Showing posts with label Creative Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Creative Writing. Show all posts
Post-Apocalyptic Alaska
Post-apocalyptic Alaska is...one of my favorite themes. I've used it in many projects over the years. Crisis at the Kodiak Starport was the vehicle I used to demonstrate how the 49th State could be ravaged by apocalyptic forces (i.e., war). Bibix was my big budget Sci Fi envisioning of a living Hell after an alien invasion wrecks...everything. I now have a short story collection in the works that will allow me to explore this concept from many different angles. For those of you who want to experience post-apocalyptic Alaska in your way, I recommend A.C.: After Collapse.
Your Favorite Kind of Hell
I'm not a historian, though I am aware that post-apocalyptic themes have been popular for more time than I have been alive. I've always been inspired by the capacity of most humans to survive the worst that life can throw at us. Even when we are responsible for the source of own undoing, we somehow manage to muddle through. Call it guts, bravery, courage, or just the willpower to live one more day, I can't stop thinking about that amazing capability.
I can't give you any sources but I do remember reading somewhere during the 1990's that all of the "good" post-apocalyptic themes had already been written about and beaten to death. I didn't believe that then and I don't believe it now. As technology changes, we will always be presented with new ways to bring about our own end. Civilization can fall apart for many different reasons in many different ways. Curruption is timeless, we can always rot from within and fall apart that way.
Having said all that, I want to come back around to my favorite point. As a storyteller, I will never run out of plots and twists to describe how our future could end. The real challenge for me is to see how men, women, and children could overcome such lurid horrors to somehow create a better future. Life in general has taught me that there is always some lesson to be learned from everything we do, even if that lesson comes at the expense of civilization.
I can't give you any sources but I do remember reading somewhere during the 1990's that all of the "good" post-apocalyptic themes had already been written about and beaten to death. I didn't believe that then and I don't believe it now. As technology changes, we will always be presented with new ways to bring about our own end. Civilization can fall apart for many different reasons in many different ways. Curruption is timeless, we can always rot from within and fall apart that way.
Having said all that, I want to come back around to my favorite point. As a storyteller, I will never run out of plots and twists to describe how our future could end. The real challenge for me is to see how men, women, and children could overcome such lurid horrors to somehow create a better future. Life in general has taught me that there is always some lesson to be learned from everything we do, even if that lesson comes at the expense of civilization.
53rd Anniversary of Star Trek
I just wanted to take a quick moment to briefly acknowledge the occasion of this historic observance. 53 years ago today, the original Star Trek television series was broadcast to American audiences who saw it on small cathode ray picture tubes. Many of them saw it in black-and-white, because they did not yet have a color television set.
I was too young to know this existed in 1967--when it first aired. I saw it in re-runs later, when my parents made a habit of watching it. There has never been a decade in my living memory when I was without this Science Fiction TV show. No matter where I have lived, I've always been able to find it on the TV schedule at least one day a week. I owe some of what I am today to the performances of those actors, and the imagination of the show's creator.
I was too young to know this existed in 1967--when it first aired. I saw it in re-runs later, when my parents made a habit of watching it. There has never been a decade in my living memory when I was without this Science Fiction TV show. No matter where I have lived, I've always been able to find it on the TV schedule at least one day a week. I owe some of what I am today to the performances of those actors, and the imagination of the show's creator.
Rise of the Scavenger
Years before I was ready to begin work on A.C.: After Collapse, I was thinking about the nature of Player Characters and why they are so often...the way they are. People I knew at the time spent many casual evenings with a pad of paper and a lot of math; trying to figure it out. The answers to many of our most aggravating questions didn't come until we saw "classless" character generation in action. Then, we began to understand what was so elusive. All of that abstraction played its own part in the way I eventually approached role playing games. What we think of as the Rogue or the Thief in Fantasy gaming evolved in to my concept of salvagers and scavengers in post-apocalyptic settings.
In my youth, the Cold War (1945-1991) was always on our minds. More than anything else, we asked ourselves questions about survival. Books and movies probed the question darkly, it was widely believed that surviving a nuclear war just wasn't possible. I've never been one of those people who takes "no" for an iron-clad answer. Life has taught me that people can survive anything except extinction--if they want to. When it came on to the market, The Morrow Project seemed to support my thinking; that it was possible to survive "the end" no matter what form it may eventually take. When I got, the internet and the mapping of our human genome made me revisit this grim subject. As we approached the 21st Century, my thinking crystalized.
In those days, I was not yet a full-time author. I'd write short stories at night and during weekends that always got thrown out every Monday. As a civil servant who was working 40+ hours a week, that process of writing was good therapy that reduced my frustrations; it also helped me to construct the pieces woaht eventually became the backstory for A.C.: After Collapse. That part of me that doesn't like to give up kept coming back to salvagers and scavengers. Over the years, I've known people who are like scavengers. You know the type, they're always trading one thing for another. For some vague reason, they always seem to know a guy who has the thing you want--for a price.
People like that exist in every society, it made sense to me that they would thrive in a dying world where nothing was off limits...if you could find it or pay for it. In some ways, the might be the most heroic resistors of the Collapse. You can think of the civic-minded thief in a Fantasy game as the man or woman who becomes the new Robin Hood. Imagine how hard it might be find prescription drugs during the collapse, then imagine what you might be willing to do just to get those drugs for people who mattered to you? As criminals go, you might not be terribly noble--but--you'd know why you taking the risk. That's an extreme example, though it does illustrate why I put so much effort to portraying scavengers in the post-apocalyptic fiction I write.
In my youth, the Cold War (1945-1991) was always on our minds. More than anything else, we asked ourselves questions about survival. Books and movies probed the question darkly, it was widely believed that surviving a nuclear war just wasn't possible. I've never been one of those people who takes "no" for an iron-clad answer. Life has taught me that people can survive anything except extinction--if they want to. When it came on to the market, The Morrow Project seemed to support my thinking; that it was possible to survive "the end" no matter what form it may eventually take. When I got, the internet and the mapping of our human genome made me revisit this grim subject. As we approached the 21st Century, my thinking crystalized.
In those days, I was not yet a full-time author. I'd write short stories at night and during weekends that always got thrown out every Monday. As a civil servant who was working 40+ hours a week, that process of writing was good therapy that reduced my frustrations; it also helped me to construct the pieces woaht eventually became the backstory for A.C.: After Collapse. That part of me that doesn't like to give up kept coming back to salvagers and scavengers. Over the years, I've known people who are like scavengers. You know the type, they're always trading one thing for another. For some vague reason, they always seem to know a guy who has the thing you want--for a price.
People like that exist in every society, it made sense to me that they would thrive in a dying world where nothing was off limits...if you could find it or pay for it. In some ways, the might be the most heroic resistors of the Collapse. You can think of the civic-minded thief in a Fantasy game as the man or woman who becomes the new Robin Hood. Imagine how hard it might be find prescription drugs during the collapse, then imagine what you might be willing to do just to get those drugs for people who mattered to you? As criminals go, you might not be terribly noble--but--you'd know why you taking the risk. That's an extreme example, though it does illustrate why I put so much effort to portraying scavengers in the post-apocalyptic fiction I write.
Small Victories, When You Are Finished
When I think about it, there is something quite unique about finishing a novel or even a large project. It is for me a feeling of irritability, satisfaction, and relief, almost but not quite an emotional release. The sudden loss of stress work-related always makes me feel just a little bit "grateful" for surviving. Sentiment aide, I do think it's important to take a step back from whatever you just finished to breath and appreciate the moment--your book or project is at long last...done.
it's been said that the first novel is a harsh teacher, your second manuscript is not usually as hard as the first one was. Same thing is true for big projects, especially when you've never done it before. It's one thing to write all the individual pieces of something that gets put together as one big "thing," it's a whole different matter to plot and scheme what all those pieces should be, before you start. When you read this, I'll be working on the final phases of a very larger (i.e., massive) project that took 4 years to start and finish. I recognize the need to calm down and decompress when it's done.
