Every "how to" book on writing will tell you there are only x number of plots in the world, and the rest are just variations. There's some truth to this, although it's not the whole story by any means. It has been proposed before that there are "seven basic plots"... I'm not sure where this list originated... but here it is (for your reference).
man vs. nature
man vs. man
man vs. the environment
man vs. machines/technology
man vs. the supernatural
man vs. self
man vs. god/religion
I look at this list and think, 'what the hell? This list is crap.' I don't know about you, but it doesn't help me at all with my writing. For your reference, here's my list, which I think is a little better.
1. Disruption
Ex: Girl gets kicked out of house, must find own way in the world.
OR
Ex: Farmer takes up sword when country is invaded by barbarians.
Basically, something bad happens, and the protagonist has to fix it. This plot is both ACTION and CHARACTER focused.
2. Rivalry
Ex: Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty... the endless 'game'
OR
Ex: A man is on the run from the FBI, and must outwit them to stay alive.
A physical chase, a mental game of wits, or just two people who want the same thing trying to outdo each other. This plot is mostly CHARACTER focused, when done right, although ACTION can be an important part of the rivalry as well. Your antagonist is almost as important as your protagonist.
Subcategory: The Complex Problem - the rivalry can be between one person and a seemingly impossible task/problem instead of between two people.
3. Quest
Ex: Frodo in Lord of the Rings
OR
Ex: The prince (or sometimes the princess >_>) goes to rescue the (other) princess
Contrary to popular belief, this is also a CHARACTER focused plot, despite the ACTION necessary to complete the quest.
4. Inner Struggle
Ex: Humphrey Humphrey lusting after Lolita
OR
Ex: A character matures and comes of age, changing because of events in their life (think Catcher in the Rye)
This plot is CHARACTER focused. Basically, it's about one person's struggle to overcome whatever demons they have, or their struggle to grow and change as a human being. If this type of plot is used correctly, the character will be different at the end of the novel than at the beginning.
5. Romance
Ex: Romeo and Juliet
OR
Ex: Do I really need to explain love? You all know what I'm talking about.
Spice this 2000 year old plot with some societal taboos and plenty of action in the middle (even if that action doesn't involve fighting). This is a CHARACTER focused plot.
6. Action
Ex: Indiana Jones
OR
Ex: Basically any action movie ever made...
This is kind of like 'Disruption' or 'Quest', but there is less focus on CHARACTER and more on ACTION. Can be effective if done well, but not the deepest plot type of all time. For example, if a guy is tossed out in the wilderness and has to survive despite the odds, that is an Action plot (unless, while he is in the wild, he ruminates on his own personality and thinks about God, morality, and mankind's role in the world or some such nonsense)
Now, here's the trick. The best novels use ALL of these plot types at once. That list I just gave you was more like a list of ingredients than a list of plots... Although one might be dominant, adding some others can be very helpful. For example, Star Wars is a 'Disruption' plot... Luke Skywalker is basically forced to start his journey when his adoptive parents' house is destroyed and they are murdered. However, it also has elements of Action (all those space battles), Romance (Han and Leia), Quest (Luke is 'the chosen one'), Inner Struggle (several characters have inner struggles), and Rivalry (Dark side vs. Light, Luke vs. Vader/Emperor, ect).
In my own novel, The Second Sister, I use both the Romance and the Disruption plotline in equal doses. Alone, they might not be enough to make an entire novel, but mixed together, they are a very effective combination.
So, start cooking up a good plot with at least one (but hopefully all) of these elements, and you'll be good to go!
One last hint... notice that most of the plots here are CHARACTER focused rather than ACTION focused? Great writers know how to use characters to enhance action, and vice versa. The two play off of each other, but I would argue that strong characters can only strengthen a novel, so they are always my first priority while writing. Usually, the plot and the action follow along nicely.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Characters
Characters can make or break a novel.
No matter how gifted a writer you are, no matter how amazing your plot is, if your characters are lifeless, your novel will fall flat. Here are some rules to follow while creating characters.
1. Give your characters flaws
Although most veteran writers already know this rule, it cannot hurt to restate it: give your characters realistic flaws. Flaws are what make us human, and although they are annoying in real life, they are interesting fodder for a novel. No one wants to read about a rocket scientist super model billionaire.
