tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post7452474390573366135..comments2023-10-30T08:00:54.059-04:00Comments on Laurel's Leaves: Lengthen that fuseLaurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-64852386697636897882010-07-20T10:11:24.087-04:002010-07-20T10:11:24.087-04:00Medeia: sounds like a good fix to me. I found that...Medeia: sounds like a good fix to me. I found that building the tension in increments made it feel more organic and well-paced.<br /><br />Susan: I did a more detailed post on the topic in March. You can find it here: http://laurelgarver.blogspot.com/2010/03/revising-for-emotion.htmlLaurel Garverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-1167484723155678322010-07-18T20:21:30.236-04:002010-07-18T20:21:30.236-04:00Hi Laurel -
Thanks for the tips on layering emoti...Hi Laurel -<br /><br />Thanks for the tips on layering emotions. I haven't seen much on this subject. <br /><br />Blessings,<br />Susan :)Susan J. Reinhardthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07461276857852409546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-64059974774958944562010-07-17T14:20:01.144-04:002010-07-17T14:20:01.144-04:00I'm revising my wip and saw a scene with jumpi...I'm revising my wip and saw a scene with jumping conflict. What I did was add some brief transitional paragraphs to buffer between low tension and high tension scenes. I don't want to draw it out too much and lose anyone's interest, and at the same time I don't want it to look unnatural.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-14739179756184806282010-07-17T09:02:24.307-04:002010-07-17T09:02:24.307-04:00Eric: It takes detective work and analysis. I like...Eric: It takes detective work and analysis. I like using methods from Sandra Scofield's _The Scene Book_. She recommends breaking down problematic scenes into "beats" (small units of character action and reaction) and identifying the scene's turning point. Often you'll find with jumping conflict that there's too little rising action within a scene's arc. So you add some additional "beats" to slowly build toward the climactic moment of screaming. Make sense?<br /><br />Steena: Good luck--and see my comments above for ideas on how to make the repairs.<br /><br />Tina: the key is to treat each scene like a mini story with a story arc. You need to be sure there's tense rising action before reaching the climax moment of real meanness and brutality.Laurel Garverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-36793383989348291182010-07-17T08:51:40.761-04:002010-07-17T08:51:40.761-04:00Mary: thanks for coming by. And that's a great...Mary: thanks for coming by. And that's a great idea--delay confrontation. In fact, the longer you delay it the better from what I've seen in my favorite books.<br /><br />JEM: conflict is the core of plot, so it's good that you're giving it special attention. You might want to look at my earlier posts on negotiation linked here for more ideas on approaches to conflict.<br /><br />Crystal: Me too--largely one character has been my problem guy. I haven't always listened to him well and let him become a caricature in places. <br /><br />If your ready-to-blow character is short fused, the key is to make that a consistent trait. He'll flip out when his toast burns, honk the second a light turns green, carry himself tensely, speak in an aggrieved tone.Laurel Garverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-83207846923374758572010-07-17T07:29:48.292-04:002010-07-17T07:29:48.292-04:00Ha! The same thing happened to me. The scene was d...Ha! The same thing happened to me. The scene was described as "off". I felt it, too, but wasn't sure what it was. Then, I noticed that they went from fairly calm to completely brutal with hardly any provocation. Oops.Tina Lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05914428134837892539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-28444896706024375482010-07-16T21:44:52.122-04:002010-07-16T21:44:52.122-04:00Great post! I'm in the middle of revising a sc...Great post! I'm in the middle of revising a scene to ensure this doesn't happen!Steena Holmeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03585255306121495098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-80381129312563604492010-07-16T17:10:11.301-04:002010-07-16T17:10:11.301-04:00This is such a hard thing to fix, when you find it...This is such a hard thing to fix, when you find it...<br /><br /> - EricEric W. Tranthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13842968931062056407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-76689524547424788582010-07-16T16:17:06.591-04:002010-07-16T16:17:06.591-04:00Oh jeez, I think I have a problem with this! I ten...Oh jeez, I think I have a problem with this! I tend to make one character in particular flip flop like this. But I think I have an idea of how to fix it, and I really like your idea of having them refuse to rise to the bait. That's a good one!Crystal Cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06665844725894074136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-18311619215950764112010-07-16T13:20:53.912-04:002010-07-16T13:20:53.912-04:00Ahhhhh, good post! So many things to think about w...Ahhhhh, good post! So many things to think about when crafting a book, enough to make your head spin. I'm building more conflict into my WIP right now, so thanks for the good reminder!JEMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04043891292719086478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-5948343383825345742010-07-16T13:09:23.281-04:002010-07-16T13:09:23.281-04:00Hi Laurel,
I'm so glad you're discussing ...Hi Laurel,<br /><br />I'm so glad you're discussing this. My CP and I used to call those types of scenes 'sandbox squabbles' because they reminded us of the angry, often unprovoked squabbles you'd hear in the playground.<br /><br />I get very frustrated reading scenes like that; I much prefer a more well-grounded scene. I like your suggestion of one character walking away. I actually did that in a scene recently and instead of it draining the tension, it amped it up because it left the other character frustrated.<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by my blog.<br /><br />MaryMary Curryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04173540875518117671noreply@blogger.com