Hello everyone, I'm having trouble these days when it comes to writing realizations without simply having the character find a note which spells out things I want the reader to know at a certain point in the story. For example, let's say, in a story, somethings happens which leads to Bill realizing that he will never be able to stop his drug addiction. The problems I'm running in to would be the "something" which happens that leads Bill to that realization. I've contemplated having the character, say, find a note which spelled out the fact that he won't ever be able to stop the addiction - but the art of writing is being able to show rather than tell. Anyone have any advice as to how I could write this? Not specifically about Bill and his drug addiction (That's unrelated to my story, but is just an example to explain my predicament), but rather tips as to how I, as a writer, can work better at "showing" rather than "telling" when it comes to realizations. Thanks
You can write something like... Slowly, a horrid thought crept into Bill's brain. He felt his neck hairs stand on end, watched his hand holding the drug tremble uncontrollably. His mind flashed back to all the previous times he told himself he'd stop, how each time he never listened to himself. He had always denied it...until now. He took short breaths and shook his head. "My God," he whispered to himself, his voice breaking. "I...I can't stop! I can never stop!" The fact hit him like a brick wall, His stomach lurched and he buried his head in his hands as he sobbed quietly. "I can't stop..." Something like that?
to fix this problem (for myself) i actually wrote about a character actually discovering something that i myself didn't know. i.e. i tried to think like they would and wrote made up something. This is tricky and barely really worked for me good luck anyway.
Taking the example of drug addiction, you can play with doing the action and having to do it no matter what, then conclude it with a realization. "Bill slapped his arm to try to find the vain that he had used countless times over. The needle marked arm trembled as he pumped his fist crazily but no vain popped. Bill became frantic; he needed his fix, he had to have it. Pulling the belt from his arm he fastened it tightly around his leg. Finding a vain quickly, he injected the poison into his blood stream, knowing it would be the only thing to take the edge off. And at that point, in between tremors and sedation, Bill realized he would never stop... he could never stop."
Easy, just end a chapter very abruptly that shows how addicted to drugs he is. Example: write a chapter about bill wanting to check himself into a detox/rehab. Than as soon as he hangs up the phone after making a detox appointment, write something like this. ______ Bill set the payphone receiver back on its roost after agreeing to arrive at the detox for 8:00 am the next day. He counted the money in the pocket of his worn out trousers and came up with $12, and wondered what he should do to pass the time. Use! The idea was automatic. End chapter _________ Grammar isn't that great. I'm in a rush right now.
LOL. You are totally correct ma'am. That's what happens when writing at ... actually it wasn't even 12, so I have no excuse. ;-)
I think the main thing you need to focus on is building up to it. Whether we realize it or not, these things don't come to us like a light switch. The realization is building up in our sub-conscious at the very least. So, at the point you come to, when say Bill, is like "I'm not ever going to stop" It's not going to be some grand production, it's going to be that final straw that brings on the realization.
