Anticipation

Following the Florida Writers Conference last October, I delved into Karl Iglesias's book for screenwriters Writing for Emotional Impact. Although I am not presently interested in writing screenplays, this book has much to offer writers of fiction. I am working my way through this book for the second time and have even taken some notes which I refer to when embarking on revisions. Iglesias's examples from movies are entertaining and help clarify how the writer keeps the reader engaged.

One of the major points in Writing for Emotional Impact is that it is the anticipation of an established goal that causes the forward movement in a story, not action or dialogue. Iglesias asks the writer to consider what she wants the reader (viewer) to feel. The emotion of a character is the catalyst for the emotion in the reader. The reader wants to"feel excitement and fascination at the uniqueness of the conflict, with a pinch of familiarity." Plot (a series of events) is designed to create anticipation in the form of curiosity, suspense, tension, hope, and worry. Of course, the reader needs to feel empathy for a character, perhaps even compassion, to be fully engaged in a story. Revealing familiar emotions in a character heightens the reader's ability to relate to a character and therefore care about what happens to him.

In a few weeks I'll be attending another writers conference: the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) in Miami. I've attended this conference before and look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new friends. My anticipation grows with all the elements of an engaging story. I am curious about the speakers and their presentations, full of tension and hope at my critique interview with a top literary agent. And worry? Yes, some, but greatly tempered by the welcoming encouragement I have experienced before when attending SCBWI functions. Get ready, Miami. I'm on my way!