October 9, 2012

Hi writers,

I’ve been thinking about vulnerability in writing, one of those hard-to-define qualities that is invisible but can make or break a story. In my earliest writing, readers complained that there was not enough vulnerability, I think because I as the writer wasn’t comfortable yet with the idea. But guarded and jaded characters, like guarded and jaded people, are really hard to get to know. And in life, we may take the time and be rewarded … but in reading, if we cannot love or at least understand a character, we are ultimately not going to care. An argument for going a bit soft, maybe?

Elisabeth

PROCESS: CREATING SOFT SPOTS

When describing a character, either real or fictional, it is necessary to reveal what they do not like, do not know, cannot forgive, or cannot reveal in themselves. Good writing places scenes that reveal these vices alongside scenes that reveal virtues.

Try this: Consider making a pros and cons list of your character’s qualities, trying to make them of equal length, and focusing especially on qualities that, depending on the light, are both pros and cons. Jot down notes about ways you might reveal these qualities in action.

FEATURED VENUE: CAMAS

“Deeply inspiring” is what Terry Tempest Williams has called Camas, a literary journal based in the Environmental Studies Graduate Program at the University of Montana. Until October 15, Camas is seeking writing and photography that explores the idea of “work.”

Submission guidelines here: http://umt.edu/camas/Submit.aspx

PROMPT

“They became friends after…” (8min)