Bring on a Stand-by
Some new neighbours moved in
recently down the street. Nothing extraordinary about that; people move in and
out all the time. However, for what should have been something of a non-event,
excitement-wise, there has been a fair bit of activity on the village grapevine
ever since they showed up and kicked the agent’s board into the long grass.
Quite apart from
the usual gossip at the shop, where information is traded like pork futures,
along with eggs, papers and Mrs Green’s farmyard honey, there has been much
chat about what these newcomers are up to. Speculation is rife about ‘shrouded’
deliveries (bricks and cement powder wrapped in clingfilm to prevent damp) and
the arrival of ‘certain equipment’ (grinders, tile cutters and saw benches,
mostly). And let’s not forget the blue Portaloo in the front garden, which
has raised more than a few eyebrows.
Depending on who
you listen to, this perfectly innocent looking family of 2 + 2 and a dog, are
(a) converting the house into a doomsday survivalist bunker, or (b) creating a
marijuana factory complete with giant fans and drying kilns, and anyone walking
past it to the post box each day will get as high as kites on the fumes.
Actually, all
they have done, God bless ‘em, is to make our lives a little more interesting
by bringing a whole new dynamic to what is normally a quiet – some say
unchanging - community.
And if you are
in a similar position with your current writing project, I would heartily
recommend you try introducing a new, walk-on character or two, to spice things
up.
I mentioned
before the ‘bring on a man with a gun’ device, when you need to give the reader
a jolt. This advice – attributed to Raymond Chandler – is merely a way of
introducing a burst of tension and/or danger and violence. (Well, it would,
wouldn’t it?)
However, not everyone writes stories where a man
with a gun would be realistic. But most writers get to a stodgy bit
occasionally, where things get a little… uninspired, shall we say. I know I do.
Introducing a
new (unarmed) character is less dramatic, but it can be a useful way of
changing the pace in a subtle way, and even leading to you bringing a different
tone to the people he or she meets up with.
Let us assume
you have to a scene with your main character at home, preparing to go out to an
important meeting. (It doesn’t matter what the scene is, I’m merely plucking an
example out of the ideas box). Your problem is, you aren’t sure where to go
next. You may well have an idea leading up to the meeting, but you might feel
that it doesn’t link up in a coherent fashion, or is too big a jump in the
storyline.
A way round this
is to parachute in an entirely new character, purely at random, and see what
happens.
Cue a phone call or a knock at the door. What might
the caller/visitor want? A cup of sugar? A lift into town? Is it an old friend
passing by? Or the postman with an important letter? You choose.
Whatever it is,
you can use the new arrival as a way of ‘lifting’ the scene by injecting some
unplanned activity or event. You might decide on a neighbour offering your main
character a lift, allowing you to explain in dialogue between them a little
more about what is going on and what emotions or concerns your main character
is feeling. Using this as a jumping-off point, you might develop an extra
strand to your storyline, where your character struggles to hide a secret from
this nosy neighbour, adding to the tension. The possibilities are endless.
Remember, the
newcomer can be as fleeting or as permanent as you wish, a walk-on part or a
stayer. As long as they serve a useful purpose. It’s your story, after all, and
you can do whatever you want. God-like? You betcha.
Whoever their
status or role, their arrival does not have to change the story in a big way.
It’s a device, pure and simple. What it should do is to give you a fresh
perspective at a time when maybe your storyline is getting bogged down, and
inject a whole new line of thought.
There are a few
points to consider when bringing in someone new, no matter how briefly. What
effect could they have on the scene? What could be the reactions to this
newcomer, and how might it impact on the story? Could this introduction change
certain events, thereby altering the flow of your story? Might the newcomer –
as happened to me once – grow from a planned walk-on part only, to become a
vital part of the story? And the main one is, can the new character add an
extra exciting element to the plot and your writing?
TOP TIPS
·
Choose a character at random and bring them in.
Then think about the action and reaction.
·
Think of them as a catalyst to something -
anything - even in a small way.
·
Use them to spur your main character(s) into
thinking or acting in a way which adds extra vim or surprise to the story.
·
Make sure they ‘fit’ the scene, no matter how
briefly, and don’t appear as a cut-and-paste job.
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This article was taken from my book 'Write On! - the Writer's Help Book' - (Accent Press) - available in p/b and ebook.
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That's another month gone and it's only the 4th of January! 
