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Context is the frame that defines words, actions, and people.
1. When the mind registers something out of place, it hangs onto the image and tries to reconcile it. This dilemma can eat away at your character, and the reader, until it is explained. Dick will either deny what he saw, decide he didn't see what the thought he had, or blame it on a trick of light.
A slick detective will notice the slightest thing out of place. The image will keep churning in his brain until he figures out why it bothered him. Things presented out of context cause cognitive dissonance. Dick will pick up on things a witness says that are out of context. Poirot and Sherlock were masters of detecting conflicts of context.
If Dick sees someone walking down an urban street in a pioneer costume, he may have caught a fleeting glimpse, but his mind will hang onto the image. His rational mind won't be able to resolve it easily. Dick might see someone who looks familiar, but he is seeing them out of context so he can't quite place them.
2. Context shifts when a character is relocated or finds himself in a different world. The frame changes when small town football star, Dick, goes off to college. He becomes a small fish in a big pond. That's why college is a great place for characters to reinvent themselves. Everyone there is out of context. Whatever your character's past, he or she can start over with a new identity or self image.
3. Shifting context can shed a different light on something said or done or cause misunderstanding. Advertisers, politicians and news headlines do this all the time. You see a headline and think something must really be wrong. Then you read the same words in the context of the article and realize it meant nothing. It is also a way to advance false data to support a proposition. If Dick wants to make Jane look bad, he can take something she said out of context and distort her meaning by making her quote sound more simplistic or extreme. When asked to confirm if she made the comment, she'll have to admit to it. She may not be given the opportunity to defend herself by explaining the context. This tactic is used in courtrooms to great effect. If Jane said she wanted to "kill" Sally for being such a bitch, she may have said so as a joke or in a moment of ire. She did not intend to ever harm Sally. On the witness stand, Dick will use her words against her.
Dick can also use this tactic by quoting an authority out of context to support his argument. If an article states that cigarettes cause cancer in six out of ten smokers, Dick can state that the article said cigarettes don't cause cancer in all smokers. He is technically correct, but that was not the intent of the article's author.
If Dick is caught quoting someone's inflammatory statement, Jane can turn on him and pretend the statement came from Dick himself, when in fact the remainder of Dick's comment countered the inflammatory statement. This is often done with biblical quotes. Just because a scribe in biblical times said that something was okay does not make it an acceptable, rational choice in modern society. Or the person takes a quote from a trusted text and uses it out of context intentionally (or ignorantly) to support their proposition.
Jane can state there is some evidence that a specific medical treatment was effective. She leaves out the part where the article stated that it was effective in such a small sampling as to be considered ineffective and not worth further study.
Dick could film Jane doing something and edit the film to make it look like she was doing something wrong or illegal. In a world where virtually everyone has a cell phone camera, it's easy to take a random shot or video clip of someone and use it however you like. This is a frequent tactic by paparazzi when it comes to celebrity hookups. They show two actors standing together and call them a couple when all they were doing was posing for an upcoming film promotion.
4. Seeing photographs or images out of context can make Jane view something in an entirely different light. An example would be the "this is your brain on drugs" that showed an egg frying in a skillet. Juxtaposing different verbal images can have the same effect.
Commercials sometime stream images of unrelated images together to illustrate a point. The images are all out of context but work together to change perceptions. The E-trade baby commercials where they show toddlers talking like adults or the identity theft commercials where they show teenage girl voices emitting from a middle aged man are good examples. The switch in context makes them funny. The photo of an oil rig next to an oil-soaked duckling is another example. Sometimes it is not until you see something out of context that the reality sinks in.
5. Conflicts occur when something Dick says is taken out of context or misunderstood. He can have the best intentions in the world, but if Jane is having a bad day, feeling overly sensitive or Dick's words catch her at just the wrong angle, he has conflict. This happens all the time in all facets of life. Small misunderstandings create big wounds. We all have our issues and sensitive moments. Jane can be experiencing emotion due to something else entirely and an innocent comment from Dick can set off a storm of retaliation.
Sally can reveal information she didn’t intend to under these circumstances. Characters have their hot buttons and comments can push those hot buttons. Sally might perceive someone’s comment as a blow to her pride, honor, integrity, intelligence, generosity, or belief system. A casual comment from a spouse, friend or relative, even if it was meant to be funny, could result in a massive blowout if it strikes an unintended nerve. What Jane said might have been funny if it hadn't been out of context. If Jane intentionally says something knowing she'll strike a nerve, that’s another conflict.
Characters hear things wrong, interpret things wrong, and relate information filtered through their past experiences and personal preferences. They could repeat something that was said to them. They may believe in the accuracy of what they are saying. That does not, however, make it true or accurate.
Conflicts of context can be utilized in all genres and all aspects of a story from setting and character description to dialogue.
For more information on using context and other obstacles to create conflict, pick up a copy of Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict in print or E-book version.
0 Comments on Five Ways to Use Context to Add Tension as of 1/1/1900
When it comes to assessing someone’s sincerity, we pay close attention to what people say and how they say it. This is because the emotion-based elements of communication are understood as partially controllable and partially uncontrollable. The words that people use tend to be viewed as relatively controllable; in contrast, rate of speech, tone of voice, hesitations, and gestures (paralinguistic elements) have tended to be viewed as less controllable. As a result of the perception of speakers’ lack of control over them, the meanings conveyed via paralinguistic channels have tended to be understood as providing more reliable evidence of a speaker’s inner state.
Paradoxically, the very elements that are viewed as so reliable are consistent with multiple meanings. Furthermore, people often believe that their reading of another person’s demeanor is the correct one. Many studies have shown that people – judges included – are notoriously bad at assessing the meaning of another person’s affective display. Moreover, some research suggests that people are worse at this when the ethnic background of the speaker differs from their own – not an uncommon situation when defendants address federal judges, even in 2014.
The element of defendants’ demeanor is not only problematic for judges; it is also problematic for the record of the proceedings. This is due to courtroom reporters’ practice of reporting the words that are spoken and excluding input from paralinguistic channels.
One of the original Victorian Courtrooms at the Galleries of Justice Museum. Photo by Fayerollinson. CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
I observed one case in which this practice had the potential for undermining the integrity of the sentencing hearing transcript. In this case, the defendant lost her composure while making her statement to the court. The short, sob-filled “sorry” she produced mid-way through her statement was (from my perspective) clearly intended to refer to her preceding tears and the delays in her speech. The official transcript, however, made no reference to the defendant’s outburst of emotion, thereby making her “sorry” difficult to understand. Without the clarifying information about what was going on at the time – namely, the defendant’s crying — her “sorry” could conceivably be read as part of her apology to the court for her crime of robbing a bank.
Not distinguishing between apologies for the crime and apologies for a problem with delivery of one’s statement is a problem in the context of a sentencing hearing because apologies for crimes are understood as an admission of guilt. If the defendant had not already apologized earlier, the ambiguity of the defendant’s words could have significant legal ramifications if she sought to appeal her sentence or to claim that her guilty plea was illegal.
As the above example illustrates, the exclusion of meaning that comes from paralinguistic channels can result in misleading and inaccurate transcripts. (This is one reason why more and more police departments are video-recording confessions and witness statements.) If a written record is to be made of a proceeding, it should preserve the significant paralinguistic elements of communication. (Following the approach advocated by Du Bois 2006, one can do this with varying amounts of detail. For example, the beginning and ending of crying-while-talking can be indicated with double angled brackets, e.g., < < sorry > >.) Relatedly, if a judge is going to use elements of a defendant’s demeanor in court to increase a sentence, the judge should be prepared to defend this decision and cite the evidence that was employed. Just as a judge’s decision based on the facts of the case can be challenged, a decision based on demeanor evidence deserves the same scrutiny.
I often hear from writers seeking advice/mentorshipon craft. I don’t often teach writing workshops outside of a school setting, but I WILL be teaching at Context Speculative Fiction Convention this year, and hope you’ll check it out. It IS a bargain--$45 to sign up for the Con and $25 per two-hour workshop.
Here’s the low-down:
Release Your Inner Teen:
Writing Fiction for the Young Adult Market (Friday, August 26th, 8pm-10pm) Everyone agrees -- young adult fiction is booming. Many writers of adult fiction are interested in exploring the opportunities in writing for teens. But teen readers are among the most demanding readers of all. In this hands-on session, a New York Times bestselling author of young adult fantasy discusses techniques for winning the teen reader.$25, 2 hours. 25 seats remain.
Engaging the Wary:
Winning and Keeping the Impatient Reader (Saturday, August 27th, 3pm-5pm) These days there is a lot of competition for readers' time from video games, movies, and television. This creates new demands for writers. This session explores strategies for launching with a compelling opening and using voice, character, conflict, action, pacing, mystery and narrative tension to keep the reader turning the page. $25, 2 hours. 25 seats remain.
There are other workshops and panels available as well. Get all the info here
Language is tricky. As a speech person and avid big mouth, I have years of talking experience and research behind me, but the wonder of the whole thing still leaves me, well, speechless at times. The encoding and decoding process of verbal and written communication is so complex, it’s a miracle we ever learn to do it at all, let alone with some proficiency (provided you think there is any proficiency--and looking at my students’ papers, sometimes I wonder…). It’s even more bizarre that babies can do it. In fact, they come here with the tools for language already in place and start dipping their pudgy toes in the convoluted communication waters before they can barely focus one eye at a time. Beyond the technical skills needed to produce language, there is a whole cognitive obstacle course to navigate--context, interpretation, cultural influences--before the magic of meaning happens. Which is another aspect of communication that kids do in their own small-person way. Years ago we were visiting friends with a four year-old daughter who mixed up her shoes in the on-putting process. When her father told her that her shoes were on the wrong feet, she looked up at him, so innocent and sincere, and said, “But, Daddy, these are the only feet I have.” And that prankster called language scored again. In Tedd Arnold’s Even More Parts, the poor little narrator gets worked over by simile, metaphor, and symbolism. Words are crazy. It’s enough to make you lose your mind.
