October Review Challenge, #20 - Skill in which I've grown

[breakinglight11]

October Review Challenge, #20 - "What’s a writing skill in which you've grown?"

Without a doubt, for me this is subtext. I've always been fond of storytelling that made its point a little more subtly, carrying meaning below the surface rather than stating everything in so many words. Unfortunately, until relatively recently in my writing career, I wasn't very good at pulling it off myself. It was something pointed out to me by one of my writing mentors in grad school, Kate Snodgrass, who challenged me to dig into it and improve.

I mentioned a little while back that I thought a recent landmark in my development of this was in Mrs. Hawking part IV: Gilded Cages. Reginald Hawking falling for young Victoria had to happen behind their interactions, since an important part of things was that she didn't realize it was happening. I feel like I did a good job making that believable and affecting.



I also got a very nice compliment on it recently. I've been developing the script for Justin Hawking's spinoff adventure, Gentlemen Never Tell, and a goal of mine was to give it a bit of weight without detracting from the fun and the comedy. So as Justin goes through his madcap little jaunt, he has to confront and learn a few things— such as how not everybody is lucky enough to have his freedom to flout convention, how many people perceive him to be a user who doesn't value relationships. But I wanted to take it with a light touch, have Justin come through it experientially, without it seeming like the world was lecturing him. Upon showing it to some people, Matt Kamm very kindly commented that it was funny to remember that I'd struggled with subtext, given how well the subtleties worked in this new play. That meant a lot to me to hear.