tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817438941023006688.post4212716164185620349..comments2023-06-11T09:40:47.400-05:00Comments on ADR3NALIN3: The Subtext of DetailsJordan Danehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03350761658156085280noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817438941023006688.post-11752104484170733022014-01-29T15:25:25.734-06:002014-01-29T15:25:25.734-06:00What a great exercise, Sechin! I'm going to st...What a great exercise, Sechin! I'm going to steal it! the truest form of flattery.Maureen McQuerryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07875437661944977609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817438941023006688.post-5055778897901844312014-01-29T15:18:37.619-06:002014-01-29T15:18:37.619-06:00I have to say Stephen's version made me laugh,...I have to say Stephen's version made me laugh, and your post, Maureen, helped me realize that details help the reader become an active participant in the story as we connect the dots for ourselves.<br /><br />I accidentally discovered a great exercise in detail: write a book from the point of view of someone with Aspergers. As I was going back through my manuscript, I kept having to change things like "he looked happy" to "he smiled" because the POV character wouldn't have made that conclusion about someone's mood. The character is, however, a keen observer, so the world through her eyes would be very detailed even though the final conclusions would need to be left to the reader.Sechin Towerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12705634396099150916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817438941023006688.post-87261102638903449202014-01-29T08:48:04.614-06:002014-01-29T08:48:04.614-06:00That is my experience with barbed wire fences and ...That is my experience with barbed wire fences and the wisdom of cows.Stephen Wallenfelshttp://www.stephenwallenfels.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817438941023006688.post-72447128150481344422014-01-29T08:36:27.785-06:002014-01-29T08:36:27.785-06:00Thanks, Jordan. As I reader I live for the details...Thanks, Jordan. As I reader I live for the details, such power in everyday items.<br />Steve, I believe your fence was electric?Maureen McQuerryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07875437661944977609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817438941023006688.post-38725070408155071072014-01-29T07:26:14.868-06:002014-01-29T07:26:14.868-06:00I'd notice the yellow liquid dripping from the...I'd notice the yellow liquid dripping from the wire and the two boys walking away one laughing the other not and the big-eyed cow nearby wondering why would anyone do something that stupid.<br /><br />Love the post, Maureen. Subtext is the secret sauce.Stephen Wallenfelshttp://www.stephenwallenfels.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7817438941023006688.post-42609899185955767422014-01-29T06:01:52.079-06:002014-01-29T06:01:52.079-06:00I love this, Maureen. Such a rich example of subte...I love this, Maureen. Such a rich example of subtext & great suggestions on how/when to use them. One of my favorite early scenes I'd written in my first suspense story centered on an old wine stain on my heroine's lace tablecloth that had belonged to her dead mother. She's having a strained conversation with her lover about him leaving the country, something he's already made up his mind on, while their untouched food congeals on their plates. As the tension escalates into angry words, she hears the steady tick of her family clock and feels watched by the framed family portraits of her dead parents as she slowly loses him, the one person she's let into her life who's become her world, her family. The subtext of family history in the house she'd inherited escalates until he walks out on her. The scene would never have been the same without the subtext & the imperfection of that wine stain. Her avoidance.<br /><br />I like scenes like that. It makes writing fun. Thanks for the reminder of a great craft notion that I hear few authors talk about. Well done.Jordan Danehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03350761658156085280noreply@blogger.com