Yesterday at university we talked about biographies. I have to admit I do not enjoy biographies. I know the public seem to love them but unless the person is completely fascinating or someone I have long admired I am not interested.
However, using biographical questions like the ones we were given in out tutorial yesterday they have been useful for me today in thinking and imagining the childhood of my heroine or rather protagonist. I have created a pivotal moment in her childhood that affects her relationship with her mother forever. I do not think these pivotal moments always control our lives but they explain things about relationships we have. So I have this moment and I know what it is. Now the challenge is how do I show this to the reader?
I guess this is always the challenge. But as long as in my mind I can start hearing and living in her world things will happen, magically, majestically hopefully..:)
So anyway I was just reminded how biographical details of characters are very important. Of course I knew this before however this question has really helped to stimulate further knowledge of this character and her life, why she is doing what she is doing. I need to do more of this imagining. And it takes a long time to do this. It is like slow cooking - it takes time to create these things. Everyone in this world wants things instantly but what I am realising is how long it is going to take me - to achieve what I want to achieve. And that I need to focus in more on the details and live the moments with the characters, so the reader can too.
Zooming in with the camera lense and then out again. Close detail and wider scope. I learnt that in Veny's class and I am reminded all the time of how the senses need to be used to create a total world for the reader. Now I am signing out. I should be actually writing.
Feel free to comment if you wish - if you have any thoughts. I always love receiving your input. :)
