Why We Like Stories - Ask The Brain

Have you ever sat back and considered WHY we like stories? Why we like reading books, going to the movies, hearing tall tales? This like is universal in that there isn’t a society on earth that doesn’t share stories. Stories, well told, captivate us, draw us in, hold our attention firmly.

But again, why? Sure everyone thinks, it’s fun, it’s entertainment, it gives us escape from our daily lives. But they don’t play a necessary role in our lives today, I mean stories aren’t key to our survival.  Things have changed from the way back, right? 

Wrong.

The brain is an amazing organ. You can read all about it in a whole lot of places, but not in great detail here. Here we’re going to touch on cause and effect in reading and writing, not brain function.

Writers listen up. If stories are good, we pay attention, and from day one in the 'way back' stories gave people an idea of what to hang on to and what to reject. They gave us tools to use to envision the future, to plan for the unexpected, to leap ahead of where we started. 

And what makes a reader want to read YOUR story?  What makes them enjoy what you put down on paper? Is it your colorful, lyrical language? Your robust and well-drawn characters? Touching dialog? Ummm, probably not. 

The brain is curious. It wants answers. Wants to know what happens next. 

So, how to create a story that gives them what they want? 

Here are a few ways – 

Surprise. Surprise is good. Surprise gets everyone’s attention by skipping around the usual expectations. The brain is hard wired to begin figuring out what is going on, like a puzzle. The wiring comes from our general desire to know ahead of time if we’re in danger or possibly about to get a warm hug.  And it’s a great idea to start with the opening sentence.

Feel it. That goes along with a post I did a while back – Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry.  Why are feelings so vital?  In everyday life the brain is much more inclined to use emotion than our much touted reason to decide what matters to each of us and what doesn’t. Feelings drive choices. So, if a reader isn’t feeling it won’t be long before he or she isn’t reading. 

When you write, write in specifics. We don’t normally think in the abstract, we think in specific images. Think about this. If folks think about love, they don’t think about a vague concept. Instead each person envisions some treasured images that evoke the concept of love. So if, as a writer, you write in generalizations, the reader doesn’t get hooked. 

Now, so you won’t accuse me of writing in generalizations I’ll give a quick example. 

Take the sentence, The weather was bad.  All righty. Bad what? A hurricane, hail the size of baseballs? Blizzard? Dust Storm?  Readers love specifics, their brains are wired to.

Give them what they want and they’ll love the writer in you.

Writers & Readers Websites Wednesday

This one's for the writers out there and for the curious readers who love to learn what goes into putting a story together.  It's Stephen King on Wordplay - writing about creating imagery.  It's a fairly lengthy article as online posts go - but well worth the read.

Tracking The Wild Writer's Ideas

Many writers are so brimming with ideas it’s hard to know how to choose one and continue on, spinning that one story when so many other clamor for attention. 

Other writers are great at the writing part, but are hard pressed to come up with that first idea; that seed from which to grow the organic story they dream of. 

And writers who are published or screenwriters produced are forever being asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” 

So, since I have time only for a short post today I decided to toss out a few ideas on how to come up with those ideas. 

Most good writers are curious. They’re forever asking “What is it?” or “What could it be?” or “What if?” From this curiosity comes wonderful ideas, and those ideas come at all times. The trick is to catch them, get them pinned down down. Keep a note pad at your bedside, in your pocket, in your purse, backpack, whatever.  Stories don’t generally spring forth full-blown. Usually an idea or a premise precedes them. A word can spark an idea. Jot it down, more words will follow.

“What if” is the gate to a magical world. Daydream. Imagine. “What if” vampires were not dark and evil, but good, strong and protectors of the human race? Check out SherrilynKenyon’s Dark-Hunter series of romances. What if a young boy in winning a video game unknowingly wins the war against aliens attacking earth? Check out Orson ScottCard’s Ender’s Game and the series that follows. What if wolves could bond with humans and communicate telepathically? Check out my novel Stormrider. What if Bears once ruled the earth and the conscious memory of that time is returning to them – hey go write that one for yourself.

Some writers need to map out their entire book or script before they begin. Others work best on the fly. Writing, generating a story, creates many of its own surprises. If you’re the kind who works best on the fly you’ll find your characters will take on lives of their own and they’ll surprise you with where they take the story you begin. Surprise - this happens with those who ‘map their course’ as well.

You might see a photo in a magazine or the newspaper. Clip it out. Put it where you can see it. Wait and see what ideas might come. 

You might overhear a phrase spoken in public. Write it down. Think about what it might mean, who said it, what the context is. Does it make you feel there is something going on there, something not visible on the surface? Pursue it. Jot down notes. Some of the most disjointed notes come together to form ideas and from ideas spurts of creative inspiration.

As Ray Bradbury once said, “You don’t build a story, you allow it to explode.” I’m kinda with Ray.

Ideas are everywhere, open your eyes

·      Read a lot

·      observe people

·      take time to daydream 

No kidding. Have at it. 

Writers And Readers Websites Wednesday- Just for Fun!

