Today I was thinking about which elements I would like to keep in mind as I try to write fiction. I came up with the following -incomplete - list.
- Interaction between characters – this is one of the things I enjoy most when reading: How do the characters interact, and how true are they to their individualities and quirks
- Setting – the description of small details makes the bas-relief of the total come to life
- Sensory details – makes the setting and the scenes more evocative
- Feelings and emotions – are important to make the characters human and relevant, however this must be very subtle (and it’s not easy) to avoid falling into sentimentalism, and to avoide the overly obtrusive author
- Conflict – the situation has to have conflict. Otherwise there is no need for movement, for transformation or struggle. And there is no interest for the reader. Equally, the characters must have different outlooks, needs and desires, and this will make them act in different ways in the face of a difficult situation. For me it is important that the characters stay consistent and individual, and that they never become vehicles for the author’s intended plot.
- Anticipation and suspense – argh. This is also necessary, for obvious reasons… This one I find particularly hard, but it could be that it falls out naturally from a well developed conflict, like ripe fruit from a branch.
