: Re: Technique to deal with long journeys I'm writing a chapter that must illustrate: the character's feelings upon returning (for a short period) to their homeland after living abroad (and believing

I would suggest you treat the location as a character in its own right. Your MC has a bond with their hometown that is entirely personal to them, and they have memories there that they share with no one else in their family. Of course, they will still deeply associate the homeland with the presence of their family, so this will serve as the link between your two points.

For point 1, I would come up with a place in the vicinity that has deep personal value to the MC. Maybe it is the corner where they had their first kiss, or the bar where they had their first fight, or the quiet spot they used to wander to at midnight when they couldnâ€™t sleep. The swingset in the park is an old favourite.

On their way to see their family, they stop by at this spot (by coincidence or on purpose). Let them bask in the memory, or the present reality of it for a short moment. Here you can give them a break and express how tired they are after the long journey. Maybe it was so long that they felt like it would never end. Thus, it hasnâ€™t really sunk in yet that theyâ€™ve finally arrived and will be meeting their family shortly (or maybe theyâ€™re dreading it so much that they have been avoiding even thinking about it).

But the memories of their current location are so strong that it jogs them into reality. They have arrived home. The family is just around the corner/across town/however close you want them to be. Now it has sunk in â€“ and the distant, niggling worries about meeting the family become suddenly real. Point 2 has begun, and they have the rest of the trip (now a rather shorter one) to build up the anxiety and excitement about the reunion.

Load Full (0)

: How do I break away from imitating published works? I don't know if other people wanting to be writers experience this, but I get driven by my obsession. It used to be Hunger Games, then

@Chiappetta298

Load Full 6 Comments

: How do I avoid making scenes feel rushed? I've written several scenes and reread them silently. Most times they sound rushed, unnatural and uncomfortable. This especially happens with action or

@Chiappetta298

Load Full 1 Comments

: How to focus on external conflict rather than inner/interpersonal conflict? I love creating characters and my plots generally focus greatly on their inner conflicts and their relationships with

@Chiappetta298

Load Full 2 Comments

: Think about how often the topic of sex comes up in real life. Aspects of it are kept private, between individuals. Other aspects are flaunted on TV, film and advertising. Certain people don't

: Re: Technique to deal with long journeys I'm writing a chapter that must illustrate: the character's feelings upon returning (for a short period) to their homeland after living abroad (and believing

More posts by @Chiappetta298

: How do I break away from imitating published works? I don't know if other people wanting to be writers experience this, but I get driven by my obsession. It used to be Hunger Games, then

: How do I avoid making scenes feel rushed? I've written several scenes and reread them silently. Most times they sound rushed, unnatural and uncomfortable. This especially happens with action or

: How to focus on external conflict rather than inner/interpersonal conflict? I love creating characters and my plots generally focus greatly on their inner conflicts and their relationships with

: Think about how often the topic of sex comes up in real life. Aspects of it are kept private, between individuals. Other aspects are flaunted on TV, film and advertising. Certain people don't

Login to post a comment!

0 Comments

Back to top