Thank you for, among other things, finally lighting up the neurons that connect my eyeballs to my cortextual interior), to what "free indirect discourse" actually means. You're the best.
Wonderful post - I am working on improving interiority in my book and you pointed out mistakes I didn't even know know I was making. It helps so much, thank you.
As a recovering lawyer, this is very helpful. I'm going through my draft now and adding loads more interiority in. I think I got burnt by some overenthusiastic SHOW DON'T TELL feedback and now I've got a lot of pounding hearts and clammy hands that need to come out ...
Somehow, when Mark lurched into Saturday after a nightmarish workweek, he remembered that he wanted to finish Rebecca Makkai's Substack on interiority done poorly. He got such a kick out of these entries, because the examples she conjured were all funny in their badness, and Rebecca's parenthetical commentary always made him laugh. Interestingly Courtney Maum (who Mark followed expressly because of Makkai's recommendation) had recently done the same topic, but focusing on how to do it adroitly. Mark had commented, "So would you call yourself an 'interiority decorator?'" and Courtney had responded, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to steal that," giving Mark a thrill. He wondered whether or not to plagiarize himself commenting on Rebecca's post, and just as soon wondered if there was a specific word for self-plagiarizing. He bet there was one in German. They had a word for everything.
His linguistics Phd candidate husband would know. Too bad he was probably already dead, Mark having scheduled the hit for that very morning. Georgia offered no details as to how she would carry it out, "it's better that way" she assured him. "Just don't shoot him in the car," was Mark's sole demand. "I have to drive that thing - at least until the insurance comes through."
This has been top of mind in my writing for a bit now. I’d love some recommendations from Rebecca or the community on books that REALLY nail this!
Part 3 is gonna be all examples!
Thank you for, among other things, finally lighting up the neurons that connect my eyeballs to my cortextual interior), to what "free indirect discourse" actually means. You're the best.
Wonderful post - I am working on improving interiority in my book and you pointed out mistakes I didn't even know know I was making. It helps so much, thank you.
Michael lives!!! Did Georgia ever get that insurance payout?
Thanks for this great (& entertaining) advice.
“Action springs from thought, and thought springs from action.”
You nailed the inspiration I need when struggling writing interiority. Thank you.
As a recovering lawyer, this is very helpful. I'm going through my draft now and adding loads more interiority in. I think I got burnt by some overenthusiastic SHOW DON'T TELL feedback and now I've got a lot of pounding hearts and clammy hands that need to come out ...
Somehow, when Mark lurched into Saturday after a nightmarish workweek, he remembered that he wanted to finish Rebecca Makkai's Substack on interiority done poorly. He got such a kick out of these entries, because the examples she conjured were all funny in their badness, and Rebecca's parenthetical commentary always made him laugh. Interestingly Courtney Maum (who Mark followed expressly because of Makkai's recommendation) had recently done the same topic, but focusing on how to do it adroitly. Mark had commented, "So would you call yourself an 'interiority decorator?'" and Courtney had responded, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to steal that," giving Mark a thrill. He wondered whether or not to plagiarize himself commenting on Rebecca's post, and just as soon wondered if there was a specific word for self-plagiarizing. He bet there was one in German. They had a word for everything.
His linguistics Phd candidate husband would know. Too bad he was probably already dead, Mark having scheduled the hit for that very morning. Georgia offered no details as to how she would carry it out, "it's better that way" she assured him. "Just don't shoot him in the car," was Mark's sole demand. "I have to drive that thing - at least until the insurance comes through."
My husband actually cuts hair, and I would never hurt a hair on his sweet bald head.
So helpful, thank you!
This is timely. I struggle with interiority (like is there some here?) in my stories.