I’m currently in the middle of an edit of a story in which the protagonist has a very big secret to keep. (Or, perhaps, to reveal, but I can’t tell you any more than that.) I’ll tell you this: it makes for some interesting character development.
That’s the theme of this piece published at Writer Unboxed, “Things Left Unspoken.” Author Robin LaFevers says “that which is unspoken defines the relationship”:
Those things you won’t talk about.
The apology never given.
The explanation never provided.
The promise never followed through on.
The secret never shared.Those are what define the boundaries and contours of our relationships. The lines we will not cross. The conversations we will never allow ourselves to have. The intimacy we will never share. All the restrictions that will be imposed on our relationships because of the unspoken things that lie between us.
We humans are very, very good at not saying what truly bothers us and instead attack tangentially.
When we fight with our spouse over whose turn it is to do the dishes, it is rarely about the dishes. It’s more often about:
• The distribution of labor
• Financial imbalances
• Fear someone is not as invested in the relationship as we are
• Worries over who cares more
This idea absolutely intrigued me. These little details are what make your story richer. And there’s so much more—I struggled to decide which quote to pull. LaFevers goes on to illustrate how the unspoken manifests itself, and how—since these emotions won’t show up in dialogue—the author might otherwise reveal them. Good stuff! Read it!
Tweet: “That which is unspoken defines the relationship”—but how can you write about it?
Tweet: The idea of what’s left unspoken is absolutely intriguing to readers.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”