My Journal #2

Here we are 8/4/2016

Here I am again posting late. I haven't been doing too much writing lately. I've been reading and doing prep work as I start to rewrite a novel I began back in the 80's.
Yes, it come though a lot of technology changes, advancess and updates. When I first wrote this story it was on an 80's IBM compatible with no real word processor. I found a program called Einstein Writer and used that. I save novel on a %.5 floppy disk. Later when MS word first appeared I had to rework the entire stroy as it didn't translate to Word well. I had letters with little hats (^ ) that had to be replaced. What a job that was. It took me a year to do it working off and on.
After changing from the different Word programs and into WDC and back out, I have lost sections, some are miss labeled and out of order. I figure I have to rewrtie it anyway so I'll start from the beginning.

I have been reading and attending workshops. I read The Writers Journey and discussed it. Larry Brooks book about Story Engineering and Story Physics. Most helpful is a book I found through Facebook by Cheryl St. John Writing with Emotion, tension & conflict If you read the reviews they are all over the place and all of it true.
Here is my review of the book. Yes she does talk a lot about movies, and suggests you watch a number of them.  Some I've seen others not. I didn't watch the ones she suggested, yet. However I see her point and I heartily endorse them. Movies have plot points. Larry Brooks books are the same, calling out movies to supliment his points. Once you can see these points and call them out, you will begin to see them in your own story or you wil see the need for them.
I have pages marked and underlined as I begin to write this Detective Novel. It needs emotion and tension. Here is my big AHA moment. It is for me a key to writing emotion. While I have for the most part down this already, I now see it for what it is.
Motivation-Feeling-Action-Speech I'm going to quote this secion from Cheryl's book Motivation must alwasy come before reaction. Have you ever been passing a car in a parking lot when the owner remotely locks the doors causing the horn to blare? I bet you jumped. The horn led to the jump. A startled berson doesn't decide to jump; he simply jumps. However speech demand conscience thought.

Motivation George produces a package wrapped with a ribbon and a bow.
Feeling Harriet focused on the gift. It wasn't a special occasion or anything.
Action She accepted the gift and met his eyes
Speech "What's this for?"

Motivation "I saw it and thought of you."
FeelingA warm glow of appreciation suffused her.
Action She smiled
Speech "Thank you

I get that by now you're saying, Oh that's no big thing, I do that all the time. DO YOU? This is a basic example but stop and read some of what you write. Do you have at least most of the format down? I'll bet you skip a  few of the lines thinking the reader will fill in what you meant. Will they?
Writing with emotion and tension means slowing the reader down to read and feel. The only way to do it is to use the format.

The footsteps came closer.
Marry flattened her back against the wall next to the door
She stared at the door knob
The footsteps stopped and the door handle turned.
Mary's hand flew to her mouth as she tried to stop the scream
"Mary I hear you" his singsong voice whispered through the opening door.

Following the pattern set, leads the reader to feel more emotion. More later.