FEATURED CRAFT ARTICLE
WHERE'S THE WHY? Copyright © 2002 Jennifer Turner

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When new writers approach story, it's often with a sense of excite- ment, a racing of the heart, and the unmistakable thrill of creation surging through their blood. With the advent of the computer age, thousands flocked to their word processors with the dream to become writers--and hopefully, one day, published authors.

Then reality sinks in. This is work! Who knew that high school English would ever come in handy? And then there's all the stuff we've either forgotten, or never learned. Like the true workings of a gerund, exactly what a dangling participle is, or the proper use of similes and metaphors.

Aspiring authors can conquer these obstacles with a few well selected books on grammar. E.B. White's THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE is highly recommended. But what of personal style? What about finding our own true voice?

As writers, we answer the questions, Who? What? When? How? and Where? with little effort, as these are the bones of our stories. But "Why?" is the all-powerful, voice-instilling question that eludes many authors--and yet could very well be the difference between a merely good work and powerful work that is ready to gain attention.

Very soon we discover that writing is more than just throwing prose on a page, describing in detail the events of our story, giving our characters depth, or following an outline until we get to those famous last words "The End".

That's when we begin the quest to discover our own voice.

Perhaps we venture into the wonderful world of critique groups or enroll in that exciting arena, the literary class, where we can share our endeavors with our peers. No matter how we discover the craft or who teaches us, in the end, there will only be the writer, the story, and the reader. Each is as important as the other, each a necessary entity for the experience.

What will our voice sound like? How will it color our tale in the minds of those who read it? As we progress, we learn the elemental truth: All stories are told through the heart and soul of the characters we create.

But how does a writer find that fully developed character and use it to show the story through the character's eyes? By closing our own eyes. As blind men develop their other senses to a higher degree than their seeing counterparts, so must authors develop their own sense of the character.

When we write, we must imagine we are the character relating the tale through the character's own history, with his or her motives and desires. As we practice this skill, we hone our awareness of relating to the reader through the hero or heroine in a way that will captivate the reader's attention.

Here's where we discover the "Why?" of the story. Does James walk into the saloon because he knows that the man who murdered his father is in there? No. That's the Who? and the What?

James walks into the saloon to seek retribution for his father's murder. This is the Why? of our character's story.

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If we write without attributing motive to the action, we cheat the reader and ourselves. Here are some examples of action without motive.

1. Debby chugged the drink and stared glassy-eyed at the bartender.

The Why: Debby chugged the drink, eager to escape her demons. Would the bartender give her another? Or kick her out the door?

2.The van screeched to a halt and Jeremy shook his fist at the cab.

The Why: Jeremy slammed on the brakes, heart thudding as he shook his fist at the cab. The imbecile could have cost him his job. His boss wouldn't forgive him if he brought the van back dented.

3. Jillian felt the strength in his arms and sighed with pleasure as he kissed her neck.

The Why: Jillian sighed with pleasure as he kissed her neck. How strong he was. She could lose herself in that strength and fear would never touch her again.

When we write, we must remember to constantly ask ourself why a character does what they do. Don't leave the reader in the dark. From a simple shiver to a volcanic eruption of rage, there must be a logical reason behind everything our characters do.

If he's suddenly shy around a beautiful woman, his motivation needs to be revealed. Was he a gawky kid and never dated much? Was he ever humiliated by a girl he had a crush on?

Is she afraid to fly in an airplane? Was she ever prone to nightmares about falling from the sky? Did she lose a loved one to a plane crash?

Answer the why of it, and you'll create a story for the 'keeper' shelf!

~~~~~~~

Jennifer Turner, Born blonde and Polish, uses her unique perspective to write historical and contemporary romances. She lives with her husband, a red-headed Texan, and her three children in Wisconsin. Between her commitments to family and writing, she actively pursues three passions: chocolate, chocolate and chocolate.