Writing Emotional Subject Matter -- discuss.

[verasteine]

blue_fjords, I blame you.

Okay, open discussion for anyone who feels like wandering in. I'm working, by request, on a meta on how to write emotional or difficult subject matter.

For the writers among you: how do you deal with emotional subject matter in your stories? Do you think about how to construct the fic, do you think specifically about how the

Comments

[rm]

I write as an actor. The emotions must proceed from the "given circumstances" which include the scenario, the character, and that character's past history with related issues, stress, etc. It may seem Mary Sue-ish to say, but it is important not to write an imitation of the characters. Rather what would you do in circumstance a if you were a 26-year-old guy who tends to be tightly wound but when he freaks out, really freaks out, is involved with his boss, and has a hard time having any public identity as he works for a secret organization, is distanced from his family and is still trying to get his head around sleeping with a bloke.

It's never "what would a given character do?" it's "what would I do if I were that character?"

But I'm not sure this works or even makes sense for someone who isn't an actor or doesn't at least have a background in this sort of stuff. BUT, I really believe acting exercises and training is a huge asset to writers (I actually do a workshop on this sort of thing from time to time).

[verasteine]

No, I think it makes sense, because in essence, I do the same thing, except that I try and apply it to my life or people I know. I have no drama training whatsoever, so for me it's more about, "what facet of that character do I connect with", and taking that facet and developing it after presenting the character with a given set of circumstances.

And now I don't know if that makes sense to anyone but me :).

[rm]

Oh sure, that's another good access point. Like, when I write Jack, my access points are that I'm not what people think (I pass for over a decade younger than I am; I don't look like my racial and ethnic makeup; I have the behaviors of a wealthy person, but aren't) and also that I'm very gregarious, but also, fundamentally deal with myself as a loner. When I write Ianto, it's all about trying too hard to be fastidious and disciplined and wanting to serve but being too greedy to be fundamentally natural at any of it.... and so forth.

[verasteine]

And that's probably why people have their "own versions" of characters.

Can I ask you, though, if you ever consciously think about the emotional side of a plot, especially if it's not something you have personal experience with? Like say, Jack and his memory loss?

[rm]

Not really. It's just a matter of finding out what that scenario is similar to for me and then I just have to choose something high stakes enough.

In that case I figure the essential emotions there are grief, frustration and powerlessness.

Then I just have to find my own stuff to get the emotion and then dump it into the scenario and Jack's cadence of expression.

[verasteine]

Thanks! I can work with this :)

[kel_reiley]

this makes total sense and is what i do (but i am not an actor, except in my head)