A Good Story

What's essential to any story is a conflict that develops and becomes more complex evenly throughout the whole story. One that reveals just enough at certain times to keep the reader engaged and encouraged to read more in order to find out what happens next; it maintains a good amount of mystery and fulfills the readers expectations. Character development goes hand in hand with the plot's development; characters should react and evolve realistically according to the developments in conflict. The plot fails to be compelling or effective if the characters are not reflecting their environment adequately. For instance, in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?, the story would have been entirely unsuccessful if the main character did not transition from an angsty, self centered teen to someone whose bubble has been popped and is now thrust into a harsh and terrifying reality.

You expected Jesus to come down off his cross and clap

Some of the most important writing techniques in the short stories we have recently read include voice (of the narrator), details, the tone of the piece, and the dialogue in the piece.  All of these things work together to create the scene and the story, and keep the reader interested.  I also really enjoy unexpected descriptions, like in Silver Water: "... you expected Jesus to come down off his cross and clap" when Violet is talking about her sister's singing voice being so beautiful.
Dialogue is also important to character development and establishing conflict. Other character's reactions to the dialogue of other characters is important as well.  For example, if everyone in Bloom's Silver Water reacted the same way to Rose's outbursts, the story would not be very interesting. It creates a different dynamic when the characters have different reactions that keeps the reader interested.  

Writing Techniques

The greatest writing technique for developing character and conflict is dialogue, but only when done right. Although many times the reader has access into the inner thoughts of important characters, it is the vocalization of these thoughts that truly propels the story and grabs the reader's attention as well. In Joyce Carol Oates' short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" it is the dialogue that truly gives insight into the menacing tone and scariness of Connie's situation. Arnold Friend's repetitive statements show his stubborn character and gradually bring on feelings of fear. Oates does this by making his dialogue with Connie sound cliche and unoriginal in a way that almost sounds like he is trying to lure in an animal.

Big and Bold

A character is someone a reader can see, imagine and know. We, as readers, fall in love, despise or feel indifferent about characters. Our feelings and attitudes towards characters play a critical role in our participation and involvement in the story. In the stories we have read in class, authors have had similar techniques in creating characters that keep us invested in the story.

Big bold statements.

They get our attention.

Oates, Wolf and Bloom state their character's pivotal mannerisms in the very beginning throwing us deep into the characters' thought processes. In "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been", Oates introduces Connie as beautiful, vain, shallow and selfish. In "Bullet to the Brain", Wolf defines Anders by his "murderous temper", short fuse, smart mouth and impatience. In "Silver Water", Bloom tells us that Rose, "had her first psychotic break when she was fifteen". Characters' habits define and give us reason to their behavior or thoughts. Their mannerisms become critical to the plot and the basis of conflict in the story.

Intimate details give large indications to a character's persona. Bloom repeatedly mentions Rose's habitual TV watching and love for fast food jingles, baggy sweatpants and music.

Besides mannerisms, dialogue is essential to conflict and character development. Dialogue controls the pacing of a story, either focusing on a particular scene or quickly advancing the plot by conversation. Dialogue also creates a character's voice, giving reader's a more personalized perspective through the character's eyes. In order to help us understand Rose's mental illness, Bloom creates small problems where Rose's reactions become important indicators of her character.

"I want to go to bed. I want to go to bed and be in my head. I want to go to bed and be in my head and just wear red. For red is the color, that my baby wore and once more, it's true, yes, it is, it's true."

Regardless of the order, successful characters are ones readers feel a strong emotion for. In order to create strong characters, authors utilize techniques like dialogue, mannerisms and voice.

