Tuesday 28 January 2014

That Idiot Moment

Every book has one. The moment when you’re reading and the words slip out of your mouth because it’s too restricting to contain. You shake your head and say, “What an idiot!”

The character has hit the point of sheer dumbness. It happens in every book. It can be the hero, heroine or even both.  Sometimes you can see it coming from a mile way, but other times it takes you so much by surprise that along with uttering the words, you smack yourself on the forehead.

It’s the nature of the romance beast. Someone has got to do something so ridiculously stupid that you call them an idiot. If this moment wasn’t present we’d think the characters were perfect and wouldn’t be able to identify with them. In life we do idiotic things all of the time because we’re human. We learn and grow from these experiences, just like the characters in the novel.

Even as a writer, while a character’s stupid action is flowing onto the keyboard, we want to stop them and sometimes we try, but such scenes are so fascinating and dramatic to write that we can’t stop until we’ve finished the scene with a headshake and a murmured, “I can’t believe she did that. Idiot.” As if we weren’t the one to write it in the first place.

Do you think idiot moments are necessary in a novel?


I’ll leave you with one of my favorite songs by Jimmy Fallon - Idiot Boyfriend. 



16 comments:

  1. I definitely have an idiot moment in my book. And my character actually slaps herself in the forehead! Good post , Nana.

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    1. Thanks, Cathy. It's something most books have in common.

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  2. I don't appreciate the idiot moments, for the most part, but what makes me crazy is when the idiot moments keep happening throughout the book. I'm supposed to like the main character, right? Not hope that the hero gets smart and just dumps her for someone smart enough to deserve him, lol. Like me, of course. I'm smart enough...

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    1. Lol. I agree, Lynda. The idiot moment is to help a person learn and grow. If they repeat it, it means they are truly an idiot.

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  3. As long as it matches with the storyline I can accept it. What I can't accept is when it makes no sense or is used just to gain readers.

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    1. It's true, Sheena-kay. But have you noticed that most books have at least one?

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  4. Idiot moments should be few and far between to make me giggle otherwise I'll think the character isn't smart.

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    1. I like the way you wrote 'isn't smart' instead of dumb or stupid. You must be a very positive person, Stella.

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  5. I have never thought of that. I guess in retrospect, I have identified some idiot moments, but sometimes they sound more like the story was going too well and the author just wanted to throw a monkey wrench into the mix. Now I have to go ID the idiot moments in my books. is the idiot moment the same as the 'yeah, right' moment?

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    1. I think the idiot moment is more of a "What the hell are you doing?" kind of time. Sorry to be the one to tell you Empi, because I love him so much, but Lord has an idiot moment. Remember when he didn't tell Chantelle 'the thing' right away? I called him an idiot.

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  6. I've never thought of it either, but I think some idiot moments are okay. Unfortunately in real life people act like idiots all too often. But if a character keeps acting like an idiot just to move the plot along that is a big turn-off. Fun post to ponder! :)

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    1. You're right, Julie. Some people have idiot lives instead of just moments which is not so funny when you have to deal with the consequences.

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  7. I think idiot moments are good in a book, not too much though. They make her plot plausible and believable. After all we do have idiot moments in real life;.

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    1. I agree with you, Celestine. It seems that life is full of both idiots and idiot moments. Lol.

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  8. Oh my goodness! So true lol
    I wouldn't enjoy a book with lots of idiot moments, but one good moment that shows how human and real the character can be is a good thing ;)

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I love reading your comments.