2. Make your main characters likable (or hatable)
Make the reader care about your character (if they're the good guy) or really despise your character (if they're the bad guy). Of course, there's always room for the shadowy guy in between who cannot decide if he's good or evil, but you should have at least one good, likable character that your audience can root for, even if they don't win in the end.
3. Plant "seeds" of yourself in your characters (or someone else)
I take tiny pieces of myself and my life and plant them in my characters. As I write about these characters, they tend to grow on their own and become something totally different than I envisioned. Gwen Caradoc and Ellie Kingsclere, the narrators in Chopin at 3:00 in the Morning and The Second Sister respectively, are most closely related to me. I think every main character I write about has at least one unique characteristic taken from me or someone I know well.
4. Try taking some notes
When you envision your character in your mind, what do you see? Can you describe them in one sentence? Can you describe them in a paragraph? Name one important memory from their past. What is their full name? What are the names of their parents? Where and when were they born? What are their thoughts on love? You can always look up character question sheets on the internet, there are plenty of good ones out there, but I prefer to go it alone.
5. Find your character's voice
Even if your novel is going to be in third person, I recommend writing a short monologue in first person for your main character(s). It will help you decide how your character talks and thinks, and these quirks can be useful for dialogue scenes later on. Although you certainly do not want to overuse them, zeroing in on a few common expressions or phrases that your main characters use can be useful. Imagine how their voice sounds in your head. When I was much younger and first creating characters of my own, I even tried to imitate their voices and record them on my computer. Although I deleted these files from embarrassment afterward, the process of making them was very useful.
6. You will discover new things about your characters as you write about them
I knew that my characters had begun to take on lives of their own when Gwen, who I created on Christmas Eve when I was twelve, decided that she was a lesbian, dumped the (admittedly dull) boyfriend I created for her, and chose to start dating her best friend Mandy. The characters were so real to me at this point that I had almost no say in this. Watching one of my characters choose her own romantic partner helped me come out to myself, which is probably why Gwen is my favorite character of all time, and the most like me.
Does this sound scary? It is, a little. Here's a hint: if you start losing control of your characters, DO NOT tell non-writers what is going on in your head, because they will think you are crazy. As long as you can separate fiction from reality, you're okay. Just keep it to yourself, or you might get some weird looks... I know from personal experience.
No matter how gifted a writer you are, no matter how amazing your plot is, if your characters are lifeless, your novel will fall flat. Here are some rules to follow while creating characters.
1. Give your characters flaws
Although most veteran writers already know this rule, it cannot hurt to restate it: give your characters realistic flaws. Flaws are what make us human, and although they are annoying in real life, they are interesting fodder for a novel. No one wants to read about a rocket scientist super model billionaire.
2. Make your main characters likable (or hatable)
Make the reader care about your character (if they're the good guy) or really despise your character (if they're the bad guy). Of course, there's always room for the shadowy guy in between who cannot decide if he's good or evil, but you should have at least one good, likable character that your audience can root for, even if they don't win in the end.
3. Plant "seeds" of yourself in your characters (or someone else)
I take tiny pieces of myself and my life and plant them in my characters. As I write about these characters, they tend to grow on their own and become something totally different than I envisioned. Gwen Caradoc and Ellie Kingsclere, the narrators in Chopin at 3:00 in the Morning and The Second Sister respectively, are most closely related to me. I think every main character I write about has at least one unique characteristic taken from me or someone I know well.
4. Try taking some notes
When you envision your character in your mind, what do you see? Can you describe them in one sentence? Can you describe them in a paragraph? Name one important memory from their past. What is their full name? What are the names of their parents? Where and when were they born? What are their thoughts on love? You can always look up character question sheets on the internet, there are plenty of good ones out there, but I prefer to go it alone.
5. Find your character's voice
Even if your novel is going to be in third person, I recommend writing a short monologue in first person for your main character(s). It will help you decide how your character talks and thinks, and these quirks can be useful for dialogue scenes later on. Although you certainly do not want to overuse them, zeroing in on a few common expressions or phrases that your main characters use can be useful. Imagine how their voice sounds in your head. When I was much younger and first creating characters of my own, I even tried to imitate their voices and record them on my computer. Although I deleted these files from embarrassment afterward, the process of making them was very useful.