By Far the Best Story In My Eyes: Silver Water By Amy Bloom

Oh my goodness! This is the first reaction that came to my mind at my first time reading this story. Upon my second time reading it, I was overwhelmed with sadness. I guess the person who said what makes a good story is one that can evoke such feeling in you, was correct. Upon reading this story I felt very stressed when Rose's parents and Violet, were trying to find the many ways of dealing with Rose's condition, I also found humor in the ways that Rose approached and performed in front of the many family therapists, I guess you could say that I felt as one with the conflict of this story, and the emotional turmoil that Rose and her family went through at the expense of her affliction. My outlook on what techniques are most essential in building up a character or conflict would have to be everything in this story, from the long and immaculate expressions and details Bloom provided, to the short instances of dialogue she included in this story. The long intricate details of Violet and Rose's relation ship from the opening scene in the car at the theater, to Rose's death at the end and her reaction, as well as her parents' reactions were all very convincing and emotion evoking. I just felt so sad about it, hell I even cried at how the story progressed from a tail of a young beautiful woman, inside and out, to a mentally unstable woman who has no sense of self at times. The telling of this tale from the point of view of the younger sister or counterpart is also a great technique to use in the sense that we get to see the conflict within the people that surround Rose as well as feel the emotions that she felt for her big sister and consistent amount of love and support. It was utterly astounding to read, and I for one, could definitely see and feel this happening as I read along. This story was great for me in that it opened my eyes to how such a story could be just as great as one over powered by dialogue or details. However, this one was just the right amount in that I learned so much about every character and their interests and feelings from just the backstory, and when I read the dialogue, that feeling of understanding was reiterated. So obviously, as my title suggests, I found this story incredibly alluring with intricate detail, and supported by even further dialogue, which are perfect essential techniques for evoking such feeling and interest in a reader, as it did me.

Character and Conflict

An important factor in character development for me is voice. How a person speaks, and interacts with other people tells us a lot about their values and sadly, their social background. For instance, Arnold Friend sprung up as a threat in my mind when I saw how he talked to Connie condescendingly in ‘Where are you going?’. Using terms like ‘baby’ a lot, especially to women/girls, infantilises them and sounds patronising; creating a false feeling of intimacy. He was a hideous character, but so very well written.

Another good technique for character development is detail. For instance, in ‘Silver Water’, Amy Bloom writes that ‘all the patients wore slippers with the hospital crest on them’, and I know exactly how miserable it is, where all the patients just mesh into one. This is not specifically applied to a character, but the repetition of the slippers is like a symbol for the dullness of the place, and we realise it’s not good for the colourful Rose in the eyes of her loving sister. In this we also learn that Violet feels like an observer in the family, in which Rose is ‘the favourite’, but she doesn’t object to it.

It is very fitting when conflict come from character, for instance in ‘Bullet in the Brain’. The downfall of Anders is his smart mouth. He can’t stop being a critic to the very end. This technique probably works the best in short stories, where you don’t want to get too caught up in different struggles. Also, it gives the story some kind of moralistic purpose, we can look at the protagonist’s defeats in light of our own. Actually I find writing character a lot easier than making up conflict, so I look forward to how I can advance my plots and make them more interesting.

How do characters present themselves?

The most important element of characterization in fiction for me has always been the way that character's talk and present themselves. By looking at a way a character talks you are able to acquire the ticks that naturally happen in their speech, and you see the person that they present to the world around them. Speech can often be misleading, the stereotypical bully that lashes out in school, but acts like his victims at home where his parent becomes the abuser. This shows something about the inner character that the figure is presenting. In "Where are you going, where have you been" the aggressor who shows up on the girl's doorstep presents himself by talking about her family in a very intimate way. He chooses to portray himself as some sort of omniscient demonic being by describing "exactly what her family is doing at that very moment" (paraphrasing there) and this presents him in the way he wants to seem to her: all-powerful. In the next few lines however, he reveals himself as a pretender when she begins to ask for more intimate details. A charlatan who simply allows her to fill in the details herself and then proceeds to take credit for it so that he seems as if he is some otherworldly power. When a character speaks they are crafting for the reader a face that we can attempt to verify for our own purposes.