There's certain aspects of our characters daily lives that seldom make it onto the written page. In fact, despite their bad childhoods, orphan status, dead/evil exes, and nefarious stalkers, they seem to live in a Barbe & Ken world that seems rather . . . plastic. They're flawed, yet they escape the mundane realities f everyday life.
Characters don't use the bathroom. Shocking, I know. But, you don't often see a heroine with a small bladder or a hero who has to stop mid-rescue. You won't catch many main characters cleaning. Eating is a three-times a book affair rather than three-times a day. Despite the proliferation of baby stories littering shelves, you'll be hard pressed to find a nursing heroine. Diapers, colic, and night feedings are footnotes drowned by cute anecdotes. Gas magically appears in cars. And, when was the last time you saw a heroine sit down to pay bills? Further, it's still very rare to find a character with a long-term medical condition.
Recently, I discovered the marvelous works of Catherine Andersen. She goes against the grain and peppers her works with the everyday realities that usually end up on the editing room floor. She's had characters with long-term disabilities, and yes, characters paying the bills. Her characters manage to find conflict even in everyday tasks. I just finished Baby Love, where to my surprise and delight, heroine's desire to nurse her baby is a major plot point and source of conflict and tension. She masterfully uses the "taboo" topic of nursing to show us who heroine really is.
But, Andersen's a bit of an aberration. I've seen many other writers try to incorporate more realism and everyday living into their works, only to fall short on conflict and tension and have their plots stagnate. Analyzing Andersen, the key to successfully incorporating mundane realities appears to be making it a source of conflict rather than trying to use it as background noise. In addition, you need to surround the mundane task with action. I've noticed that many writers falter when they keep daily living for the sequel scenes--it slows the pace even further. Rather, interrupting daily chores with action or adding an unexpected hiccup keeps the story moving. Use daily tasks as a chance to throw hero and heroine together. Lori Foster and Jennifer Crusie are masters of this strategy. Finally, you need to show motivation--why this seemingly mundane task is so important to hero/heroine.
I think incorporating more realism into stories is vital when you are seeking to bridge the gap between romance & women's fiction. Women's fiction is usually littered with the very realism missing from romance, yet it often lacks the powerful emotional punch and magic of a HEA romance. Of course, you get too bogged down in daily realities and you meander over into literary fiction land where very few get to live happily after.
Which authors' realism do you admire? Who goes too far? How much realism do you incorporate into your stories? Which bits of daily living do you like to see, and which do you like to escape from? Share!
7 comments:
Wavy -- Good topic.
Since I read a lot of mysteries, I do notice they serve food and clean and all the rest and you're right, many times it's worked into the plots. I like a hero bashing dishes around a sink when he's angry, etc... or an old woman's peculiar tastes and demands one more burden on an overburdened heroine. In the book that's out now, the heroine makes omelets and the hero is surprised at how spicy she makes them -- an insight into her character as are the sheets of cookies she bakes and distributes.
Right now, with four babies in the WIP, realism could become the focus of the book if I'm not careful. I read a lot about the first few weeks home with tiny babies and it's not glamorous, it's survival of the fittest. Mixing enough to make it real with enough to move the story along is tricky. I do mention diaper changes and though I don't dwell on nursing, I would be unfaithful to my firm beliefs if I didn't pay homage to it so she is nursing the babies on a rotation basis. I don't understand what is not sexy about a nursing mother but I don't write books where lusting is all anyone ever thinks about. Those books bore me to tears.
I do forget to feed my people -- cozy mysteries are very regular when it comes to food, but a RS, at least mine, usually takes place over small amounts of time with terrific tension and no one seems to be hungry. Evanovich always hits her meals whether they're stale crackers or fast food or dinner at Mom's table. The heroine's bizarre eating habits are part of her plots.
Very thought provoking and as I go through rewrites, I'll be sure to throw in a few snacks and maybe a tank of gas. Thanks.
