 Drama: December 14, 2010 Issue [#4115] |
  Drama
This week: Use Your Characters' Misinterpretations Edited by: Joy  
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"We always deceive ourselves twice about the people we love--first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage."
Albert Camus
"We judge others by their behavior. We judge ourselves by our intentions."
Ian Percy
"A man's errors are his portals of discovery."
James Joyce
"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err."
Mahatma Gandhi
Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor. This newsletter will be about fictional characters misinterpreting situations or other characters' intentions, and thus, granting their writers some powerful stories.
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
Have you ever misunderstood a situation or a person and acted on that misunderstanding to find out later that you were wrong? If you haven't, you must know that this happens quite often.
My last NaNo attempt ended up becoming a novel with chock-full-of-actions based on mistaken judgments, even though I had originally planned only one major action based on a false belief. During the writing, my characters surprised me when just about every one of them acted on their mistaken understandings, beliefs, and judgments of each other. Although this was unplanned, I enjoyed writing the story immensely.
Better writers use the mistaken judgment ploy knowingly, to create tension and conflict in their work. In the Star Wars Saga, Anakin Skywalker, as the redeemed Darth Vader, dies in Luke's arms accepting his mistake. Urged by the instigator Iago, Shakespeare's Othello wrongly believes in Desdemona's unfaithfulness and acts on it. Many of the characters in Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby thrive on emotional dishonesty, and live for appearance rather than substance of character. At the heart of Great Gatsby's character is the mistaken conviction that his love can rescue Daisy from a bad marriage and salvage his own life.
Action based on misinterpretation can be a plot, subplot, or an incident. In writing a story about actions based on flawed judgment, the plot needs a mistaken character, his victim, and the mastermind of the mistake, which may be a person or a situation. The mistaken one may be led into his misconception by chance, by an instigator, or by the faulty workings of his own mind. After that, jealousy, false suspicions, or indifference can play a role in the performance of the character,
Not only in fiction but also in real life, too, most decision making is based on behavioral biases. Even Pavlov conditioned a dog to salivate to a tone by offering it food at the tone. Later the dog salivated at the sound of a bell even without food.
Many of the behavioral biases affect beliefs, decisions, and actions. Some rely too heavily on one trait, belief, or incomplete piece of information while making decisions. A few examples for biased thinking can be:
A rich person can't understand poverty.
She is a doctor; therefore, she had to know everything in medicine. She hurt me knowingly.
Since she buys her clothing from a second-hand store, she must have bought my present from such a place, too.
Another mistake in judgment happens as the result of the tendency to imitate other people. If other people are hoarding chocolate candy, it must be getting scarce, So, I must, too.
Unreasonable expectations and wishful thinking may also cause misinterpretations that lead to faulty action. My parents (or my partner or the government) should provide for me until the end of my life. Thus, I don't need to do anything to take care of me.
Misuse or omission of statistics and other data, lack of planning, irrational escalation of risk factors in a situation or an exaggerated belief in oneself or another person also add to erroneous interpretations.
To use mistaken judgment in your story, think and make a list of the many ways how your characters may believe in something erroneously and act on it. Their actions will compose or influence the entire plotline.
Keep warm and keep writing.
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 Enjoy!
|  | Gray House (13+)
Suffering from writer's block, Aaron experiences a bizarre trip into truth and fiction.
#1723954 by Kris D'Amato  |
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Your Drama Newsletter Editors: esprit Adriana Noir Fyn  Joy
Thank you for reading our newsletters and supplying us with feedback and encouragement.
 This Issue's Tip:
After you write a scene, look it over and add a scene-sweetener or two in the form of wit, humor, a romantic gesture or flirting. It will make a big difference to your readers.
 Reading Recommendation
If you have a recommendation, a few words on a book or a product review, send it to me or to this newsletter. I'll highlight it here. 
This product review is brought to you by Dawsongirl 
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Feedback for "Writing Confessions"
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very thankful
I loved your newsletter on confessions! Your quotes at the beginning were very inspirational. The novel that I'm writing for NaNo is a big confession about my life in some ways. You just have to read inbetween the lines. Thanks again for this newsletter.
Thank you, too, for the feedback.
I can hardly wait to read your novel in the "Invalid Item" .
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Spooky, Cute & staiNed 
Wow! This was one of the best newsletters I have ever read here, your great Joy! Drama adds spice, hot or crumbs, we decide. hahaha!
So true, I'll take spice anytime. Thanks.
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Zoe Graves
the true confessions of charlotte doyle is still one of my top 5 books. it's a YA but it's a great story.
I must put it in my reading list, then. 
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atwhatcost
In a world full of "not my fault," I've been hoodwinked into believing so much. I never really thought out the true purpose of confessions. This has me rethinking my writing and my life. Big time thanks!!!
Thank you, too, and best wishes with your writing.
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vickierj
This was a very interesting newsletter. The subject is something I've often pondered. Especially when I read a gory story about murder or violence committed. In the back of my mind, I wonder how the writer has such detailed knowledge. Scary!
Thank you.
I think most of the gory stuff comes from a writer's wild imagination and the rest of it from good research habits.
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BIG BAD WOLF Feeling Thankful 
There's always something to keep you glued to a good story.
There sure is.
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