Can I make a character make a philosophic observation or say their opinion, even if it's unnecessary for the plot/story?
I have a character in my story who has the habit of making philosophic observations about life and the functioning of things, or his opinion/vision about something. Although most of his observations make the story better with them, some don't or not much, but they also don't make it worse, it's simply dispensable. I, however, added these "unnecessary" observations because I found them interesting and fitting in the context of the situation, but they don't help progress the plot or add to the story, it's just his observation.So can I add/keep these or should I keep only what is necessary?
More
1 Expert Answer
Juliana S. answered • 07/13/19
Tutor
5.0
(563)
Expert in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, and Photo Retouching
That will depend on where you are with your writing. If you're still writing your story, keep everything and write however you want. When you start the editing process, you will have to decide what to cut and leave. If the observations don't advance the plot but reveal your character to the reader, than that is not a problem as long as you don't distract the reader from a scene. Use those in between scenes. If, however, you decide to cut them, you can always save them for a different story.
Still looking for help? Get the right answer, fast.
Ask a question for free
Get a free answer to a quick problem.
Most questions answered within 4 hours.
OR
Find an Online Tutor Now
Choose an expert and meet online. No packages or subscriptions, pay only for the time you need.
Colin L.
Hi, this is more a question of opinion, and a bit difficult to answer without reading your story, but I'll do my best. In my opinion, it's often better to be consistent - though sometimes consistency involves more factors than just "doing the same thing over again". Despite this, I believe that adding what you refer to as, "'unnecessary'" observations in the middle of a situation might actually detract from your story - simply from their interrupting your consistent plot. When you don't hold tight to a mood, or don't shift subtly from it, a piece can become difficult to remain engaged in - the writer's voice can become a bit too apparent, often taking the message out of the story entirely. This can sometimes result in a less cohesive tale. Though, again, I haven't read your story, I would like to point out that even if the philosophical interjections have been built up as a part of the character's personality, I'd be careful of creating a gimmick out of them, as generally a story shouldn't lose its urgent tone, for example, so an explicit point can be made (or, as another potential result - so a character's presence can be announced). I believe that you can work your ideas into the story itself, say by building situations involving irony, contrast, whatever in order to make your point. You likely won't need to state things outright. Oftentimes commentary is most effective when it's implicit - you can surprise the reader with the question you hope they remember, all while not sacrificing whatever mood your story has.07/12/19