See from their eyes.

On my cork-board, above my desk, hangs a list of storytelling facets that I try to employ whenever I write. Soon, I will remove this list and print a new one, having added this:

Reveal the world from the perspective of others.

If anyone struggles with length or depth, maybe this could be a good bit of invention. Generally, I’m a writer of short stories. And I mean short; 7 pages might be the longest, but that length, I can’t deny, suited the story. But, when I think about creating a story now, I try to think bigger and longer. Expansion. Expanding description, details, character actions, character thoughts. More now, then maybe ever, storytelling has become about letting the characters breathe; letting scenes take on a life of their own.

Thus, if I put, say, four characters in a scene, and something happens, then I have four different perspectives to draw from. One character may leave out details, and another character may be able to fill in those details. One may interpret the happening this way, while another will interpret it that way. Soon, a mystery is born, and each character holds different clues.

A timeframe of the mystery is established by each of the four characters. Character one, Wilcot, has the long version; Miranda has a shorter version that falls somewhere in the middle of Wilcot’s; Samantha’s version might start just before Wilcot’s ends; thus, not including any of Miranda’s; and Zach’s view overlaps Miranda’s somewhat but doesn’t stray beyond Wilcot’s.

I’ve learned if one wishes to maintain a good mystery, one must develop and maintain characters’ relationships with the reader. That is, the character must never be so vague or general that the reader doesn’t grasp his or her essence. Think of it this way: to have a good mystery, one must first ground the reader in something tangible. Set up a timeframe, get characters talking about it through their own eyes, and the mystery gets to be mysterious.

Just the way I like it.