By: Claudette
I was reading Against Nature by J.-K. Huysmans when I came across a paragraph that made me shudder.
‘It has been filled before. I’m afraid there’s nothing can be done this time.’ [This is the main character speaking]
The man [this is the dentist] promptly put a stop to this explanation by inserting an enormous forefinger into his mouth; then, muttering to himself behind his curly waxed moustaches, he picked up an instrument from a table.
At this point the drama really began. Clutching the arms of the chair, Des Esseintes [The MC] felt the cold touch of metal inside his cheek, then saw a whole galaxy of stars, and in unspeakable agony started stamping his feet and squealing like a stuck pig.
There was a loud crack as the molar broke on its way out. By now it seemed as if his head were being pulled off and his skull smashed in…
I hate the dentist. But the point is, can’t you feel exactly what is happening to Des Esseintes? While reading this, I though of what a great example this was for making your readers feel exactly what the character is feeling. I could feel everything; could you imagine getting a tooth pulled 150 years ago? No sedatives. Ouch. This is how you need to write descriptions in your writing. Make the reader feel everything.
Some authors (I can guarantee I am one of them) totally neglect this idea, but the best way to get someone into a story is to make them feel. Even in poetry! Oh, this is even bigger in poetry, though with poetry it is emotions, here it is some physical force. Stop neglecting feelings! Pull your reader in, and have them feel that tooth being yanked out by its roots!
Even his word choice is superb. Any twit could say, “Des Esseintes was in great pain.” Ew, boring sentence, and isn’t pain so general and vague? But not only is he loosing his tooth, he’s in agony, he sees stars from the pain, he’s ‘squealing like a stuck pig’!
So, I thought this would be a good reminder, and example, for everyone out there. Make your readers FEEL what is happening! And use good words, too!
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