John Dufresne gives a good deal of wisdom in his Ted Talk, and I want to reflect on how I can best use this wisdom to help me be a better writer. While possibly the most critical piece of advice, “put your ass in the chair” is not one of the two key takeaways for me. Instead, it is important that I remember that “only trouble is interesting,” because I may tend to write with a Pollyanna outlook that will not reach the audience as I intend. Because trouble is interesting, I know that people will read it and identify with that. This trouble or conflict is what Dufresne advises will be what one central character will work through to obtain one intense desire that drives the entire plot. One central character should be my focus, and I appreciate how he offers the consideration of working out which way to tell the character’s story: first-person account or third-person narration. He cautions that this one central character must not be a passive character but an active one. The work of the story is to tell this active, central character’s story in a way that I can “accomplish something meaningful.” This is indeed helpful as I consider how best to write.
Additionally, I found that Dufresne’s discussion on the details of the room holding the story in artifacts to be essential. I had not previously considered how an author tells the story through the items in their home or on their body, but it seems I missed the forest for the trees. Of course! This goes along with his advice to use seeing rather than showing as a method of delivery. Therefore, when I describe a room, I will remember to choose pieces that highlight the struggle and history of the characters’ lives. It was significant that Dufresne pointed out that “every scar tells a story.” I plan to use these elements in the way I write to add interest and to make characters that are relatable while writing with intention. Very helpful Ted Talk!
sticky notes of hope 