Experience has taught me that some down-time between writing projects is always quite necessary. Most people I have known need as much as 6 months to just "live" after they wrote their first novel. Me? I don't seem to be capable of sitting still for more than 2 weeks. I've been known to unplug the phone and sleep too much, then go back to work after a long scary junk food binge that has been known to last 3 days. Bottom line is this, accept your victory for what it is and then slow down so that your brain can catch up. that much gives your subconscious mind a chance to think ahead. There have been moments when I just can't help myself, I jump off in to the next thing sooner than I should--and--I pay for it later, when I'm exhausted.
it's been said that the first novel is a harsh teacher, your second manuscript is not usually as hard as the first one was. Same thing is true for big projects, especially when you've never done it before. It's one thing to write all the individual pieces of something that gets put together as one big "thing," it's a whole different matter to plot and scheme what all those pieces should be, before you start. When you read this, I'll be working on the final phases of a very larger (i.e., massive) project that took 4 years to start and finish. I recognize the need to calm down and decompress when it's done.
Experience has taught me that some down-time between writing projects is always quite necessary. Most people I have known need as much as 6 months to just "live" after they wrote their first novel. Me? I don't seem to be capable of sitting still for more than 2 weeks. I've been known to unplug the phone and sleep too much, then go back to work after a long scary junk food binge that has been known to last 3 days. Bottom line is this, accept your victory for what it is and then slow down so that your brain can catch up. that much gives your subconscious mind a chance to think ahead. There have been moments when I just can't help myself, I jump off in to the next thing sooner than I should--and--I pay for it later, when I'm exhausted.
Planning Your Book like a Large Project
Anyone with experience in large project management knows that little things make a big thing--and--"order" is more than sequence of activity. Fiction and Non-fiction writing has a lot in common, those books don't write themselves. Before you get started, you can eliminate a lot of the pain by knowing what you really want to say. Many writers admit to some suffering when they develop a new project, what they often mean to say is that frustration builds gradually over time when they don't know what to do next. That's why the much-dreaded outline matters, think of it as a road map can save you a lot of sleepless nights.
Everything from a novel to cookbooks can broken down in to chapters and individual sub-sections. Putting that on paper rots your brain--but--it gives you that much-needed road map to future victory. As bad as that sounds, you should still have some idea of how long it takes to do the actual writing, we're not all very fast or very slow; some of us just poke right on along at a middle-of-the-road pace. Knowing how long it takes you to write a chapter gives you a chance to do some simple math that suggests how long it may take to write the whole book. Example: If it takes you seven days to write 1 chapter, it's fair to say that it might take 25 weeks to write a 25 chapter manuscript.
With your road map and some sense of time commitments, you can more confidently go to the library or look online for the information you want, need, or just gotta have. It's not unusual for research to take longer than you expect. Remember the old saying about needles in haystacks, flipping through the paste of one book to find a single factoid can take days. I have actually spend several years (4+) gathering my research materials, just to write one book. That brings me to my last point, always give yourself more time; never force yourself to knock out a project so fast that it makes trouble for people around you. I'm not a lot of fun when I'm trying to hit self-imposed deadlines, so; I try to spread things out just enough to stay calm. Being honest with yourself about the scope and scale of what you are doing makes it easier to learn the things that drive you nuts.
Yes, I know how generalized all of this is. There is no one right way to develop your road map and set priorities--but--if you can do it in a way that works for you...many of your problems provide their own solution; especially when you understand that no book is ever as small or easy as you think it is going to be. Know that much, and the bigger projects are a little less scary.
Everything from a novel to cookbooks can broken down in to chapters and individual sub-sections. Putting that on paper rots your brain--but--it gives you that much-needed road map to future victory. As bad as that sounds, you should still have some idea of how long it takes to do the actual writing, we're not all very fast or very slow; some of us just poke right on along at a middle-of-the-road pace. Knowing how long it takes you to write a chapter gives you a chance to do some simple math that suggests how long it may take to write the whole book. Example: If it takes you seven days to write 1 chapter, it's fair to say that it might take 25 weeks to write a 25 chapter manuscript.
With your road map and some sense of time commitments, you can more confidently go to the library or look online for the information you want, need, or just gotta have. It's not unusual for research to take longer than you expect. Remember the old saying about needles in haystacks, flipping through the paste of one book to find a single factoid can take days. I have actually spend several years (4+) gathering my research materials, just to write one book. That brings me to my last point, always give yourself more time; never force yourself to knock out a project so fast that it makes trouble for people around you. I'm not a lot of fun when I'm trying to hit self-imposed deadlines, so; I try to spread things out just enough to stay calm. Being honest with yourself about the scope and scale of what you are doing makes it easier to learn the things that drive you nuts.
Yes, I know how generalized all of this is. There is no one right way to develop your road map and set priorities--but--if you can do it in a way that works for you...many of your problems provide their own solution; especially when you understand that no book is ever as small or easy as you think it is going to be. Know that much, and the bigger projects are a little less scary.
Motivation Aggravation
Anyone who pursues writing as a serious professional "thing" can tell you from firsthand experience that the process will very often test what you believe about yourself and what you want to stand for. The pace of constantly looking for work, wading through rejections, and struggling onward to finish what you starts feels desperately slow. There will be days when you question the rightness of what you are doing. Any number of things you might hear from others, see on television, or read in print can feel like they drain your energy--because--they do; when you question your decision to write.
It's been said that some things happen as fast as they do because we take the path of least resistance. Some very impressive poetry has been written about the road less travelled. So says "them," we are better off when we test ourselves against harder things, because they are so very damned difficult. There is truth to it--however--I think some of those philosophers leave out one very vital ingredient. You've really got to know what you want and what you are willing to suffer to achieve that goal. Somebody somewhere said you've got to suffer for your art, what they really mean is that you should know what you are willing to do just to make that thing happened.
What really matters to you? Answer that one question and you're on your way to figuring out what needs to be done for any chance at achieving that goal. If you really like a story you are writing, you may be willing to suffer through many re-writes. If you like your day job, you might be willing to put up a certain amount of stupid just for the opportunity to do that kind of work. Knowing what you want is like knowing a secret that's very hard to explain, even when you really want to spill your guts to the world. Please understand, there is real a difference between being selfish and knowing what you stand for. When a job or a project really matters to you, you'll endure a lot to make it happen.
It's been said that some things happen as fast as they do because we take the path of least resistance. Some very impressive poetry has been written about the road less travelled. So says "them," we are better off when we test ourselves against harder things, because they are so very damned difficult. There is truth to it--however--I think some of those philosophers leave out one very vital ingredient. You've really got to know what you want and what you are willing to suffer to achieve that goal. Somebody somewhere said you've got to suffer for your art, what they really mean is that you should know what you are willing to do just to make that thing happened.
What really matters to you? Answer that one question and you're on your way to figuring out what needs to be done for any chance at achieving that goal. If you really like a story you are writing, you may be willing to suffer through many re-writes. If you like your day job, you might be willing to put up a certain amount of stupid just for the opportunity to do that kind of work. Knowing what you want is like knowing a secret that's very hard to explain, even when you really want to spill your guts to the world. Please understand, there is real a difference between being selfish and knowing what you stand for. When a job or a project really matters to you, you'll endure a lot to make it happen.
First Novel as Cathartic Process
Anything "cathartic" is something you feel deep down, it's a gut response that has the power to make you extremely happy or dreadfully sad. Ask anyone who will answer truthfully, and they'll tell you that part of what made their first novel so hard was the feelings of protectiveness and insecurity that hit them like a sledgehammer. Nobody likes to think they are going to write a bad story, nor do they start out trying to fail. The images and ideas that fly around inside our minds do not always translate to a written page. The terrible truth is, if it's not on the page it didn't happen.
It sounds simple enough to say that book manuscripts are edited, re-rewrites can be a brutal process. It's a whole different thing to live through it, especially for the first time. Like it or not, that novel is a part of you. Might even be connected to something dark or ticklish you don't care to talk about. Even so, you're probably going to get up the nerve to ask somebody to tell you what they think about what you wrote. They'll read it and say...something. Editors read the whole thing and then say a lot. There are two things to remember about that feedback process:
Story is story, nuts-and-bolts details are something else. As you read this, somebody somewhere is writing a good story. While they write or type, they are not thinking about the many rules of gramma and what-not that are going to drive them insane later on. Spelling and punctuation are always going to make anyone's blood pressure go up. When any editor wants to pick a bone with you over the details of long/short sentences, they are in some small way doing this without your sense of style. What you see as too many short sentences can be that stylish part of you complaining about the lack of words that convey what you want a reader to see, think, or feel. That one single factor by itself should be enough for you take your own style more seriously. Don't just put words on the page because you know what they mean, choose them wisely pain a word picture that says what you feel.
