Last week, we had the fabulous Fiona Harper talking about how to keep a grip on the emotion in your story – read her pearls of wisdom here. This week, we’re asking how do you handle deeply emotional circumstances in your stories without going overboard? Donna Alward, author of feel-good, emotional stories for Harlequin Romance and American Romance has some important pointers:
I’m one of those writers who tends to be on the body count side of things, and as such there are times I walk a really fine line between deeply emotional and, well, depressing. Let me say right now, if you have these tendencies, EMBRACE THEM. It’s not a bad thing. There are lots of times I think my editor will have kittens when I send her a proposal. I’ve dealt with the death of a baby, miscarriage, physical disfigurement, post-traumatic stress disorder, physical abuse…I do emotional trauma. My first editor once told me to go for it and they can always pull me back. It was good advice. The good news is there are ways to make sure that your character’s tragedy isn’t a downer.
I’m going to use my book Her Lone Cowboy as an example—Noah is home from Afghanistan where he lost his right arm in combat. I knew it would be easy for him to feel sorry for himself and that doesn’t make a sympathetic character. From the start I knew that he could be down but not out. He needed to be fighting to get his life back and reaching for a goal which may or may not be happiness.
It’s about going deep. The conflict is not the “issue” but it’s easy to confuse the two. It is not that he has lost his arm and needs to adjust. It’s the ripple effect: his loss of identity as a combat leader, finding a new place in the world, reconciling himself to being home and the death of his father, falling in love but being unsure that he is man enough for Lily. He was not self-pitying but proactive, always moving forward. How do you avoid tragedy?
By remembering that it is not the tragedy that makes the character sympathetic but their striving to rise above it. A reader cannot cheer for your characters if your characters don’t cheer for themselves.
If you love a deeply emotional read, then check out Donna’s incredible books here!
Comments ( 7 )
I spent the entire shutdown working. Had no time to wind down. I didn’t see my son much when school shutdown. My one co worker was told to stay home for 3 weeks so I picked up her hours. This year has been really crappy.
Ugh, Janell. Here’s hoping the rest of your summer is better.
Thanks for the info, Carol! Everyone is different in how they deal with the shutdown! I stay at home all the time since I don’t work so I haven’t been too effected but my shopping and errands sure have been effected!
Valri, I’ve been doing most of my shopping online. My local Target is still low on some items – mostly cleaning supplies. Grocery store is pretty much back to normal. Most of the dining in our town is outdoor. I can’t imagine have school-age kids!
Wow–getting your creative process on track must have been daunting–especially with “extra-large dog” glad to have you home. You don’t like coffee–I love coffee and have enjoyed my fortifying 2 cups in the morning even more than usual! How as COVID affected your story lines and characterizations? Best Wishes for all releases!
Interesting question, Virginia. You’ll have to tell me if the tone of my “COVID” books changed any! LOL
Life has changed so much! My dad passed Feb 2. The assisted living facility my folks were at went into hardcore lockdown the beginning of March. Mom couldn’t leave her apartment for 4 months! She was on the third floor, Will be 89 in two months & doesn’t use the phone. My husband and I remodeled the lower level completely and moved her in with us July 1. What a life change and difficult transition for the 3 of us! But we’re working thru it!