The Insecure Writer's Support Group Book Club discussion

Discussion for Method Acting for Writers.

Our book discussions consist of 5 questions. You can answer one question or all five. It's up to you.

And feel free to reply to anyone's comments to create a conversation.

Let's have some fun!



1. Distance words take you out of the deep point of view mode when you are writing. e.g. watched, saw, felt, wished, heard, thought, made, hoped, knew, remembered, regarded, noticed, looked, smelled, realized, decided, wanted, believed, wondered.

QUESTION: Do you recognize distance words when you see them in your own writing?



2. Have you used emotions in your writing that could be considered a form of telling?

Example from Method Acting for Writers: Rage coursed through Warren, his fists clenched at his sides. (Lisa Hall-Wilson urges us to describe what rage does to this character instead.)



3. Subtext refers to unspoken communication between characters. In movies, we can see it acted out before us. It is communicated in tone, facial expressions, and body gestures, the micro expression that flashes briefly across a face. Conversation between people are layered with meaning that sometimes has nothing to do with what is being said.

QUESTION: How do you use subtext in your writing?



4. Internal dialogue is a character’s unspoken thoughts. Have you used internal dialogue in your writing to delve deeper into your character’s point of view? When (what circumstances) do you tend to use internal dialogue in your writing?



5. The book referred to backstory being the character filter. Never give the reader all the information they need and drop it in bits at a time, never in large chunks. Give only what is necessary and in a way that is natural for the character to think about it themselves.

QUESTIONS: How do you use your backstory? Do you give too much or too little? Or do you keep it short and relevant?

1. I have a list of words like this to look up using the Find tool in Word when I am in my editing phases. I call these words simply “telling words” and by removing those words/phrases, you are turning a sentence from telling to showing.

2. I definitely have used emotions like this and have sentences pretty close to this in my stories. Except, that it’s a comma splice, but that’s beside the point. lol It’s extremely common to write in this manner, though. And I personally like to describe rage filling up inside my characters. When I do write, “Rage coursed through him…” I follow it with sentences of descriptive showing details, like fists clenching, breathing hard, clenching of a jaw, etc.

3. I use subtext in my writing when there’s no need for my characters to communicate something. Maybe dialogue would be too much or not enough. A gesture can speak volumes. Occasionally, it may be too dangerous for my characters to speak out loud. Sometimes, I do it to add humor, like when my couple looks at each other and can communicate with an expression or gesture. And, then there are the times when a character says one thing but body language says something else. That’s when something revealing can happen, maybe even a confrontation if this is noticed by another character.

4. Absolutely! I love to reveal my character’s thoughts. I like to do it to add tension (something a character doesn’t want another to know, or doesn’t want to say to another out of fear, but that I want readers to know). I tend to make their internal dialogue revealing in some way, and also to push the story forward.

5. Backstory is so tough. When it comes to working on stories that have a lot of backstory to them and the world, I constantly wonder if I do too much or too little and where the perfect places would be to insert backstory so it’s not all dumped in one place at once. In simpler books I write, I insert tidbits of backstory whenever it’s needed and keep it short and relevant.

1. Distance words take you out of the deep point of view mode when you are writing. e.g. watched, saw, felt, wished, heard, thought, made, hoped, knew, remembered, regarded, noticed, looked, smelled, realized, decided, wanted, believed, wondered.

QUESTION: Do you recognize distance words when you see them in your own writing? 

I miss a lot of them. I am starting to record them for reference when editing.

2. Have you used emotions in your writing that could be considered a form of telling?

Example from Method Acting for Writers: Rage coursed through Warren, his fists clenched at his sides. (Lisa Hall-Wilson urges us to describe what rage does to this character instead.)

I have, but also used a description of body language and thoughts along with it, not just telling alone.

3. Subtext refers to unspoken communication between characters. In movies, we can see it acted out before us. It is communicated in tone, facial expressions, and body gestures, the micro expression that flashes briefly across a face. Conversation between people are layered with meaning that sometimes has nothing to do with what is being said.

QUESTION: How do you use subtext in your writing?

I am working on this one. I think I use it but not consciously, so trying to learn to recognize it when I do, usually on the revision end.

4. Internal dialogue is a character’s unspoken thoughts.

QUESTION: Have you used internal dialogue in your writing to delve deeper into your character’s point of view? When (what circumstances) do you tend to use internal dialogue in your writing?

Yes, I do. Sometimes to convey facts or knowledge the character has that the reader does not or backstory and character connections or reaction to a situation to add more to the action end.

