What do I have to show you?
I have had the same best friend since I was sixteen, except for one year, of which we do not speak. That’s twenty-nine years of wanting her to know what I was doing, where I was going and what I had. I’ll admit it was easier when I visited her at her parents’ house or her apartment or in any of her Pennsylvania homes or she came to any of my homes in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Illinois, Ohio, Arizona or Illinois (again). Whether we were sixteen or forty-something, we would eye the room and say, “What do I have to show you?”
I can picture us in any of a half dozen spots, countless times, doing the same thing. A new nick-nack, photo, pair of shoes or shirt. Maybe something old and an “ohmigawd do you remember this?” Even now with infrequent in person visits, in addition to photos, we email each other links to things we’ve purchased or places we’re going — Target sandals, new bedding, a restaurant, a purse, a hotel. That’s the way we show these days and it very nicely compliments our emails and phone calls.
I realized at some point that I do the same thing when I’m writing, do you?
I picture the scene and think “What do I have to show the reader?” I look around the room slowly and deliberately scanning for items, people, ambiance. What do I see? What do I hear? What is inconsequential? What truly matters? Does it reveal something about the character or the plot? Is it new? Is it a reminder? Does it point to the future? What are the specific attributes that make it interesting? And of course, why does it matter?
The difference is, in real life things matter just because. In real life everything we have and every bit of who we are is part of our own personal story. Extraneous items and information are the things long mornings over coffee or multiple emails in an hour are made of.
But the similarities outweigh the differences. The necessary details in a story enhance it, make it stand out, make it memorable, something you can’t put down — just like that special friendship.
I totally do that! Mostly with my sister and best friend, but the last time I had someone over I kept looking around the house because I was sure there was something I wanted to show them.
I need to remember to look around my characters’ world more often and show what’s there. I do make a point to only show things that they would notice. Some people might notice the make of a car, but my MC just notices that it’s dirty — that type of thing.
Hi Amy! I’m one of your fellow Walk-It Blog-It participants and I just wanted to stop by and say hello.
I hope you’ve been doing well with the walking, and I look forward to seeing your posts about it.
That’s a cool way to think of it, Amy! I like that. I’m very reader-centric in my writing, too.
I do that, too, but oddly enough that’s always what I end up getting told to cut. I’m always told that’s the extra stuff that doesn’t add anything, whereas I’m thinking it adds life. I like the real life stuff in there that makes a story breathe.
Okay…what’s the walk-it-blog-it thing? I want in.