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Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024

2:48am EST

Members: 717

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Writing Blog Number 2

by Santeven Quokklaus

Rated: 18+ · Book · Personal · #2311764

This is a continuation of my blogging here at WdC

This will be a blog for my writing, maybe with (too much) personal thrown in. I am hoping it will be a little more interactive, with me answering questions, helping out and whatnot. If it falls this year (2024), then I may stop the whole blogging thing, but that's all a "wait and see" scenario.

An index of topics can be found here: "Writing Blog No.2 Index"

Feel free to comment and interact.

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Kåre เลียม Enga

about 2 hours ago
In response to "20241221 Kudzu Plotting"

IMO Anne McCaffrey does this well with the parallel Dragonriders of Pern and Harper Hall trilogies. Adults-with-dragons; youth with fire-dragons. Memorable world building. Wonderful characters.

Kudzu the plant... only a curse for those who don't know its uses: forage, food, fiber.

Santeven Quokklaus

a day ago
In response to "20241219 'Misogyny' In Writing"

🐕GeminiGem🎁 - I chose Grease because it is so egregious and goes against everything Sandy had demonstrated up to that point. Dirty Dancing was set a few years later (early 60s), and, though Baby changes, it is gradual and is more a change of growing up, being true to herself. So, I think the time period can be used effectively without being so demeaning. As I see it.

🐕GeminiGem🎁

a day ago
In response to "20241219 'Misogyny' In Writing"

I agree that when a woman changes herself to attract a man shows misogyny and is annoying...but...using the movie Grease as an example it an interesting choice. Yes, the lead female changes her appearance to appeal to the male. I think it was more because of peer pressure, but the peer pressure happened because of the pervasive misogyny of the peers. Interestingly, the male character does the exact same thing for the same reasons.

The movie is set in the 1950's, a time where the misogyny we see now is even waaaay worse. So, here is a thought. If you are writing about a time period like that and are showing social interactions of the characters, something like the pervasive misogyny is going to be true to the time and place the story takes place. Does that excuse it? No, of course not, but having present-day sensibilities in an era like that would make the story seem really off.

Kåre เลียม Enga

a day ago
In response to "20241219 'Misogyny' In Writing"

In my travels I try to connect with most everyone. I wonder what my stats would be... but many contacts have names whether human or not, whether the boss or 'servant' or guest.

In my writings...

thinking.

I do have characters without names.

SAD Holiday Potato

Dec 18, 2024 at 3:54pm
In response to "20241218 Children Characters"

As someone who is an Aunt to two children who have an age difference of four years, I can definitely tell you that they act completely different. Even though one of them is neurodivergent, the older one definitely acts more mature than the younger one.(also the older one has never tried to lick my feet.)

With very few exceptions, I've never had to tell an adult "stop eating my dress," "please don't lick me" or "stop pulling my hair," to anyone over the age of six. Yet within the last year or so I've had to tell my five year old niece these things repeatedly. She thinks this is hilarious.

Anyways, thanks for pointing out that kids aren't just miniature adults! I'll try to keep that in mind while writing.

Santeven Quokklaus

Dec 18, 2024 at 6:44am
In response to "20241218 Children Characters"

Elisa: Snowman Stik - Writing about those who are neurodivergent is not something I feel I can talk about comfortably. I am trained as a teacher of those on the spectrum, and so I would not write a character in that regard because I do not feel it is my story to tell. But, yes, that last point may not apply to a child with developmental issues.

1 Like

Elisa: Snowman Stik

Dec 18, 2024 at 6:28am
In response to "20241218 Children Characters"

I am curious if there is wiggle room for the last point for child characters with developmental disabilities. (I do recognize this kind of character presents its own set of development pitfalls in terms of depicting the disability without stereotyping. That said, I think this can be a reasonable exception to the rule when done with care.)

1 Like

Once in Ryan David's City

Dec 16, 2024 at 1:26am
In response to "20241216 Poor Characterisation"

There was once a variation of "compressed vice" in an original episode of Star Trek ("Who Mourns for Adonais?"), where a landing party of the usual suspects + one random never-seen-before-or-since female crew member are captured by the god Apollo and they turn the usually gruff Scotty into a simpering, love-struck puppy to try to introduce some conflict when Apollo puts the moves on her. Why they didn't just have Kirk horndogging it as usual I do not know - at least then everybody would have remained consistently in character. It looks like Scotty, it sounds like Scotty, but WTF?

1 Like

SAD Holiday Potato

Dec 14, 2024 at 3:41pm
In response to "20241214 Punk Genres"

This is interesting yet confusing. So basically it's like world building but with the word "punk" in there to make it sound cooler.
Maybe I misunderstand.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Dec 7, 2024 at 2:55am
In response to "20241207 Problems With Using Reality"

That or "to-ell-wit-it" and suffer the consequences.

Every society draws the lines differently. A traveler needs to be aware. Even words matter. The British and Thais are strict when it comes to slander.

December 21, 2024 at 12:09am

#1081366

20241221 Kudzu Plotting

Kudzu Plotting

So, this is something that came up on Discord the other day, and the name comes, I believe, from that old favourite TV Tropes.
Kudzu is a plant that has so many tendrils that you can’t tell where it begins or ends. A Kudzu Plot is when an author has multiple storylines going throughout the tale and, at the end, you can’t tell what is what and what has happened.

Kudzu plotting results in five things:
1) there are so many plot threads that a reader loses what is happening to who and where. This is especially the case with some fantasy epics;
2) there are so many plot-lines going that some end up abandoned mid-story with no resolution;
3) there are so many plot threads going that some end up just not resolved effectively, or resolved so that it makes no sense, tacked on near the end;
4) the plot threads do not all come together in one over-arching ending, and so creating several endings; &/or
5) some plot threads and characters do not interact with others.

When faced with a Kudzu plot as a writer, it might be best to separate the tales and, instead of writing one huge book, write a series of books, related to one another by location. Even if they share a character with one other plot thread, this character can either be replaced, or it can be the further adventures of that character. But it would be exceedingly rare for this character to be a main character in two plot threads, so them coming and going from a second book is fine.
Kudzu Plotting is something that can come from an overly planned story; it is rare for pantsed stories to become this convoluted because of the nature of writing as a pantser. A highly detailed plot where the writer wants to include as much as they think of in one story is where this tends to arise. Or they have that 10-volume epic in mind and want enough story to fill all ten volumes.
Look, don’t get me wrong, if done well, it can be rewarding for a reader, but more fail than succeed.
To me, one example stands out of a bad Kudzu plot, and it’s from my very favourite author. Stephen King’s Dark Tower series has a lot of untied loose ends, characters that disappear, and a most unsatisfying ending, with a lame final battle. In. My. Opinion.
Even a film as simple as The Room (Tommy Wiseau’s “classic”), manages to have a Kudzu Plot, with so much unresolved at the end.
So, of course, use one if you wish, just be careful of the many potential issues that could arise.

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