What makes a piece of writing feel false? What makes it feel true?
In this episode, we’re going to explore how to write fiction that feels true. That feels real and believable to the reader. And we’re going to do it by borrowing some techniques from acting teachers like Stanislavsky, Uta Hagan, and Stella Adler.
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Episode at a glance:
[1:14] Avoid representational emotion
Storytelling used to embody emotions in this grandiose melodramatic style. So actors on stage and even screen used to rely on the art of representation. This was particularly true in the silent movie era. Silent movie actors even had a handbook. Do this to look sad. Do this to represent the feeling of love.
And then came along Stanislavsky, a Russian theater guru. And as he sat in the theater, he found that some nights the performance felt powerful and true. And other nights it felt false. So he started to deconstruct the performances that made him feel something. He discovered that when the actors were tapping into emotion, the performance felt more spontaneous and organic. It felt like real life emotion. And so he started to come up with a method for actors that presented real life, not exaggerated life.
[6:53] The Art of Being Your Character
Stanislavsky revolutionized the art of storytelling by developing techniques centered around the art of experiencing, using subtext and the subconscious to drive a scene. And this, of course, changed how writers thought about the whole endeavor of storytelling. Learn how to feel your way into your character’s experience by tapping into your own embodied experiences. So the writing feels spontaneous, honest, and true.
[11:53] The Power of Observation
Observations provide your imagination with fuel. So when you need to bring a character to life, you have a wealth of details to inspire you. Stellar Adler famously told her acting students, “Don’t be boring.” Now, this advice goes much deeper than creating a memorable character or a unique narrative voice. Don’t be boring is about more than entertaining the the audience. It means to communicate something about what it means to be human.
[16:45] The Inner Life of Objects
You don’t want to just put objects in a room. Nothing should make its way into your story for mere ornamentation. You don’t want to clutter your scenes with furniture, just because it was there in the room or to give an aura of reality. You want to think about your character state of mind, what would they notice? And how would they slant those details?