6. You will discover new things about your characters as you write about them
I knew that my characters had begun to take on lives of their own when Gwen, who I created on Christmas Eve when I was twelve, decided that she was a lesbian, dumped the (admittedly dull) boyfriend I created for her, and chose to start dating her best friend Mandy. The characters were so real to me at this point that I had almost no say in this. Watching one of my characters choose her own romantic partner helped me come out to myself, which is probably why Gwen is my favorite character of all time, and the most like me.
Does this sound scary? It is, a little. Here's a hint: if you start losing control of your characters, DO NOT tell non-writers what is going on in your head, because they will think you are crazy. As long as you can separate fiction from reality, you're okay. Just keep it to yourself, or you might get some weird looks... I know from personal experience.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Write for YOURSELF
Today, I read a post on one of the forums I frequent. It was written by a fellow lesbian who, frustrated at having to sift through terrible lesbian fiction written by dudes who stole everything from the last porno they rented, declared that guys can't write lesbian fiction.
First off, she has a point. Lots of guys who try to write lesbian fiction suck at it. Horribly. But you should never make generalizations about what one should and should not write based on their gender, their race, their age, or any other factor about them. Even if most guys write horrible lesbian fiction, what about the small percentage that do it well? Shouldn't we give them a chance?
Does that mean that, because I'm white, I can't write a story with black characters in it because I don't understand what it's like to be black?
Now, the first thing to do in a situation like this is recognize: hey, this is outside my personal experience, and I should be very careful writing this. I would certainly be cautious while trying to write a story with an all-black cast because I grew up in white/asian/indian suburbia. My interaction with black people was extremely limited until I got older, not because of any restraint on my parents' part, but simply because of my geographic location.
The same goes for a guy writing lesbian fiction. He must be very careful and do his research. No, that does not include watching porn. Doing research means reading lesbian fiction and, if you have any lesbian friends, talking to them about their experiences. Then, try and remember experiences in your own past that can relate to theirs, even if it's only on a small scale.
For example, I cannot imagine the horrors that Irish immigrants faced at the beginning of the twentieth century. They were denied jobs, cursed at, beaten, mocked, spit on... probably raped and murdered in some cases if the perpetrators got too rowdy. However, as a lesbian woman, I do know what it's like to be rejected - even by my own parents. I can tap in to that feeling and use it to identify with other minority groups.
We all have our differences, but the human experience is shared. We all feel the same emotions and dream the same dreams. Yes, it is difficult for us to relate to each other, and as writers, it is difficult to write about characters that seem alien to us, but that should never stop you from writing what you feel called to write... and as readers, we should judge each work based on its merits, not its author's race, gender, ethnicity, social class, or sexual orientation.
Instead of looking at it as an impediment, view it as a challenge and a way to expand your worldview. You never know, you might end up with a masterpiece.
Edit: the "ranter" is actually a very sweet person who admits that while it is rare, it is not entirely impossible for a dude to write lesbian fiction. We're all friendly-like now. n__n I'm only keeping this post up because someone someday might need the encouragement to write something outside of their comfort zone.
First off, she has a point. Lots of guys who try to write lesbian fiction suck at it. Horribly. But you should never make generalizations about what one should and should not write based on their gender, their race, their age, or any other factor about them. Even if most guys write horrible lesbian fiction, what about the small percentage that do it well? Shouldn't we give them a chance?
Does that mean that, because I'm white, I can't write a story with black characters in it because I don't understand what it's like to be black?
Now, the first thing to do in a situation like this is recognize: hey, this is outside my personal experience, and I should be very careful writing this. I would certainly be cautious while trying to write a story with an all-black cast because I grew up in white/asian/indian suburbia. My interaction with black people was extremely limited until I got older, not because of any restraint on my parents' part, but simply because of my geographic location.
The same goes for a guy writing lesbian fiction. He must be very careful and do his research. No, that does not include watching porn. Doing research means reading lesbian fiction and, if you have any lesbian friends, talking to them about their experiences. Then, try and remember experiences in your own past that can relate to theirs, even if it's only on a small scale.
For example, I cannot imagine the horrors that Irish immigrants faced at the beginning of the twentieth century. They were denied jobs, cursed at, beaten, mocked, spit on... probably raped and murdered in some cases if the perpetrators got too rowdy. However, as a lesbian woman, I do know what it's like to be rejected - even by my own parents. I can tap in to that feeling and use it to identify with other minority groups.
