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I never exaggerate. I just remember big. ~Chi Chi Rodriguez
An element of exaggeration clings to the popular judgment: great vices are made greater, great virtues greater also; interesting incidents are made more interesting, softer legends more soft. ~Walter Bagehot
Exaggeration is the inseparable companion of greatness. ~François-Marie Arouet de Voltaire |
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Embellished Truth
It was one of those bone-chilling winter mornings, where your breath crystallizes in the air. Sam and his grandfather, James, were heading home from a long trip of mountain climbing in the Colorado Rockies. Excited to have gone, yet ready to be home, Sam made a run for the small Cesna that his grandfather flew. Just before reaching the small aircraft, Sam hit some unseen ice. His feet flew up into the air, flipping him to the pavement. James helped Sam to his feet and examined him to be sure everything was intact.
“You shouldn’t have worn those cowboy boots today. Especially with how accident prone you are.” scolded James.
“I’ll remember that Grandpa. But you don’t have much room to talk” replied Sam, pointing to his grandfather’s own boots.
They laughed together about the whole situation and did their final inspection of the plane before take-off. Once in the air, James handed over the controls to Sam for the first portion of the flight home. It was soon, though, that the turbulence became a little too much for the small Cesna, and James had to take over. Just as he put his feet on the peddles, the engine sputtered, shaking the whole plane, then went out.
What does this have to do with this newsletter? How could you expand on this story? Would your story end happily, or sadly? Where in the middle of the above snippet would you like to change it, add onto it, or exaggerate more?
Have you ever had one of those family members whose life stories always seemed to be the life of many conversations? I’m sure you have. People experience life from many angles and they are never exactly the same as someone else’s life.
This is what I’ve done above. It’s only one little snippet of a memory I have with my grandfather as a child around the age 7. The truth in that is that my grandfather loved flying and would take me with him. He’d allow me to fly the plane in the air after he logged his own time to keep his pilot’s license in check. One particular morning, I was wearing cowboy boots, slipped and started to fall. My grandpa had a hold of my hand and pulled up on my arm to keep me from crashing. In the process, I spun several times and it made the whole thing look like we were dancing, lol.
But with that memory, I can place pieces, or the whole thing into a story. As an author, I can then embellish truths and circumstances to make it work with what I’m writing. It doesn’t have to stay the same way, nor does it have to be the whole experience of where the memories came from. From what I’ve seen, some of the best authors embellish truths to make their story fit. They bend the rules of the original thoughts, personalities, and storylines to make it all their own.
In the book, No Plot? No Problem! By Chris Baty (NaNoWriMo), he talks about how one way to find some interesting stories for your novel is to interview strangers about their family. Of course, letting them know that you’re doing research for your novel might be a good idea.  It’s sort of like a “tell me about your strangest family member” thing. With this you can find out some of the craziest stories some people have about their aunts, uncles, parents, etc. This being the case, you can take some of the basic ideas of a story and play it into your writing in more ways than one. Also, you have the capability of incorporating someone’s personality into a character you need help with. Personality and storyline all in one place! Who would’ve thought?
Good, bad, or so-so experiences and stories can add a mile to your own writing just by exaggerating the truth and pumping your own ideas into the mix. It might be awkward to ask a stranger, so maybe ask one of your own relatives for some of their life stories.
Your challenge then is to find a person and ask them about the strangest, craziest person they know in their family. Could be your own, or could be a stranger. Instead of writing about one of their experiences, try using the person they are describing to come up with your own character. Good luck and have fun exploring your next idea. |
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akurgal - I am chuckling as I read this edition of the newsletter. I am VERY passionate about my writing. The problem is the things that excite my passion are painful, often horrific memories from my tortured youth that I am seeking to exorcise. Very few people find them "entertaining".
Entertaining or not, they are experiences that you can use. When you use it within your writing, it creates drama that can pull your reader further into the story. I guess it all comes down to how you use those memories and how you tell the stories. Also, is it therapy for you and helps you to get past those things? That's what really matters.
demor - Your point about the necessary passion in writing is absolutely true. If you don't have it there is no way you can hide the lack, even from yourself.
glory  - I believe that writers truly become passionate when they place themselves into the writing, and the pen and the scroll become the ascessible pattern of their heart.
rasiam - In answer to your question: "How can we stay passionate about how and what we write?" I know others have mentioned reading books to help, but movies and music are options as well. In the battle scene of "Chronicles of Narnia" when they have the battle music going and the Gryphons take wing in that huge formation I start getting all sorts of images and plots of my own. Sometimes the right music and scene can unlock fresh ideas. These can renew your passion if you think that you've run out of new and interesting ideas.
Tehanu - How can we stay passionate about how and what we write?
*Living life with energy helps me put passion in my writing. When I am active, playing sports or trying new things, I come up with excellent ideas. The more I know, the more I can picture how to twist a story, too. I share almost all my writing with a best friend and the conversations/debates we have make me see my pieces from a different perspective.*
Breezy-E ~ In College - Good question! I've been working on my novel for a few years, and am still on the first draft (a fact which the numerous accidental deletions didn't help). For me, I stay passionate because I'm interested in what will happen next, and I don't try to force myself to write. Try too hard, and it'll fall flat on it's face!
happiezdaiz  - What type of writing does writing.com encourage or favor most?
Writing.Com itself doesn't favor one type of writing for another. It's the other authors in the community who pick one style over another. We're the ones who have the ability to encourage each other to try a type of writing, or to do better in the genre we're comfortable with. |
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For Authors: May 24, 2006 Issue [#1057]
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