Lady Liv Vignette

Word Count 698

Assignment 1 Capturing character emotions

Lady Liv,

I have tried to comply with your assignment but lack the technical knowledge to transfer a word file to a bitem format without losing the highlighting of the metaphors, similes and adjectives. As an interim I am providing what I’m technically capable of passing on.


Metaphors:

….well sculptured frame…
…Confusing old building…
… Office in bowels…
… Battle behind storm clouds blue eyes…
… Reid ground out…

Similes

… Eyes as expressive as in years gone by….
… As if sucker punched…
… As if openly slapped him….

Adjectives

… (Smile) easy…
… (Instant recognition) apprehensive, untamed…
… (Look) reticent…
… (Words) chilly…
… (Expression) bewildered…
… (Formality) detached…

Discussion of the emotional context of the example.


What I see in this excerpt is exactly what I need to improve at. I need to be able to write better exposition that expresses emotion and a sense of the surroundings. You do this very well and in reading the piece I get a feel for the characters based upon the information that is interspersed throughout the example.

As a stage play writer I have developed a mindset of communicating these things through dialog, however in writing a novel or short story, many have commented that I am woefully deficient in providing the descriptive background and emotional context that you are so proficient at. No doubt I will take a great deal from this course.

I have always felt that to really get to know a character I have to hear them talk, however in a novel that is certainly not the whole truth… The way you show the hero's somewhat relaxed and warm manner contrasted by Polly's aloof and cold formality make it easy to get a feel for what is happening without the need for excessive dialog or labels. As a reader I have heard both types of speech patterns and in a novel or short story I begin to make connections based upon my experience with having listened to distinctive patterns of speech associated with certain types of characters. In some cases a reader makes bad early assumptions, however these are to me only place holders until more comprehensive information becomes available. So with all the caveats here is my impression and emotional assessment of Reid and Polly.


Reid is trying to reconnect with an old flame. His wife has died and he’s trying to bring some warmth back into his lonely and empty life, feelings that once resonated in Polly’s company.

Surprised at seeing him Polly is guarded, thinking he’s still married….She has become comfortable in her role as a business woman and is not interested in any complicating entanglements from the past that lead nowhere. While the two apparently had something going in their past, complicationsof some sort turned them away from one another.

As their worlds collide he must reconcile the girl he once knew with the passing of time. It quickly becomes evident that the scenario he has in mind, played back on the video of imagination, does not jive with reality. His smooth warm manner, normally a dependable asset does not serve effectively in the situation he finds himself. The only thaw comes when the trump card of his wife’s death is played unexpectedly… Her response is one of pity, not what he’s looking for.

Polly has given up any thought of a romantic connection in her life…and the idea of a domestic role has become a distant and foreign concept. She has the satisfaction of her job and the esteem of her coworkers and that seems to be enough. Now, her mystery man is back, wondering if this straight laced woman is worth the bother… leaving her to ponder the implications threatening her comfortable and well-ordered life. Taking a very officious stance, Polly converses in a business like tone and strives to hold him at bay.

In the wake of their meeting he departs questioning the wisdom of looking backwards in search of a lost happiness. She must decide what to do next. Call the number on the card, ignore it or wait and see just how interested he really is.

The reader wonders if any reconciliation between the two is possible….and braces for the challenge of reuniting this unlikely pair.