A MC needs to really mess up. And I don’t mean mess up like they chose chocolate when they meant vanilla. There has to be a huge consequence and we, the reader, need to feel it. More importantly, we need to sympathize.
Sympathy requires understanding, being able to put yourself in the MC’s shoes. You understand their mistake and already forgive them before they even ask for it. You even forgive them before the other characters do and you hope along with the MC that the other characters will also forgive him. Moreover, we feel angry with the characters who choose not to forgive.
This mistake can be a lesson in humility, perseverance, or even a life-threatening lesson. In Ordinary people,
To get in touch with such deep emotions, think back to a time when you really messed up. I mean REALLY. Think back to a critical moment in your life when you thought life would never be the same because of the mistake you made, a moment when you went down one road instead of the other and as a result had serious consequences to pay. Meditate on that memory. Really bring up the emotions of the decision, its consequences, and the reaction of the people who mattered to you at the time. Did your mother hold you and forgive you while you sobbed in her arms? Did your father hug you and tell you he loved you no matter what? Did you lose a friend? Did you have to face a teacher and confess to your mistake?
Journal about it. Write everything you can remember, the clothes you were wearing, the way you did your hair, how your body tensed up perhaps, everything and anything you remember, write down. Then consider how your MC can also royally mess up. Ultimately, the goal of a writer is to create characters who live and breathe and what better way then to make them royally mess up. After all, to err is human...
Care to share? If you have a particular memory you’d like to share, by all means...
6 comments:
Great advice, Sheri! And, great to see you again!
This is so interesting! I just commented on someone else's blog about writing from pain and how it can be difficult. Then I came over here and you are strongly encouraging us to write from pain! I can see how it makes readers love/sympathize/relate better to the main character.
hey Kelly - I know long time no see, right. These days I think I can only do one blog article a month... You know how it is, job, writing schedules, and blogging... don't forget house chores, kids, husbands, pets. Oy! I'm tired just writing about it. Glad you're still checking in with me!
Hi Carla and welcome to my blog! I believe in writing not only from pain but all our emotions. It's a great idea to keep an emotional journal. When you go through something great, scary, traumatic... keep a log of it. Briefly write the event, but then really take your time writing how it felt, where in your body you felt the emotion, what your visceral reaction was to it, etc. It's the emotional, physical connection that will make your characters live. Give it a try and let me know how it works for you!
Perfect advice. I read that in a novel you must love your character but spare it no mercies- inflicting issue after issue until the story resolves.
I enjoyed your blog but had a tremendous time with the background ground, you might want to use a different template.
Not judging had the same problem myself.
I am now following you and a little blind, so help a writer out, make it easier for me to read. lol
i em so glad i found you blog! i love readin it :)
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