There is no easy way to take the sting out of editing a first novel, it's always going to be hurtful. That's why so many writers read books about writing. That may sound counterintuitive, but it's not. Authors all over the world read things they would not write just to learn from them, to sharpen their own sense of style. That includes thick dry books written by editors about the subject of writing. We're all tempted to think we know everything there is to know about some subjects, even writing. When you realize that the art of storytelling is a life-long journey that prepares you to spin your yarn,
it becomes possible to take those punches. No matter how much they hurt.
It sounds simple enough to say that book manuscripts are edited, re-rewrites can be a brutal process. It's a whole different thing to live through it, especially for the first time. Like it or not, that novel is a part of you. Might even be connected to something dark or ticklish you don't care to talk about. Even so, you're probably going to get up the nerve to ask somebody to tell you what they think about what you wrote. They'll read it and say...something. Editors read the whole thing and then say a lot. There are two things to remember about that feedback process:
Story is story, nuts-and-bolts details are something else. As you read this, somebody somewhere is writing a good story. While they write or type, they are not thinking about the many rules of gramma and what-not that are going to drive them insane later on. Spelling and punctuation are always going to make anyone's blood pressure go up. When any editor wants to pick a bone with you over the details of long/short sentences, they are in some small way doing this without your sense of style. What you see as too many short sentences can be that stylish part of you complaining about the lack of words that convey what you want a reader to see, think, or feel. That one single factor by itself should be enough for you take your own style more seriously. Don't just put words on the page because you know what they mean, choose them wisely pain a word picture that says what you feel.
There is no easy way to take the sting out of editing a first novel, it's always going to be hurtful. That's why so many writers read books about writing. That may sound counterintuitive, but it's not. Authors all over the world read things they would not write just to learn from them, to sharpen their own sense of style. That includes thick dry books written by editors about the subject of writing. We're all tempted to think we know everything there is to know about some subjects, even writing. When you realize that the art of storytelling is a life-long journey that prepares you to spin your yarn,
it becomes possible to take those punches. No matter how much they hurt.
Finishing Your First Novel
Why is it so hard for anyone to finish their first novel? There is no "good" answer to that question, no short simple reply that can somehow make your life easier. The terrible unavoidable truth is that it's hard for anyone to actually finish the damned thing. More than a decade later, I am still conflicted about the way my first novel was wrapped up. All I can say is this:
The first novel is a harsh teacher, everything you thought you knew about style and/or composition is tested in ways that no classroom experience can prepare you for. What you observe on a written page is powered by your imagination and colored by your life experience. Editors are infamous for their ability to dispassionately shred what you works so hard to create, you might even feel a bit like they somehow have it in for you. The terrible truth is that most editors think differently than writers do. From their point of view, anything on paper is governed by regulations a writer doesn't know about.
I myself have hit the proverbial wall many times, because I got mark-ups from an editor who was not sympathetic to my way of thinking.
Anyone who has been through the college curriculum has had a larger dose of writing rules than they might realize--or remember. As useful as that is, it won't be enough. Nobody writes a book once, there is a process to it that can require dozens of rough drafts. As I've remembered it, my first novel came to life after something like 54 rearrangements. All of this is much harder for anyone who has not been schooled, especially when it was never necessary to learn the nuts-and-bolts like editors do. As a technical writer, I have often found it useful and very necessary to think about what I am doing in editorial terms. What is or is not a complete sentence factors in to what you could call "style," because a paragraph full of short sentences looks and reads differently than something is more wordy.
Fiction, as we think of the term, is all about storytelling. Some story forms are founded on more emotion than others. I like to write military fiction and science fiction, neither one of these rely on heavy doses of emotion--even when they are just slippery with sex. Even so, I find myself needing to inject some emotion in everything I write. That emotiveness can result in some very long sentences that feed very long chapters. If there is any one thing that would get me busted fast by an editor, that's it right there. When bullets fly and troops are on the move, setences can get severely short--which gets me a lot of grief from an editor every time.
Bottom line is this: understand that none of the editorial process is person and you're on your way to a compromise that helps you finish your book without leaving behind any unforced errors that are the result of inattention or lack of knowledge. You are the writer, it's your creativity that made that story coalesce on a page or inside your computer. Editors are not always authors, so they won't see things your way. When they are on your side, they will want to make you look good. That good will comes with a willingness to disagree with you when they don't think you are on the right track.
The first novel is a harsh teacher, everything you thought you knew about style and/or composition is tested in ways that no classroom experience can prepare you for. What you observe on a written page is powered by your imagination and colored by your life experience. Editors are infamous for their ability to dispassionately shred what you works so hard to create, you might even feel a bit like they somehow have it in for you. The terrible truth is that most editors think differently than writers do. From their point of view, anything on paper is governed by regulations a writer doesn't know about.
I myself have hit the proverbial wall many times, because I got mark-ups from an editor who was not sympathetic to my way of thinking.
Anyone who has been through the college curriculum has had a larger dose of writing rules than they might realize--or remember. As useful as that is, it won't be enough. Nobody writes a book once, there is a process to it that can require dozens of rough drafts. As I've remembered it, my first novel came to life after something like 54 rearrangements. All of this is much harder for anyone who has not been schooled, especially when it was never necessary to learn the nuts-and-bolts like editors do. As a technical writer, I have often found it useful and very necessary to think about what I am doing in editorial terms. What is or is not a complete sentence factors in to what you could call "style," because a paragraph full of short sentences looks and reads differently than something is more wordy.
Fiction, as we think of the term, is all about storytelling. Some story forms are founded on more emotion than others. I like to write military fiction and science fiction, neither one of these rely on heavy doses of emotion--even when they are just slippery with sex. Even so, I find myself needing to inject some emotion in everything I write. That emotiveness can result in some very long sentences that feed very long chapters. If there is any one thing that would get me busted fast by an editor, that's it right there. When bullets fly and troops are on the move, setences can get severely short--which gets me a lot of grief from an editor every time.
Bottom line is this: understand that none of the editorial process is person and you're on your way to a compromise that helps you finish your book without leaving behind any unforced errors that are the result of inattention or lack of knowledge. You are the writer, it's your creativity that made that story coalesce on a page or inside your computer. Editors are not always authors, so they won't see things your way. When they are on your side, they will want to make you look good. That good will comes with a willingness to disagree with you when they don't think you are on the right track.
Authoritarianism in Fiction
Is it really a good idea--or even safe--to write about heroes and heroines who foil corrupt politicians? The short answer is "yes," because fiction writers can do things with words that are often too spendy for some movie studios to ever think about. In my lifetime, I have read books that include creative fictional stand-ins for such men as: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and recently--Donald Trump. Years ago, I tried my own hand at such a project:
In recent days, the topic has appeared in a lot of my e-mail correspondence, which makes me think it's time to say a little something about the bravery of writers. Everything we believe about "right" and "wrong" can be enshrined in pages of fiction. It's been my experience that we don't always stop to think about the many shades of gray in what we do, all we really want is some degree of success. That same world view can be present in our heroes and villains, even if we don't try to put it there.
As a lifelong consumer of conspiracy fiction, I've always been fascinated by the process of "things." One action or event often leads to another, even when it's a series of outcomes that cause/promulgate something that turns out to be painfully complicated. For as long as I can remember, authors have been writing about power-hungry leaders who go too far. They are always cautionary tales intended to warn readers about what might happen. That's easy enough when the abuses of power you write about are not happening in your own country. What happens when they are?
That's rapidly becoming a difficult question for some Americans to answer because we are verging on a period of authoritarian rule we caused or allowed because nobody thought it can ever happen here. No matter how you see this--for or against--that should not change what you write as a form of story. I have always felt just a little uncomfortable when writing about imagined politicos who take power, it really bothers me. Even so, I tell myself that's what all those vibrant heroes and heroines are for--to save the day and make a point. In the long run, that's why I write in different genres, as a way to cleanse my palette when things taste too bitter. If we do not preserve and maintain the idea that it is possible to defeat evil, we will surely lose.
In recent days, the topic has appeared in a lot of my e-mail correspondence, which makes me think it's time to say a little something about the bravery of writers. Everything we believe about "right" and "wrong" can be enshrined in pages of fiction. It's been my experience that we don't always stop to think about the many shades of gray in what we do, all we really want is some degree of success. That same world view can be present in our heroes and villains, even if we don't try to put it there.
