11 April 2013

Writing What You Don't Know

This morning, I discovered an article which prompted a comment from me, but I never finished the comment because it got to be too long for a comment. I decided instead to create this blog entry and link back to the article at the Florida Writers Conference Blog. Chris Hamilton's article reflects on the use of words which are hurtful, yet can be powerful in provoking thought. I think my response went off on a different tangent, and so, rather than detract from his article with my comment, here exists my post for today.

The protagonist in my first attempt at a novel was a lesbian. However, the story wasn't about her being gay, rather her struggle to gain her mother's acceptance was the underlying subplot, all while her best friend's wedding unfolded into a complete disaster.

I shelved it after chapter five simply because I had no clue with how to move forward. It got to a point where I couldn't write anymore because it didn't feel like my story. I think if you're going to write a gay character, especially a protagonist, you need to understand the struggle itself and not make attempts at including the character just to be all inclusive and risk exacerbating stereotypes, which would not have been my intent.


I began to question myself as a fiction writer. Would I be able to write from the perspective of a racist character, or one of royalty? I could make it up, but how convincing would I be and how effective the story? I found myself wanting to explore and write about things I don't know, rather than write about what I know.

When I got to chapter five and started developing the mother/daughter relationship, I discovered the story wasn't about my protagonist needing acceptance; it was about a daughter helplessly struggling for her mother's love and guidance. If you take the fact that the protagonist is gay completely out of the picture, this scenario could apply to anyone. So then I had to ask myself this question. Why did I make my character a lesbian?

Maybe we have these grandiose ideas of telling that deeper story, the profound thing too difficult for ordinary people to express in words. We want to be that artist who exposes the truth and realities of our evil society through the smoke and mirrors of political correctness, and then we, the artist, will provide that redemption to the rest of the world, who will now see through the glorious eyes of their savior. Not really.

You're welcome. That's what we want to say at the end of our stories. When people finally get it, the just and the righteous, when all prejudices have been lifted, when your inner critics have been silenced in your minds, and when you see your fellow humans as yourselves and you cry those tears of joy, know it is our intent to educate.

Why do you want to write the story you've chosen? What drives you? Is there a point you want to make with your story? If there is, let it be genuine, so that it is real and not gratuitous.

26 comments:

  1. I guess the point of my book is: COMMUNICATE!

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    1. That is 100% everything I ever want to do, too! Communication, the good, the bad, the ugly. Get it out on the table and deal with it. :)

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  2. More to your discussion on becoming a character. This isn't a big stumbling block for me simply because I have a background in method acting. Even if one can't act, I think the study method acting is an essential tool for every writer. It teaches the ability to not just pretend to be a character, but to become a character by deconstructing and rationalizing every single action. Justifying everything and creating back story even if it is never shared. I think every writer could learn something from a real acting method class. Just a thought.

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    1. Method acting sounds like a great resource. Thanks for sharing. I would never have thought to look into acting, let alone the method acting you mention, but it makes a lot of sense. I know a lot of writers would benefit, especially younger writers.

      I notice so many folks who want to write fiction find it difficult to overcome these types of issues. I definitely will check it out and write about my experience.

      Thanks!

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  3. Saw your post over at AW and thought I'd chime in. I still think it is good to experiment in writing what you don't know, but to the topic itself, I remember when my son first came out, as they say, or used to say back then. He was about 20. He called me very nervous and said he had something to tell me. The conversation went something like this:
    "You got in a car accident?"
    "No"
    "You got arrested?"
    "No."
    "You're injured?"
    "No mom."
    No to everything I asked. Then he finally said the words, "I'm gay."
    To which I said, "Oh that? I knew that already. Don't scare me like that again, I thought something terrible happened to you!"
    Then he asked me how I knew to which I said, "Because I'm your mother silly."

    It's not just about communication, it's about paying attention.

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    1. A momma knows her baby! :D

      I learn more in my attempt to write a character I don't know than trying to write a character I already know. The characters I already know do not scream at me as much as the ones I do not know.

      No wonder I can't finish a story!

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  4. More than anything, I want to entertain people...To give people a break from whatever may be stressing them out in the real world.

    I like to try new things, but I need to have some level of comfort while I'm outside my comfort zone, if that makes any sense. If I don't it won't get done because I'll be worrying about it all the time. It's unlikely my MC will ever be struggling with something I know nothing about, but I like to think that I would be able to go there if it was necessary for the story. It's like I'm the painter and the character is standing behind me telling me what to draw.

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    1. I'm kind of like that, only the painter isn't telling me what to draw. He's telling me how awkward it looks after I draw it. lol

      I like your take on this. I also want to entertain and it's probably why I keep going in and out of serious mode. I have to keep myself focused to one story, or I'll go off and insert comedic relief where it shouldn't be.

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  5. I think it might be hard for you to understand completely what a lesbian might go through, but if you understand the overall struggle of trying to gain a mother's approval and love than I think you can focus on that (maybe not even having to disclose that she's a lesbian-you'll know it but maybe the reader can just feel it). Then you'll really show what the true struggle is without having to think in stereotypes. This is what I try to do when I'm portraying something I don't have much experience with—I try to put the emotional focus on something that I do understand.