We all have our differences, but the human experience is shared. We all feel the same emotions and dream the same dreams. Yes, it is difficult for us to relate to each other, and as writers, it is difficult to write about characters that seem alien to us, but that should never stop you from writing what you feel called to write... and as readers, we should judge each work based on its merits, not its author's race, gender, ethnicity, social class, or sexual orientation.
Instead of looking at it as an impediment, view it as a challenge and a way to expand your worldview. You never know, you might end up with a masterpiece.
Edit: the "ranter" is actually a very sweet person who admits that while it is rare, it is not entirely impossible for a dude to write lesbian fiction. We're all friendly-like now. n__n I'm only keeping this post up because someone someday might need the encouragement to write something outside of their comfort zone.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Slogging Through
To publish a novel, first you must finish it. Only Stephen King can submit a proposal for a novel before it is actually complete (and I'm sure that he outlines his books at the very least before submitting such a proposal).
Finishing a novel is much harder than starting one, and it is easy to get bogged down. Some writers hate beginnings, some writers hate endings, and some hate middles. Usually, my own novels are very strong in the beginning and end portions, but the middle is only a tenuous thread, easily breakable and usually tangled. Right now, I'm in the middle of The Witch's Daughter, and it's not the most exciting part of the book to write (although I hope that it will be exciting to read).
To motivate myself, I have spent time on the beginning and end of the novel as well, typing out pieces of the middle in between so that I don't get overwhelmed. My middles also tend to have the most sex scenes and romantic bits, because the end and beginning are usually more plot-focused. Sex scenes are a great way to distract myself from how much I hate writing middles. And boy do I hate middles!
So think of ways to spice up your middle if you find yourself stuck. Although my novels usually have sex, many novels do not, and there are plenty of other ways to keep the momentum moving forward. Introduce a new character, perhaps one that is not clearly good or evil, for the reader to wonder about. Insert a natural disaster, an attack, or an invasion. If you are writing in a modern-day setting, the attack can be a verbal one or some kind of fight. Have your protagonist injure themselves, have the villain make an appearance, write scenes in which a side-character becomes more prominent and begins acting mysteriously, reveal a secret about the protagonist's past. Just do something, or you will get bored with your writing, and when a writer is bored, the reader can tell. Stave off boredom at all cost by introducing the unexpected.
Although it can be tedious, plotting out your entire novel from beginning to end is also a great way to keep yourself on track. You can do this in several ways. First, write a summary. Try reading the jackets of a few books in your room to see what I mean. It should only be a few sentences that clearly state the main conflict of the book, introduce the protagonist, and leave you interested. You can choose to include your ending, or not. Then, use that paragraph to write a synopsis. You can even use this synopsis later to submit your novel to a publisher! A synopsis should be one page, single spaced, and outline all the scenes you want in your book. You don't have to finish your summary right away if some of the spots in your novel seem unclear. This is only the planning stage. You can add to or delete from this summary later. However, it will outline the spots that you need to focus on so that you can smooth them out.
These summaries are always written in the PRESENT TENSE. For example, my summary for The Second Sister begins: Eleanor Sandleford is thrown into a volatile situation when her father, Lord Roland, marries Lady Kingsclere. Although her new stepmother appears friendly, Ellie notices tension between her two stepsisters, Luciana and Belladonna.
You get the idea.
If you can't be bothered to write a summary when you get stuck, try doing an outline instead. Just use some bullet points to list scenes and characters that are important in your novel. You can organize this outline any way you like, and no one has to see it but you. Just make sure that you can understand what you mean when you go back and read it later. (I admit that I have occasionally referenced plot ideas in these quick outlines that I later forgot).
The most important thing to do is keep writing. Even if you feel like you're at a boring part, keep writing! You can always delete or brush up that part later if it seems sluggish or lugubrious. Just keep pushing forward, and eventually you will get to a more interesting part.
Finishing a novel is much harder than starting one, and it is easy to get bogged down. Some writers hate beginnings, some writers hate endings, and some hate middles. Usually, my own novels are very strong in the beginning and end portions, but the middle is only a tenuous thread, easily breakable and usually tangled. Right now, I'm in the middle of The Witch's Daughter, and it's not the most exciting part of the book to write (although I hope that it will be exciting to read).