As a lifelong consumer of conspiracy fiction, I've always been fascinated by the process of "things." One action or event often leads to another, even when it's a series of outcomes that cause/promulgate something that turns out to be painfully complicated. For as long as I can remember, authors have been writing about power-hungry leaders who go too far. They are always cautionary tales intended to warn readers about what might happen. That's easy enough when the abuses of power you write about are not happening in your own country. What happens when they are?
That's rapidly becoming a difficult question for some Americans to answer because we are verging on a period of authoritarian rule we caused or allowed because nobody thought it can ever happen here. No matter how you see this--for or against--that should not change what you write as a form of story. I have always felt just a little uncomfortable when writing about imagined politicos who take power, it really bothers me. Even so, I tell myself that's what all those vibrant heroes and heroines are for--to save the day and make a point. In the long run, that's why I write in different genres, as a way to cleanse my palette when things taste too bitter. If we do not preserve and maintain the idea that it is possible to defeat evil, we will surely lose.
Arguing Against Authoritarianism
Throughout many centuries of record human history, it has been observed that that the pen of a writer is mightier than any wielded sword. That age-old saying has taken on a great deal more "truthiness" in a world where rapidly evolving social media provides us with instant worldwide communications. that power belongs to all of us, no matter who we are or where we come from. Rich and poor alike can test what they think and/or believe in a limitless arena of give-and-take that proves what we say.
Some ideas really do stand the test of time in a "good" way. Treat others how you want to be treated, never diminish another person's dignity, and--you get the idea. You already know this stuff by heart, there is always a chance the other guy is right. Even when they aren't, you can still make your case for what you believe in by talking about the process of something that has happened in the past and how those events turned out. Chances are that somebody somewhere has already done something like what matters to you. If those events didn't work out well for them, you've got some clue that the decisions they made are not the choices you should make.
Americans have a bad habit of being unaware of their own history, we so almost never stop to realize that it's been more than two centuries since British forces burned our capital during the War of 1812. As infamous as he was, Senator Joseph McCarthy ignited the "red scare" for the sake of his own political ambitions more than six decades ago. Trauma he in inflicted has never completely faded, the same dark forces that idealized Hitler seem to have blinded us to the miracle of our survival and the danger of current threats.
As writers of history and various fictions, many of us have the power of the pen I mentioned earlier. Cautionary tales allow us to speak with a voice that will outlive us when those books go in to print. Even as e-books, those words have the power to travel fast all the way around an uncertain world--even if you never do. Your heroes and heroines are what you make them to be, they live and die for what you make them believe in. Your villains can embody all the evils you stand against, even if they carry out their crimes with style. Stories that bear some resemblance to the times you live in allow future generations to "read between the lines." They'll know what you meant, if if you didn't say it directly. No tyrant has ever been able to defeat the printed word, not even yours.
Some ideas really do stand the test of time in a "good" way. Treat others how you want to be treated, never diminish another person's dignity, and--you get the idea. You already know this stuff by heart, there is always a chance the other guy is right. Even when they aren't, you can still make your case for what you believe in by talking about the process of something that has happened in the past and how those events turned out. Chances are that somebody somewhere has already done something like what matters to you. If those events didn't work out well for them, you've got some clue that the decisions they made are not the choices you should make.
Americans have a bad habit of being unaware of their own history, we so almost never stop to realize that it's been more than two centuries since British forces burned our capital during the War of 1812. As infamous as he was, Senator Joseph McCarthy ignited the "red scare" for the sake of his own political ambitions more than six decades ago. Trauma he in inflicted has never completely faded, the same dark forces that idealized Hitler seem to have blinded us to the miracle of our survival and the danger of current threats.
As writers of history and various fictions, many of us have the power of the pen I mentioned earlier. Cautionary tales allow us to speak with a voice that will outlive us when those books go in to print. Even as e-books, those words have the power to travel fast all the way around an uncertain world--even if you never do. Your heroes and heroines are what you make them to be, they live and die for what you make them believe in. Your villains can embody all the evils you stand against, even if they carry out their crimes with style. Stories that bear some resemblance to the times you live in allow future generations to "read between the lines." They'll know what you meant, if if you didn't say it directly. No tyrant has ever been able to defeat the printed word, not even yours.
Description of Action and Motivation
What is it about fiction that some people find so hard?
At its most basic, fiction is storytelling with words. Characters think, say, or "do" things that make your story move. Environment, emotion, and activity blend to make paint that forms word pictures. When all this matches up, a story flows. It can almost play like a movie in your mind.
In all cases (fiction or non-fiction), it doesn't happen if you don't write it. Failure to fill in details dooms any good stories before the first chapter is completed. There's a lot you know about your characters and situations that seems unimportant at the time you are writing. I've been guilty of that more than a few times. That's why character development matters. The men and women who save the day in your fictional world are more than champions of justice or instruments of revenge.
Speaking is more than dialogue for any hero or villain. What they say is not always what they really think or want. Sometimes, they lie. Physicality plays a role in making anyone look good, capable, or smart when they succeed. Likewise, Bad Guys who are "good" at what they do are...formidable. Before they can beg or borrow, any character needs to be somewhere before they go somewhere. Saying something in narration about their environment and atmosphere does more than set a mood, those little details help the reader see what you're talking about...in their own mind.
A dark room is more than a place without light, it can be filled with clues or crowded with henchmen waiting to do harm to unsuspecting heroes. When writing in first-person, try to remember that the "I" in your story needs to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. If they don't, the reader has no reason to know that the place is or was on fire. Sudden surprises like that are more common than you think, we're all guilty of forgetting small things--like--who started that fire.
First-person or third-person, everyone has a point of view. All those other characters in your story who are not the hero or heroine should say something--anything--when they're not busy doing stuff. Out-of-sight is not always out-of-mind, those pesky villains are always up to some darned thing. Especially when it can spell defeat for the heroes. Violence in its many forms is just as physical as anything else characters do. Protagonists in a dark room who fight it out with concealed henchmen should move around, even if it means running away.
At its most basic, fiction is storytelling with words. Characters think, say, or "do" things that make your story move. Environment, emotion, and activity blend to make paint that forms word pictures. When all this matches up, a story flows. It can almost play like a movie in your mind.
In all cases (fiction or non-fiction), it doesn't happen if you don't write it. Failure to fill in details dooms any good stories before the first chapter is completed. There's a lot you know about your characters and situations that seems unimportant at the time you are writing. I've been guilty of that more than a few times. That's why character development matters. The men and women who save the day in your fictional world are more than champions of justice or instruments of revenge.
Speaking is more than dialogue for any hero or villain. What they say is not always what they really think or want. Sometimes, they lie. Physicality plays a role in making anyone look good, capable, or smart when they succeed. Likewise, Bad Guys who are "good" at what they do are...formidable. Before they can beg or borrow, any character needs to be somewhere before they go somewhere. Saying something in narration about their environment and atmosphere does more than set a mood, those little details help the reader see what you're talking about...in their own mind.
A dark room is more than a place without light, it can be filled with clues or crowded with henchmen waiting to do harm to unsuspecting heroes. When writing in first-person, try to remember that the "I" in your story needs to see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. If they don't, the reader has no reason to know that the place is or was on fire. Sudden surprises like that are more common than you think, we're all guilty of forgetting small things--like--who started that fire.
First-person or third-person, everyone has a point of view. All those other characters in your story who are not the hero or heroine should say something--anything--when they're not busy doing stuff. Out-of-sight is not always out-of-mind, those pesky villains are always up to some darned thing. Especially when it can spell defeat for the heroes. Violence in its many forms is just as physical as anything else characters do. Protagonists in a dark room who fight it out with concealed henchmen should move around, even if it means running away.
Beleaguered Heroes/Heroines
Some stories are cut-and-dried, meaning that most of what you read has very few shades of gray. Good Guys fight the Bad Guys. Good Guys "win" because they are just so very...
Yeah, right. Those darned hero-types have all the luck, don't they? What happens when that hero you worked so hard to create has a lot of choices to make--and--several problems to solve?
That's just how it is for the beleaguered hero/heroine, they've got a lot on their plate and not much time in which to deal with it. You know how it is, life sometimes sneaks up on your. Suddenly,
there are a series of problems that seem to come from out of nowhere. If that's not enough, there are
so many choices to make--now!
