Writing lessons learned from SHARP OBJECTS

I recently plowed through SHARP OBJECTS, by Gillian Flynn. After Flynn's Gone Girl shot to the top of my list of favorite books, I realized I not only love inspirational romances. Apparently I also like dark, twisted dramas. Sharp Objects is definitely dark and twisted, but sooo good.

As always, I learned several important writing lessons from this book. Before I get to that, here's a little bit about Sharp Objects:

Fresh from her brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille Preaker's first assignment at her second-rate daily paper takes her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. As she works to uncover the truth, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims--a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.

And now for my writing lessons learned. (Warning! If you haven't yet read "Sharp Objects," and don't want to know any plot points, STOP!)

• When writing a murder mystery, add an unforgettable detail. Without giving too much away, let  me just say that there was a strange detail that included teeth. I swear, I keep thinking about those darn teeth. The author did a great job of embedding a disturbing detail in my mind.
• Mystery solved? Not so fast! Just when I thought the mystery was solved, BAM! It so wasn't solved. The author messed with my head, including one last glorious surprise. This was a great reminder to me to not rest on a good ending. Consider a major twist in those final pages.
• Downer of a main character? Show the reader why. In the opening pages, I could tell that Camille was a cynical downer. I didn't love her and I didn't hate her. I felt sorry for her, and was intrigued by her story. Once I met her mother, and other residents of her small town, I understood why she was who she was. The author made me curious about the backstory, but threaded it in slowly.
• Paint the setting with "showing" details. The author never said Wind Gap, Missouri was a place worth running from. She showed us through the in-a-rut townspeople, the depressing bars, and the nasty gossip. I understood why Camille fled her hometown as soon as she could. (A quick Google search tells me Wind Gap, Missouri isn't a real place. True? Does anyone know for sure?)
• Find a unique way to show your character's inner turmoil. Again, without giving too much away, I'll just say that Flynn used words in a unique, disturbing way to show Camille's turbulent past.
• Consider an unhappy ending. However, genre really matters here. I've been frustrated with endings to Nicholas Sparks' novels before, because I want my romances to end happily. In a dark drama like this, and in Gone Girl, the unhappily ever after works.

Footnote: Gillian Flynn is also a master at metaphors.

Have you read Sharp Objects? How about Gone Girl? What are your impressions of these lessons learned? Any you've tackled in your own fiction? Please share!

Wait! Before you go...here's an announcement from Janice Hardy:

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Visit their website for a complete listing of workshops.

Writing lessons learned from GONE GIRL

Quick...before the regular post, are you participating in NaNoWriMo? I am! You can find me here.

As you probably learned in my post Unredeemable Characters and Unhappy Endings, I absolutely loved Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Like, I'm obsessed. As a reader, I was entertained. As a writer, I was blown away by the author's skill.

It was tough to whittle down the lessons learned to a manageable list, without giving too much away. Fair warning...if you haven't read the book yet, and don't want to know anything about the story, stop!

First, about Gone Girl:

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick Dunne’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick Dunne isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but hearing from Amy through flashbacks in her diary reveal the perky perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister Margo at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was left in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

What writing lessons did I learn from this book? Too many to list in this post, but here are my favorites:

