Monday, June 15, 2015

Warning - Danger Ahead!




A few blocks from my house, a warning light appeared on my car dashboard. Since the car is fairly new, I had no clue what it meant.

I had to make a quick decision. Should I continue and check it out when I arrived at my destination or turn into a shopping center parking lot? I didn't have a peace about ignoring the warning. What if I got stuck on the highway?

A quick look at my auto manual didn't help matters, so I backtracked and took my mother's car. When I got to my destination, I stayed calm and discovered the light meant my tire pressure was low.

The Service Department at the dealership gave me an appointment for noon. I picked up the car and drove there. When they checked the pressure on the back passenger tire, it didn't even register. The mechanic informed me I'd pick up a nail. They were able to repair the tire and send me on my way.

Around the same time, I was working on a chapter in my manuscript. I'd written a scene that I enjoyed a lot, but a warning light came on inside my spirit. This passage could be misunderstood by readers.

I re-worked the scene and softened it, but it's still not right. I've made a note to do some serious editing when I'm finished with the first draft. While we want readers to have a strong emotional reaction to our writing, crossing certain lines will cause big problems.

Writers:  Please share about a time when you wrote a scene, but sensed it wouldn't sit well with readers.

Readers:  Have you ever read a book that contained something (other than violence, profanity, or sexual content) that made you want to throw it against a wall?

Photo Credit:  fcl1971

2 comments:

Karen Lange said...

Good analogy, Susan. I've had to toss portions of fiction and non fiction when I sensed it didn't fit or wouldn't sit right with readers. Have a great week! :)

Anonymous said...

Good food for thought! I did not like the third book of the Hunger Games series. I thought the author went too far in the killing off of characters. I understand it was a dark time but it felt unrealistic.