To motivate myself, I have spent time on the beginning and end of the novel as well, typing out pieces of the middle in between so that I don't get overwhelmed. My middles also tend to have the most sex scenes and romantic bits, because the end and beginning are usually more plot-focused. Sex scenes are a great way to distract myself from how much I hate writing middles. And boy do I hate middles!
So think of ways to spice up your middle if you find yourself stuck. Although my novels usually have sex, many novels do not, and there are plenty of other ways to keep the momentum moving forward. Introduce a new character, perhaps one that is not clearly good or evil, for the reader to wonder about. Insert a natural disaster, an attack, or an invasion. If you are writing in a modern-day setting, the attack can be a verbal one or some kind of fight. Have your protagonist injure themselves, have the villain make an appearance, write scenes in which a side-character becomes more prominent and begins acting mysteriously, reveal a secret about the protagonist's past. Just do something, or you will get bored with your writing, and when a writer is bored, the reader can tell. Stave off boredom at all cost by introducing the unexpected.
Although it can be tedious, plotting out your entire novel from beginning to end is also a great way to keep yourself on track. You can do this in several ways. First, write a summary. Try reading the jackets of a few books in your room to see what I mean. It should only be a few sentences that clearly state the main conflict of the book, introduce the protagonist, and leave you interested. You can choose to include your ending, or not. Then, use that paragraph to write a synopsis. You can even use this synopsis later to submit your novel to a publisher! A synopsis should be one page, single spaced, and outline all the scenes you want in your book. You don't have to finish your summary right away if some of the spots in your novel seem unclear. This is only the planning stage. You can add to or delete from this summary later. However, it will outline the spots that you need to focus on so that you can smooth them out.
These summaries are always written in the PRESENT TENSE. For example, my summary for The Second Sister begins: Eleanor Sandleford is thrown into a volatile situation when her father, Lord Roland, marries Lady Kingsclere. Although her new stepmother appears friendly, Ellie notices tension between her two stepsisters, Luciana and Belladonna.
You get the idea.
If you can't be bothered to write a summary when you get stuck, try doing an outline instead. Just use some bullet points to list scenes and characters that are important in your novel. You can organize this outline any way you like, and no one has to see it but you. Just make sure that you can understand what you mean when you go back and read it later. (I admit that I have occasionally referenced plot ideas in these quick outlines that I later forgot).
The most important thing to do is keep writing. Even if you feel like you're at a boring part, keep writing! You can always delete or brush up that part later if it seems sluggish or lugubrious. Just keep pushing forward, and eventually you will get to a more interesting part.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Draw Inspiration From Your Life
Really good writers make you feel something. Somehow, they use their mystical writing powers to tap into your deepest, most primal emotions and draw them out. They do this by using echos of their own experiences - their own frustrations, their own troubles, their own joys - and inserting them into their writing.
This can be very frightening. Sharing your most intimate thoughts and feelings with a bunch of strangers is difficult. But your most powerful emotional ideas are probably also your most interesting ones. Although your internal censor is important for keeping a conversation on friendly, neutral territory, you do not need to keep your guard up when you are writing. In fact, it is important to knock that wall down.
Remember a time when you were totally happy. It could have been yesterday, or it could have been decades ago when you were much younger. Remember a time when you were consumed by guilt. How would you put those emotions on paper? Use experiences from your own life to put emotion into your writing. You do not need to keep the circumstances identical, just the emotions. It is a writer's job to be every character, to feel every emotion, to experience everything so that they can retell the experience.
There is a place where you need to draw the line. If you have a killer in your novel, no one expects you to go out and murder someone so that you know what it feels like. But reading autobiographies about murderers, imagining how someone might feel after committing a murder, and drawing upon your own experiences and amplifying them (were you ever angry enough that you wished someone were dead, even though you would never actually hurt them?) can create a startlingly accurate picture.
Personally, to express feelings of grief, guilt, self-hatred, and betrayal, I draw on my own experiences with my mother. Coming out to her was very painful and difficult. Although I certainly do not wish to repeat the experience, it is somewhat therapeutic to inject those experiences into my writing. It leaves more room inside of me for new feelings, better feelings. It's a little like sucking poison out of a wound.