5. The book referred to backstory being the character filter. Never give the reader all the information they need and drop it in bits at a time, never in large chunks. Give only what is necessary and in a way that is natural for the character to think about it themselves. 

QUESTIONS: How do you use your backstory? Do you give too much or too little? Or do you keep it short and relevant? 

My first go around I tend to dump. Second, go around I try to turn it in action rather than passive or dialogue and cut out what is not necessary to the story. I also move it around as sometime I reveal some things too soon.

Juneta wrote: "I have, but also used a description of body language and thoughts along with it, not just telling alone. ."

That's what I do. :) Kinda like the "best of both worlds." Or rather, techniques. lol I actually believe in show AND tell. Although I do cut out as much telling as I can.

Never thought of that way, show and tell, but I agree. Best of both worlds. I find it hard to write just showing sometimes by combining them I think eventual I might get better at just showing.

1. Distance words take you out of the deep point of view mode when you are writing. e.g. watched, saw, felt, wished, heard, thought, made, hoped, knew, remembered, regarded, noticed, looked, smelled, realized, decided, wanted, believed, wondered.

QUESTION: Do you recognize distance words when you see them in your own writing?

This is something that I will be paying attntion to. Like some othrs here, I will be making a list of words to check when I am editing.
2. Have you used emotions in your writing that could be considered a form of telling?

Example from Method Acting for Writers: Rage coursed through Warren, his fists clenched at his sides. (Lisa Hall-Wilson urges us to describe what rage does to this character instead.)

In a words - yes.

3. Subtext refers to unspoken communication between characters. In movies, we can see it acted out before us. It is communicated in tone, facial expressions, and body gestures, the micro expression that flashes briefly across a face. Conversation between people are layered with meaning that sometimes has nothing to do with what is being said.

QUESTION: How do you use subtext in your writing?

I consciously use it, especially through body language and (fleeting) facial expressions.

4. Internal dialogue is a character’s unspoken thoughts. Have you used internal dialogue in your writing to delve deeper into your character’s point of view? When (what circumstances) do you tend to use internal dialogue in your writing?

I use internal dialogue when one character has information that another character does not, to provide backstory, and to show unexpected reactions.

5. The book referred to backstory being the character filter. Never give the reader all the information they need and drop it in bits at a time, never in large chunks. Give only what is necessary and in a way that is natural for the character to think about it themselves.

QUESTIONS: How do you use your backstory? Do you give too much or too little? Or do you keep it short and relevant?

I tend to give a lot of backstory, but in small chunks. I would rathr have too much, as opposed to too little, backstory.

Bonnie wrote: "I would rather have too much, as opposed to too little backstory.
"

Good point!

LOL Except that the higher percentage of people would find that heresy!

1. QUESTION: Do you recognize distance words when you see them in your own writing?
When I work on the second draft, I focus on hunting down the distance words. Any time I'm telling instead of showing, the revision gets intense. It's at this point that I rely on the in depth bio I've done of each character. Even as I try to be thorough, I often find that the third draft (and, yes, fourth or fifth draft) require more scrutiny. However, I must be constantly mindful that I'm writing a thriller. I think that spending too much time in the head or emotion description can slow down the action too much. What do you think?



2. Have you used emotions in your writing that could be considered a form of telling?

Probably on occasions, during fast action.



3. Subtext refers to unspoken communication between characters. In movies, we can see it acted out before us. It is communicated in tone, facial expressions, and body gestures, the micro expression that flashes briefly across a face. Conversation between people are layered with meaning that sometimes has nothing to do with what is being said.

QUESTION: How do you use subtext in your writing?

I love the challenge to express the character's thoughts solely through the use of detailed body language, subtle facial expressions, intense moments of stillness or tension.

4. Internal dialogue is a character’s unspoken thoughts. Have you used internal dialogue in your writing to delve deeper into your character’s point of view? When (what circumstances) do you tend to use internal dialogue in your writing?

I've used this when the character is hiding information from his/her opponent, or struggling with overcoming a personal obstacle, etc.

5. The book referred to backstory being the character filter. Never give the reader all the information they need and drop it in bits at a time, never in large chunks. Give only what is necessary and in a way that is natural for the character to think about it themselves.

QUESTIONS: How do you use your backstory? Do you give too much or too little? Or do you keep it short and relevant?

I've done both, large chunks and tidbits. I avoid backstory, but if it's critical to the understanding of the character's ability to deal with or unable to cope with a setting/plot, backstory gets the green light.