Better

I noticed something as I was listening to Duma Key today. What is it about that book that motivates me to write? I noticed, well, I noticed two things, that King does a couple of things when he writes. First off, he uses these great metaphors taht I'm sure he adds in later after the second or third draft. These examples fit into the story so smoothly that you don't notice that he didn't come up with them at first. What makes them great is how identifiable they are for the reader. If I said "smooth like butter" you'd understand the metaphor but its been used so many times that its impact would be lesser than if I said "smooth like vaseline." That's a more original idea but lacks something. I might be better if I was describing some kind of baum for a troublesome incident. Like the character was describing how a phone call with a family member was comforting after a long day at work. It was smooth like vaseline. It could be better though, I think that if I looked around I could find some cream that would go better with the line. Let's see, nope, I couldn't find a better example. I have a lot of creams for my dried feet and none of them would be better than vaseline. They don't have a good identifiable names that would help the reader understand the character's emotions.

The second thing I noticed is that King is trying to say something to the reader between the lines. I'm not sure how he does this yet but I think I will undertand someday. Maybe it's something you learn from the metaphors of life. King has this ability to sneak up on you (let that picture of a seventy-year old man behind you sink in) and hit you over the head with a bat with his words. It's a triumph of an achievement and shows how much of a fanboy I am. But there's something he's doing that gets you to get into a lull while listening to his tale when the horror comes up. He makes his characters so human that their reactions to the horror are what sell it. It's like when someone gets punched in a comic, it doesn't matter unless the reciever reacts. Whats amazing is King's ability to empathize with strange characters like women and children. But when he misses the mark, you feel it. I feel the same about his Wireman character in Duma Key. He feels off somehow. Too lively, like a man who constantly lives on a beach and treats life so easy as it comes. The life of a retired man. Maybe that's what King saw in his imagination but it doesn't click for me. Which makes it all the harder for me since I like the book. But I think that's one of the signs that you like something is that you point out the problems you see. 

There was a third thing I wanted to write but it's escaped me. I'll come back to it later.