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 |  This is a continuation of my blogging here at WdC |
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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. |
| When Life Gets In The Way So, this was in a recent newsletter I received (from K.M. Weiland, for those playing at home), and is something that came up in my recent post about the Muddy Middle ("20240627 Motivation In The Middle" ) recently.How do you keep on writing when LIFE gets in the way? See, that’s the problem. With very few exceptions, most writers need to have a life in order to (a) earn money to stay alive, (b) keep spouses/ children/ significant others happy, (c) study effectively, (d) not go insane, and/or (e) any or all of the above. So, here are some techniques you can use to get that write-work-life balance that is apparently so important to be a healthy, functioning member of what we shall call society. A lot of this will seem like a repeat of combatting writer’s malaise ("20240517 Combatting Writer's Malaise" ) I mentioned earlier, and, yes, the two are related.So, some ways to combine a “life” and your writing. As usual with advice like this, not all of it is going to work for everyone, and so take and pick what works for you. 1. Work out how serious you are about your writing First and foremost – is writing a hobby, a passion, a means for an income, a compulsion, or a mix of some of these? How important writing is in your life and scheme of things should be where you first approach this. Maybe even establish a list of priorities. Where does writing fit? In my case – kids first, writing second, and if I had a relationship it would be third, if I had a job, fourth. But that is me. Is writing your first priority, or your tenth? It doesn’t matter, but you need to be honest with yourself. You need to remember that the lower on your list of priorities life falls, the more life there is that can potentially get in the way of the writing. So, if writing is a hobby, eighth on your list of priorities, then life getting in the way is expected and is more urgent for you. And that is perfectly fine and valid. But you need to be honest here. 2. Identify Your Pain Points This is directly from Weiland’s newsletter, and I could not think of a better term. This is identifying which elements of your life are those causing the greatest blockage to you being able to write? Is it something you have set a higher priority on, or something that you just can’t get out of? Is it something that just distracts you? Again, make a list. It could be you’re too tired, you have chores, you get distracted by social media, you watch TV, anything. Which of these are important? Which are not? With a list you can work out which are important, and which are not. And this then becomes shedding those unimportant aspects. 3. Minimizing Distractions Now that we have worked out the priorities and everything else, we have to be strong. Because this is where the unproductive activities that take time away from writing need to be discarded. I don’t mean give them up all together, but minimising them. And, really, you would be surprised how easy it is to give them up. I watch TV maybe 5 hours a week, and use social media (excluding WdC) maybe once or twice a week. Of course, I am still falling into Internet rabbit holes when researching for stories, but that is something I am slowly getting down to a better level as well. This might even be something like putting the dog outside, locking the cat in the laundry, turning the phone to “airplane mode” or putting the kids in front of the TV watching something you hate. But the distractions are not your priority, and you need to keep that in mind. 4. Schedule The best way to do this is to set a schedule. A time when each of the priorities can be slotted into a day can be worked out, based around times of things you know. And so that means setting aside a set time each day for writing. It does not need to be a few hours – it can be a mere fifteen minutes or so – but schedule it. And write this schedule down. 5. Tell everyone what you are doing and why, and how important this is You are not going to be able to do this on your own if you live in a household with others. Those you live with need to be on board with what you are trying to achieve. For example, if you have a partner who scoffs at this and does not value your writing, then I would be asking questions. Do not hide this from anyone. It might end up resulting in you writing stuff to entertain 3 year olds (experience talking here), or having to share early draft with family, but they will soon grow sick of it and leave you to do your thing because they know it is your thing. 6. Form a habit Schedule writing time, let everyone know, set it as a priority… all of this should lead into the act of writing becoming a habit. And the habit will not just be yours, but your family’s. They will know when to leave you alone, what times and what activities tell them to solve non-urgent problems themselves. And if you are not writing, you will be asked, “Why aren’t you writing?” that is a good thing – it shows your family is on board with what you are doing. 7. Give writing the right amount of time This is something that leads on from the previous two. Do not set your writing schedule at such a low level that you will not get anything meaningful done, and don’t set it at such a high level that nothing else gets done and other priorities are ignored. You need to work out for yourself how much time is “right”, to be writing regularly. Everyone is different, no specific amount of time is better than any other. You also need to realise that when you are on a roll with writing, the schedule could go out the window. Especially during NaNoWriMo, I have been known to write for a solid 14 hours. And your family needs to be aware of that. But, in general, make sure you assign yourself a personally realistic daily writing habit. 8. Life and writing are not separate Writing is a part of your life, it is not a separate entity you can slip into like the wardrobe to Narnia. Trying to slot writing in around “life” is the wrong mindset – writing is a part of your life and should become such. This can be really hard for those with families, as it feels like you are neglecting those you prioritise more than others in order to indulge in a selfish, solo endeavour. But that is what the previous things have been saying – writing is a part of your life, not separate from it, and it needs to be made to feel as such. Make writing a part of your everyday, a part of your “life” and that feeling of there being a disconnect between the two should eventually fade. And then you will see all the writing prompts that exist around you in the everyday and the mundane. And, really, how can we write meaningfully when we have not lived a life? 9. Find support systems A support system is not just something that comes from within the family and the home. To keep this going, you could well find that you need an external support system that you can vent to about the things not working with your writing… or your life. I don’t necessarily mean a mental health professional, a therapist, a counsellor, or the like – it could just be a fellow writer. Yes, I think it needs to be someone who knows what it means to try to write and be the sort of creative person who needs to get those words out. This could be a person IRL, or even a member of an online writing community, but having that support system to give you the confidence to keep writing can be important. 