Maurice Stoker On Writing a Prize Winning Best Seller - 2

1) Tell, don't show

This seems to be the first principle of fiction that wins both Pulitzer and Booker, perhaps invariant with respect to time though there may be the odd exception. This book is not an exception. That's why I chose it.

The author leads the reader like a bull with a ring through its nose under the assumption that the reader is not up to the task of drawing conclusions, at least not the correct conclusions, without being repeatedly and explicitly told what, how and why. The maxim of a good editor for this prize ought to be, I got it, but you will lose the reader here. Never take a chance on the reader missing anything. Never overestimate the reader!

There are two aspects to this approach. One is to make certain the reader understands a physical scene. The second is to not show character emotion or motivation or feeling by action, but instead to tell every inner thought of any (however minor) importance. Not showing is imperative to avoid clashing with the mandated, otherwise it might necessitate a warpage of reality to accommodate an inconsistency as is done in many popular works such as Fight Club, which assumes the reader forgetting prior details of the story.

To accomplish this first principle means detailing what happened after the event has been described. A perfect example of this is early in the book regarding Estha's old dog Khubchand urinating. Consider this sentence from the book (The God of Small Things):

"In the last months of his life, Khubchand, who had the best of intentions but the most unreliable of bladders, would drag himself to the top-hinged dog-flap built into the bottom of the door that led out into the back garden, push his head through it and urinate unsteadily, bright yellow, inside."

The italics are in the original work (they show up sporadically, sometimes Capitalized). Notice how the author gives a description of the dog poking its head through a dog-flap (top-hinged, no less) and micturating, of course inside the house unless the dog happens to pee from its head. But the author Needs to be perfectly clear about two things: the dog is urinating inside and the urine is bright Yellow. To be certain the reader does not miss where the urine lands from the description or does not know from experience that urine is yellow. Bright yellow, as opposed to dark yellow or whitish yellow, or clear.

The observant reader will find many more examples in this book (The God of Small Things), all Imperative to the goal of writing prize-winners. Essential in best-sellerdom.

The second aspect of this tell, don't show attitude is more important, to my mind anyway, and can be made into a slogan: Never Let Action Speak For Intent. Tell explicitly every significant aspect of every character's inner thought and motivation in case the reader might misunderstand (or fall asleep on the toilet), even those the characters might not themselves know.

In order to Facilitate this, the author has chosen an omniscient omnipresent narrator relentlessly exposing mental minutiae in garish detail. Perhaps no better example of this is Baby Kochamma in her phony accusation of Velutha to Police Inspector Thomas Mathew. The reader will find a painstakingly clear detailing of every motivation Baby Kochamma has ever had, along with explicit details of her every thought and self-deception as she spills her lying guts, convincing herself of their truth. Not to be outdone, Inspector Mathew's every thought and motivation and doubt are also laid bare, eviscerated and glistening like a gutted fish.

A concise example is better afforded in the following quote regarding the important political player, the local Communist leader K. N. M. Pillai (Naxalite?) everyone must tiptoe around. The reader is told the following during Pillai's conversation with Chacko:

"Comrade Pillai used 'I suppose' to disguise questions as statements. He hated asking questions unless they were personal ones. Questions signified a vulgar display of ignorance."

This sort of important information makes it unnecessary for the reader to pay any attention to past or future dialogue or actions of this character. It is unfortunate God did not so write his Holy Bible, as He would have settled a lot of differences that have led to death, destruction and perdition.

Repeat repeat repeat (Repetition is a Good thing (going better with Coke™).)

Notable examples abound, i.e. the Pulitzer Prize winning A Confederacy of Dunces.

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