Four things about transportation in stories
How do you make use of transportation in your writing?
One
of the wonderful things about writing obsessive level of control authors can
exert over their story. Everything we write about can and should achieve something in
the story. I’ve been thinking recently about how this might be done in relation
to movement and transport in stories. Every mode of transport, every detail
reflects a choice by the author and communicates something to the reader. Here
are four of my idle thoughts on this topic.
1. Heroes ride solo – sometimes.
I’m
talking about Gandalf and Shadowfax. I’m talking Luke and his X-Wing (Shush
R2D2 – you’re basically a satnav). I’m talking Sir Gawain travelling south to
find the Green Knight. The one person mode of transport is an excellent shorthand
for showing a character as an intrepid adventurer, unfazed by the big bad world
around them. Who’s the one member of the X-Men who could quite happily get by
on their own? And what does he ride? Exactly.

2. Movement shows mastery
As humans we exist in a dangerous, chaotic, confusing world.
Those who can exert control over that world are to be admired. How do we show
control over our environment? Physical strength is one way. Wealth is another.
Influence? Certainly. However, transport is a viable literary shorthand for a
kind of environmental mastery.

Similarly in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Captain Nemo is shown
to be a master of his environment, elevated above other people by his
scientific understanding. How is this done? Through his submarine, the
Nautilus.
Whilst I have focused on science fiction above, the same point
could equally be made elsewhere, Gatsby drives his Rolls-Royce Tourer after all.
3. Transportation be used to connect with the reader – or
disconnect with them
Consider Katniss Everdeen as she travels across Panem to the
Capitol. How does she travel? By train of course. She could have been driven.
Or flown. Instead she travels by train. Why? A clue may be found in considering
who the books are aimed towards – teen readers. We are supposed to connect with
Katniss and Peeta and here transportation allows a point of familiarity. Most
teens haven’t travelled in luxury cars. Many teen haven’t flown. However, by
age 14 I suspect most teens have had a long train journey or two. By moving
Katniss and Peeta by train it gives the reader an accessible point of
connection.
By contrast it is also possible to do the opposite. To make
a character seem stranger or more otherworldly. Consider Willy Wonka and the two
forms of transport described in the book. The boat ride in the tunnel and the
glass elevator. Two familiar forms of transportation given a surreal spin that
bewilders the reader whilst emphasising the ‘otherness’ of Willy Wonka and his
factory.
4. Transportation reflects characters.
This isn’t a ground-breaking point, but moving around can
tell us something about a character.
Example 1 – Harry Potter & his broom.

Example 2 – Crowley and Newton Pulsifer


I ask you, what can we infer about Crowley and Pulsifer from
their vehicles? Everything we need to. They act as literary shorthand devices.
***
I could go on, examining how transportation can be used to delineate
one world from another, how it can be a character in and of itself or how it can
be a framing device for an entire story. However, I worry that I’ll be writing
forever in that case. Don't even get me started on the TARDIS.
Feel free to drop a comment below or find me on Twitter
@gemjacksonauthor.
GJ
Comments
Post a Comment