10. Life will still get in the way! No matter what we do, no matter how well we schedule, no matter how good those habits are, life will still get in the way. Illness, work, delays, car breakdowns, kid sport events – life finds a way. Here’s the most important advice here: Don’t beat yourself up over it! Life is going to happen, and there are always going to be events we are unprepared for. Writing is like everything else – you have to work around these extraordinary happenings and just get on with things the best you can. And that is key to all of this – we cannot control everything. Sometimes we have to go with the flow and come back to whatever normalcy is when we can. I don’t mean to be prescriptive; this is all merely advice. You might have other ways of dealing with non-writing life, and if they work for you, excellent. But if you are having trouble, I hope this has been of some help to everyone. |
| Motivation In The Middle The final question from the initial run! How to stay motivated through the muddy middle Okay, this was a hard one for me, because I don’t have this issue, and the email I sent out indicated only one of the authors did. So I have reached further afield, and went to the 2 writing servers on Discord I am a member of. There, it seemed it was not a large problem amongst those who are on there, but for those who do identify, it seems to be a large mental hurdle. And then I looked online and found that it is not widespread, but common enough for a heap of old blog articles to address it. I thought, by the way, this would be a pantser problem, where pantsers just run out of steam or go off on a tangent they can’t get back from, but, no, it also hassles those with intricate plotting techniques. So, what are we looking at here? Stuck In The Middle The “Middle” of the story is that period after the set-up and initial complication, but before the climax and final denouement. It is where we get set-backs, side-challenges and things like that. So why do some writers get stuck here? Based on my online discussions and some research there seems to be four reasons: 1) Boredom. Yes, seriously – the writer, even with a plan, gets bored with their story because they just want to get to the exciting bits at the end. 2) Confusion. The writer has trouble seeing where they are now is going to lead to where they want to go. Planners tend not to be confused, but sometimes they do because now the plan doesn’t do what they want it to do. 3) Apathy. The story has been with the writer so long that they no longer care about it. This could indicate a variety of other issues, but a general feeling of not caring because you know the ins and outs of the tale is a very real issue. A classic example of familiarity breeds contempt. 4) External factors. This is when a writer is drawn by life outside of the story so much that writing through the middle of the story holds no appeal or there does not seem to be time. Interestingly, from my research, this rarely happens when a writer is at the beginning or end of a project. What To Do So, this was interesting to research and it all boils down to two simple suggestions from a wide variety of websites, authors and online discussions. Well, three, but I am not one to tell a writer to abandon the project. Seriously, the amount of writing sites and writers who said that if you get bogged down in the middle you should just give up completely and go on to something else was incredible. So, first is to put it aside for a decent length of time. If you are a plotter, then your notes will be there for you to come back to and resume where you left off. If you are a pantser, then write a few quick notes to remind you where you were going. But let it go for a long while. In fact, the general consensus is to write something else in the meantime, and this should be nothing to do with what you are having trouble with. In fact, at least one guide said write a completely different sort of thing. Try a different genre, or if you’re struggling with a novel, write an essay, or a series of poems, or the like – just separate yourself from the work. This can help with boredom, confusion and apathy. Second suggestion is go to the ending and write the climax and denouement. Work backwards from there. You might find yourself then darting to where you became bogged down and adding there, and going back and forth from end to middle until they meet up. On the other hand, two of the authors’ blogs said they often get to the middle where they are bogged and find they’ve done something in the story that will not lead to where they want to go, and so they can make changes earlier. This can help with confusion and boredom. What About Other Suggestions? These are from me and how I see things, so take them with a grain of salt. First is that the writer might have chosen the wrong format for their story idea. What this means is they are trying to write what would be a great short story as a novel, or a solid novel idea as a 10-part epic fantasy. This is where my suggestion from a blog post months ago comes in – do not write your story with a set length in mind. Just write the story and let the ideas you have decide its length. Easy for me to say, sure, but it is the only way to be true to your own creativity. Another one from my head is that there might be an element of writer’s malaise. Well, I’ve written rather extensively about that, and it can be found… Here! "20240517 Combatting Writer's Malaise" Finally, what about those external factors? This is where you, as a writer, need to make a choice. Where does your writing (or any other art) come in your life? If you feel strongly, then set yourself time every day, and tell everyone that you are doing this, for your art, and do not let anything interfere. Here’s a personal tale: An example I dealt with was my kids trying to get my attention, even though the partner was around. I told them what I was doing was important, but they didn’t seem to get it, so I sat one on my lap and the other beside me and continued to type. After the third time I did this, the older started to type on my laptop (I was using a PC); the next day, the younger was trying to write on paper (she hadn’t learnt to read or write yet). My son still writes; my daughter is a visual artist. I modelled a behaviour that they quickly adopted. So, while I’m not sure I really helped, I think that covers the muddy middle. And that ends the questions from the WdCers. But, as always, I am open to more queries if they are delivered to me. |