Conveying the human experience, its pleasures and joys as well as its faults and limitations, is every writer's job.
This can be very frightening. Sharing your most intimate thoughts and feelings with a bunch of strangers is difficult. But your most powerful emotional ideas are probably also your most interesting ones. Although your internal censor is important for keeping a conversation on friendly, neutral territory, you do not need to keep your guard up when you are writing. In fact, it is important to knock that wall down.
Remember a time when you were totally happy. It could have been yesterday, or it could have been decades ago when you were much younger. Remember a time when you were consumed by guilt. How would you put those emotions on paper? Use experiences from your own life to put emotion into your writing. You do not need to keep the circumstances identical, just the emotions. It is a writer's job to be every character, to feel every emotion, to experience everything so that they can retell the experience.
There is a place where you need to draw the line. If you have a killer in your novel, no one expects you to go out and murder someone so that you know what it feels like. But reading autobiographies about murderers, imagining how someone might feel after committing a murder, and drawing upon your own experiences and amplifying them (were you ever angry enough that you wished someone were dead, even though you would never actually hurt them?) can create a startlingly accurate picture.
Personally, to express feelings of grief, guilt, self-hatred, and betrayal, I draw on my own experiences with my mother. Coming out to her was very painful and difficult. Although I certainly do not wish to repeat the experience, it is somewhat therapeutic to inject those experiences into my writing. It leaves more room inside of me for new feelings, better feelings. It's a little like sucking poison out of a wound.
Conveying the human experience, its pleasures and joys as well as its faults and limitations, is every writer's job.
Worldbuilding: Part Two
Building your own world can be exciting and difficult. I have already written about this subject, but here are some more ways to get inspired.
1. Research mythology and legends.
They can give you some surprising ideas. In my novel, Wolf's Eyes, the process of turning a human into a Wyr (Werewolf) is based on ancient mythology about werewolves and the vikings - sewing animal skin onto your body allows you to turn into the animal or channel its spirit.
2. Don't "steal", but "borrow"
I am a total advocate of "borrowing" ideas from other writers. The trick is to change these ideas enough so that no one recognizes where they are from or who came up with them. You must make them your own, or else that would be stealing, and stealing is wrong. >_> I will take the secret of where I came up with some of my ideas to my grave.
3. Make your themes human.
Sometimes, writers of sci-fi and fantasy forget that their stories aren't just about magic and spaceships, but about characters and their relationships. The setting is only that: a setting. As interesting as that setting may be, don't use it to carry the story.
4. Bounce ideas off a friend/family member/lover.
My novels would never have been written if my friends, and especially my girlfriend, had not put up with my nonsensical ramblings about plot ideas. They told me when it was good, when it sucked, and when they thought I was going in the wrong direction. Find honest ones willing to put up with you, and you're golden. If they are also writers, return the favor.
5. For heaven's sake, please make your names readable and not difficult to pronounce. Xtthrllsax is not a name. S'ri'lan'wee is also not a name. Try taking some human names and tweaking them a little bit instead of going all crazy with the consonants and apostrophes.
6. Read lots of books.
The only way to truly learn how to write fantasy and sci-fi is to become a reader. See how the good authors did it. If you find a bad fantasy or sci-fi book, make note of why you don't like it, and remember never to make the same mistakes. Keep a journal, if it helps.
7. Writer's Notebook
I love having a Writer's Notebook. It's a great way to write down any ideas you have. Don't censor yourself. If you want to write down 'Romeo and Juliet in SPACE!!!', then do it. Even if it never becomes the basis for your next great novel, you never know what ramblings of yours might be useful later on. All you have to lose is a little ink from your pen.
1. Research mythology and legends.
They can give you some surprising ideas. In my novel, Wolf's Eyes, the process of turning a human into a Wyr (Werewolf) is based on ancient mythology about werewolves and the vikings - sewing animal skin onto your body allows you to turn into the animal or channel its spirit.
2. Don't "steal", but "borrow"
I am a total advocate of "borrowing" ideas from other writers. The trick is to change these ideas enough so that no one recognizes where they are from or who came up with them. You must make them your own, or else that would be stealing, and stealing is wrong. >_> I will take the secret of where I came up with some of my ideas to my grave.