These are pivotal moments in the life of any fictional character. What they do "here and now" decides how they live or die. Will they be happy, or down in the dumps because there was not such thing as a good alternative? The terrible truth is that this kind of multi-layered misery can befall epic characters just as much as they plague reluctant protagonists. That's the reason why character development is so important.
Each and every fictional person in your imagined world has a past, sometimes known as a backstory. Villains often have more than one axe to grind, though most authors stick to just one "issue." Doing the same thing for any hero or heroine is efficient and to the point. That's going to mean quite a few minor characters don't spend a lot of time arguing with them, or getting in the way. I like a good plot twist just as much as the next guy--but--too many of them makes the hero/heroine suffer as much as your story...when things bog down.
Anyone who has read my stuff can tell you that Bibix is almost neurotic, he's got enough "issues" to keep any human or alien psychiatrist busy for a year. Even so, he does find time for a love life while he is saving the world. He's not the only beleaguered hero I have written, though he is the most anxious and insecure of all my suffering constructs. To tell you the truth, a lot of material had to be cut when that book was finished, just to tune it down to a more manageable size.
Those edits were possible because all I really did was peel off the tangents, going straight to the heart of what bothered him. Without giving anything away, I can see that he had three major problems to face and just one choice to make (on a personal level). Yeah, sure. He got the girl in the end--but--solving his problems changed his outlook on life. Was it worth the effort? He thought so.
I was able to muddle my way through because I knew his backstory. The opponents he battled were not so conflicted, nor did they have so much to be afraid of. Knowing what his worst fears were made it easier to portray his courage and the reasons for the difficult decisions he made. Anyone can put their characters through Hell without ever knowing "why." Answer that question, and you're one step closer to describing a beleaguered hero/heroine that is enjoyable to read.
Yeah, right. Those darned hero-types have all the luck, don't they? What happens when that hero you worked so hard to create has a lot of choices to make--and--several problems to solve?
That's just how it is for the beleaguered hero/heroine, they've got a lot on their plate and not much time in which to deal with it. You know how it is, life sometimes sneaks up on your. Suddenly,
there are a series of problems that seem to come from out of nowhere. If that's not enough, there are
so many choices to make--now!
These are pivotal moments in the life of any fictional character. What they do "here and now" decides how they live or die. Will they be happy, or down in the dumps because there was not such thing as a good alternative? The terrible truth is that this kind of multi-layered misery can befall epic characters just as much as they plague reluctant protagonists. That's the reason why character development is so important.
Each and every fictional person in your imagined world has a past, sometimes known as a backstory. Villains often have more than one axe to grind, though most authors stick to just one "issue." Doing the same thing for any hero or heroine is efficient and to the point. That's going to mean quite a few minor characters don't spend a lot of time arguing with them, or getting in the way. I like a good plot twist just as much as the next guy--but--too many of them makes the hero/heroine suffer as much as your story...when things bog down.
Anyone who has read my stuff can tell you that Bibix is almost neurotic, he's got enough "issues" to keep any human or alien psychiatrist busy for a year. Even so, he does find time for a love life while he is saving the world. He's not the only beleaguered hero I have written, though he is the most anxious and insecure of all my suffering constructs. To tell you the truth, a lot of material had to be cut when that book was finished, just to tune it down to a more manageable size.
Those edits were possible because all I really did was peel off the tangents, going straight to the heart of what bothered him. Without giving anything away, I can see that he had three major problems to face and just one choice to make (on a personal level). Yeah, sure. He got the girl in the end--but--solving his problems changed his outlook on life. Was it worth the effort? He thought so.
I was able to muddle my way through because I knew his backstory. The opponents he battled were not so conflicted, nor did they have so much to be afraid of. Knowing what his worst fears were made it easier to portray his courage and the reasons for the difficult decisions he made. Anyone can put their characters through Hell without ever knowing "why." Answer that question, and you're one step closer to describing a beleaguered hero/heroine that is enjoyable to read.
Epic Heroes/Heroines
What makes any hero or heroine "epic?"
Many of our favorite fictional characters are larger-than-life. They are lucky in ways we'd never be, and they always seem to suffer through a lot more than any of us here in the real world ever could. Unlike the reluctant hero/heroine who has fears and doubts to overcome, those epic personalities don't suffer from such misgivings--they know their business.
It's not unusual for the epic hero to have been through a lot before your story begins. That's why they know how to do some of those really cool things. Having the skill to kill your way through dozens of henchmen before you can ruin the villain's day means that somehow, somewhere, your hero/heroine got enough experience (possibly the hard way) to do it. They know how to overcome long odds, even if that means breaking a few heads.
Skill and savoir-faire are only part of that winning recipe. It takes more than a sexy smile to defeat the forces of darkness. Your average Bad Guy knows what they want, that's why they're doing it. Being up to no good is more than planning a crime or directing your underlings to make it work. Villains must be prepared to lie, cheat, steal, or kill when there is no other way. It's a well-known fact that those pesky do-gooders don't go quietly. They need to be--well--incentivized to see things your way or die while fleeing in terror.
Sometimes, the fate of the human race is not at stake. Saving the world is fine and well for those who do it--but--let's be real for a second: the world doesn't always need to be saved. Sometimes, it's just a matter of morality and/or ethics that confound your heroes and heroines. Who lives and who dies? Asnwer that and you've got the basis for a conflict worthy of any protagonist.
There is one ticklish point to consider. The epic hero who is capable of great things must also be strong enough to live with what they did. Yes, the Bad Guy is defeated--at what cost? How many innocent lives were lost to achieve that goal? Was "truth" one of those casualties? Maybe, it's better if the general public doesn't know about...that. The thing you had to do. As terrible as it was, they don't really need to know...do they?
That's why epic heroes and heroines are so hard to write, even when you know how the story ends.
Many of our favorite fictional characters are larger-than-life. They are lucky in ways we'd never be, and they always seem to suffer through a lot more than any of us here in the real world ever could. Unlike the reluctant hero/heroine who has fears and doubts to overcome, those epic personalities don't suffer from such misgivings--they know their business.
It's not unusual for the epic hero to have been through a lot before your story begins. That's why they know how to do some of those really cool things. Having the skill to kill your way through dozens of henchmen before you can ruin the villain's day means that somehow, somewhere, your hero/heroine got enough experience (possibly the hard way) to do it. They know how to overcome long odds, even if that means breaking a few heads.
Skill and savoir-faire are only part of that winning recipe. It takes more than a sexy smile to defeat the forces of darkness. Your average Bad Guy knows what they want, that's why they're doing it. Being up to no good is more than planning a crime or directing your underlings to make it work. Villains must be prepared to lie, cheat, steal, or kill when there is no other way. It's a well-known fact that those pesky do-gooders don't go quietly. They need to be--well--incentivized to see things your way or die while fleeing in terror.
Sometimes, the fate of the human race is not at stake. Saving the world is fine and well for those who do it--but--let's be real for a second: the world doesn't always need to be saved. Sometimes, it's just a matter of morality and/or ethics that confound your heroes and heroines. Who lives and who dies? Asnwer that and you've got the basis for a conflict worthy of any protagonist.
There is one ticklish point to consider. The epic hero who is capable of great things must also be strong enough to live with what they did. Yes, the Bad Guy is defeated--at what cost? How many innocent lives were lost to achieve that goal? Was "truth" one of those casualties? Maybe, it's better if the general public doesn't know about...that. The thing you had to do. As terrible as it was, they don't really need to know...do they?
That's why epic heroes and heroines are so hard to write, even when you know how the story ends.
Reluctant Heroes/Heroines
What makes a hero/heroine go through all that misery to save the day?
The simple fact is that most of us are...not heroic. We'd like to think we could be brave, if it was really-seriously necessary. Reluctant heroes have all the same fears, worries, doubts, and misgivings we do in the real world. Problem is, they can't bring themselves to just let it go. Every now and then, the Bad Buys must be stopped, even if that means pain and suffering for the unfortunate soul who has to do the stopping.
The terrible truth is that Bad Guys don't exist--unless--they sometimes win. That means beginning a story with villains who are already established. They've already done in somebody, or many of them to get where they are now. The most credible opponents for any Good Guy will be capable of harm, or some form of unfair activity that gives them an advantage over others. Even if they are not very
sympathetic, your average evil-doer is proactive: they really would kill for what they want.