| More WdC Questions So, some more questions that don’t need a full blog post to answer, all asked by the erstwhile members of the WdC community… Ethics of derivative work... how different does a story need to be say it's never been published before? Okay, this is really a question for lawyers, and it comes down to the original author and the courts. Sorry. Okay, there are some where we can look at the legalities. Parody is perfectly valid, and is protected by law in the US, UK and Australia. Fan fiction is only allowed in private places, and I have covered that elsewhere "20240303 Writing Fan Fiction" ,"20240302 Some Fan Fiction Negatives" As for derivatives, it depends on how close to the original it is. Battlestar Galactica (the original film) was sued by Star Wars’ makers because they felt it was too derivative. And BG paid up before they could lose because they knew they were going to lose. Like I said, that’s legalese. Above my pay-grade, I’m afraid. As for ethics, this is harder, as everyone has different ethical boundaries. To me, fan-fiction is skirting an ethical boundary; shipping fan-fic crosses that boundary. Some, though, feel that shipping is valid. Now, as to when it can be said to never have been published before, a traditional publisher will be reluctant to publish something that even comes close to an original. They feel that there needs to be a huge number of changes. So Riordan’s magic school was based around Greek mythology, and had nothing to do with Rowling’s Potterverse, therefore it was far enough away; the amount of self-published magic school for kids books on Amazon shows that trad publishers weren’t willing to take a risk (and Rowling has had a few pulped for being too close, calling them glorified fan fiction). So, sorry, but this question does not really have an answer. Legally, people should be safe rather than sorry. Ethically, that’s personal, but trad publishers will always play it safe. Info about cover art Not sure I am the best person to ask about this. See, I work with traditional publishers only, and they do the cover designs for me. Only once have I rejected a cover picture; the woman was naked and it didn’t fit the story. So what did he do? Paint a white dress over her and it is the best cover I have been given. When hiring an artist to do a cover, from what I can gather, have a look at examples of their work before even approaching them. Give them an idea, and, because you are the client, they are supposed to work with you the whole way through. Supposed to. Read the contract before you sign it. Now, an interesting issue has come up lately – AI cover art. While it is cheaper for the company, there is one huge issue: the cover cannot then be copyrighted. AI images are not subject to copyright law (neither are AI writings). This means an AI cover can grace numerous books. Another issue is that it is robbing a genuine artist. I have problems with that. What should go into a cover is next. Well, it is simple, really – an image that is identifiable from the story. So, looking at mine, Sins of the Fathers has a woman walking through a forest inside a skull, Invasive Species has a whopping huge snake head, Under Ground has an eye surrounded by lizard scales, Patch of Green has a woman being eaten by plants (though, honestly, only men are eaten), and Relick has a large treasure chest, with the ‘L’ in the title a lump of poo. All suit the stories perfectly. That’s about all I can offer. Sorry. Pen names (this can be 2 posts -- a list of famous people and their pen names with some history about some of them and then whether to use one or not with how to choose one if you decide to use it) All right, I am not going to list famous pen names. Where do we stop? Mark Twain, George Orwell, George Eliot, Lewis Carroll… these were all pen-names. So, why use them? Historically, it was for two reasons. One was so women could hide they were women. Yes, really; the Brontë sisters used non-gendered names with the surname Bell to hide themselves. Second was so that respectable people could write without their neighbours finding out. Writing was not looked upon fondly, especially in the Georgian and Victorian eras. Nowadays, again, there are two reasons. One is if your place of employment frowns upon it. In Australia, teachers were not allowed to publish under their own names (I found out after my first book was published!), and neither are nurses or doctors, as it could be seen as “demeaning” their profession. I believe lawyers have the same thing. This is not just writers, by the way, but any art. When I did stand-up comedy, a few medical professionals were on the circuit, and they had to use noms de plume. Two is if you write in more than one genre consistently, and the genres are radically different. A great example is a person who writes hard-core erotica using a different name for their epic fantasy (I won’t name the person; she knows who she is!). As to how to choose one, it should be a name you can remember, and one you can find easy to sign if asked to autograph a book. And – and this is something I did when I chose mine – look up the name on Amazon to see if there are any other authors who share it with you! Try to avoid this. What to do if your characters are trying to take over and how to know if you should let them I let them. Seriously – it’s their story, I am merely the scribe. Of course, this is generally only an issue for pantsers, as plotters have constraints placed upon their characters by their plan, and what it does mean is that you have lost mental control of the plot and are now just writing things about the characters. If this does worry you, then go back to where it started and re-write. Better still, set it aside for a few days, then tackle it again. But, personally, I let them take over. This is one of those things that is personal, and there are no hard and fast rules or even suggestions. Publishing in overseas markets (including foreign language markets, if you can cover that) I have no idea about foreign language markets, and being traditionally published, I leave that to the publishers to organise (knowing I will have to share royalties with the translator). Publishing in overseas markets is pretty much all I do. This is the best thing about the Internet. I can look for markets anywhere in the world and, so long as I follow their submission guidelines, I can submit to them. Some are geo-blocked (most Canadian publishers and many Scottish, for example), but you’ll see that on their website. The publisher collects money from all markets, and I get a cheque. Self-published works selling overseas can be awkward because of currency conversion, so I would recommend leave the