Dec 07 2008
Writing Tips from Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women”
I’m currently reading a childhood classic for the first time: Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.
I grew up watching the 1949 film, starring June Allyson and Elizabeth Taylor, which was fantastic. The 1994 version, with Winona Ryder and Christian Bale, was excellent too.
Because I’ve seen the films, there won’t be any surprises reading this novel. However, as with most books, there are many writing lessons we can learn from its author.
First, Alcott adeptly creates interaction between characters through dialogue. Though not much happens in terms of ‘action’ (sadly, there are no ninjas in this book), the reader is always aware of a life-like family dynamic.
Second, the narrative creates intimacy between the reader and each character. We get to see the story evolve from many perspectives, each unique in its understanding of unfolding events.
Third, the simplicity of Alcott’s language matches the simplicity of the story. This is meant to be a children’s book, and the language works perfectly.
Fourth, Alcott refrains from writing a saccharin-sweet ending. She makes use of the adage, “Give the reader what they want, but not in the way they want it.” Yes, the ending is happy, but if we had our choice, would we not choose a different outcome? It’s genius because it’s real: in life, we don’t always get the perfect ending, but we may get a happy one.
If you haven’t read Little Women , I highly recommend it, from both a reader’s and a writer’s perspective.
