SUBTLETY
Rarely, if ever, has subtlety been brought up as a topic
of discussion during our writing group meetings. I haven't come across subtlety
in all the books I've read on writing.
Nevertheless, subtlety underlies much in writing consciously or
otherwise. A few of these areas are sensitivity, foreshadowing, and
description.
People are sensitive to ethnic and racial issues. In the
political arena, it is all too prevalent. Writers don't wish to offend their
readers, or at least most writers. Thus, subtlety is employed to convey those
touchy points. It is difficult to delicately write historical fiction that
depicts horrible treatment of people like the Blacks and the Indians. As we
move up the time scale to contemporary times, those historical treatments that
were the way of life become xenophobic and racist in their very mention.
Writing a black character as dumb and lazy stereotypes blacks are all alike or if an Indian is a lazy drunk, all Indians are portrayed as drunks and lazy. Writing
in that style isn't going to fly in today's world. Not without alienating a
segment of readership. No amount of
subtlety will mask such concepts or maybe subtlety can. Many writers sidestep and omit possible
offense from their writings by not writing about them.
They don't have to avoid writing on sensitivity issues if
they deploy nuance to their character development. For instance, ignorance and
stupidity are two widely different things. Many people equate the two as the
same, and because a person isn’t aware of something, they are stupid. Generally,
characters, real and imagined, who think this way are bullies who go by many
names such as rednecks, skinheads, bloods, and gangbangers. Where in this
scenario can subtlety be used? In the character arc.
People in real life don't change drastically at a
moment's notice, epiphanies aside. In writing, an author exaggerates the traits
of a bully or a victim to strengthen the emotional response sought. The writer
builds subtle markers in character arcs to bring the characters back in line,
regain the normal, or find a new normal.
Writing events in a story that move the characters along
their arcs entails foreshadowing. In my mind, foreshadowing is where the reader
derives the most joy from the story. Hardly is anything more gratifying to the
reader than the moment when a subtle foreshadow is fulfilled. Several mechanisms can be used for
foreshadowing, some more obvious than others. Probably the most obvious and
best known to writers is Chekhov's gun.
From Wikipedia:
"Chekhov's gun (Chekhov's rifle, Russian: Чеховское
ружьё) is a dramatic
principle that states that every element in a story must be necessary, and
irrelevant elements should be removed. Elements should not
appear to make "false promises" by never coming into
play."
From <https://www.bing.com/search?q=Chekov%27s+gun&form=ANNTH1&refig=c86bd283aa124854b28c927898fd6327>
One false promise is to introduce a weapon and never use
it. Others are introducing an arsonist who never burns anything down, a
womanizer who never dates, or a murderer who never kills anyone, and the list
goes on.
Tension and or suspense are also the creations of
foreshadowing. When the reader picks up on a subtle hint that may turn the
story on its head, save the day for the protagonist or spell their doom, hope
at what was hinted will or will not happen. We all like to be right. A foreshadow
harbors in the back of the mind, and finally, the writer brings it out, the
reader exclaims, "I knew it, I knew it!" It's a surprise. Not the
kind of surprise like, "Where did that come from?", but more like,
"Thank goodness, I was starting to worry."
The more subtle the foreshadowing is, the more satisfying
for the reader when fulfilled. An excellent treatment for foreshadowing can be
found in many 'how to' writing books. I particularly enjoyed studying Structuring
your Novel Essential Keys for writing an outstanding story by K.M. Weiland.
K.M. Weiland - Author of Historical and
Speculative Fiction (kmweiland.com)
I think a concerted effort is required to use subtlety in
foreshadowing. The writer must give the readers a certain amount of credit to
pick up on veiled foreshadowing.
To round out the topic of today is subtlety in
description. The writer wants the reader to visualize, to feel, to equate, and
emote. Much like foreshadowing, the description shouldn't be force-fed, serving
only to bog down the story or feel contrived. Subtlety can rule. There is no
reason to reveal the color of the protagonist's hair until pertinent to the plot.
Rather than having her look in the mirror and describe her hair, she can hope
whoever is after her will not recognize the fresh dye job as she gathers loose
blond strands from the sink to flush down the toilet. A detective may look at
shoes in a closet and declare the man they seek is pigeon-toed by the wear of
the soles. If the readers don't know what pigeon-toed is, they can look it up
and learn a new thing.
Being subtle can only carry so far. Difficult for the
writer to be delicate in describing a person being run through with a sword or
the effect of a car slamming into a hundred-year-old Oak tree at sixty miles an
hour. Those are defining events and not for finesse. Other than those stark
moments in description like a nuclear bomb going off, subtlety is equally enjoyed
by the reader.
Characters have roles to play. Many readers, I submit,
most readers, like to picture a character of their own design. If the writer
wants the storyline's purpose to describe a character in a certain way, the
more subtle the depiction is, the more enjoyable the reading.
As writers, we carry a heightened awareness of the
mechanisms used to convey a good story. Because of this awareness, the author/reader
appreciates a well-written story. On the other hand, by reading many stories,
readers conclude what they enjoy without being aware of the tools the writer
deploys. Thus, readers develop a stable of favorite authors.
The use of subtlety will enhance and enrichen any story.
by Emmett J Hall