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    1. That's a good point, Lauren, the unspoken being the more powerful statement.

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  6. I think I definitely identify with all my MCs. Whether they are very much like me or just a little, we have something in common that allows me to tell their story and be genuine as far as the emotions involved.

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    1. Ever since I decided to write crime fiction, I've been in a more comfortable position with what I write. I think I was trying too hard to be profound. Now I just write for the fun and love of writing and I'm in a much better place for it. It feels more genuine.

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  7. Great post. I've been trying to think what's the point of my book. I would say it's "be yourself." I write to create stories that'll make people feel better the way a good story makes me happy.

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    1. The hardest thing I ever wrote in one of my writing classes was from the perspective of a homeless person. I chose first person point of view and I couldn't easily get into the head of this homeless guy. Once I did, I had to stop. I just couldn't do it.

      I like the idea of taking method acting classes as mentioned by Cristina above. It sounds like I could use a little help. I never thought about acting in order to write, but it does fit together sort of.

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  8. I like reading your blog and the replies from your readers.

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    1. The first Anonymous poster who isn't a spammer. Welcome! And thanks for your feedback. :)

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  9. My WIP started with me wanting to write a fantasy story where the heroine fails to save the world and then deals with the consequences. Now it's evolved into a story about going through a dark phase and coming through if not hole, but able to live and feel happiness.

    The point of the story kind of snuck in. I think it's because I've gone through a lot of bad stuff, people are surpised I can date/go to university/am not damaged goods etc... I want to use my writing to give hope.

    I like your blog. I'm just really shy on and off the internet, so I don't comment much :P

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    1. Hi Emilia! Like the progress of your characters, the more you reflect, the more your story will improve.

      Through the years, I found that I enjoy sharing and with each share, I gain more confidence. So, keep up your quest to finish your story. I've been working on mine for the past 3 or 4 years and am just now getting to the point where I feel like I'm getting a complete picture.

      My dark phase happened when I was gaming and I kept making my protagonist so flawed that they could never succeed. Then I was like, nuh uh, no more. She's a bad ass. :D

      Welcome! I'm glad you like it here. There are lots of writers who give good feedback and have blogs with the same topics. You'll fit in quite nicely being that you love to write.

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  10. I'm writing a story I feel a bit stuck with at the moment because I'm worried about stereotypes and assumptions. Having to persevere because it's for an anthology.

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    1. After I read over 100 comments about Stephen King's short story, I realized there will be a small percentage of people who will criticize you if they feel you negatively portray characters with stereotypes, but there are a larger percentage of people who will defend your right to the use of stereotypes if you are creating fiction, which in turn is a form of art.

      This has gotten me stuck on occasion, but I will still test the waters and write where my heart leads me. :)

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  11. I just want to blow things up, LOL. Seriously, I have never taken that write what you know advice to heart. I write military scifi and fantasy, but have never been in combat, nor have I been a female Amerasian starship captain, nor a death worshipping dinosauroid, but as no one else has ever been either I feel completely qualified to write from their viewpoints. As far as the combat part, I have talk with a huge number of combat veterans, including family members and people I knew in the Army, and read as much military history as possible, including stories of individuals who have gone through the hell of war, so have as good a grasp as I am ever going to get on the mindset and feelings short of actually going to battle, something I am just a little to old to think about. At least in my genre things have progressed from the point where every character was a white, Anglosaxon American, even the aliens.

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    1. If I only wrote what I knew, I'd have several text books about programming. Seriously, there's a lot more to me than Computers. :D

      I'm not an expert at photography, but I know what I like in digital art. I'm not a literary poet, but I know what prose touches me. So, I think I can write about what I like and feel. That's where my voice comes from, and I think that's what people hear when they read our words.

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  12. Excellent message, Diane. And beautifully written! We, the public of writers, do strive to create that joy, that wonder, that sadness and that awe of real life. We want to understand, realize and then share those understandings and realizations. At least, that's what I believe writing to be about. And I can tell the difference between a writer who's just writing what he/she feels is popular at the time, and those writers that want to bring their readers into a world of emotion and reality they may have never felt before. Sadly, the deep stuff is often forgotten for the popular stuff, and I think that's a shame. I'll take a deep, emotionally driven novel over flying teenaged zombie vampire prom queens any day.

    Great stuff!! Hopping over to Twitter to tweet this one out!!

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    1. Thank you randi! Tweet away. :D

      My whole life has been centered around learning. I've always been that person who wonders all the time. I wonder about something, I question it and try to make sense of it. It takes up 80% of my time. No wonder I can't get any work done! lol

      You're too funny about the flying zombie vampire prom queens, but you're exactly right!

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  13. I think "write what you know" is a most misunderstood maxim in writing. But then again, so are most of them :)

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    1. Very true. I don't think Stephen King ever had a menstrual period when he was in high school and he didn't have any problem with developing Carrie. :D

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