The July adult book club at the
Forest Public Library focuses on the second exercise of A Swim in a
Pond in the Rain by George Saunders, entitled The Heart of a
Story. According to Saunders, great writers use elements of structure
and form to carry the reader to a pivotal point where they can't go any further
without being fully engaged, wholly committed, and forever changed. He
describes this place as the heart of the story, and he uses the example of a
literal cart to reach that destination.
In the exercise, Saunders loads
the cart with TICHN (Things I Couldn't Help Noticing). He explains that if
readers pay special attention, they "enter into a transactional
relationship with the writer." The reader begins to fill his
TICHN cart with observations. These observations take the reader beyond the
summary inside the front cover of the book.
In the beginning, the heart of
the story is very much like a human heart. The reader knows that it is beating
with a pulse, "What next...what next...what next," but it remains
hidden from view. Sometimes it is buried within a file or dossier of
information that the writer deems important to respect the reader; however,
carrying the weight of too much information can cause the reading energy to
drop.
At this point, the writer must
shed the excess to protect the heart. How much of the back story is necessary?
When is digression allowed? How much repetition is acceptable? What about
causation - investigating the role, impact, or association of specific
occurrences within the story? Is it important to present pages and pages of
detailed descriptions about certain characters to fully introduce them to the
reader? Does the reader need to know the tiniest details of each interaction or
decision in order to be informed? How does this process apply to the more
modern reader who prefers minimal descriptions - showing versus telling - the
Ruthless Efficiency Principle or the Hollywood Version? According to
Saunders, "The writer revises, the painter touches up, the director
edits, the musician overdubs."
And the heart of the story
continues to beat...pounding, fluttering, racing. Over and over, the reader
reviews his cart of TICHN. The writer and reader are moving closer towards the
life force of the story. A bond is strengthened; all parties are engaged. No
matter what happens at this point, the writer-reader agreement is solid - the
heart of the story is opening. Even as the cavity is revealed, every layer is
removed, and every consideration is critical, the reader trusts the writer to
bring closure.
Finally, the reader reaches the
final page. The contents of his TICHN cart have brought him to this place - the
stopping place. If the writer has been successful, the book has become a thing
of movement, of fear, of change, of love, of life. And that life is claimed by
the heart of the story.
Be sure to register for either one of the
July adult book clubs scheduled for Tuesday, July 13, at 2:00 p.m. and Tuesday,
July 27, at 6:00 p.m. Both meetings are held in the Forest Public Library
conference room and prepackaged snacks are provided.
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