I'm so jealous of everyone who'll be meeting up at Context and Killercon, which I believe are both taking place later this week. If I'm right and they are on at the same time, then quite frankly that seems bonkers. I think the organisers of both need to get together and set up shop somewhere inbetween, like say Kansas. Because Kansas has good people. ;)
For a millisecond (okay, maybe slightly longer) this weekend I considered going to one of the above cons next year especially if the pretty people I know and love also happened to be going. I would need to have a chat with my bank balance - I find adding noughts to the end helps. Of course, if I did buy a ticket about five seconds later I'd totally freak out. Me + big crowd + people I've never met before + people I'm in awe of = trip over tongue and feet fail. I would so wander the halls looking like the proverbial rabbit-caught-in-headlights. Of course I could always kidnap Mike Stone* and make him come with me. But that's evil... Oh wait a minute, I like being evil...
I actually met up with one of my online friends last week. Simon Bestwick emailed to say he was going to be in my home town on Friday for Conrad Williams' book signing and would I like to meet for a cup of tea. Simon can attest to the rabbit-in-headlights look.
*I would never kidnap Mike Stone... I'd just lay a trail of Cadbury's chocolate for him to follow (I'm assured it will work).
15 Comments on We're not in Nevada (or Ohio) anymore, last added: 8/24/2010
I ave decided I will also attend at least one con next year, come hell or high water. Maybe we'll both show up at the same one...you'll know me right away because I will be hiding in a corner, biting at my nails...
I went to grad school in Columbus, and that's all that is soothing my intense nerves just now about Context.
"Me + big crowd + people I've never met before + people I'm in awe of = trip over tongue and feet fail."
Me too. Although I find I'm sort of okay once I get there (or at least, I am a fairly capable actor--knew that whole being raised in a theater thing would come in useful), I will probably be sick to my stomach this whole week before :/
I'll be packing lots of whiskey, I mean to say. Next year, you should come share it with me!
Hey, if I could manage DragonCon last year all by myself, you could definitely manage a con. DragonCon had over 40,000 people visiting EACH DAY--OMG, more people than I've ever seen together in my whole life--and I did not actually die or have to hide under a table.
If you're coming to a con next year, I'll totally manage to make it too. I would love to meet up with some of my online friends! There's strength in numbers.
You looked like a very cool, glamorous rabbit caught in the glow of non-regulation, sparkly-pink headlights. :D
Conventions aren't scary, they're a lot of fun. Mainly because nearly everyone there's an author, and no matter how successful, just as much of a basketcase as you. ;-)
I've been taking a few posts to share some information about novel writing. This week I will focus on setting, and specifically how to get more mileage out of the setting by considering it a character in the story.
What exactly is setting? It is the millieu: the social and physical environment that wraps around the characters and events of a story. The more present the writer is with this millieu, the more complex and textured the story. An effective setting must have depths and layers and be true to life just like a believable character. The setting must contain unexpected incongruities. The best settings are showcased by revealing flaws not perfections.
The setting will help create the tone of a story. If a story is lighthearted, pensive or tragic, specifc setting details can bring cohesion to the author's intent. Tone is about considering how you, the author, view your story. Are you angry, amused, or passionate? Hopping bunnies and flitting fireflies may be just the ticket to slant in your sacrastic view of your story. You as the author may have very complex feelings about your story; the setting is a great place to connect the reader with your attitude.
Also, consider the mood of the story. Generally the mood of the story rises directly from the reactions of the main protagonist. Using the setting to reflect these reactions is a power device. Think about this classic moment. In Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, the Gothic lightning bolt strikes the tree just as the brooding Mr. Rochester makes a fateful descision to marry his Jane. This bolt signals the storm that will destroy his and Jane's happiness for a time. This is an over the top classic moment but gets the point acros. Be mindful of the setting details and how they reflect the characters choices. This will serve as a support structure for the original voice.
It is a useful exercise to write a scene in a working story in a new way. Think about the context of the scene like a depiction of a first betrayal. Take this context and then rewrite the scene but use only the setting of your story to reveal this context. Does a spider pounce on its prey? Does the wind tear glorious fall leaves from a tree? Does the ocean wash away a fortress of sand? Will the unwelcome smell of burnt toast flood a rose garden? Exploring context through setting is a way to expand your storytelling skills. Give it a try.
I hope something here will bring richness to your endeavors. I've been traveling, so not very much writing over the past couple weeks. I've reached the 40,000 word mark with my work-in-progress. I turned in my two picture books, received copies of two other books and am working on a polish of a favored manuscript.
I leave you with a poem that perhaps says more about what I am trying to say than all my words put together.
The Fog by Carl Sandburg
The fog comes on little cat feet.
It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then moves on.
0 Comments on Novel Writing: Setting As Character as of 3/14/2008 3:26:00 AM
Peppered with humour and interesting details, 105 parallel melodies of quiet, private bustling sweep us from the calm of a chilly dusk to the resounding beauty of a symphony’s first notes in this inspiring peek at the talented, not-so-unlike-us individuals whose work is to play — beautifully.
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And there's also the different ways men and women handle language that puts a whole other twist into the game...
For sure.