When I teach creative writing, I notice that novices frequently write as if describing a what a TV screen would show if a camera had zoomed in for a close-up of theirĀ narrator’s face. By contrast, an experienced writer would rely on a much wider range of storytelling techniqes, including dialogue and interior thoughts.
“What do you mean?ā I say, my brows furrowing in confusion.
āHold on,ā says the old man. āWhat just happened?ā
āErā¦. I frowned. Because I was confused. Why are you glaring at me?ā
āI already knew you were confused, because you said āWhat do you mean?ā A reader who has been following our conversation wouldnāt also need a description of your facial expression in order to know how theyāre supposed to feel. Would they need a description of my face, now that youāve stated that Iām glaring at you?ā —Writing Effective Dialogue
The point I tried to make in the above example is that cutting away to a character’s facial reaction is a standard tool in the toolbox of a TV storyteller. But a writer of fiction has access to all the memories, fears, dreams, and imagination of the first-person narrator. If the author chooses a first-person narrator, but then has that narrator communicate her emotions by telling the reader, “As I carefuly inspected Lord Spiteworthy’s handiwork, a cold look of determination clouded my hazel eyes,” concern clouded my eyes,” the reader is so cut off from the interior life of the narrator, relying on the narrator’s description of what an external observer would see, that it really makes no sense for the author to choose a first-person narrator.
For the first time, researchers have used fMRI scanners to track the brain activity of writers as they created fiction. The results have drawn strong reactions from other scientists…. During brainstorming, theĀ novice writers activated their visual centers. By contrast, the brains of expert writers showed more activity in regions involved in speech.
āI think both groups are using different strategies,ā Dr. Lotze said. Itās possible that theĀ novices are watching their stories like a film inside their heads, while the writers are narrating it with an inner voice.
Source:Ā This Is Your Brain on Writing
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You teach creative writing? I want to be a writer someday
You already are a writer! But if you want to shift away from writing merely to express yourself or to please yourself, and you want to learn how professionals use writing to meet the needs of readers (generating an emotion, or helping them get work done), here are some resources that I share with my students. http://jerz.setonhill.edu/blog/2010/03/05/writing-index/
Thanks Mr. Jerz