Yesterday was the winningest day in the history of American achievements at the Winter Olympics with a total of six medals for the day. Compare it to the year the games were held in Calgary - six medals was the American total for the entire games. Three of yesterday's medals were gold - Lindsey Vonn, Shaun White and Shani Davis - all amazing to watch, all inspiring in their own way.
In fact, the games have been pretty inspiring in general. All the personal stories and small details that get revealed help to shape the way we see the athletes, not just as competitors, but as people. From the Chinese pairs skaters who've been together for eighteen years to the Canadian skier 
whose brother's cerebral palsy inspires him to train harder, the stories are what connect us to these athletes. We empathize and we root for them, even though they represent different countries.
For the writer, there's a lesson in that. That emotional connection is so important in our characters, whether they be the hero or the villain. We must create that connection so the reader cares. If the reader doesn't care, it's far too easy to put the book down. (Or to continue the Olympics theme, change the channel.)
Something to think about when you work on that WIP today.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Going for gold
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Here in the south, we don't do much snowboarding, ya'll. But we have tons of skateboarders. Who build ramps made out of plywood in their back yards and spend hours sending WHOOSH-clackety-clack-WHOOSH sounds through the neighborhood. I never cared much for it until I saw Shaun White's performance last night. It changed the way I listen to the "boarders," which is a good thing I guess, 'cause now dads across the country will be hammering together ramps in hopes that their son one day brings home the Gold.
ReplyDeleteSo, so true Kristen. Such a valid point! The emotional connection makes it that much more intense and you root that much harder for them. Both in watching the Olympics and in reading wonderful stories. :)
ReplyDeleteI love seeing the background training segments. It helps remind me, if you want to reach greatness, yes, a big part of it is talent, but its also a love of the event, LOTS and LOTS of hard work, preperation, and exercise.
ReplyDeleteThose stories kill me. I almost had a wreck tearing up over NPR's coverage of Vonn last night.
ReplyDeleteThe stories really get to me. Great post. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteExactly. I've been finding a lot of lessons in the Olympics this year. Now to take those lessons and carry them forward through the rest of the year. =o)
ReplyDelete