It's hard for most of us to think about what is really worth dying for, but we might consider options that are less final or injurious--if we thought doing so would matter. That's why some people are willing to call the police when they see a crime and others are not. Sometimes, stopping the villain
really is a matter for the authorities, if they know about it. Being the man or woman who twigs to the problem is not always easy, because Bad Guys are known for their desire to get even.
any fictional character who fights their way through hoards of henchmen before going toe-to-toe with the real threat is often an Epic Hero. Those heroes and heroines literally do have all the luck, that's why they could get through so many challenges before having it out with their nemesis. That fine and well for them, but--what about the person who is not so keen on all that violence?
Reluctant heroes often look for solutions to their problems in a different way. Could it be enough to merely spy on the Bad Guys? Take a few notes, maybe some pictures and...you get the idea. Sometimes, just getting away after being captured to call the cops is enough. Especially after you've been chased and shot at for several city blocks. Catching your breath long enough to dial 9-1-1 would be an achievement. Assuming that anyone would let your borrow a phone...
Those less-than-skilled fictional fighters who save the day has their own motivations that go beyond whatever it takes to solve the problem. Police officers are known for their sense of justice, that belief could matter in dire circumstances--even if they have no gun. Why? Because they thought somebody had to do something...even if was them. What's to prevent the average office worker from making the same choice under equally bad conditions? Yeah, well. If you could just get away long enough to find a...
That's why books and movies about reluctant heroes are so popular. We'd like to think we could be them, or like them when the chips are down.
The simple fact is that most of us are...not heroic. We'd like to think we could be brave, if it was really-seriously necessary. Reluctant heroes have all the same fears, worries, doubts, and misgivings we do in the real world. Problem is, they can't bring themselves to just let it go. Every now and then, the Bad Buys must be stopped, even if that means pain and suffering for the unfortunate soul who has to do the stopping.
The terrible truth is that Bad Guys don't exist--unless--they sometimes win. That means beginning a story with villains who are already established. They've already done in somebody, or many of them to get where they are now. The most credible opponents for any Good Guy will be capable of harm, or some form of unfair activity that gives them an advantage over others. Even if they are not very
sympathetic, your average evil-doer is proactive: they really would kill for what they want.
It's hard for most of us to think about what is really worth dying for, but we might consider options that are less final or injurious--if we thought doing so would matter. That's why some people are willing to call the police when they see a crime and others are not. Sometimes, stopping the villain
really is a matter for the authorities, if they know about it. Being the man or woman who twigs to the problem is not always easy, because Bad Guys are known for their desire to get even.
any fictional character who fights their way through hoards of henchmen before going toe-to-toe with the real threat is often an Epic Hero. Those heroes and heroines literally do have all the luck, that's why they could get through so many challenges before having it out with their nemesis. That fine and well for them, but--what about the person who is not so keen on all that violence?
Reluctant heroes often look for solutions to their problems in a different way. Could it be enough to merely spy on the Bad Guys? Take a few notes, maybe some pictures and...you get the idea. Sometimes, just getting away after being captured to call the cops is enough. Especially after you've been chased and shot at for several city blocks. Catching your breath long enough to dial 9-1-1 would be an achievement. Assuming that anyone would let your borrow a phone...
Those less-than-skilled fictional fighters who save the day has their own motivations that go beyond whatever it takes to solve the problem. Police officers are known for their sense of justice, that belief could matter in dire circumstances--even if they have no gun. Why? Because they thought somebody had to do something...even if was them. What's to prevent the average office worker from making the same choice under equally bad conditions? Yeah, well. If you could just get away long enough to find a...
That's why books and movies about reluctant heroes are so popular. We'd like to think we could be them, or like them when the chips are down.
Challenges of a First Novel
Why is my fist novel so hard? It's not an unreasonable question and you're not foolish for asking. Anyone who wants to write a full-length book manuscript is in for an uphill battle without much sympathy or understanding from your fellow human beings who don't put words on paper.
The fact is that most of us are not trained for this line of "work," even though we tend to do it as a hobby or during what passes for spare time. That aspect of a writer's challenge is--by itself--a lot to unpack. Those few who trained for it have been through many hours of classroom study, they've read a wide variety of subjects--and--may possibly do some form of writing as part of their "day job."
It's tough to overcome what you don't know. You'll spend a lot of time learning what you never needed to know...until now. Think of any book you want to write as a process. Knowing what the big-picture steps are goes a long way towards understanding the little things. It's not enough to knowing the basics about your story, you've got to know things about your characters and plot that explain, make, or justify the end. Tackle that before you start noodling your outline.
Knowing how it starts and ends makes it easier to describe your Good Guys and the Bad Guys. Everybody likes a worthy villain. Grinding through an outline of your story forces you to think. Sometimes, the book doesn't end like we think it...was going to, before I wrote the--you get my point.
Yeah, been there and done it.
Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are just part of the recipe that makes a story easy or hard to read. There's a little bit of theater involved in what you do, as you tell your story. No matter what genre, all characters (Good or Bad) are in places while they say and do "stuff." If you don't write the words on to a page, those things don't exist. They never happened. They do happen just as you write them,
completely or in broken parts.
If there is any "secret sauce" to a novel, it would the all the little transitions that indicate somebody is doing something, saying something, or about to. All of them lead to outcomes which are the result of what somebody said or did. Dialogue is a back-and-forth situation, somebody says and somebody replies. Gun battles and car chases are more complex and often bloody, even so--they are still happening because somebody is doing something and the other guy is reaction to it. Even if they are just reloading.
There are fancy names for all that, none of which mean anything to you if you never had a reason to know what they were be-fore you decided to write that first novel. If there is any one specific thing to remember, it's this: What you learn from doing this stays with you. What you think of as a mistake here and now becomes skill later on--when you don't do that again. Your first book is a lot like learning on the job. It's not any fun while you're doing it, but still useful to talk about years later.
I am serious. Think of your first novel as a form of learning experience. In truth, many of today's famous writers--the acknowledged masters of their craft--did not write flawless first novels. Experience allowed them to get better over time, even when they had classroom training. There is no requirement to publish what you wrote, either. I killed and buried three manuscripts to learn what I needed to know before coming at this the way I do now. Be patient and learn sliwly over time,
the rest quite oftem takes care of itself.
The fact is that most of us are not trained for this line of "work," even though we tend to do it as a hobby or during what passes for spare time. That aspect of a writer's challenge is--by itself--a lot to unpack. Those few who trained for it have been through many hours of classroom study, they've read a wide variety of subjects--and--may possibly do some form of writing as part of their "day job."
It's tough to overcome what you don't know. You'll spend a lot of time learning what you never needed to know...until now. Think of any book you want to write as a process. Knowing what the big-picture steps are goes a long way towards understanding the little things. It's not enough to knowing the basics about your story, you've got to know things about your characters and plot that explain, make, or justify the end. Tackle that before you start noodling your outline.
Knowing how it starts and ends makes it easier to describe your Good Guys and the Bad Guys. Everybody likes a worthy villain. Grinding through an outline of your story forces you to think. Sometimes, the book doesn't end like we think it...was going to, before I wrote the--you get my point.
Yeah, been there and done it.
Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are just part of the recipe that makes a story easy or hard to read. There's a little bit of theater involved in what you do, as you tell your story. No matter what genre, all characters (Good or Bad) are in places while they say and do "stuff." If you don't write the words on to a page, those things don't exist. They never happened. They do happen just as you write them,
completely or in broken parts.
If there is any "secret sauce" to a novel, it would the all the little transitions that indicate somebody is doing something, saying something, or about to. All of them lead to outcomes which are the result of what somebody said or did. Dialogue is a back-and-forth situation, somebody says and somebody replies. Gun battles and car chases are more complex and often bloody, even so--they are still happening because somebody is doing something and the other guy is reaction to it. Even if they are just reloading.
There are fancy names for all that, none of which mean anything to you if you never had a reason to know what they were be-fore you decided to write that first novel. If there is any one specific thing to remember, it's this: What you learn from doing this stays with you. What you think of as a mistake here and now becomes skill later on--when you don't do that again. Your first book is a lot like learning on the job. It's not any fun while you're doing it, but still useful to talk about years later.
