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| by Suzie Johnson |
Inborn empathy, I believe, is a gift from God. Some people have it, and
some people don’t.
But can you learn empathy if you don’t already have it? I think it’s safe to say most of us have imaginations. And if, as a writer, you can touch the surface of your imagination, then you can keep going deeper until you feel whatever it is you want your characters (and consequently your readers) to feel.
But can you learn empathy if you don’t already have it? I think it’s safe to say most of us have imaginations. And if, as a writer, you can touch the surface of your imagination, then you can keep going deeper until you feel whatever it is you want your characters (and consequently your readers) to feel.
That’s empathy.
Have you ever wondered how an actor cries on demand?
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| photo by djayo at http://www.sxc.hu |
But other actors cry real tears that touch deep and very raw emotions. I heard one actress say that whenever she had to cry, she thought about her father and imagined what her life would be like if he died. Her imagination led her to empathy. Those are the scenes that reach out and grab the viewers by their heart-strings.
Because they’re real.
Writing, like acting, must touch something deep in the reader, whether
it’s joy or sorrow, in order to give them a satisfying experience.
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| photo by rolve at http://www.sxc.hu |
How then could I represent this in an honest and true way in my writing?
It had to be more than thinking, “Oh, I’ll bet they feel this way and
they’ll react in this other way.” No. I had to dig deep inside myself, hit a few nerves, then dig deeper
still. I had to imagine the early years with my own child, and then imagine
the unthinkable.
It wasn’t easy. It was beyond painful. Then, because my hero’s
viewpoint is important to the story, I had to do it all over again through the eyes
and heart of a father. I still get a little teary-eyed when I think about all
I’d imagined. But if I didn’t bring a tear to my own eyes, how could I possibly
bring one to the reader’s eyes?
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| photo by buzzybee at http://www.sxc.hu |
This could, I think, also be referred to as deep point of view. I
really never thought of it that way until recently. After the final edits and
galley proofs were done on True North, I had a moment of panic
when I realized my characters had a lot of internal thought. Maybe it was too
much. Would that read as boring? I didn’t know what to do. But when I asked my
editor about it, she said she and the publisher had a discussion about it when
they first bought the book. They felt it was deep point of view and was
necessary to the story because of the grieving process that became part of the
conflict.
I had to think about this for a while. And I still wonder. Did my
imagination lead me to empathy? Did I reach this deep point of view that will
elicit a tear from my readers? I hope so. It made me cry, and – not that I want
the reader to feel real pain – I hope it brings a tear or two to their eyes so
they come away with a complete and satisfying experience from the book.
If you’re a writer and your manuscript doesn’t feel right, could it
be that it isn’t touching your emotions? If so, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad
writer. Try deepening your imagination, dig a little deeper, and see if that changes your story up.
Do you think empathy and imagination are tied together?
What gives you a satisfying experience as a reader?
If you’re a writer, how far do you go to elicit emotion in your
characters?
True North is
Suzie Johnson’s second novel. Her first novel, No Substitute, a contemporary inspirational novel, is out now from
White Rose Press of The Pelican Book Group. She is a regular contributor to the Inkwell Inspirations blog,
a member of ACFW, RWA, and is the cancer registrar at her local hospital. Suzie
and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest with their naughty little cat on
an island that is definitely not tropical. Together, they are the parents of a
wonderful grown son who makes them proud every day – even though he lives way
too far away. You can visit Suzie at the following places:
Well said, Suzie. I know I've cried over my characters' woes. I really believe that if the writer doesn't feel it, if the writer doesn't love it, if the writer doesn't believe it, the reader won't either.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading your book. You've already brought tears to my eyes.
Thank you, DeAnna. You are so sweet. I can tell you cry over your characters, too. Right now I'm crying over my current characters because they aren't cooperating. °_°
ReplyDeleteSnicker. I've cried because of that, too. I think they secretly love to torture us. ;)
ReplyDeleteUgh. This is the middle of the target -emotional response from the reader. I read something last night (a craft book/ a book about writing) where some famous person says we read to feel emotion. That puts it pretty clearly.
ReplyDeletegreat post Suzie, and I love the photos. I wanted that little boy on the beach to be Kirk (I think it's not).
I read a post yesterday about how Alexander Ripley used emotion at the beginning of Scarlet to hook us in to her 'sequel' to Gone with the Wind. She has Mammy die.
She got away with it because Margaret Mitchell had given her the perfect hand-off.
But rather than have that child die 'on screen', you had to use only those deep emotions to pull a response from the reader.
AND THAT'S WHY writing is tough.
For anyone who thinks they can write a book, go for it. And good luck with that empathy factor, because it's a mountain to climb.
I'm empathetic, almost to a fault. I sort of suck in the emotions of everyone around me like a sponge. It's something I'm trying not to do as much, but it sure does help with writing.
ReplyDeleteI know, Dina. Me, too. It's hard sometimes. Exhausting, even. And I do think the page is the very best place for me to channel all I've processed. I still believe it's a gift from God, though, and it helps me understand - or try to understand - others better, and helps me try to become a better person.
DeleteThank you, Deb. No, that's not Kirk. :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes, too, even if you hit all the right emotions, you might not hook the reader. But I think that could be because we also have to allow for the human factor. If the reader is in a bad mood, not tuned in for whatever reason, the book might fall flat. Where at another time, the reader may have enjoyed the book.
So many variables. Sigh. . .
Suzie, wonderful post! I really liked your "acting" analogy. It can be scary to express empathy--what if it's too much??? (I worry...)
ReplyDeleteBless you all!
Hi Cheryl! I think if you're empathizing from your heart, then you don't have to worry. You'll be great. :(
ReplyDeleteThat was supposed to be a smiley, not a frownie!
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