overseas markets to your distributor. Amazon, B&N, etc. can make sure you get paid (minus commission) no matter where in the world the book is sold. Running from your own website, I would personally employ an accountant. Whether to self-publish or traditionally publish (if you think you can do a fair job as I do believe there are times it's okay to self-publish) I will not answer this as every time I put forth my views on self-publishing, I cop more abuse than it is worth (in 2012, I received quite the spray here at WdC, and that person is still active here; on Twitter, when I used that toxic platform, it resulted in me being abused by literally 1000s of people). And, for what it’s worth, yes, I do think there are some pieces that do require self-publishing. When to stop editing and submit... kind of covered in Heinlein's rules but I already forgot what I read there lol. Maybe a more in depth post for each of the rules. Or just please email me the link again and I'll re-read your original article. Here’s the link to the Heinlein rules. I don’t think they need much more expanding on, to be honest, otherwise things become too prescriptive. Writing should not be prescriptive; it is an art-form… says the man who looks at punctuation as though it is sacrosanct. "20240423 Heinlein’s Rules for Publication" So, that leaves just one question from those given, which I am still trying to find a good answer for. We’ll get there. And if you have anything else you’d like my opinion on or a question answered, please feel free to email me or leave a comment somewhere I am going to see it.  |
| Public Consumption Of Your Work I read this online today and felt I had to share and put in my two cents’ worth... Fahrenheit 451 was not about book-burning but the danger Ray Bradbury saw that television posed to literature and reading. Yes, that is not the new thing: I knew that because I read a long essay about it written by Bradbury himself. He not only said that in essays, but he gave a series of lectures about it. He was very clear – TV was an issue. He’d love today’s Internet, I am sure! However, and this is the new info for me, people who read the book were so determined that he meant it to be about book-burning and censorship and, by extension, totalitarian governments, that he was hounded out of several lectures – most famously one at UCLA – by students and lecturers, all of whom told him he was wrong about his own book! Likewise, Orwell meant 1984 to be about the power of language and how it can be used for nefarious means, not censorship. Of course, he also meant Animal Farm to be about how revolutions are stupid, not how Communism was stupid (he was, after all, a Socialist). He wrote about both of these things in published letters and essays, so it’s not me making things up based on my interpretation. It’s just that, reading online, many think he was wrong about his own work. So, if you think you mean something when you write, be aware your audience might not only disagree but decide you're only the writer so you know nothing about what you created. What this boils down to is the work ceases to be yours once it is in the public sphere. And I can even give a personal example. There is a book called Half Days And Patched Pants, written about kids in the Port Adelaide area between the World Wars by Max Colwell. One of the characters is based on my grandfather. Well, I knew nothing of this, and as we were reading it in high school and I knew grandpa lived in the area at the time the book was set, I asked him about something the teacher said. That was when he told me he was one of the characters, and he introduced me to Max! Over the course of the term, the three of us discussed what I learnt, and so, at the end of term, with the school’s permission, I brought him to school to meet the class. He made a point of saying it was not meant to be depressing, but a story of hope. The teacher asked why everything was blue, then, if not depressing. Max explained it was the free paint they were given because it was surplus at the Port after painting the ship-building buildings, and the curtains were from material from the same place, then other furniture was done to match. My teacher told him, the author, he was wrong, and that it is a hint of underlying depression amongst the people (and the Great Depression they were living through). Max laughed in his face, and said to me, in front of the class, "People who think they know you better than you are no better than the bastards" – that got an ooh from the class of 13/14 year olds at Catholic high school – "we fought in the War." The teacher tried apologising, but Max left, and I went with him to see him out. The teacher later gave me a letter of apology to give him. I don't know if Max ever read it. He was asked to go back to the school to talk about his work, but refused. Well done, Catholic High School! However, he was still cool with me. And that’s why I reckon 90% of the crap we are told Shakespeare meant in his plays is also BS, just stuff said by people who talk too loudly in cafés and want to be seen as cleverer than everyone else in the room. He wrote populist fiction; if he was alive today, he would have written the entirety of the Phases 1 through 3 Marvel films, plus Blackadder (all 4 series) and probably Bridgerton (books and TV series). Oh, and a few films where everyone dies for the Cannes Film Festival as well. But, again, the work ceases to be yours once in the public sphere. Something to be aware of as creators, I guess. |
| Plotting Techniques pt.2 The final thing I asked my email people came from a few WdCers: What different plotting methods are there? Now, I’m a pantser, so when I teach plotting I use very basic methods, so these come from links I was sent, and different suggestions from those I emailed. This is part two of two about some plotting methods and techniques. Let’s finish this! 6. Work Backwards This is one I got this one from a book (Story-Writing For Teachers and Students, Scholastic, 1996) and it worked very well in my classes with students who knew where they wanted to go but struggled to get there. None of those I emailed mentioned it, but it definitely worked for my classes. It is simple – start with the climax. Write down what is going to happen in the final battle, and the characters involved. Then go back to what led to this and fill in gaps in the plan between the two. Do it again, and again until you get to the beginning. This works well for short stories, not so much for longer works. 7. 