rhythm, action, credibility

Some thoughts on Saturday after treating myself to a story and a slice of cake at a coffee shop that had this really big clock on the wall.

Whenever I finish reading a Murakami story, I can’t help but think, damn, I had an idea for a story like that and he stole it!

I read stories and I learn to write better stories myself. The following are some scrambly thoughts on Murakami’s stairs-and-elevator story.

• Rhythm in dialogue mixed in with sentences in between to sustain credibility and continuous reality. This is seen in the way the woman and the narrator talks in the very beginning, the narrator interjecting about the pencil and the woman crossing her legs. These are subtle details, but they sustain the reality in the dialogue!
• Little actions or gestures or details about people. A character is characterized by one thing. For example. The jogger with his stopwatch. The old man with his philosophy on smoking. The little girl with her interest in donuts. One thing, just one thing that really really characterizes the character. Really really think about it. Example from myself. Uncle George with his gold watch. Giovanna balancing her chin. And so on.
• Some credible knowledge about the real world. It is so true that in the detective business, if you agree to take a case too early, the client will suspect you. Also some knowledge about the police force and how the investment consulting business runs. A little bit of knowledge about the real world always helps. How do people run a store? And so on. What brands are being carried now? And so on.
  
  
  drafted on 080126