STORYSPACE: Character Development
Going back to Steve’s posting last night regarding the knowledge of character as influenced by environment, I agree completely that Storyspace, by its technical aspects of Writing Spaces and Mapping does bring an opportunity to develop characters in a different manner than traditional writing style.
What Steve terms as knowledge I might call faceting as well (why does Watchmen come to mind?). Visually, the Writing Spaces are acting as windows, or a “tell me everything about yourself in thirty seconds” to the writer. They are answers to the “oh, that’s why he did that,” about a character. They form natural breaks of paragraph and thought, often encouraging another window to open, just as often pulling the shade down as a conclusion to a question. The writer is being encouraged to question any sequence of the narrative as it unfolds. He can then share what he learns via a loop or thread of Writing Spaces.
The Spaces also influence the pacing of story. Just as short sentences increases dramatic action, the spaces allow a rat-a-tat-tat of information or a slow revelation of a hidden spirit.
In the manner of a new acquaintance, we find out bits and pieces of our characters by their thoughts, their actions, enclosed in separate boxes that are ever-ready to hold this secret or that.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology