For a little while I was in the dark (which seems to happen a lot). But then I noticed a particular pattern to conversations I was having with my daughter’s friends’ parents.
“Elizabeth! I heard the funniest thing the other day when your daughter came over to play. She said you listen to ‘old lady music!’ She kept talking about the kind of stuff you listen to on the radio in the car and I was just cracking up!”
It took me several weeks of random playdates for me to realize that my daughter had targeted me for a change-the-radio-station campaign. She decided that if she spread stories about my listening habits (I tune in to classical music or new age because driving stresses me out), then I would feel some pressure to figure out what the pop radio station was (because I have no idea) and switch to it—at least while her friends are in the car. Apparently, other parents listen to top 40-type stuff? Who knew? She hoped my peers could pressure me into listening to something more modern.
Luckily, I’m immune to peer pressure. :) Although I give her kudos for trying.
Gossip, or telling tales, does have a lot of good uses in fiction, though. Here are some good ways to put it to use.
Gossip can be used as a means to an end…like my daughter’s interest in getting me to change my radio station. A politician could spread rumors about his opponent, forcing her to drop out.
Gossip can be used to achieve surprise. Local gossip can misdirect our protagonist and give him an incorrect perception of a character. This means our reader is jumping to the same conclusions, too. To Kill a Mockingbird had Boo Radley, who seemed like a terrifying person to the children in the book because of local gossip, but he ends up saving Scout from an attacker.
Gossip can create conflict for our protagonist—when untrue stories circulate about him or someone he cares about.
Gossip can be a tool for getting information for our protagonist…although he has to sift through it to glean what’s true and what isn’t. My sleuths come across as gossipy to other character, who open up to them—and provide clues or red herrings.
Our protagonist could be the one gossiping—and it could backfire on him and cause him to make enemies.
Gossip can take a harsher form and go into a totally new territory. In Ian McEwan’s book, Atonement, two young teenagers gossip with each other over the meaning of a note. They reach an incorrect conclusion that ends up changing lives.
Do you ever use gossip as a tool in your story?
Elizabeth – My daughter used to want me to listen to different music on the radio, too, but she wasn’t nearly as clever as yours has been about trying to get me to do it. That’s inspired!
Gossip really is very helpful in crime fiction, so yes, I’ve used it. I mostly use gossip to give clues and “red herrings” to the reader. My protag gets to hear gossip, and then he uses it to sift through other things he finds out to figure out the truth about the mysteries he’s solving. He’s not a gossip himself, but he pays attention to what he hears.
There isn’t a type of music that I don’t like–except Opera. I listen to everything from Bach to the Black Eyed Peas. However, to calm me in the car I listen to my Christian music. It helps me to follow the commandment: “Thou shalt not kill”. True story.
Although, I hate gossip–really, I do use gossip in my writing.
Teresa
About the music, my daughter grew up in the late 70’s and on into the 80’s. I have to admit, even though I’m a big 40’s and 50’s fan, I did listen to her music some. I even got to like the group “Cinderella” (lol), and even watched some of the music video stations, though those have changed so much over the years that I wouldn’t allow my granddaughter to watch them now, nor do I let her listen to the rap music she tries to tell me her mom allows. (This is when she’s spending the summer with me). I don’t know that I’ve used gossip to change lives, but I have used it to point a direction in the story.
I like a wide variety of music, from the 70’s to today’s. Well, some of today’s music, anyway. (Most of today’s music videos, I’d rather not see.)
I don’t think I’ve ever used gossip in a book. Interesting. I think I will now, though.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! You must hear my mind reaching out. I NEEDED this article at this moment.
Have a great weekend!
Since my first book featured an all-male cast, it was lacking in the gossip department. Not that we don’t ever gossip, we’re just less likely to do so. (Yes, I’m probably in trouble now with that statement!)
That’s a smart daughter you have, Elizabeth. Why don’t you try some black metal when you’re out driving. I find that very relaxing at least. Ambient black is very nice driving music, for instance this one by Burzum: Dunkelheit
Cold As Heaven
Beware of clever daughters!