I am serious. Think of your first novel as a form of learning experience. In truth, many of today's famous writers--the acknowledged masters of their craft--did not write flawless first novels. Experience allowed them to get better over time, even when they had classroom training. There is no requirement to publish what you wrote, either. I killed and buried three manuscripts to learn what I needed to know before coming at this the way I do now. Be patient and learn sliwly over time,
the rest quite oftem takes care of itself.
What Makes a Story Readable?
What makes a story you write read well, or sound good? It's been my experience that there are three big-picture things that really matter when you are writing a short story, or a book-length manuscript.
First and foremost is this: if you don't put it on page, it doesn't happen. There have been many times when I know a story so well that some things get past me. I forget to type the words. That means it never happened--even though I think it did--because you can't read the words that make it "real."
Second thing is: Characters say something, do something, or think something-or-other. They do this before, during, or after something else in their world happens. In first person, I can tell you that I dropped a glass of water while somebody was talking to me. Or, I can say that I said something after that same glass of water was dropped--by me--because I got scared by (bill in the blank).
Third is: Characters (Good Guys, Bad Guys) do something with-or-to each other. Think of it as interaction, or cause-and-effect. I talk to you, you say something back to me. They shoot at you, you duck for cover and reload. Back-and-forth it goes. Blend all three of these things together and you've got yourself a recipe for...something (which happens based on what your characters do).
If you want to bump this up a notch, please consider this: image and sentiment convey emotion. Characters who are afraid in a dark room have a better chance of making the reader feel that fear. Somebody who is very happy to get the birthday present they most wanted is more likely to make your readers feel good. The unfortunate fellow who got slippers (again) is, well...just out of luck. When you can, think of your movie as a book. No, wait. Book as a movie--yeah--imagine it. Everything has some kind of descriptor associated with it. Darkness can be pitch black. Vehicles,
meaning cars and trucks, can be large or small. Doesn't seem like much, but it matters.
Anything you can describe could happen in your story. that's true for what any character says to somebody in your fictional world. What's the other guy going to say as a reply? Figure that out and you're on your way to dialogue. Throw in some feelings (happy, sad, hate, rage) and you've got some give-and-take with more depth. Top is all off with some narration about surroundings and you are dangerously close to fiction that conveys mood, momentum, and some page-turning because readers want to know more. That's what makes any story readable.
First and foremost is this: if you don't put it on page, it doesn't happen. There have been many times when I know a story so well that some things get past me. I forget to type the words. That means it never happened--even though I think it did--because you can't read the words that make it "real."
Second thing is: Characters say something, do something, or think something-or-other. They do this before, during, or after something else in their world happens. In first person, I can tell you that I dropped a glass of water while somebody was talking to me. Or, I can say that I said something after that same glass of water was dropped--by me--because I got scared by (bill in the blank).
Third is: Characters (Good Guys, Bad Guys) do something with-or-to each other. Think of it as interaction, or cause-and-effect. I talk to you, you say something back to me. They shoot at you, you duck for cover and reload. Back-and-forth it goes. Blend all three of these things together and you've got yourself a recipe for...something (which happens based on what your characters do).
If you want to bump this up a notch, please consider this: image and sentiment convey emotion. Characters who are afraid in a dark room have a better chance of making the reader feel that fear. Somebody who is very happy to get the birthday present they most wanted is more likely to make your readers feel good. The unfortunate fellow who got slippers (again) is, well...just out of luck. When you can, think of your movie as a book. No, wait. Book as a movie--yeah--imagine it. Everything has some kind of descriptor associated with it. Darkness can be pitch black. Vehicles,
meaning cars and trucks, can be large or small. Doesn't seem like much, but it matters.
Anything you can describe could happen in your story. that's true for what any character says to somebody in your fictional world. What's the other guy going to say as a reply? Figure that out and you're on your way to dialogue. Throw in some feelings (happy, sad, hate, rage) and you've got some give-and-take with more depth. Top is all off with some narration about surroundings and you are dangerously close to fiction that conveys mood, momentum, and some page-turning because readers want to know more. That's what makes any story readable.
Prologue: Why Does it Matter?
As important at the first chapter in any novel can be, it is worth your time to consider a prologue.
In a nutshell, the prologue is an overview of the situation that you are about to begin reading about. Or, it is a summary of the "backstory" tells you what made all the stuff you're about to read happen.
Some writers prefer to develop these as action-oriented scenes that set the stage for what follows. they are meant to grab your attention. It may matter to the story when you first learn that a character was in a certain place at a certain time, years ago. Some what happened to any of us years ago can affect how we do things today. At first glance, what appears to be common knowledge could be...
You can see where I'm going with this.
I like to paint my word pictures on a big canvas, where things move quickly. I find it most useful to begin a prologue in narrator's voice. Think of it as a voice-over you might hear when a movie starts. Giving you the short version of what has already happened lets me spill more ink faster to reach the "good stuff," like revelations, betrayals, and sometimes...violence.
Prologues let you say something about the fictional world you are working in just once, without ever having to repeat it. Giving readers that sense of foreknowledge can allow their imagination to do more--or less--with that pretend history, as they see fit. Reaching beyond the origin of some things can be quite liberating for the writer who doesn't quite know how their story should end. Grinding out the major portions of any story gives you a chance to rethink the actual start of what just happened in your chapters. That's why some popular stories eventually spawn a prequel, because enough has already happened to make readers want to know more about...the past.
that's why you may have heard a saying that goes: "past is prologue to the future."
In a nutshell, the prologue is an overview of the situation that you are about to begin reading about. Or, it is a summary of the "backstory" tells you what made all the stuff you're about to read happen.
Some writers prefer to develop these as action-oriented scenes that set the stage for what follows. they are meant to grab your attention. It may matter to the story when you first learn that a character was in a certain place at a certain time, years ago. Some what happened to any of us years ago can affect how we do things today. At first glance, what appears to be common knowledge could be...
You can see where I'm going with this.
I like to paint my word pictures on a big canvas, where things move quickly. I find it most useful to begin a prologue in narrator's voice. Think of it as a voice-over you might hear when a movie starts. Giving you the short version of what has already happened lets me spill more ink faster to reach the "good stuff," like revelations, betrayals, and sometimes...violence.
Prologues let you say something about the fictional world you are working in just once, without ever having to repeat it. Giving readers that sense of foreknowledge can allow their imagination to do more--or less--with that pretend history, as they see fit. Reaching beyond the origin of some things can be quite liberating for the writer who doesn't quite know how their story should end. Grinding out the major portions of any story gives you a chance to rethink the actual start of what just happened in your chapters. That's why some popular stories eventually spawn a prequel, because enough has already happened to make readers want to know more about...the past.
that's why you may have heard a saying that goes: "past is prologue to the future."
The Importance of Chapters
As of upir first novel isn't already hard enough, the process gets even more complicated when you consider what goes in to just one chapter. There is no one totally "right" answer to this question, many authors have their own preferences. Some like 'em short and to the point, others really do enjoy bigger chunks. It's all in how you think of your story.
Nothing in any fiction you write will be more important than Chapter One. It is the beginning of all things in your imagined universe. Om the reader's mind, it's the first thing they "see" when they open a book and turn the pages. Prologues are a completely separate matter, so let's just skip them here. All I want to examine for the moment is just Chapter One.
It's not unreasonable for you to think of your book as a movie on paper. It's not an actual screenplay, though it could be--someday (if you're lucky). To make something/anything "happen" in your story, you've got to write it down or type it. Readers don't know what you have already figured out, nothing in your imagination exists until you put it on paper. That's how they see it when they read your stuff.
Some of the very best movies have memorable opening scenes. Even if you can't remember anything else about that film you saw years ago, chances are good that the opening scene(s) stuck with you. Chapter One sets the stage for everything else that happens later. Characters are introduced much like you see them in a movie, walk on and say something that tells you who they are and why they matter in the scheme of things.
My own rule of thumb is to tell you (as the reader) everything you need to know about the story within three to five chapters. By the end of chapter three, four, or five, you'll know just enough to make a decision. Continue reading, or not?
My first novel begins with a funeral, everyone you see and hear from says something important. What looks like a solemn or sad moment is actually more--because of what you learned from those mourners. From that point on, we're off to the races with the turning of each page. Calm and collected gives way to uncertainty, fear, and lots of stress. By the end of chapter three, you have that choice to make. Do you want to know more, or...
