Interesting Thing Just Happened

Okay, I was working on the end of my novel -- in which the main character does something quite dramatic. The first time I wrote it, I slowly built up to his dramatic action. When I reread it, even I didn't believe it. The emotion that would make him do what he did just wasn't there. The writing was labored, spending too much time trying to justify the impending action.

Then, I tried something different. I started the chapter with the dramatic action. Just, boom, he's moments before doing it. There are a few brief flashbacks before the dramatic action, but I let the reader do the majority of the work. The reader, through imagination, needs to fill in the emotions that must have led to this point.

It felt to me like it worked. His actions are in the realm of possibility, but explaining the actions just doesn't work. But, just having him doing it worked. It's like if you told someone something dramatic that happened. They might say, "I don't believe it. How could that happen?" Then, you hand them the newspaper account that reports the incident. No emotion, no buildup, but they read it and say, "okay, it did happen."

It's strange what readers will believe when it's simply presented as fact. (okay, so I'm assuming that the end of my novel might some day have readers)

A Must Read

This article says everything I've been thinking about. Why is so much of what is published seemingly mediocre literature? Check out this link.

here.

Short Story Acceptance

I recently learned that my short story "Smolder" will appear in Night Train VII due out this summer. If you haven't, check out Night Train. I like what they're doing in fiction. The best thing you can do to support them is subscribe. Check them out

here.

Giving Your Short Story a Title

Okay, you finished it. You've been working on your short story for months, and now the thing is ready for the title. Now you're stumped. What would be a good title? Too heavy-handed and it actually detracts from the story. Too vague, and your audience thinks, "what a stupid title." So, what do you do. Well, here's a suggestion. Go with the concrete/symbolic title.

I'll explain.

Okay, take something from your story that actually exists in the story. Can that thing also be read as a symbol? For instance, I have a story where a father and his estranged son drive to the Mackinaw Bridge at night. The father is hoping to get closer to his son who seems to be growing up too fast. The story ends with the two of them staring through the windshield at the bridge. The son is under his headphones, and the father, who has pressing reasons to turn around and drive back home, waits for his son to speak. I called that story "The Bridge." It works on a concrete level because there is indeed a bridge in the story. For me at least, it also works on a symbolic level because they've come to a bridge in their relationship.

I don't think that title would work, however, if I called it "The Bridge" and there was no bridge in the story. Then it would be too heavy-handed. It's kind of like calling a story "Redemption". It's underestimating your audience and saying, "Oh, if you didn't get it, my story is about redemption."

As you try to title your stories, give the concrete/symbolic title a try.