As I write, I hear the words of the workshop: Why is she saying this? I want to know more about this character. What is their relationship? Why is she acting this way? Tell us more.
Many times those questions have been helpful. I probe into areas that I wouldn't have gone into otherwise. I think through all the why's and why not's.
My brother's advice for writing a cover letter is to make things as obvious as possible for the prospective employer. "You need to add a little more here about how your experience relates to the position," he says on the phone.
"Yeah, but isn't that clear already?"
"Yes, but sometimes you have to hold their hand a little."
However, I hear those same workshop voices when I read a novel and see a slip of a character that I know, I know, somebody in the group would jump on and say, "I'd like to see you develop this more."
But maybe that person just doesn't matter much beyond their one appearance. Maybe we don't need to know everything about his background and her interior monologue and what they wore when they sat down to breakfast.
Maybe a little mystery's good for you, and if you want that relationship developed further, well, keep on wishin'.
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#220: Keith Urban, "Long Hot Summer"
#221: Pitbull & Marc Anthony, "Rain Over Me" (beyond ridiculous...to the point where I kinda love it)
#222: Enrique Iglesias, "Ayer"
#223: Lykke Li, "I Follow Rivers"
1 comment:
Ehh... I get nervous about hand holding the reader, especially with young adults. There's so much of that already in a genre saturated with multiple adaptions of Twilight knock offs. I don't know. I lean towards letting the mind do the work.
That said, I'm looking for a cover letter template. Can we be friends?
(Can we be lovers?)
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