Boo Radley is an excellent example, and I think it is difficult to imagine a village cozy without a bit of gossip in it :D
NB: I am on your side this time – I love classical music. Fortunately my daughters share my interest. If not I would be chanceless as they are two, and I am only one.
I’m not sure, but I’m going to be more aware of it in the future.
CD
Can I make a suggestion? Can you put a little tweet button at the end of our posts. I think it’s a google gadget that you can find when you edit your “post section”. I’m a horrible tweeter and love to have a way to tweet with ease.
CD
oh yes, especially in my mysteries! My protagonist,Kitty, a cop, has a very chatty mom…plus Kitty has a way of getting people to spill the beans when she talks to them. In the second one which is still in progress, I have a nine year old girl – she’s fabulous for spreading dirt cuz she does it without any filters – just as she hears it when eavesdropping on her mom talking to friends.
Fun post tied to a personal story, lol. I’ve used gossip a bit in one of my novels, but you make a good case for how to use it effectively.
Marvin D Wilson
I really didn’t use gossip all that much. It did surface in Book II of my series, making the main character miserable. Now that was fun!
Margot–Oh, I can’t believe that! You were a DJ…I bet your music is a lot cooler than mine!
In crime fic? It’s a must, isn’t it?
Teresa–I’ll admit to listening to opera, too, but I really only listen to the hits–the best arias, etc. Love Nessun Dorma. :) I hadn’t thought about Christian music for the car…but that makes *very* good sense. Ha! Charlotte, NC, is just full of nutty drivers.
Helen–I like the 70s music, too… not so much in the car, though, since I’m trying to chill out. I’ll have to think of it, though–maybe it would be a good compromise for my daughter and me.
Mary–I’m so glad! Good luck with your writing.
Alex–No, I think I’d have to agree with that. Although I think men get gossipy as they get (much) older–but it’s not something I’ve frequently seen with young men.
Cold As Heaven–That’s what my husband does. :) He likes the German band Rammstein. I’ll have to check that band out, thanks. I was a Metallica fan, but that was when I was in high school in the late 80s.
Judy–The videos have gotten pretty bad, haven’t they? I do remember that group, Cinderella. :) I think that was around the time of the “Headbangers Ball” that would come on after Saturday Night Live? I think that was one of the groups they’d feature.
Clarissa–I used to have a “share” button….where did it go?! I didn’t even notice it was gone. Bleh! Must be Blogger going berserk again. Thanks for the heads-up–I’ll get the gadget put back on.
Jan–Kitty sounds like my kind of cop! And…kids are WONDERFUL for finding out info. I used that same attribute for Memphis 2.
The Old Silly –Thanks!
Dorte–The village seems to *revolve* around gossip, frequently, doesn’t it? That’s the way that small towns in the Amer. South operate, too.
I think my kids secretly enjoy the classical music. Really. :) But of course, they want to listen to whatever the popular stuff is. But, you know, that’s why they have personal music devices, right?
Diane–I bet it did! Teens can really do some harm with their gossip.
Lol, clapping for your daughter’s clever ploy.
I have not used gossip…yet. Thanks for the idea. :)
Ah, dishing dirt. Throwing in a character who loves the insider track can be a great way to get information across–whether it’s true or not. In mystery, it’s all about red herrings, and any way you can drop them is a good way.
Terry
Terry’s Place
Romance with a Twist–of Mystery
I love this, thank you! I’m going to put gossip to good use in my next novel.
I did use gossip in the beginning of Death’s Daughter to establish various characters and to drop information into the story that my protagonist wouldn’t have known otherwise. However, as she began moving around the gossiping characters kind of got left behind and so she then had to find other sources of information.
Gossip is one of those things that can be very helpful in advancing the story and helping characters find things out. In the real world, though we might dislike gossip, most of what we learn is found out through gossip.
Hire your daughter as your publicist!
And so true, about gossip. Specially liked the Boo Radley example.
What an interesting post!
I think there is a real art to using gossip in a novel–and it very often depends on the tone of the novel. Personally I have tried (and failed) to use gossip as the cause of a story’s great reveal and it has never worked for me–always felt contrived and histrionic. But still, the temptation is there for me as a writer. I can certainly see how it WOULD work and work well in crime fiction where an author needs many ways to suggest information to the reader and characters.