Writer's Advice on Character Truths
Years ago I came across some writing advice about taking what a character wants to say, their truth, and then having them say anything but that truth. I wish I could find it again, but I think it was a Tumblr post shared on Pinterest so it's lost to the internet for now.
If you follow that advice, you end up with a character essentially saying the same thing over and over with different words, emotions, contexts. By the end, it sounds like they're talking about different things, but in their head, they're just trying to share their truth.
Ever since I read that advice, I've been applying it to myself and others.
When I find myself wanting someone to understand something, I usually want to describe a specific situation to encapsulate what I'm getting at. However, over the years, I've noticed that when I do that people seem more confused or, I guess, overwhelmed with the detail or the specificity.
In more recent years, I've found myself pausing and asking myself, "what exactly do I want to express right now?" Or, if I'm a character, what is the truth that my author isn't letting me say?
Here's an example of something I might say: "Occasionally I'll react to my nephew's antics and, in that moment when I'm annoyed, I'll call him by my brothers name. I think thats interesting because it tells me that when I acted out as a child it wasn’t just me being me, but me reacting to my siblings."
So, what is it that I am actually trying to share? Well, I'm relieved that it wasn't just me.
From there, I can then bring up the situation that led me to that conclusion, and go into a little more depth about it.
I also apply this same framework to others. Like when my sister is bringing up a similar issue over and over, I'll try and find the details that remain the same in each version and ask questions about them until I have a clear idea of what she's trying to tell me.
I find this helps me a lot when I feel the need to overexplain, or if I'm getting overwhelmed with what other people are trying to share with me.
Even in my own head, or writing, if I'm starting to feel anxious, or I'm spiraling, I can take a moment to pause and think "what exactly do I want to express right now?"