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Adding Technicolor And Surround
Sound To
Your Novel
A black and white movie with no background music
can be dramatic and gripping,
but it takes great camera work and fantastic acting to accomplish it.
Also you better have an outstanding story and a well-polished script to
begin with. But even with an outstanding story, fantastic acting, and
great camera work, adding color and the right music can make this movie
a much more compelling and emotional experience. This must be true,
otherwise why would the movie industry go to the added expense of color
film and spend a small fortune to have just the right music composed? "That’s all well and good," you say,
"but I'm trying to write a novel here. I don't have access to color
film and a great orchestra. I'm stuck with words on paper. What can I do
about color and theme music?" Good question. And you're right. There is not much
you can do to put actual color and music on the written page, but
remember what the color in a movie does. It catches the eye and enhances
what you see. It dresses up an otherwise drab, lackluster scene and
bedazzles the senses with a splash of sensation. It takes that drab gray
evening gown that the dancer is wearing and turns it into a vivid
rainbow. It makes that sunset, which wouldn't even be worth wasting
black and white film on, a dramatic and vivid statement. And the music?
We are so use to it, that most moviegoers don't even notice it. But it
is there and it increases our involvement with the story. A well-scored
movie makes you feel the heartbreak in a love scene; it puts a chill
down your spine just before the monster appears. The music enhances the
emotional mood of the story. You can do these same sorts of things in your novel.
Paint vivid color pictures with your words. Avoid the drab colorless
world of inadequate bland descriptions. Don't say, "She was an
attractive business woman." Say, "She was a very nice looking
petit woman, conservatively dressed in a beige business suit."
Don't say, "She was going to a party so she was dressed to
kill." Say, " She was going to a party so she was dressed in a
tight red off the shoulder dress that would surly catch the eye of every
man." You don't have to go overboard, but give us something vivid
and colorful to see. And all those minor characters that walk on then
off the scene, don't just pass them through. Give us something to see.
Again it doesn't have to be much. Are they tall, thin, short, fat, red
haired, brunette, pale skinned, Swarthy, handsome, ugly, do they have
crooked teeth, bad breath, or what? Just a hint will add to the story. And that's just the people. Don't forget the
backgrounds. Remember the westerns where they show wide panoramas of the
mountains or the huge stone monuments in the background. Those scenes
were not just to use up film or make the movie longer. They helped to
set the ambiance for the story. They gave you a sense of the grand scale
that the story was taking place against. Perhaps reminding us of the
insignificance of these actions. If your story is an outdoor adventure
you might want to use those mountains. But don't just say, "There
is a big mountain in the background." Help us see that mountain. Do
they have craggy peaks? Are they snow capped? Tell us about the empty
sky overhead. Help us feel the aloneness, the feeling of insignificance,
the closeness to his maker that the hero feels. If your story is set in
a city, you still have a background. Its ambiance can still add to the
story. The tall building leaning overhead, the noise and smell of
traffic, the heat rising from the asphalt, the slippery icy sidewalk,
the slush of snow in the gutter, the smell of trash in an alley, the
graffiti on the wall. There can also be beauty in the city, the colorful
storefronts, the sun reflecting off of a wall of glass, the lights at
night, the energy of the people. All of these things can be a part of
your story. Don't take me wrong. I'm not saying that you should
stop the action and take time to describe these things. Don't do it all
at once. But if you place a hint here and there, soon your reader can
build up a picture of where your story is being acted and what the
people are like. Your long stretches of dialogue can be punctuated by a
few observations by the characters. E.g., the noise, jostling, and
bumping at a party, the smell of baking corn bread from the kitchen. The
pain of that sudden flash of light from the sun reflecting off the wall
of glass I already mentioned. I'm sure you can find other instances
where a little more description of colors, noises, smells, etc. would
add to the overall feel of a story. Another thing to consider is physical actions and
body language. He can reach out and brush her cheek as he smiles at her.
She can cross her arms and hug herself tightly to express her hurt and
anger. These people are human beings with emotions. They can express
those emotions in a lot of ways other than words. There are many ways
that body language can add to communication, eliminating the need for
words, or saying more than just words can convey. If you have spent any
time observing the people around you, you have seen many ways that this
is done. A frown, a smile,
a lifted eyebrow, or a sneer can indicate the emotional state of a
speaker. A person can walk, stroll, wander, meander, slither, hop, rush,
or stomp into a room. The person has entered the room in all cases, but
each gives you a different idea of the emotional state and character of
that person. I am not suggesting that you eliminate the dialogue
or change the action. They comprise the heart of story telling. They are
the black and white drama that is your story. But just adding a touch of
descriptive color and emotional music here and there can contribute a
lot of depth to a novel and make it, also, a much more compelling and
emotional experience. By Allan G. Macpherson, ABP Director of Editing
Services. © 2005 American Book Publishing™ *All other trademarks used by permission. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy and Trademark Use Policy.
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