About Getting Emotional: Ask Why

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When you’re a kid, curiosity is out loud. Kids ask why why why and would keep asking unless given something else to do.

Despite the fact that we bury it under layers of worry, responsibility, drowsiness, overeating, overworking, and being generally disgusted with ourselves, adults are just as curious.

It’s an energy problem. We’re just worn out or perhaps too lazy to keep asking why. I just ate a bag of chips and a tub of ice cream and my mouth is sick of moving, after all.

As an author, it’s our job to ask why why why so the readers don’t have to. There’s a direct correlation between the amount of why’s you ask about your own characters and the amount of curiosity you’ll get from the reader. The people in your story do things, but one action can have a ton of reasons behind it. Pick more than one, mix and match. Different combos. Why? Because if you’re not intrigued by your characters, nobody else will be. It’s elementary, yes, but amazing how many books and films forget the rudiments.

Make it complicated. People are complicated, and they want to relate to the imaginings in your work.

Cheers and see you after.