• Get to know the missing person. How? In Gone Girl, we get to know Amy, the missing wife, through a series of journal entries. Early entries describe a wonderful romance, but soon the entries become dark and fearful. In my guest post on Traci Kenworth's blog, I listed ways for readers to care about an absent character.
• Unreliable narrator. Nick, the husband/suspect, confuses the reader. Is he concerned about his missing wife? Sometimes. And sometimes it seems his concern is just for show. When he's interrogated by the police he tells us, "It was my fifth lie to the police. I was just starting." After that, I kept wondering if he was lying or telling the truth. I tell ya, this book is filled with liars, cheaters, and psychos. I mean that as a compliment.
• Add personality to the prose. In Amy's diary, she tells how she used to write quizzes for women's magazines. When at a crossroad in her life, she'd write a quiz about it in her diary with multiple choice answers. It was a cute way to get to know the character better.
• If there's a gun on the wall, use it. Remember that saying? If there's a gun on the wall, the writer had better use it? I can't remember who said it. Anyway, there was a couple of clues I picked up on that didn't go further. Nick and his sister Margo are twins. They'd even experienced telepathy. I expected the author to explore that in the story. If it was explored, it was done in a way that I didn't catch. It seemed like a missed opportunity.
• List of suspects. Nick soon becomes the main suspect in Amy's disappearance. He does show signs of innocence, though, like occasional shock and worry. But there are also other characters who could be involved. There's a roving band of homeless men in the town, and there are old flames and stalkers who might have motive to harm Amy.
• Unexpected character backstory. Most protagonists come from messed up families. After all, how interesting are characters who have wonderful lives and come from wonderful families? Amy's parents seem to have the perfect marriage and a charmed life. This made Amy uncomfortable about being single at 31. This perfect marriage also played into the story in unexpected ways. It went against type and also caused problems.
• Treasure hunt for clues. In this story, there was literally a treasure hunt. Amy's anniversary tradition was to send Nick on a treasure hunt, with gifts planted along the trail. She goes missing on her anniversary, and yep, a treasure hunt had already been planned. Cops find clue #1 and gift #1 before Nick does. The gift has been carefully opened. This was a clever way to weave mystery and suspense into the story.

Have you read Gone Girl? Seen the movie? What's your opinion? What do you think of these writing lessons? Are you participating in NaNo? If so, good luck!

Unredeemable Characters and Unhappy Endings

Friends, I must brainstorm with you. I have this strange need to just chat about a book with book lovers, and try to understand a couple of things.

I just finished reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

Mind. Blown.

I'd heard the book was good, twisted, and dark. It was all of those things and more. I literally could not put it down. When I began Part Two, my eyes bugged at the twists. I shook my head in wonder at the author's brilliance.

After reading the final words, I wrote this on Facebook:

Just finished reading "Gone Girl." Holy cow. Wicked, twisted, and totally entertaining. I hope the movie is half as good. Who's read it?

The responses I got were fascinating. Most readers agreed it was dark and twisted. Most agreed it was good. Many had seen the movie and said it followed the book closely and was excellent.

But a couple of responses surprised me and really made me think.

My cousin Marcia said this:

"I didn't like it. It was well written but I don't enjoy stories where there is not a single redeeming character."

She's right! Except for maybe the sister and one of the cops, these characters were awful people. Selfish, manipulative, spoiled. Why in the heck did I care what happened to them? Morbid curiosity? What had the author done that made me turn the pages when I should've been cooking dinner? And why did I love a book that was peopled with unlikeable characters? WHY?

I'm still pondering that one. My writing lessons learned post about this book is coming soon.

My friend Kris said this:

"Totally sick and twisted! I really disliked the ending!!"

She's also right! The ending was NOT happy. It wasn't even satisfying. It was frustrating. I wanted to chuck the book at the wall and scream "NOOOOO!" I gravitate toward satisfying endings. After spending so much time with characters, I want to turn the final page and know that things are going to be ok--that these people will go on to live normal lives. This is SO not the case with Gone Girl.

As a reader, I didn't love the ending. As a writer, I admired it. Maybe that's why this book still haunts me. Maybe because I was reading it as a reader, while also marveling at the writer's skill. I'm rarely this surprised by twists, and believe me, this one has some gems. I can't even hint at them without giving away the story.

If you've read the book or seen the movie, and want to read an entertaining thread, there's a fascinating conversation over at Book Journey. Warning! Serious spoiler alert. I mean, they're talking about the twists and the ending.

Whether people like the book or not, it's definitely had an impact.

This book reminded me why we love books. They're entertaining. They make us think. They make us happy and afraid. Gosh, I love reading.

Can I understand why I sometimes love a disturbing book? No. But I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Have you read Gone Girl? Seen the movie? Have you ever thought about a book long after you've turned the final page? Have you ever loved a book with twisted characters? Have you ever enjoyed an unhappy ending and wondered why? Friends, help me understand!! 

(No spoilers, please! I don't want to ruin it for anyone else)