That's a weird title, isn't it? What exactly do I mean when I say "everyday extremes"?
Well, some things in fiction walk the line of being too fun in the real world or too unpleasant in the real world to enjoy reading about. Like, I don’t like reading about people on extravagant vacations, living their dreams, because they have the money/opportunity, etc, and now this beautiful girl gets to go somewhere beautiful and meet someone beautiful and fall in love, and I’ve just reading in my room on another totally ordinary day. No, I don’t feel bad for you when you’re crying on that beautiful beach because something went ever so slightly wrong. I can’t enjoy you at all when everything is too perfect.
But I also can’t enjoy problems that are too real all the time. Of course everyone gets stressed over work or school, of course everyone has financial trouble now and then, but sometimes seeing characters worry makes me worry. Like, I’ll have a headache and decide to read a book to distract me. If a character also has a headache, it makes mine worse. Silly, I know, but sometimes it happens.
So, are these weird personal peeves, or do I have tips in here for you? Maybe think about how these things make you feel as a reader, and write accordingly. It's not always smart to erase these kinds of things entirely. Sometimes those extravagant moments are beautiful, just make sure it's appropriate. How did they gain the means for it? Is it well-deserved? Did you make readers wait for it?
It's no good to delete everyday worries from character's lives altogether, after all, you still want to keep it real. Just make sure those issues don't shadow the story. Maybe a character needs money, and the story is about an extravagant plan to get it. Keep the focus on the plan, not the financial stress. Of course you can bring it up, but remember to assume your reader's intelligence. We’ll remember well enough ourselves. The plan is far more interesting anyway.
Well, some things in fiction walk the line of being too fun in the real world or too unpleasant in the real world to enjoy reading about. Like, I don’t like reading about people on extravagant vacations, living their dreams, because they have the money/opportunity, etc, and now this beautiful girl gets to go somewhere beautiful and meet someone beautiful and fall in love, and I’ve just reading in my room on another totally ordinary day. No, I don’t feel bad for you when you’re crying on that beautiful beach because something went ever so slightly wrong. I can’t enjoy you at all when everything is too perfect.
But I also can’t enjoy problems that are too real all the time. Of course everyone gets stressed over work or school, of course everyone has financial trouble now and then, but sometimes seeing characters worry makes me worry. Like, I’ll have a headache and decide to read a book to distract me. If a character also has a headache, it makes mine worse. Silly, I know, but sometimes it happens.
So, are these weird personal peeves, or do I have tips in here for you? Maybe think about how these things make you feel as a reader, and write accordingly. It's not always smart to erase these kinds of things entirely. Sometimes those extravagant moments are beautiful, just make sure it's appropriate. How did they gain the means for it? Is it well-deserved? Did you make readers wait for it?
It's no good to delete everyday worries from character's lives altogether, after all, you still want to keep it real. Just make sure those issues don't shadow the story. Maybe a character needs money, and the story is about an extravagant plan to get it. Keep the focus on the plan, not the financial stress. Of course you can bring it up, but remember to assume your reader's intelligence. We’ll remember well enough ourselves. The plan is far more interesting anyway.
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