= THE COMSIE METHOD #3 =

Comicality · October 1, 2010

It's definitely important for a writer to have a voice and a style that they can proudly call their own, and it's an extreme honor to be able to display that for other people to see. It's a rush, believe me. But one thing that I've tried to train myself to look for are spots when the 'writing' gets in the way of the 'story'.

Now I know that sounds weird, so let me explain. When someone is reading your story, a great deal of that experience is driven by fantasy. They are experiencing your story with a dream-like fascination, and the last thing you want to do is disrupt that dream with your writing. You want your audience to completely forget that they're just reading text on a screen, and build a world around your words on their own. The text is just a mechanical arrangement of letters, words, numbers, and punctuation marks. It's the READER'S interpretation and imagination that gives the story itself depth and meaning.

Think about when you're talking to someone on the phone. You're not just talking into a 'device' while doing something else. A part of your mind is imagining the face and the gestures and the presence of the person on the other end of the line. You're practically in two different places at once. (Which is why it's hard to talk on a cell phone and drive at the same time. You aren't completely focused on what's going on. Your attention is elsewhere.) That's what you want your story to read like. You want them to 'live' it...not just read it. And for that to happen, you have to be humble enough to take yourself OUT of the equation entirely.

In order to keep the fantasy going for your audience, the actual 'writer' has to remain invisible while they're reading. Don't worry, hehehe...when they're finished, you can STILL get your well deserved applause. But only AFTERWARDS. Not during. Every reader should have a personal experience with your characters and your story...so butt out and let them have it.

Some things to be aware of:

1) Spelling Errors and Typos - Which, I will admit, I am NOTORIOUS for, myself! (Mostly due to tired fingers and random idiot moments) ::Shame face:: But yes, that's probably one of the biggest distractions ever when it comes to your readers. When big spelling errors appear, the fantasy comes to an abrupt halt, and the readers get yanked out of the story's appeal while the other side of the brain tries to figure out the correct spelling for you so they know what the heck you're trying to say. It may only be a split second of distraction, but it really *bothers* some people. Some more than others. If you've made five spelling mistakes in the first ten sentences...some people will stop reading and move on. Be sure to keep your eyes open for that if you can. Overall, it's like a speed bump on a racetrack, and it interrupts the flow. So spell-check, edit, get HELP editing if you need it, and do your best to get it right. *EVERY* time!

2) Poetry NOT In Motion - The language you use to write your stories can be stretched and molded into beautiful sonnets of true poetry when you want to present it that way. And from time to time, it's great to show off a little bit and really let your readers know that you've got the skills to make them weep tears of pure joy from the clever use of your words alone. BUT...use it somewhat sparingly and only when necessary. Find places where it'll be most appropriate and most effective. Using overly 'pretty' words to describe the boy of your dreams giving you your very first kiss behind the cabin at Summer camp? YES! Go for it! Describing the flowers and the butterflies while your main character walks from the kitchen table to the trash to scrape the remaining meatloaf off of his plate? Maybe not so necessary. I've found that sometimes readers can get overwhelmed by TOO many tugs on the heartstrings. And also be careful of words that are really 'uncommon' or distracting. For example, another way of saying 'laugh' is 'chortle'. Now, I don't know about you...but if I see a sentence that says, "Ryan chortled at Randy falling down the steps." I'm gonna have a serious WTF moment. Write intelligently, but remember that you can have a great vocabulary without going overboard and sending your readers running for a dictionary. Keep it simple. Keep it focused. Write as though you were speaking to your best friend. Let the readers absorb the story easily and effortlessly, so you can get them to drift along with you without having to really 'decipher' anything. (As beautifully written as it may be) Find your instincts, bring your audience into the story full force, and then *really* hit them with the 'pretty' stuff when it has a real impact on the story. That's your spotlight. That's when they'll notice most. Make the key moments in your story stand out when you reach them.

3) Monkey Wrench Mechanics - I mentioned this a bit last week in the 'He Said'/'She Said' discussion, and it's just one of the ways that author mechanics can sometimes get in the way. Watch out for repetition in your work, and try to avoid it. If you have a discussion taking place, and you're filling it with 'he said, he said, he said'...you're revealing yourself as an author, and readers are reminded that they're just reading text. We don't want that. Get rid of it. They shouldn't feel like they're reading a story...they should feel like they're living an experience. Sort of like watching TV. In a hypnotic state where every word is delivered, received, and imagined. Hehehe, it sounds weird, but it's the truth.

Make sure the mechanics don't get in the way. Watch punctuation, commas, periods, question marks...put them where they belong. DON'T put them where they DON'T belong. If you have to ask yourself whether or not a semicolon would be appropriate at the end of a certain sentence...DON'T use it. Because most of your readers will probably be wondering the same thing when they read the end of that same sentence. Again, keep it simple. Put effort into getting it right, but having the story sound flawless and natural is most important. Write first...edit later.

4) Get Your Rhythm Right - Another thing that some authors get stuck on is rhythm. (Don't worry...I'm not gonna make you dance or anything!) Look at your words on the page, and read them back to yourself. Read them out loud, or just move your lips. Whatever. Pay attention to the places where you need to take breaths, where you need to stop, where you get overwhelmed, or any places that you stumble over along the way. Be your own reader. If YOU stumble on a sentence and have to go back and read it again, your readers will too. If you can't smoothly get from the beginning of a sentence to the end without stopping, then something is off. So be aware of that. Are your sentences too long? Are they too short? Maybe one of your past tense/present tense words are incorrect. Or maybe what you wrote is just a bit difficult to say out loud. If you can't say it easily out loud, don't write it into the story. When people read, they're actually 'speaking' in their head...so the same difficulties are bound to pop up.

I usually make myself a series of CDs that I listen to when I write...some slow songs, some faster songs, some angry songs, some happy songs, some sexy songs. I might find a particular song and put it on repeat while I'm writing a certain scene. I'm not paying attention to the song itself, really...but it does set a rhythm and a mood for me while I'm writing. And I can keep my mind focused on that ONE scene and keep that same rhythm the whole time I'm writing. (I also use the same song when I go back later to edit) Remember...if you're reading it to yourself, and you have to go back and re-read something because you tripped over the text or it just sounded weird...ERASE IT! Or at least re-word it. And find another way to say it that sounds smoother. I do that with every story, and sometimes it takes forever, but I think it reads better in the end.

Anyway, those are my tried and true methods for trying to remain 'invisible' during the reading of the story. The idea is to have your audience know who you are in the beginning, and again at the end...but NOWHERE in between! Accomplish *that*....and people will be so lost in the story itself that by the time they're finished, they'll...probably forget to write you an email and give any feedback at all! LOL! But trust me, it's worth it!

The MOST important thing, as always, is comfort. For both you *AND* the reader. Always try to maintain that balance over anything else. You could write the most impressive, most beautiful, most well edited, piece of literary perfection known to MAN...and it won't mean a damn thing if nobody 'connects' to what you're trying to say. The connection is EVERYTHING. Always make your work accessible to your readers. You don't have to 'dumb' anything down for them to relate, but if you write a good story with your whole heart, they might forgive a few 'oopsies' along the way. Relax, it's supposed to be fun. Cool?

I hope this helps...

***Just Another Humble Lesson From The 'Comsie-Method'! Enjoy!***