A few days ago, I shared with you my writing resolutions. The first thing on that list was to stop using the same physical descriptions over and over again. Well, friends, after much thought, I’ve decided to amend this to resolve to stop using them altogether. You see, my writing seems rife with descriptions like “My heart flies into my throat” or “My stomach sinks” or something equally horrible. And, let’s be honest, I’m not exaggerating when I say that those descriptions really are horrible. They’re unimaginative and uninspired and they make for boring writing.
I’m going back through my latest manuscript and cutting them like I’m Simon Cowell.
I’m slicing and dicing and showing no mercy. And in their place, I’m adding a heaping spoonful of interior monologue. I’ve talked before on here about how agents and editors complain that a lack of interior monologue is the number one thing missing from many manuscripts they read. And now here I am, saying it again because it’s fresh in my mind.
Don’t tell us what your characters (and their organs) are doing. Show us what they’re feeling.
Here’s a concrete example from my current MSS. In this scene, my main character asks someone she considers to be a friend for information, and he refuses to give it.
BEFORE
“You’ll figure it out.”
I sigh and drop my head into my hands.
AFTER
“You’ll figure it out.”
Everyone seems so sure of that, except for me. I’m having some serious problems in the comprehension department. I sigh and push my chair back to stand. I hate being shot down. It makes me feel like such an ass for asking in the first place.
That original exchange is totally boring, right? But in the rewrite, you get a better feel for who the character is and what makes her tick. (At least I think you do. You can be the final judge.) And really, making the reader understand (and hopefully cheer for) your character is what it’s all about, isn’t it? So get rid of those boring old descriptions and dive into your character’s heads. Your reader will thank you for it.
What do you think? Are you a big interior monologue fan? What are your favorite tips for drawing it out of your mind and onto paper?
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