocative, and something
a reader can imagine in their mind.
Your
thoughts?
I’m
looking forward to seeing what the other authors have to say.
Skye
Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_seaMarci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/
Margaret Fieland http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com
Victoria Chatham http://victoriachatham.blogspot.ca
Dr. Bob Rich http://wp.me/p3Xihq-OB
Rachael Kosinski http://rachaelkosinski.weebly.com/
Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com
A.J. Maguire http://ajmaguire.wordpress.com/
Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobinleecourtright.com
The description given at the top didn't put me off or put me in an era, but your observation on who might have made that judgement was spot on. Something I didn't pick up on when I was contemplating the assignment.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, Skye. It's always interesting to see everyone's POV on a subject.
DeleteFind the right words to build a character in a unique, appealing way without making an editor (or reader) stop and have the wrong reaction to the wording is a challenge. Enjoyed your post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rhobin. And I agree writing your characters is always a challenge.
DeleteI guess I didn't necessarily think "PI" when I read the little sentence from Bob, but with your description, it does definitely sound very film noir! Nice post. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rachael.It's that different perception and maybe if you've watched the 1940's PI films. :)
ReplyDeletePI was a good guess for the woman described. I find plotting more challenging tha character building, but they all have their stumbling blocks.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Judy, that both character and plot have challenges.
DeleteWording does depend on time period and genre. Those words set in this time period are very insulting, at least to me, even if they're in the mind of a PI. It tells me not only a lot about the other person, but also the character thinking it. I would tend to not like the character thinking it and see them as a misogynist. LOL
ReplyDeleteVictoria Chatham uses some great examples in her blog post about how descriptions and genre go hand in hand. What you write when trying to set a creepy mood is completely different that what you'd write for a romance or fantasy.
All of this is what makes writing such a fascinating and exciting proposition. :)
Marci
Thanks for your post, Marci. I didn't like the character thinking it either, but that may have been the point. It's great fun to be writers - and readers.
DeleteNo, he is not a PI but a millionaire. :)
ReplyDeleteThey can be sleazy, too, as we may note from the news.
I agree with you that character is all-important. My problem is that they do as they want to, not as I want them to.
:)
Bob
Boy, I was way off there. It showed someone most of us didn't like. And you're right, those characters often say and do whatever they want - not what we want. Thanks for an interesting topic this month.
DeleteHi Beverley, I like your point about wording throwing you from a story sometimes. If I read a book that's a so-called "easy read", I know just how much work a writer has done to make it easy. It's actually hard work choosing words that flow. Thanks for the great post.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Helena, easy reading can be very hard writing. Thanks for dropping by.
DeleteBeverly, good point. I don't write historicals, but I imagine it must be difficult to stick to phrasing appropriate for the era.
ReplyDeleteGood point, Margaret. I agree from a contemporary POV I'd find writing tight, descriptive historical difficult.
Delete