27-Chapter Method Attributed to Kat O’Keefe This was a technique advocated by two publishers and two editors aand one author as being ideal for getting a novel “just right.” It is also called the 9-in-3 Block Method, and probably has other names as well. Simply put, it splits the story into the standard 3-act structure, but then divides each act into 9 sections (or blacks), and each of these sections contains one plot point. In Act I, the character starts in their own world, there is a complication, often the character refuses to acknowledge anything is wrong. In Act II, the change has to be admitted to, the character needs to acknowledge it, there is some exploration, there are some skills or knowledge learned. In Act III, everything learnt previously comes to the fore as the character faces the final trial. What this relates to is that each of the three acts has a three act structure of their own, almost self-contained in that regard. That is a simplified version, but many swear by it because of the way it does not leave anything out. Oh, and it does not mean your book needs exactly 27 chapters; that’s just the maths. To quote a website I have now lost: “It is the best method for a writer who feels the need to plan out exactly what is going to happen, when it will happen, and why it will happen.” 8. Fichtean Curve Attributed to John Gardner This is also known as the Dorsal Fin of Doom. The action starts with a crisis, and then follows a series of increasingly more intense crises before the final crisis, the ultimate climax, which then leads to a quick falling action and the denouement. If looked at in visual form, it has the shape of a shark’s dorsal fin with a bunch of bites taken out of the front edge. This is a very simple structure, and results in a series of linked action scenes, but with each one a mini-focus instead of the big picture focus being over-arching. So there is an overall goal, but there are also a series of smaller goals to be attained, all adding to that climax. (Truth be told, this is how a lot of my own fiction is written, even if pantsed.) 9. Freytag’s Pyramid Attributed to Gustav Freytag This method dates back to the 1800s, and involves a clear 5-Act structure for a tragedy, in the strict unhappy ending sense. Introduction: Build the world Rising Action Climax: Things change for the worse Falling Action Catastrophe: The disaster that ends the story. As can be seen, this method puts the climax right in the middle because the character losing it all is the central theme, not the action. Of course, middle is relative. Rising Action and Falling Action do not need to be the same length, and Falling Action is often much shorter. 10. Romancing the Beat Attributed to Gwen Hayes This was recommended to me by an author, and is used exclusively for romance tales, particularly novels. However, it can also be used to plan your romantic sub-plot in any other story. As Hayes puts it, it involves 4 Acts (or phases), and each of these should have 5 story-beats, making a 20-beat story. However, for sub-plot, the 4 phases on their own can be quite effective. The four phases are: 1: Start with the MC, introduce the love interest, set the scene in which the romance should blossom. 2: The couple get to know one another, get to know their lives, but do not enter a full-on relationship. 3: Doubt comes in (from one or both), a conflict appears, there is a break-up (to end the phase). 4: The MC goes into a mental downward spiral, something happens that brings them back together, they realise they need one another, external conflict is closed off, and there is a HEA/HFN ending. These are ones I have heard of in the past and have seen on videos and stuff. However, there was one extra that two authors recommended in passing, which is based on Eastern story-telling. I had to look this up as it was brand new to me and I have no idea if it works or not, so I will leave it here as something you can look into. Kishōtenketsu Consists of: Introduction (ki) Development (sho): Something changes, stakes are introduced Pivotal twist (ten):An unexpected event happens, or the characters cause something unintended to happen. This is what the story is based around. Conclusion (ketsu): Related directly to the beginning. Some consider this method “plotless” in Western terms. What that means is that there is often no conflict. It is a cultural difference, and we should all be aware that the Western dominant way of doing things is not the only way. So, that is plotting. If that is the way you write, then I hope there is something here that can help. |
| Plotting Techniques pt.1 The final thing I asked my email people came from a few WdCers: What different plotting methods are there? Now, I’m a pantser, so when I teach plotting I use very basic methods, so these come from links I was sent, and different suggestions from those I emailed. This is part one of two about some plotting methods and techniques. Let’s get to it! So, I found 25 various methods for plotting a book/ story / novel/ work of fiction. 25! Some I don’t get, a few felt too similar to others, and at least one I felt was useless. So here is a list of those I found and was told about that I can see being useful. Sorry if that is me imposing my own personal viewpoint on things, but this is my blog so… yeah. To start, some definitions (from Story-Writing For Teachers and Students, Scholastic, 1996): Story: Everything included in a narrative, like plot, setting, characters, theme, message and unwritten elements, such as backstory. Plot: The sequence of events within the over-arching story. Structure*: How we arrange all of this into the story, including order, what remains hidden, and even if it is non-linear. (*also called ‘Narrative Structure’ or ‘Scaffold’) Most guides will have 5 things that make up a plot. Beginning Inciting Incident Rising Action Climax Denouement Further, most stories take a Three Act Structure: Act I: Introduction, Inciting Incident, with an important Plot Point to end it. Act II: Rising Action, with an Important Plot Point (some say a vital Plot Point) to end it. Act III: Build to the climax, Climax, Denouement. Even pantsers like me need to be aware of all of this. If it is not there in the first draft, then the second draft can rectify any issues. So, with all of that in mind, here are 10 ways to plot your story! 1. 7-Point Story Structure Attributed to Dan Wells This is the most commonly used plotting method, as it works so well for short stories asnd even novellas. Maybe not novels so much, but this is the way those stories tend to go. It involves seven basics: Set up the world (start) The inciting incident Escalation The protagonist becomes proactive (as opposed to reactive) Set-back Discovery (what is needed to finish things) Resolution Extra story beats can be included between and within these, but that is the basic of this method. 