Your Scene's Not Working? Maybe the Lighting Is Wrong

Today, I’m guest posting over on The Write Conversation, with the post “Your Scene’s Not Working? Maybe the Lighting Is Wrong?.” Here’s an excerpt:

Jane Eyre: Writer's Digest Annotated Classics

Jane Eyre: The Writer’s Digest Annotated Classic (affiliate link)

Of all the many story aspects authors have to keep track of, why in heaven’s name should lighting be up there at the top of our list? That’s something movie directors have to worry about, not writers. Right?

Actually, no.

Lighting can be a tremendous factor in bringing scenes to life. Getting the lighting right can help you ace your scene the first time. And we won’t even mention that lighting can help you with your story’s tone, symbolism, and even characterization.

Or maybe we will!

I first discovered the power of lighting in written fiction when I was working on my historical novel Behold the Dawn. Set during the Third Crusade, in the hot, dusty, sunny Holy Land, I found myself struggling to get my often dark themes to mesh well with all that bright sunshine. At first, I wasn’t certain what was going on. But then, the solution hit me upside the head. Change the lighting!

In re-reading Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë’s masterpiece of lighting (which I analyze in-depth in my book Jane Eyre: The Writer’s Digest Annotated Classic), the whole concept became even clearer.