There is a reason "why" anyone does anything. Who and what they are plays a big role in what they choose to do. Good Guys fight the Bad Guys, because they don't want them to win. Sometimes, heroes and heroines get pulled in to something they don't immediately understand. Even so, they must still choose to get involved or walk away. Why is it their problem now, when it wasn't just a few sentences ago? Answer that, and you've got yourself a fast start.
All novels have a beginning, a middle, and an end. It's not mandatory for every chapter to contain plot twists, they just need to be important or relevant to the story. Why does anyone have a quick sidebar conversation with somebody who is quite busy just now? Because they have something important to say, or a real need to know why something-anything "is." Using a tense moment like that to fill in vital gaps does a lot to add momentum to any story.
Chapter give your story to the reader in bite-sized amounts. That's what they're supposed to do. When you write big-big chapters, it's like asking anyone to eat a massive sandwich over and over again--they can, but it will be difficult. Instead of having a full stomach that forces them to stop, many readers can't remember all of what happened in the last chapter. So, they don't.
I wasn't entirely joking about books that are made in to screenplays. People who write movie scripts are asked/tasked with putting enough bits and pieces of your story in to a movie format, so that anyone who watches it will get the major points you were trying to communicate. Big novels are summarized, best moments are cherry-picked for the actors. Gun battles and car chases can always be made as long or short as needed. You'll make it easier for Hollywood to like what you did, if those chapters in your book are just the right size to be devoured easily.
That's why the anatomy of chapters should matter.
Nothing in any fiction you write will be more important than Chapter One. It is the beginning of all things in your imagined universe. Om the reader's mind, it's the first thing they "see" when they open a book and turn the pages. Prologues are a completely separate matter, so let's just skip them here. All I want to examine for the moment is just Chapter One.
It's not unreasonable for you to think of your book as a movie on paper. It's not an actual screenplay, though it could be--someday (if you're lucky). To make something/anything "happen" in your story, you've got to write it down or type it. Readers don't know what you have already figured out, nothing in your imagination exists until you put it on paper. That's how they see it when they read your stuff.
Some of the very best movies have memorable opening scenes. Even if you can't remember anything else about that film you saw years ago, chances are good that the opening scene(s) stuck with you. Chapter One sets the stage for everything else that happens later. Characters are introduced much like you see them in a movie, walk on and say something that tells you who they are and why they matter in the scheme of things.
My own rule of thumb is to tell you (as the reader) everything you need to know about the story within three to five chapters. By the end of chapter three, four, or five, you'll know just enough to make a decision. Continue reading, or not?
My first novel begins with a funeral, everyone you see and hear from says something important. What looks like a solemn or sad moment is actually more--because of what you learned from those mourners. From that point on, we're off to the races with the turning of each page. Calm and collected gives way to uncertainty, fear, and lots of stress. By the end of chapter three, you have that choice to make. Do you want to know more, or...
There is a reason "why" anyone does anything. Who and what they are plays a big role in what they choose to do. Good Guys fight the Bad Guys, because they don't want them to win. Sometimes, heroes and heroines get pulled in to something they don't immediately understand. Even so, they must still choose to get involved or walk away. Why is it their problem now, when it wasn't just a few sentences ago? Answer that, and you've got yourself a fast start.
All novels have a beginning, a middle, and an end. It's not mandatory for every chapter to contain plot twists, they just need to be important or relevant to the story. Why does anyone have a quick sidebar conversation with somebody who is quite busy just now? Because they have something important to say, or a real need to know why something-anything "is." Using a tense moment like that to fill in vital gaps does a lot to add momentum to any story.
Chapter give your story to the reader in bite-sized amounts. That's what they're supposed to do. When you write big-big chapters, it's like asking anyone to eat a massive sandwich over and over again--they can, but it will be difficult. Instead of having a full stomach that forces them to stop, many readers can't remember all of what happened in the last chapter. So, they don't.
I wasn't entirely joking about books that are made in to screenplays. People who write movie scripts are asked/tasked with putting enough bits and pieces of your story in to a movie format, so that anyone who watches it will get the major points you were trying to communicate. Big novels are summarized, best moments are cherry-picked for the actors. Gun battles and car chases can always be made as long or short as needed. You'll make it easier for Hollywood to like what you did, if those chapters in your book are just the right size to be devoured easily.
That's why the anatomy of chapters should matter.
What Makes a Hero/Heroine?
As you work to plan out your story, consider one thing when it comes to the development of any heroes or heroines. What challenge is worthy of them? What goal is worth their time to achieve? For that matter, what villain is worthy of their talents--such as they might be? What cause could be worth dying for? Answer these questions (if you can) and you'll know more about your "Good Guys" than will fit in to the story you write.
What is worthy of them?
No matter what your favorite genre is, everybody needs something to "push" against that is somehow (in some way) worth their time to "do." Chalk it up to character motivation, if that's how you see it. Otherwise, think of it as the ultimate reason for their existence.
When you get right down to it, there are two major types of hero/heroine. The first can be thought of as "epic." Exceptional people who do really big (i.e., epic) things that are going to save the day, or the world--most of the time. Those valiant souls who selflessly give their life in service to others are martyrs. they are known for their deeds long after their heroic last stand against impossible odds.
The other guys are, well--they're just regular folks who are often forced to do extraordinary things. They don't have big muscles or movie star smiles--but--they do have a lot of heart, conviction, or a strong belief in what they're doing. Somebody has to stop the Bad Guys, if not you--then who?
Hm. Yeah, about that. Epic heroes and heroines have a tendency to know what they want and why they want it. They always seem to know just why those Bad Guys need to be stopped. That's fine and well for them, what should you do when things aren't so obvious? the terrible truth is that some villains are so darned sneaky that nobody knows what they're doing until chaos has hit the fan.
That's why you need to know so much about your Good Guys. Is there some exotic skill or knowledge they have that provides insight in to the problem? Are they just the right people in the right place at the best possible time to defeat those villains? Yes, I know. All that morality and ethics can be heavy, dark, and deep. Why do you think so many heroes/heroines have hang-ups?
The bottom line is this: if you don't know WHY your protagonists win, they won't be believable. You'll have a hard time explaining HOW they are victorious, if you don't know what makes 'em tick. Police officers quite often have a strong sense of right-and-wrong, it's no surprise when they gut it out to find the truth. Secret Agents can have a real "thing" for patriotism that drives them. When all else fails, Mr. or Ms. Nobody might be concerned with the next person your villains harm. That threat may be just enough to bother them in to action.
What is worthy of them?
No matter what your favorite genre is, everybody needs something to "push" against that is somehow (in some way) worth their time to "do." Chalk it up to character motivation, if that's how you see it. Otherwise, think of it as the ultimate reason for their existence.
When you get right down to it, there are two major types of hero/heroine. The first can be thought of as "epic." Exceptional people who do really big (i.e., epic) things that are going to save the day, or the world--most of the time. Those valiant souls who selflessly give their life in service to others are martyrs. they are known for their deeds long after their heroic last stand against impossible odds.
The other guys are, well--they're just regular folks who are often forced to do extraordinary things. They don't have big muscles or movie star smiles--but--they do have a lot of heart, conviction, or a strong belief in what they're doing. Somebody has to stop the Bad Guys, if not you--then who?
Hm. Yeah, about that. Epic heroes and heroines have a tendency to know what they want and why they want it. They always seem to know just why those Bad Guys need to be stopped. That's fine and well for them, what should you do when things aren't so obvious? the terrible truth is that some villains are so darned sneaky that nobody knows what they're doing until chaos has hit the fan.
That's why you need to know so much about your Good Guys. Is there some exotic skill or knowledge they have that provides insight in to the problem? Are they just the right people in the right place at the best possible time to defeat those villains? Yes, I know. All that morality and ethics can be heavy, dark, and deep. Why do you think so many heroes/heroines have hang-ups?
The bottom line is this: if you don't know WHY your protagonists win, they won't be believable. You'll have a hard time explaining HOW they are victorious, if you don't know what makes 'em tick. Police officers quite often have a strong sense of right-and-wrong, it's no surprise when they gut it out to find the truth. Secret Agents can have a real "thing" for patriotism that drives them. When all else fails, Mr. or Ms. Nobody might be concerned with the next person your villains harm. That threat may be just enough to bother them in to action.
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