Tuesday's Inspiration triggered by On Becoming A Novelist by John Gardner

When I read the sentences I came upon last night, I had one of those aha moments. "Shakespeare fits language to the speaker and the occasion as the best writers always do." Just think what every writer could do if they had this ability. I know I try and do not always succeed. Each character created is different from the other characters. I know I've read stories, especially when I'm looking at those from new writers and I think all the characters regardless of sex, age, and other factors sound the same as every other character in the scene. I've even written passages where the speakers could be interchanged.

A lesson well learned is to look at where the characters are coming from, their background, education and all those other bits that make them unique and different from the other people in your story. I've learned over the years to try to pull the skin of the characters I'm creating over my body, figuratively, but I then try to speak and act as they would in various situations. This may make the people around you, family and friends, think you have really gone off your rocker. This happens when you have this great insight into a character in the middle of dinner or somewhere public and what your imagination is showing you that you will need when you revise that last scene.

It's all right and hopefully they won't be embarrassed or tell others that she just hears voices. That part is true. So try to emulate Shakespeare and remember, "However splendid it may be, Shakespeare's language is finally subservient to character and plot."