3. Make your themes human.
Sometimes, writers of sci-fi and fantasy forget that their stories aren't just about magic and spaceships, but about characters and their relationships. The setting is only that: a setting. As interesting as that setting may be, don't use it to carry the story.
4. Bounce ideas off a friend/family member/lover.
My novels would never have been written if my friends, and especially my girlfriend, had not put up with my nonsensical ramblings about plot ideas. They told me when it was good, when it sucked, and when they thought I was going in the wrong direction. Find honest ones willing to put up with you, and you're golden. If they are also writers, return the favor.
5. For heaven's sake, please make your names readable and not difficult to pronounce. Xtthrllsax is not a name. S'ri'lan'wee is also not a name. Try taking some human names and tweaking them a little bit instead of going all crazy with the consonants and apostrophes.
6. Read lots of books.
The only way to truly learn how to write fantasy and sci-fi is to become a reader. See how the good authors did it. If you find a bad fantasy or sci-fi book, make note of why you don't like it, and remember never to make the same mistakes. Keep a journal, if it helps.
7. Writer's Notebook
I love having a Writer's Notebook. It's a great way to write down any ideas you have. Don't censor yourself. If you want to write down 'Romeo and Juliet in SPACE!!!', then do it. Even if it never becomes the basis for your next great novel, you never know what ramblings of yours might be useful later on. All you have to lose is a little ink from your pen.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Worldbuilding
Someone asked me to do a short and to-the-point guide for Worldbuilding, so here's Rae D. Magdon's fast and quick guide to Worldbuilding for Beginners. =D If you're looking for a starting point for your Sci-Fi or Fantasy story, look no further.
1. You get one "freebie".
I give credit for this rule to Holly Lisle, a great author with a great website that you should check out: www.hollylisle.com Anyway, the gist of this rule is that you can only have one unbelievable/illogical thing in your story. In fantasy, this is the presence of magic. In sci-fi, this is warp-speed, inter-dimensional shifting, or whatever method you use to overcome space's vastness so that difference races from other planets may interact. You used your freebie, so everything else in your story has to have some kind of explanation or make at least a modicum of sense. Don't go crazy and use too many deus ex machinas or introduce other unbelievable plot points/characters/additions to your setting, or the reader will just assume that you are bonkers and find a different story.
2. But really, it's not free, because you have to explain it - Magic (part one)
Magic has to have some kind of basic explanation, or at least a power source. Please don't just make your characters omnipotent. This is one of the only things that bugs me about the Harry Potter series, in fact. In JK's universe, magic has no source. A wizard can keep casting spells for hours if they can concentrate hard enough. Orson Scott Card used blood in one of his books. Other writers have used physical energy (you need energy to cast a spell). In the wonderful fantasy book The Alchemyst, characters tap in to their 'auras', which can be depleted. In Sabriel, Lirael, and The Abhorsen, by Garth Nix, characters tap into a vast source of energy called The Charter and use 'Marks' to channel it. These marks can be spoken, drawn, signed, whistled, ect. It's very cool. Anyway, if you're doing a fantasy novel, come up with some explanation for your magic... but remember, keep it short! Show and don't tell.
2. But really, it's not free, because you have to explain it - Inter-dimensional Travel/Power Source (part two)
Sci-fi writers aren't off the hook. You have to explain how your characters conquered space. In Madeline L'Engle's Wrinkle In Time, she uses the 'tesseract', which is a separate dimension that you pass through, allowing you to 'fold' time and space like a wrinkle and walk through it... picture folding a blanket so that you can walk from one side to the other in just a step. In one of Holly Lisle's books, I know that she 'folds' space into a decahedron so you can travel to several points. A certain television show *cough cough* uses Warp Speed... come up with something. Oh, and you have to have some kind of gas/mineral/power source for your technology to run on. Even if you never explain this stuff in your novel, you have to know it.
3. NO prologue
For god's sake, even though Anne McCaffrey did it, you are not allowed to write a prologue explaining the setting of your story. It's kind of like Picasso - he was a fine art student that created realistic paintings before he branched out into cubism. You have to know the rules before you can break them. Even though some great authors have done them, that doesn't mean you have to... really, trust me. Instead of writing a prologue explaining the history of the universe/your magical kingdom, introduce it in tidbits throughout the story. This can even be conversation filler or make for some interesting plot points. It worked for J.K. Rowling, after all... she didn't explain the whole Harry Potter universe, she just told the story and let the reader figure it out by showing and not telling.
