Re: Something happened to someone -- The Lonely Canadian Writer

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Date Posted: 16:02:34 02/16/05 Wed GMT-5
Author: Alan
Author Host/IP: d216-232-185-17.bchsia.telus.net / 216.232.185.17
Subject: Re: Something happened to someone
In reply to: Liz 's message, "Something happened to someone" on 13:23:42 02/16/05 Wed GMT-5

Recently I read some short story submission guidlines ( don't recall where now ), they made a particular point of explaining that because they were after 2000 words or less charactor developement should be secondary to plot, as there wasn't enough time ). Now, since my rejections tend to be form letters, or sometimes personalized form letters it's hard to say where I'm at. I think that which one I lean towards changes from story to story. In the three or four responses at LCW we have seen people who approach this from both directions, I expect the Editors are the same. Likely depends who reads it as to what they want.

Take Care .. Alan

>The subject heading is part of a long sentence that I
>found as the 'nuts and bolts' of a story. But as you
>can see the something happened comes first. While the
>someone can be the main focus of a story (character
>driven) the something happened is vital. As an example
>Alice Munro stories are extensively about the someone,
>and when I use my long sentence to examine the nuts
>and bolts of a story, I am often onto page 4-6 of her
>stories before I find the 'something happened' of the
>story. I would venture to say that if you are working
>within the 1000-1500 word range you are right to focus
>on the plot and make the character secondary.
>Just my thoughts, glad to see you're at the keyboard!
>Onward,
>Liz
>>My stories are unabashedly plot-driven. The story is
>>about what happens. Incidentally, things happen to the
>>characters in the stories, and they are changed, for
>>better or worse. Sometimes not a lot of change
>>happens, but we get to see some unexpected angle on a
>>character. I write characters who, I believe, act in
>>ways that are consistent with my mental picture of the
>>character (as author,) and don't act in ways that are
>>inconsistent with what the reader already knows about
>>them. Many of my stories are very short (1,000 to
>>1,500 words,) deliberately to fit short-short story
>>markets.
>>
>>So, if someone is whining about character development,
>>just what do they mean? I don't have much character
>>development in a 1,000 word story? Maybe that's
>>because I only have 1,000 words to tell the story, and
>>I have time to tell you that the character is afraid
>>of centipedes, but don't have room to tell you that it
>>is because her wicked stepmother locked her naked in a
>>closet full of them when she was five.
>>
>>I know there are supposed to be character-driven
>>stories, but I'm not sure what that means, or if I am
>>reading one.
>>
>>So. How do you do character? To me it seems it should
>>be a matter of showing your actor in situations where
>>he does or does not do things, or says or does not say
>>things. I have read books that included reams of
>>reflections about the hero's father or Sister
>>Schleswig-Holstein at the convent school, most of
>>which doesn't advance the story much. I just decide
>>what my characters are like, and let them go at it.
>>
>>Don't know if I phrased that whole thing very well,
>>but I am a little puzzled by this.

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oQJruINceduf -- jgzghlzfz (EhPQeDHkpFPw), 13:56:50 08/20/11 Sat GMT-5