2. The Hero’s Journey/ Heroine’s Journey Attributed to Joseph Campbell/ Maureen Murdock The Hero’s Journey is the most popular plotting/structure device used in speculative fiction of all stripes, developed from mythological stories the world over. The Heroine’s Journey is a female-specific version. Campbell had it in three phases: departure (hero leaves the known), initiation (hero faces the unknown and overcomes what faces him), return (hero returns to the known, changed). Later authors, notably Christopher Vogler, extended this into something that will help the plotting of a story. The Ordinary World The Call to Adventure Refusing the Call Meeting the Mentor Crossing the First Threshold Tests, Allies, Enemies (also known as Initial Exploration or Initial Learning) Approach the Inmost Cave The Ordeal Reward/Goal Achieved The Road Back (also known as Final Complication) The Resurrection The Return (also known as The Return With the Elixir) These are the elements of what is known as the monomyth, focused on a single protagonist. Murdock, a student of Campbell, felt the original Hero's Journey method did not take into account the different lived experiences of females. She came up with: Separation From the Feminine/ Rejection of “Mother” Identify the Masculine and Gather Allies (the protagonist takes on more masculine attributes) Road of Trials Boon of Success (there is, however, doubt) Realisation of Spiritual Barrenness Initiation and Ascent to the Goddess Yearn to Connect to the Feminine Healing of Mother/Daughter Split Healing of Wounded Masculine Integration of Feminine and Masculine This is more a journey of self-discovery. Modern authors have been known to combine the two. Finally, there is a simplified version of The Hero’s Journey developed by TV writer Dan Harmon, which he calls The Story Circle. The idea is it is a more internalised version, with the emphasis on characters. From his Masterclass talk: Step 1: They are in a zone of comfort. Step 2: But they want something. Step 3: They enter an unfamiliar situation. Step 4: Adapt to it through facing trials. Step 5: They get what they wanted. Step 6: They pay a heavy price. Step 7: Return to the familiar situation. Step 8: Having changed. This is more geared towards a TV product, and so the changes in a character are small, and there is often nothing earth-shattering about the stakes. 3. Save The Cat! Story Beats Attributed to Blake Snyder This one started as a way of writing a full-length screenplay, but was later adapted to novels as well. A couple of publishers mentioned it, but said it is way too common, especially because of movies that use it all the time. The story beats are: Opening Image (world setting, protagonist introduction) Theme (made explicit) Set-Up (world build more) Catalyst/ Inciting Incident Confusion (should the protagonist respond or not?) Rise to the Challenge B-Story (important secondary character introduced or comes to the fore) Fun and Games/ Rising Action Midpoint (false victory or defeat) Bad Guys Close In All is Lost (often a tragic event) Dark Night of the Soul (this changes the protagonist) Finale/ Climax Final Image: Resolution. 4. The Onion This is a pure plotting device. Start with the beginning, middle and end of the story, the characters and the setting. Add the next layer of where things go, putting this into the gaps. Add the next layer of things happening, putting into the gaps. Keep going until there are no more gaps, adding layers each time. Remove anything that does not work, and add more layers, filling in more gaps that are created. This seems very simple, and the video I have seen of this one involved the woman having a huge sheet of butcher’s paper stuck to the wall with the beginning at the top, denouement at the bottom, a list of characters down one side, and then she just added story beats seemingly at random until she had the entire thing mapped out, with quite a few things crossed out, extra characters introduced, things like that. There was no look at structure or anything until she had all the story beats mapped out like an onion – in layers. 5. Snowflake Method Attributed to Randy Ingermanson This is the Onion Method done in a much more organised manner. However, it is still working from the middle out, adding layers, just there is method to the madness. The way it is done is usually put thus: Story * Start with a one sentence story idea. * Expand this to a paragraph – an elevator pitch – including beginning, conflict, denouement. * Take this to two or three paragraphs with a little more detail. Character * With the story idea written, write a one-page summary of each main character (protagonist/s and antagonist/s). * Write a half-page summary for each secondary character (protag/s and antag/s). * Write a one-paragraph summary for any other recurring characters. Story Expansion Take the story summary and expand it out to a four to eight page synopsis. Take the characters and flesh them out even further (use of character charts is recommended). Scenes The last stage is to take the synopsis and character studies and use them to create a detailed scene chart. This is used to map out the narrative structure as it will appear in the finished work. So, start with what, add who, then expand to when. That’s the end of part one! |
| Ending A Story Yet another WdC question, and another I asked advice on in that all-encompassing email I sent out to professionals and writers. The questions I received were: Crafting different types of endings What if the ending doesn’t work What’s the best way to end a story Let’s hit this! What is an “ending”? The ending of the story goes by a few names – closure and resolution are the two I see most often – but what it is is when the story arcs are finished within the narrative being told. Even if there will be a sequel, or it’s book 4 in a hexalogy, the actual story being told needs to end. There is nothing left to be worked out from this particular narrative arc. Even if threads are left hanging or there is a greater over-arching story, this particular set of events has finished. Yes, that seems logical, but it is important to have a definition first. What if the ending doesn’t work? I’m going to start here because this is the simplest answer: If the ending does not work, the problem is not the ending. What this means is that there is something in the rest of the story that is affecting the ending. Usually, the problem exists in the climax or climactic action scene. If there needs to be exposition to finish a story, then not enough information was placed in the rest of the tale. If the message (if you write to a message) needs to be reinforced, then the story lost the point of the message at some point. Ditto with theme, if you write to a theme. In fact, in some cases it goes right back to the very beginning. The story’s beginning does not set up the ending point you have reached because of subsequent events you have placed in the story. It might look good in the plan you wrote, but something about the beginning does not work. Another issue might be the character does not go through the growth the story’s events should have put them through. There should be a positive or negative growth of the characters. A flat arc coming to the fore at the end might be an indication that the characters need more engagement. Endings do not exist in isolation. They are