"I think my child just pulled the fire alarm."
So, for those of you who missed my tweet on this, last Friday my hubby and I were out on an exciting date (including a thrilling trip to Home Depot looking for plumbing stuff) and had made our way toward the high point, frozen yogurt. Since this was sans child we were looking forward to full bowls with as much topping as we wanted (no need to set a good example). As you can probably guess from the quote however.... this goal was obscenely interrupted by the shrill sound of the fire alarm going off and the employees telling everyone they had to vacate the building. Now, I took it as the hand of fate, sparing me from comitting the sin of gluttony. However, my husband saw it as a personal assault on his objective made by that little child. Since the perpetrator could not have been older than three, I sincerely doubt this. Still, it made me realize that conflict is all in the eye of the beholder. We are taught, as writers, to build conflict into our stories. While this seems obvious, what I just realized was that even the definition of conflict can vary by character. So, while I said, oh well.... and continued on with our date; my hubby has now made it a personal goal to go back to that store at some point this week and get his chocolate fudge frozen yogurt with cookie dough, snickers and hot fudge sauce (can you guess his weakness?). It is out of conflict such as this that a story is born. Imagine if he returned only to find it wasn't a prank and indeed there had been a fire. (We left quickly, so it is possible). Now let's say the business is closed for the month of November. But, in the meantime, he has promised this trip to our daughter (indeed true... and now that she has read this blog, I can assure you her bowl will be overflowing). Since living up to his promises is of utmost important to him, the conflict is now not just about his dessert, but also his abilities as a parent. So, after writing this blog I can now see that my character bios need to include a section on what each character values most; and therefore what I can take away from them for the greatest story conflict (insert evil laugh here). My plan is to include some baseline questions like, what do they feel about honesty, family, and money. Oh.... and of course, frozen yogurt.
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A teenage breakup!
It was impossible not to observe, though they were speaking so softly not much could be overheard. Still, it was obvious what was happening. The way she sat nervously waiting for him to arrive. The smile he had for her until she moved her face and his lips grazed her cheek. The way she leaned as far away from him as her chair would allow. It was all impossible to ignore. Oh, I thought, how sad. I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away and, just as I am sure the girl was doing, I wondered how and when it would end. Eventually the boy got up, gave her a brief hug and trudged out the door. After he'd left she immediately called her friend to come pick her up.... and this part I could hear clearly... the nervous laughter as she said, "Just come get me quick. I told him." But, the fact is, whatever she had told him really didn't matter.... in fact, I realized they didn't even need to exchange words.... body language and facial expression had said it more eloquently than she ever could have; especially given her age. The teenagers I know have a fairly limited vocabulary! For most of us body language is so subconcious that it is a dead give-away of what we are really thinking. I have found a bunch of great articles on the importance of body language during Presidential debates: http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_fshw.php?mwi=3343 http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/08/nation/na-debateside8 http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20081003/body-language-vice-presidential-debate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn_wDqqSUo4 And this was a small sampling of the many links that came up when I googled "presidential debates and body language". What I found most interesting in all this media was the high profile job of the body language experts. What do they major in for that career? And can you imagine what they deal with at social engagements? I'm neurotic enough at a party without wondering what someone is learning through my body language (probably that I'm neurotic!) On the other hand.... how powerful as a writer to have those tools in my toolbox. Tightened lips, I learned, can be an indicator of negative emotion. Swining your hand in front of you so that the other hand can play with a watch or cuff is s sign of insecurity. In Betting Jessica there is a part where the father spills the beans about Erik's plans to join the group on their trip to Tahoe to track down the celebrity: “Oh no! He wouldn’t go, would he Dad? Dad, why would you think Erik is going? He’s not going is he?” Now she was the one who was panicked. “Uh, gosh,” her dad said with an overly large laugh. “Oh look, our coffee is ready.” Her dad grabbed his coffee and started walking to the door, ready to escape. One look at Jess’s face, though, slowed him. What do you want to bet that, if I'd known then what I know now, Jessica's father would have been playing with the heat sleave on his coffee cup? So, I am excited for this new area of study. Not only will it hopefully improve my writing, but if I ever see my hubby rub his nose I'll know to dig a little deeper. And, of course, I'll council my daughter.... when her boyfriend waits at Starbucks like a bullfighter waiting for his turn in the ring that it is time to lean back, rather than in. |
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June 2020
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