August 8, 2012
I just finished reading New York Times bestseller, Gone Girl, about a young woman who disappears on her fifth wedding anniversary. This thriller is told from the point of view of the husband beginning with the day of the disappearance, and from the point of view of the wife, through old diary entries. And that duality, shows that author, Gillian Flynn can write voice! This is how to develop characters. (And she develops them so well, that you might not like either of them.)
SPOILER ALERT!! If you are currently reading this book, or are thinking of reading this book for narrative suspense, navigate yourself away from this blog post right now! I mean it. Check your email, play Logo Quiz, do something else. Anything else.
Ok, if you're still with me, I want to tell you that I was disappointed in the ending. Very near the end is a plot twist that will leave you staring at your book, Nook, iPad or Kindle, shaking your head, thinking, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!" "No, no, no." However, even though the end of the plot disappoints, the voice is so well written that I strongly recommend this book to all aspiring writers and writing teachers. This is a model text of writing voice, maintaining voice and enriching that voice as plot twists reveal additional facets of a character's personality.
More examples of voice and character-development tomorrow.
Happy reading and writing,
Christine
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