I've put up a lot of links for Wednesdays - some helpful, some reflective, some containing writing or reading tips, but this one is just for flat out fun. 

Come on now, you know there's a need for recycling old books.  Much as we love to hold and caress them, many simply need a new life. 

So, to that end, jump over to Su Blackwell's Lines and Colors and see the beautiful book cut sculptures.

Reader, writer, artist - doesn't matter, they'll put a smile on your face.

A Few Tips on Editing For Writers

-yes, I mean your own work

Editing your own writing can be difficult. There's a lot to pay attention to and there is frequently the 'flavor of the week' in regard to the continually evolving dos and don'ts and 'forbidden words'. Most of the time I tell folks not to go crazy every time a new trend or a new word to be avoided is announced.

However, there are things you can keep an eye out for – many things.  Today I’m offering just a shot list of things that just might smooth your writing, make it flow a bit better and help to draw your reader in. And readers don’t try to pretend you don’t want to be drawn in – it’s why you read and why you have ‘favorite’ books and authors.

So, writers, time take heart. Don’t worry if there are a lot of the so-called forbidden words scattered throughout your work. After all there are plenty of the classics and lots of current best sellers that are peppered with them.

With the goal of improving everyone’s writing, here are a few thoughts.

One well over-used word is “Very”. There are times it’s necessary, but those are ‘very’ rare indeed. Just leave it out or reword. If you said, “The detective, a very tall man, stood close to the accused” how about “The detective loomed over the accused.” Or search your thesaurus and find another descriptive term that fits your style better.  Or just sit and consider for a few moments. Something else will come to you.

Another reminder; shed clichés like a ‘duck sheds water’. Unless your character is one who spouts them or there is another compelling reason for you to use one remember clichés are  just boring and worn. Their time is past. Come up with something new and fresh of your own. Be creative. That’s what you’re here for. 

The words ‘up’ and ‘down’ are generally greatly overused in writing and storytelling and can be pretty much eliminated. Example: “Elizabeth put her book down on the bedside table.” Try "Elizabeth set her book on the bedside table with gentle respect.” Or: “The drought dried up the earth to the point of cracking.” Eliminate ‘up’ and we might get: “The drought dried the earth into deep fissures.” Just think about it. Simple eliminations can add a great deal of punch to your writing.

More on the elimination front: consider eliminating phrases like “John could hear,” or “John could feel.” This is where showing your reader something is much stronger than telling. Instead of “John could hear the train in the distance.” Try making it more direct. Bring in the senses and put your reader right there. How about: “John heard the distant rumble of the train.” Or, “The sound of the approaching train reverberated in John’s head.” Another example: Instead of: “Jane could see the vultures circling in search of their next meal.” Try “The vultures floated in widening circles in search of their next meal.” 

Verbs ending in –ing can get to be a bit trying. That’s not to say you need to eliminate them altogether from your writing, you can sprinkle them in occasionally, in fact I doubt you could eliminate them altogether. But watch out for excess. Things like, “Joe was watching the parade while tapping his feet to the rhythm of the band.” Better: “Joe watched the parade while tapping his feet to the rhythm of the band.” Or “Joe tapped his feet to the rhythm of the band as the parade moved on.” Experiment, turn things around a bit and try to stifle the –ing urge just a little.

 

Don’t repeat words with great frequency. Scan your written page. Does any one word jump out at you? Does it pepper the page or reappear frequently throughout a chapter? Grab your thesaurus and have at it or visit http://thesaurus.com/.

And remember while it’s a bit distressing, it’s still true what William Faulkner has been quoted over and over as having said regarding writing, “you’ve got to kill all you darlings.”

Most of us writers believe whatever we first put down on paper or type to computer screen should be fabulous, complete, amazing. One gets a bit of a pain in the gut when thinking of pruning the words so carefully written, but, while we may spare a few of our darlings here and there the truth of the matter is Faulker was right. His point was on track. Writing the work is just half the battle.

Many times you’ll find as you write, that your original ‘great idea’ is overwhelmed by the actual story. By that I mean you’ll range far afield from the beginning inspiration that got you moving. And you’re going to find that many of your truly great thoughts and ideas will occur to you when you’re actually writing – sitting at your computer or with your legal pad in your lap – not just daydreaming and thinking about writing. So, despite your greatest hopes that your material will emerge complete and awesome at the first stroke, don’t count on it. This tripping off in other directions creates a great story, but it does leave some bumpy writing that needs tidying and ideas that need completing or revising.

Many self-proclaimed ‘writers’ want us to believe they carry all their ideas around in their heads until they can get the time to spew them down onto paper – no doubt in pristine form. However, how many of them actually do it? Presuming you’re one who actually writes, don’t get caught in that ‘romantic, artistic’ web of silliness where you believe you can work it all out in your head and write it all down later. There may have been one or two who could do it, but frankly I think they’re fibbing too.

So don’t wail and weep when you confront your rewrite, celebrate. You’ve got the guts down on paper, now is the time to really shine and turn that heap of guts into a god. 

Take a minute, tell me if this was helpful for you and what other writing topics you might like to see discussed.