Hmmm...good blog, Wavy. And topics I don't think much about (to be honest).
In an RS - like Alice mentioned - the focus is really on the fast-paced plot. And I think because of that - keeping the danger, intrigue and heat level high - authors don't spend so much time on the mundane daily tasks like paying bills, etc. because it slows the pace dramatically. As for my books, I've yet to write a (published) book that happened in one or the other of the characters' home towns. My characters always tend to be on the run or the hunt or what-have-you. So very little time to pay bills, or clean out refrigerators, or stack dishes or do any of those "normal" daily chores.
I know in my first book they eat several times. But it's a chase book, so they're not at home to pay bills or clean or do any of those "household" chores you mentioned. My seconed book is the same (and I think they only actually sit down to eat together once, but the focus is way more on the conversation (and suspense element of figuring out the plot)than on what they're eating.) Interestingly enough, though, I was thinking about some of this last night as I was rewriting a section of book three (AKA, the deadline book from hell). In this scene the heroine gets sick - like puke your guts out sick. And as I was writing I was thinking, "Ew. No one is going to want to read about this." But...the fact she's sick (poisoned) is important to the plot, as is the way the hero is there taking care of her (to the romance). So the scene stays. As to whether or not it slows the pace...don't know. Guess I'll find out later.
Nora includes a lot of the "mundane" daily chores you mentioned, and you're right, she uses them to showcase her characters traits and flaws. In one recent book (Angel's Fall, maybe?). The hero, a writer, is rushing around straightening up his house before the heroine comes over. There's one scene where he's in the kitchen, frowning at the stack of dishes in his sink, wondering, "Why the heck do I put the dirty dishes in the sink?I just have to take them back out again." For some reason that scene has stuck with me, even though I wasn't wild about the book as a whole. Possibly because *I've* thought that very thing. In that way, I identified with the character, and the scene really worked for me.
I write fast-paced books too, so everyday chores don't happen much. If I mention it, it's usually narrative summary so the reader gets a feel for what the character does in day-to-day life. But I don't dwell or go into details.
Every scene is some kind of action, and resting points are usually filled with conversation, so if characters are talking, they're also doing. And that could include eating or driving. But if it's a benign activity, I always foreshadow and introduce tension for whatever is to come. There's always something for the reader to worry about, even during a walk to a coffee shop or the tour inside someone's home. Trouble lurks around every corner.
I'm reading the second Twilight book right now, and it's a pretty calm story. Lots of angsting going on, but a promise of danger hovers at all times. I think it's the anticipation that holds the reader enthralled (think jack-in-the-box). Put tension on every page, even for the nursing mom as she replaces that soggy breastpad. 8^) Ugh, I remember those things with not-so-great fondness.
Good topic, Wavy!
I have to be careful not to put too many day-to-day happenings in my books -- expecially meals. My characters seem to like to eat! But the day-to-day stuff is usually a backdrop for dialogue.
With SONGS OF THE HEART, the heroine doesn't do much cooking except baking cookies, which she learned from her grandmother, to whom she was very close. So she bakes when she remembers her grandmother's wisdom, love and acceptance. It's a comfort thing.
You're right about Catherine Anderson doing a wonderful job of making the "mundane" memorable. She used to live near Sutherlin, I believe, but I don't know if she's still there or not. I really enjoy her books also.
Thanks for the responses!
I think Alice is right that Cozy mysteries incorporate more day-to-day living. I love Elaine Viets for this--She really uses the not-so-glamorous parts of living for great effects.
Well hey, I'm just super hyped to be called a master at something. LOL
;-)
Seriously though, great topic and really cool breakdown on it.
Lori
aka
L.L. Foster
Wonderful blog Wavy.
Personally I like some attention to everyday tasks. I've infused food into all of my WIP's. I must say at times it makes me hungry. I tend to zero in on desserts. LOL
Some parts of every day life are boring, but if you want a believable and dimensional character they need a moment of routine or mundane reality ever so often.
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