Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Writing from the heart...


So I just finished watching tonight's episode of Gilmore Girls (yes, I'm a diehard fan, and no, I don't agree with all the morals in the show, but hey, give me a break - its a great story, with fantastic, witty dialogue, and characters that weasel their way into your heart and take root!) and I'm once again in awe (and more than a little irritated) with the screenwriters.

GOOD GRIEF.

I won't give away any details, in case someone missed tonight's episode, but I discovered something tonight that I want...and don't know how to get. I long to make the readers of my stories feel the same intense, drop-everything, scream-at-the-TV (book) emotion that I get watching this show. I mean, seriously. When Luke looks at Loralei, MY heart flutters! When she bears her soul, I get nervous. When a vacation is cancelled, I'm disappointed. I'm somewhat involved, to say the least.

How do they DO that???

Honestly, tonight, during the karaoke scene toward the end, emotion balled up in my throat so tightly I couldn't breathe. I'm staring at the screen through a film of tears, feeling my heart break in two as Loralei's is certainly doing...and when the last note ends, my tears overflow and start dripping off my chin and onto my sweatshirt and I'm sobbing and cutting more brownies from the pan and screaming "I HATE THIS SHOW" as I eagerly wait for the commerical to bring the "sneak peek for next week"...

Again, I ask - HOW DO THEY DO THAT? And more importantly, how can I do that? I want to have that effect on my readers, not for the sake of feeling as if I accomplished some goal, or "look what I did" type of thing, but because it makes the viewer/reader FEEL. I want my readers to feel. To anaylze. To touch that inner emotion, be reached... To ponder things they've shoved deep down. To dream again.

And if I can do those things, but put God into that mix....wow.

Sigh.

Maybe that doesn't make much sense. Maybe its just me! My poor, means-well hubby just said to me "uh, baby, its just a show". Grrrr. (luckily, there weren't sharp objects lying around). But for those of you who do understand, what do you think?

4 comments:

Keisha said...

I know what you mean Betsy! It am desperate to evoke those emotions in my readers. Some authors I have read had me falling on the floor, crying like a baby. But I tell you, I loved every minute of it.

I'm kinda hoping someday I can be like Karen Kingsbury with my writing. She does it to me every time.

Georgiana Daniels said...

Ooo, if you discover the secret, will you share it with us? I guess it's not easy making an emotional connection wit an audience, other than tapping into commonly shared flaws, traits, and experiences. Wish I had the answer too!

OK, secret confession time: I've never seen an episode of Gilmore Girls.

:ducking and running now:

Anonymous said...

OK Betsy Ann, you've probably heard, but Gilmore Girls only has two more episodes before the show ends. :-(

I started watching 2nd season because my cousin Milo was on the show (he played Jess, and is now on "Heroes"). But I stayed with the show even after he left, because it is SO GOOD.

Betsy St. Amant said...

YOUR COUSIN IS "JESS"???? Are you kidding me? Oh my goodness!! You must mail me his autograph! lol I always wanted him and Rory to stay together =)