dependent completely upon everything that happened before in the story. If the ending is not working, then it’s something already written that is creating the issues. What is the best way to end a story? There is no answer to this question. It is so individual to the story being told that it is insane, and then you add in each individual author’s writing and the market… Endings are not a one-size-fits-all proposition. However, in a standalone story, all plot lines, subplots, questions brought up must be answered. Yes, in horror, for example, you don’t need to know why the house was haunted, but that is backstory and probably not relevant to the haunted house tale you are writing. Yes, you might also want to leave the relationship status open, and that’s fine, but the rest of the story should indicate that that is going to happen. Some open endings are fine; readers are not stupid. If you are going to write a sequel, then everything not relevant to the sequel should be tied up with a bow, leaving only those threads that are going to be expanded upon in the next book. If the entire book is left open for a sequel, then this leaves a reader dissatisfied. It just feels like they are waiting for part two of a single book. Now, having said that, it is something that is becoming common; it started with movies, but has drifted into books. I think it’s ridiculous – that is not how books work! – but clearly some think it is fine. How do you reach an ending? Your story builds towards the climax, the climactic scene. Everything the protagonist/s have been doing leads to that pivotal and final point, where the whole plot is concluded, there is nothing more to be done. This part of life’s adventure is over. The protagonist might gain what they have been seeking. The antagonist might gain what the protagonist has been seeking, keeping the protagonist from it. What has been sought might be unattainable by anyone. The protagonist might choose to not take the goal, because they have evolved as a character over the course of the story. No matter what, this goal that has been driving the story is now no longer there as a goal for the protagonist. This is how you reach an ending – the goal is no longer the goal or is no longer attainable. That does seem simplistic, and I apologise, but it is really that simple. How do you write different types of ending? Okay, again, this depends on the writer and the story. In general, though, the ending should invoke some sort of emotion. Happiness, anger, relief that the heroes survived, upset that they died, something. This does come down to the rest of the story and how it was written, and how you have constructed the characters, but the ending should have some sort of emotion involved. Many publishers like the cathartic release of emotion, but not all. Know your audience. I tend to try to relate the ending to the beginning. (My Invasive Species does that blatantly with almost the same words.) Especially if there has been character growth, this can show how different the protagonist is at the end compared to the beginning. I have also been known to end the story right as the climax peaks. The monster is slain, and that’s it. I don’t expand on what happens after, just the goal was killing the monster, and the story ends with that point. Yes, it does leave some relationship lines open, but the reader is allowed to fill in the gaps for themselves. I have a friend who is a romance writer, and she likes to end her stories with a sex scene. Another friend who has the same main character in each book – though they are not exactly sequels to one another – ends with a little bit about how that character’s life has changed. Don’t be afraid of leaving the ending open to differing interpretations as well. So, as I said, it is always individual. Having said that, there are some ways not to end a story. * With a diatribe or speech. The all-time classic of this is the closing scene of the film It Conquered The World where Peter Graves gives a speech. * With nothing resolved. Like I said, this is something that is becoming common, but I don’t think it will last as movies like that are becoming less frequent (even the recent pair of Dune films tried to keep the two films within their own story arcs) and so books will follow suit. * With a deus ex machine. This translates as “the god out of the machine” and is common in ancient tales where a literal god would appear at the last minute and save the hero. In modern works, it is when a character is introduced at the last moment to bring everything to an end, and, yes, it is still used. The truly awful Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band film ends just like that with the titular Sgt Pepper appearing and bringing people back to life and stopping the bad guy. And don’t get me started on suddenly learning (or, worse, remembering) magic spells that save the day… The ending should follow logically from the rest of the story. * So that the message or theme of the story takes precedence over logic. This is especially the case in religious-themed books. If this does happen, as I said before, there is probably something wrong earlier in the story. * Having a forced romance at the end. While not as common in books (usually in films, especially 1980s action films), this is a HEA (or HFN) ending that some writers feel needs to be done. Finally, do not be afraid of trying out different endings, either, and then choose the one you like. As a pantser, I have done this more than once. Should I use an epilogue? If the story calls for it, then, yes, you should. An epilogue ties up a story away from the narrative arc, and so if you feel the need to say where the characters ended up five years later, then an epilogue is a way to go. However, you do need to be aware that a percentage of readers do not read prologues or epilogues, so if there is something important for a story there, it might be missed and could drive readers away. An epilogue is a place to put things that do not fit in the narrative but could place more of a bow on things. There is another school of thought on an epilogue and that is it could be used to set up the sequel. A final piece – like the post-credits scene in a Marvel movie – where the antagonist or a new antagonist makes themselves known, or starts to plot. Some writers like to use epilogues when they write book series. I am definitely not against an epilogue; some writing courses tell you not to use them. It’s personal; go for it if it fits. And that is endings. I know it is vague and/or open, but endings are so individual that there are no real hard and fast rules. I hope, at the very least, this can help someone. |
