Giving FACE to your story:
Glenn Quelch
I was considering the type of fiction which I Like to read, and the elements which go into making these stories. It occurred to me one day that these elements could be broken down and expressed as four words, which could then be arranged into the easily remembered mnemonic "FACE". So then, lets consider how we might give FACE to our stories.
F is for FACTION! I like techno-thriller type stories and novels; which have a smattering of real science, history, culture or other facts peppered into them. I suppose that this contributes to the 'suspension of disbelief' phenomenon so beloved by filmmakers. One might think that this would involve an onerous amount of research. I don't think so. I think that we should draft our stories first, and put in flags where we think out stories might benefit from some 'faction'. Later, perhaps during a first edit, at each 'faction flag', it would be easy to decide what facts would be needed there; which greatly aids research and reduces the time we need to spend on it.
A is for ADVENTURE! As humans, most of us have a sense of adventure. It is intrinsic to our spirit and is what has brought us to this point along the path of our evolution be that for good or bad. Unfortunately, by virtue of our modern lives, very few of us have the opportunity to experience true adventure. This is one of the reasons people read fiction and, as writers, it is our responsibility to provide it for them (depending upon your chosen genre). We should strive to maintain a sense of adventure throughout our stories. Of course, the added benefit to us as writers is that we can live whatever adventure we choose, and modify it as we need to. That our readers enjoy the same heart-pumping, sweat inducing sensations as we have in the creation of adventure, is pure icing on the cake.
C is for CONTROVERSY! Don't we all just love a scandal?! Surely, it is fundamental to human nature that we love gossip, scandal and controversy. Cast your minds back to that first cave in our collective memory. Remember the clan leader being led away from his woman by a subordinate female offering a juicy morsel of marrowbone jelly? And how they gossiped about it when he was away hunting afterwards! We are no different today take a look at the evening news! Seek controversy and feed it to your readers drip by drip, so that they will hardly seem able to get enough! Religious controversy, political controversy, social controversy, environmental controversy. The possibilities are endless!
E is for EXCITEMENT! In the creation of our stories, we should be seeking to build excitement. Slowly and Inexorably Build to what the reader feels is a crescendo and then leave them hanging there. Move on to a different scene. They read on. Desperate to know more. Desperate to see how things will pan out. When they again pick up the thread of excitement (the scene left hanging), they find that they are not yet at a crescendo. The issue is not yet resolved. It just continues to deteriorate, to escalate, problems worsen. On and on they read. Faster and faster. Desperate to know more. Desperately rushing headlong. To see, just to see, to know. Yes, excitement is the blood which flows and pulses in and around the stories we strive to weave. Excitement is the fourth essential element in: Giving FACE to your story!