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Writer’s Network Saturday

So, since I’m actively writing my Sentinels novel, I thought it would be ideal to join the local writer’s group.

Black Diamond Writers Network

I was aware of the group’s existence but have never thought to attend a meeting until this year. I didn’t quite know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised by the experience.

The members and visitors represent a variety of genres, publishing media and even nationalities. Some have finished works to share. Some have works in progress. Some are simply there to get ideas about what they might like to write. There are a variety of experience levels and a very broad range of ages.

The critique session was a wonderful opportunity to not only enjoy a page of the work of various members but also to see how the others perceive and respond to the quality and style of the work.

One of the members is expected to make a presentation next month. Apparently, they have a couple of critique sessions each year and a variety of speakers presenting on relevant topics periodically.

The Black Diamond Writers Network is a treat I’ve put off enjoying entirely too long. I’m quite glad I finally got around to joining.

The Nature of Evil

George RR Martin and Stephen King on the Nature of Evil

I was watching a lot of writing how-to videos over the last few days and I came across this excerpt from a longer discussion between two famous and famously prolific writers. King and Martin clearly have spent a significant amount of time in their works addressing a variety of types of evil characters and acts.

I find this instructive, not only for my current project but for other projects that I have in mind. As they say in the video, there is internal evil and external evil. For realism, it pays to focus on internal evil and the things men do in the face of desperation. For morality plays or for creating a dark ambiance, external evil is the way to go.

In my own work, there are a variety of shades of grey to be envisioned. Certainly, the Conclave is the dark heart of evil in Empire City but most people don’t even know they exist. Criminal gangs are more visible and some of their acts are reprehensible, but the majority of these people aren’t absolutely dripping with evil. Theirs is more a matter of a distorted perspective. Even the Sentinels themselves are torn on the matter of whether it is ever acceptable for a superhero to kill in the line of duty.

Point of View Characters

Only through art can we emerge from ourselves and know what another person sees. ~Marcel Proust

Third-person omniscient is an easier perspective to tell a complex story from, but it can be a bit impersonal. Switching to a viewpoint of the actual participants makes the experience more palpable but the limited perspective causes some problems in revealing some of the stuff that our omniscient narrator can simply tell you.

I’m still adapting to the confined perspective of POV characters. It creates a richer experience in small portions of the characters’ lives, but it puts a real clamp on the capacity to divulge important information that isn’t obvious to the reader or even the character.

Even so, I’m working at it. We’ll see how it turns out.

That’s the weekend for me. I hope you’re having a restful end to your busy week.