This past weekend’s story was a nice slice of life for the Fey and Bard.  Certainly, many of the stories I’ve posted since starting the site back in February have been of quiet moments.

[Quick aside: We passed the 6 month mark for this site and I totally missed it, thanks for being with me along the way!  I’ve really enjoyed how having this site has helped to solidify my writing habit and I hope you’ve enjoyed at least some of the stories that have come from it.  Anyways, back to what I was saying…]

By quiet moments I mean ones that aren’t major set pieces, whether battles or an important scene for the grander plot.  A foe isn’t defeated, a grand plot twist isn’t revealed.  Rather they are scenes that are happy to linger with characters and let them have space to be…well people.  They are scenes that I enjoy for many reasons and of all the forms of entertainment I think the written word does the best job of conveying quiet moments.

Reading requires focus, it can’t really be done while staring at a phone or engaging in anything else (especially if you’re me and my utter inability to multitask), and I think these quiet moments, which don’t grab attention as innately as say a big battle in a super hero movie, require that singular focus to really blossom.  There has to be a willingness of the reader to slow down with the characters and I think the investment is already largely there with a written work.  That is certainly not to say that other media don’t do a good job of quiet moments.  When I played Final Fantasy IX with a friend a few years ago, I was shocked by how some of the best moments of that game are when it slows down and lets it characters, which are diverse and deep, have space to feel the weight and consequences of the world changing quest they are on.  I’d certainly argue that FFIX taking the time to give their characters space to feel their emotions is one reason for why that game is so fondly remembered an lauded.

It’s the space created by willing to linger on a scene, to sit with characters as they do something as simple as brew some tea, that I really enjoy about quiet moments in stories.  Quartes enjoying a sunrise doesn’t mean much in his multi-Cycle battle against the Dragons, but it lets us see the weight such a quest has taken on him.  That he needs these moments to be happy after all he’s been through because he lacks happiness in almost anywhere else.  It gives us, the readers, time to more fully know the characters as they are given time to process their emotions and experiences.

Plus, they are usually very cute.

If you’ve got any favorite quiet moments I’d very much enjoy hearing about them below or in an email.

This week, I intend to post something a little less quiet.  Still a scene with the Fey and Bard but dealing a bit more with those Dragons and their impact on the world.  Until then, have a good week and I hope you find some time for some quiet moments of your own.

Go forth and do good things,

Sean