Drama

We like drama, that’s what I’ve realized in this life. But drama in real life usually doesn’t equate to a peaceful, calm life. And isn’t a peaceful life somewhat equal to happiness? So in reality, that’s usually what we’re striving for, but when reading a book -- that’s what we call tedious and dull.

Our drama can be in the books and we all have such different tastes. Some of us love thrillers, some steamy romances, some of us enjoy heart-wrenching stories with an inspiring message. If you’re like me, it depends on my mood. Do I want to be scared? Do I want to think more deeply? Or do I just want to be swept away with Fabio? (Just for the record, I’ve never been swept away by Fabio). Usually exciting stories though are the exact opposite to what we actually need -- that’s why they’re thrilling to us. I mean -- really -- do I want to be bitten by a vampire, or live through an awful tragedy to learn some lessons, or even eat buttah with Fabio? No, I’d much rather read about it in the safety of my own home, enjoying the ride.

Writing really good stories means torturing our main characters. And that goes against all that we are. Are we sadistic human beings? I mean our characters are pieces of us; we’ve put our hearts into them -- developing them, nurturing them, raising them into hellions that are heartthrobs or homely creatures with bizarre habits and sometimes characters that we admire. But then the anguish and suffering really begins. Once we know who they are, where they’ve come from, we must go deeper. It’s the only way to reveal their true natures -- a bit like making friends. First impressions and surface friendships are great -- everyone’s wonderful and giving, but then add a little real life pressure and sometimes we witness even more amazing people or just the opposite. Stress and anxiety will reveal the true nature of human beings or at least our weaknesses because we all have them. It doesn’t really matter how polished we are on the outside because life and conflict scrape and chisel away the polish to reveal something even more wonderful -- authenticity.

So be kind to your real-life friends, but throw in some torture and heartbreak to your characters and you’ll be a happy person with some dramatic storytelling skills.