Why You Should Avoid Melodrama in Your Writing
If you’ve ever watched a soap opera, you know what melodrama looks like — a story laden with implausible plots and over-the-top emotion in the actors’ delivery. They’re corny and over-the-top, and some of it is even laughable. While enduringly popular, more often than not, soap operas end up being the butt of the joke because of their high levels of melodrama.
Melodrama can feel exaggerated and unrealistic which can distance readers from the story. Book lovers and all those who take deep enjoyment in reading are looking to connect authentically with a story; to see real life reflected, to some extent, on the page. Avoiding melodrama can help writers create more authentic and relatable characters and situations, leading to a deeper emotional connection with readers.
Furthermore, melodrama can weaken the credibility of the narrative. Readers may become skeptical or disengaged if they feel that the emotions and events portrayed are overblown or implausible. Keeping the story grounded in reality helps maintain credibility and keeps readers invested in the plot.
Show, don’t tell
Although discernment with showing and telling is necessary when writing, and a balance must always be kept in mind, when the narrative starts leaning into melodrama, it may be time to reassess.
Ask yourself: how can I show my characters’ emotions through subtle actions and body language? How can I adjust the dialogue so that it feels more realistic and more nuanced?
Depending on the context of the story and whether it suits the character, in a scene where someone has just found out they’ve been betrayed, it can look one of two ways:
Melodramatic: She gasped. “HOW DARE YOU?” she screamed, and then immediately swung out and slapped him across the face.
Subtle emotion: She stared at him in silence for a long time, unmoving except for the rising and falling of her chest. After a few seconds, she nodded, turned on her heel, and walked out of the room. He called her name, but she hardly heard him. Her eyes blurred with tears, her hands shaking as she reached for the doorknob.
Remember to trust your readers. Allowing them to interpret the depth of emotions for themselves will help you pull back on any melodrama creeping into your narrative.
Character Consistency
Ensure your characters’ reactions align with their personalities and the situation. If a character that doesn’t always show their emotions suddenly has an outburst, the narrative will need to back this up. Otherwise, the credibility of the story falters.
Of course, it’s possible that a character has been pushed to such an extreme that they do act out of character. But, again, the narrative will have to back this up. There could be subtle signs sprinkled throughout that the character is capable of this and that it’s slowly building inside them. To have an outburst out of the blue could be confusing and throw the readers off.
An example of this is Daenerys Targaryen burning down King’s Landing in the final season of Game of Thrones. While some viewers claim that we saw it coming, the majority disagree. The story did not have sufficient foreshadowing and other elements that would guide us to feel that her reaction was credible.
Consistency adds authenticity to your characters and prevents melodramatic outbursts that feel forced.
Avoid exaggeration
The tone, mood, and style of a story may sometimes call for exaggeration. A satire or even a rock-opera may call for a more exaggerated and over-the-top writing style. However, discernment must be used as to whether this works for your story, how it can be applied, and where.
While drama adds spice to your story, exaggerating emotions or situations can push it into melodramatic territory. Keep things grounded by focusing on realistic conflicts and resolutions.
Embrace subtlety
Writers, especially newer ones, tend to fall into the line of thinking that bigger and more is better. This isn’t always true.
Sometimes, less is more. While dramatic moments have their place in fiction, sometimes it’s the quiet, more subdued moments that have a stronger impact and leave a more lasting impression.
Allow readers to read between the lines and draw their own conclusions. Every movement and emotion doesn’t need to be described, and you don’t need to go into great detail. Subtle hints and nuanced storytelling can evoke more powerful emotions than overt melodrama.
Seek feedback
Sharing your work with trusted beta readers or writing groups can help you get a feeling for the emotional impact of your writing. Beta readers and critique partners can help you identify areas where melodrama may be creeping in. If you’re concerned that your writing may be veering into melodramatic territory, it would help to let your beta readers know ahead of time so they can tell you if and where they found the story to be melodramatic.
Likewise, if you’re worried about melodramatic writing, giving your editor a heads-up during your discovery call or before turning your manuscript in for editing (I usually ask my clients to send me a list of their concerns along with the manuscript before I start to edit) can help them to keep an eye out for any areas where this issue may show up. Furthermore, an editor will be able to guide you and give you suggestions on how to improve these areas!
If this is something that’s been on your mind, go ahead and contact me. Let’s talk about your manuscript and what I can do to polish it up and get it to its full potential!