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Need help with a certain part of a story
I have a wonderful little question for all of you out there. How does one go about writing a funeral scene??
I'm having trouble writing the funeral of a character in a fanfic I'm working on, and I need help. I'm writing a Harry Potter fanfic where James dies but Lily and Harry survive (it can be found on the fanfiction board for those who want to read it). Part of the next chapter will deal with James' funeral, but I'm not sure how to go about writing it. I've never been good with funerals in real life, they bother me and I'd rather avoid them, no matter whose it is. But I really, really need to write this scene in, because it's going to need to be one of the first of many scenes where Severus begins to respect James because of what he did to save Lily. And Severus' respect for James is a big point in this story... Link- http://www.menewsha.com/viewtopic.php?t=32660 |
I say the best way is to create the move of setting up a mournful atmosphere, describe the scene a bit, and give an idea of how a few of the guests are feeling by describing their facial emotions and posture, and how they reminisce if you're going to have any of them speak.
Mmm... for example.. "Leaves fell silently as the ceremony crept on, painful memories of past happiness lurked in the air. His mother in her remorse wept through out the entire event, her sadness touching all others in a way no speaker at the platform could convay." |
Yes, I agree with Soda.
Here' a tip (or not) : If you'd want to make it really sad, you could put parts wherein people close to James remember those good times when they were with him, and how James was (his deeds and mischiefs) when he was still alive. I really cry a lot whenever I read those parts in some books. And just remember to describe the scene well: the atmosphere, the looks on people's faces, etc. |
It depends on what sort of scene you want to write.
If you want to write a sad funeral and need a fast way to increase the gloom factor, describe the weather as rainy, grey, dank, dark, et cetera. I know it's a bit cliche to have the weather reflect people's moods, but if you're trying to write a sad scene, the weather can really contribute to the atmosphere. As for characterization, speaking in hushed voices helps the mood quite a lot, as does picking one character and really getting inside their angst. If you write in a way where you don't express thoughts or emotions the scene will feel flat. If, on the other hand, you want a slightly happier funeral, brighten the weather up a bit. Make it crisp and sunny, have birds singing, the light filtering through the trees, etc. Have your characters feel reflective but not angsty. Talk about all the good times they had with the deceased, how they're in a better place now, so on and so forth. With funeral scenes, as with any writing, it is helpful to have someone else read and review before you post. Funeral scenes especially can easily go from effective to overly melodramatic and sappy, so you need to be careful with how much angst and cliche you pour in them. It's like salt - a little can make all the difference in the world, but too much ruins the dish. Good luck with your writing! |
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