Yesterday, was in search of examples of nonfiction written descriptively without relying on metaphors to bring the story to life. This was an effort to broaden my descriptive tool repertoire, while not losing myself in the process. I love those meta___s and find them an effective way to get emotions across to readers in a most accurate way. I was afraid that without meta___s I would come across as bland or “New age woo-as my family calls it.
Fortunately or not, the only writer I have open access to right now is my momma. She printed out a piece of her writing, about four pages in length, and handed it to me so that I could sample her descriptive voice. I glanced, set the papers down and ignored them for thirty hours. The only piece I remember reading before this new one was a satirical piece about the pot who called the kettle black. (Yes THAT pot and kettle.)
I liked the pot and kettle story, it mad me laugh a lot. I was afraid that the sequel wouldn’t measure up. When I read this new writing, it was a much more serious tone and told of a time when momma turned people’s expectations on their heads by not responding in a conversation the way that was expected. She was respectful in the end, and could not be punished for her approach. It was a “Wait ’em out” thing.
While I had to read four pages in two bouts, because it took a page to get into, I did learn what power small, unadorned, details can have by themselves. If the story is interesting, it will grab a reader. After all, I tell stories without meta___s and the “plot” always leaves people asking, “They did what?” In a good way.
So, I’m going to begin writing some of the parts left out of draft one in an echo of how I speak, bringing details forward like the undead rise in zombie movies (That’s a simile by the way.) Only using a metaphor when it won’t get out of my mind, and let the events speak for themselves otherwise. The story is never boring, I promise.
SickyBeat 