4. Explain in pieces
This is related to rule three. If you have to explain something about the world in your novel, do it in pieces. Slip information in bit by bit instead of clumping it all together or the reader will get bored.
5. Fill your world
Creating sentient races/species is hard. You want to be original, but not outlandish. If there is some weird creature in your book, find an explanation for it. Show how it adapted to its surroundings in a sci-fi world, or make it the product of a magical explosion or accident. No huge explanation is needed, just a snippet of dialogue or a few sentences will do, but make sure you do SOMETHING before populating your world with spider-bears. The creatures you use have to make sense...
I will post a continuation to this guide some time tomorrow, but here's something to get you started. ^_^ Have fun.
1. You get one "freebie".
I give credit for this rule to Holly Lisle, a great author with a great website that you should check out: www.hollylisle.com Anyway, the gist of this rule is that you can only have one unbelievable/illogical thing in your story. In fantasy, this is the presence of magic. In sci-fi, this is warp-speed, inter-dimensional shifting, or whatever method you use to overcome space's vastness so that difference races from other planets may interact. You used your freebie, so everything else in your story has to have some kind of explanation or make at least a modicum of sense. Don't go crazy and use too many deus ex machinas or introduce other unbelievable plot points/characters/additions to your setting, or the reader will just assume that you are bonkers and find a different story.
2. But really, it's not free, because you have to explain it - Magic (part one)
Magic has to have some kind of basic explanation, or at least a power source. Please don't just make your characters omnipotent. This is one of the only things that bugs me about the Harry Potter series, in fact. In JK's universe, magic has no source. A wizard can keep casting spells for hours if they can concentrate hard enough. Orson Scott Card used blood in one of his books. Other writers have used physical energy (you need energy to cast a spell). In the wonderful fantasy book The Alchemyst, characters tap in to their 'auras', which can be depleted. In Sabriel, Lirael, and The Abhorsen, by Garth Nix, characters tap into a vast source of energy called The Charter and use 'Marks' to channel it. These marks can be spoken, drawn, signed, whistled, ect. It's very cool. Anyway, if you're doing a fantasy novel, come up with some explanation for your magic... but remember, keep it short! Show and don't tell.
2. But really, it's not free, because you have to explain it - Inter-dimensional Travel/Power Source (part two)
Sci-fi writers aren't off the hook. You have to explain how your characters conquered space. In Madeline L'Engle's Wrinkle In Time, she uses the 'tesseract', which is a separate dimension that you pass through, allowing you to 'fold' time and space like a wrinkle and walk through it... picture folding a blanket so that you can walk from one side to the other in just a step. In one of Holly Lisle's books, I know that she 'folds' space into a decahedron so you can travel to several points. A certain television show *cough cough* uses Warp Speed... come up with something. Oh, and you have to have some kind of gas/mineral/power source for your technology to run on. Even if you never explain this stuff in your novel, you have to know it.
3. NO prologue
For god's sake, even though Anne McCaffrey did it, you are not allowed to write a prologue explaining the setting of your story. It's kind of like Picasso - he was a fine art student that created realistic paintings before he branched out into cubism. You have to know the rules before you can break them. Even though some great authors have done them, that doesn't mean you have to... really, trust me. Instead of writing a prologue explaining the history of the universe/your magical kingdom, introduce it in tidbits throughout the story. This can even be conversation filler or make for some interesting plot points. It worked for J.K. Rowling, after all... she didn't explain the whole Harry Potter universe, she just told the story and let the reader figure it out by showing and not telling.
4. Explain in pieces
This is related to rule three. If you have to explain something about the world in your novel, do it in pieces. Slip information in bit by bit instead of clumping it all together or the reader will get bored.
5. Fill your world
Creating sentient races/species is hard. You want to be original, but not outlandish. If there is some weird creature in your book, find an explanation for it. Show how it adapted to its surroundings in a sci-fi world, or make it the product of a magical explosion or accident. No huge explanation is needed, just a snippet of dialogue or a few sentences will do, but make sure you do SOMETHING before populating your world with spider-bears. The creatures you use have to make sense...
I will post a continuation to this guide some time tomorrow, but here's something to get you started. ^_^ Have fun.