| Writing An Autobiography Or Memoir So… this is a weird one. Or maybe not. I have been asked to give a 2 hour workshop to a group of senior citizens at the library on how to write their life story for their families or even themselves. As such, I have my notes, and think it could help anyone here who wants to do the same thing, but also if someone thinks I’ve missed something out, then they can chime in. So, here goes: Welcome to this 2024 Firstival Workshop. I’m Steven and I’ll be guiding you through how to write your own life story. So, I’ll start with a heap of talking, give ten things to be aware of, and then I’ll have a question and answer session at the end. If, however, I say something you don’t understand, ask away. This is not a formal lecture – it’s me hoping to help everyone. 1) It is your story The first thing to remember is that the story you are writing is your own. While other people might be involved and some might be very important, it is about you. Your feelings, your memories, things like that. Yes, you might have to ask others for clarification or to remind you who it was who gave Uncle Ross the gerbil sandwich, but the story is about you. Don’t let yourself be derailed by other people’s adventures unless you were involved. Because it is your story, if you felt something was not good or funny or confusing, then it’s fine to say that. In fact, I would encourage you to say it. It will make the story even more about “you” if you include your emotions and responses to the things that happened. 2) It does not have to be about your whole life Yes, it is fine to write an entire life story, but if there is one thing or two things or seven things in your life that really stand out, then it is just as completely fine just to write about those. Don’t feel you have to include everything that ever happened to you. Things that are important, quirky, make for an interesting tale, those are the sorts of things to include. However, if you do want to include all the minutiae of your daily life, that is also perfectly valid. This is your story and your presentation of it. While my recommendation is to stick to the major events, that is not a rule or a demand. Write your story the way you want to write it. 2b) Do not write it all at once So, this follows from the last and leads directly into the next. Do not think you need to write everything all at once. Writing it event by event means you can write at any pace and things can be written as they come to you. This leads on to: 3) When writing it, order does not matter at first The order of the stories or events from your life does not matter when you write it down to start with. Because you are writing it bit by bit, events as separate tales, order is not important at this time. For example, there might be three big things you remember that happened years apart. Well, write them down first. This might spark other memories, bring other events to mind, lead off to still more recollections. The thing is to write it all down as these things come to mind. Don’t spend days bemoaning the fact you can’t remember what happened in 1974 or 1975 after such a frenetic 1973 and before a glorious 1976. Leave them out to start with. Write those things you can remember. You can come back later. And this brings me to a suggestion that I would really push you to do: date everything. Not the date you write it, but the date it occurred. At least year, preferably month and year. Whether you are doing it on a computer or by hand in a notebook, name the parts of your story at first by the date they happened. This will do two things – first, it will make it easier later on to put things in order; and second, it will make it easier for you to go back and see where there are gaps. 4) Adding things later on does not matter This brings me to the next point – it does not matter when, during the course of your writing, you add past events. So long as you date them, as I said, adding bits and pieces out of order is not an issue. This is something a lot of people find hardest to do and get held up on – the thought that they have to write things in order and cannot go back and make changes. Of course you can. You might recall that it wasn’t Uncle Ross and the gerbil sandwich, it was Uncle Fred and the hamster burger. Go back and change it! Making changes is all perfectly normal. 5) How you write it does not matter This is something else that a lot of people get hung up on – how a memoir is written. They see these autobiographies of famous people (term used advisedly; ghost writers earn the big bucks for a reason) written as almost novels and feel their life stories have to be the same. Why? It’s your life story, no-one else’s. And, more to the point, many of you are not experienced writers. How you write it needs to make sense to you. It might be a paragraph or a few lines about each event. It might be that each event is a poem. It might be that each event is a little stand-alone story. It might be that dot points make it easier for you. It does not matter. So long as they are dated, how it is written is entirely up to you, the person doing the writing. If a relative complains that you are doing dot points, for example, you have two ways to deal with it. First, remind them it’s your story and you can do with it what you want. Or, second, you can ask them to turn it into the wonderful Peter FitzSimons work they so clearly desire. Always remember, though – it is your work, your story. 6) You will most likely need to do more than one draft Writers who do this writing thing for any length of time know that no work is completed after one run through. This is called drafting. Now, I am not asking you to be Hemingway and write 20 drafts of your work. I’m a published author and I don’t even come close to that! What I am saying is that once you have gathered your information, and have put it into some sort of an order that makes sense to you and the story you want to tell about your life, then you will most likely have to rewrite the whole thing to make it feel like a more coherent whole. But… you don’t have to! If you like the way it feels after you’ve got everything down, then that is perfectly valid. I say it again: this is your story. However, going through it and doing a second draft might show you that you need to add detail here, that you’ve repeated this story, that you’ve got a name wrong – it does help you clean it up. 7) The final format is up to you This does follow on from everything else, but the final format of the book is up to you. You want a short little story on a page? Go for it. You want to add photos, go for it. You want to just print it off at the local library and put it into a plastic folder, go for it. You want to go to Copy King and get it professionally bound and do 100 copies, go for it. The final format and how it is presented is up to you entirely. However, I will add three caveats here: a) you are most likely writing for someone else to read, so make sure it is in a format that is readable – using paragraphs, large fonts, things like that: b) be aware of how much things will cost, and set yourself a budget; & c) make sure you are happy with the final product. This might sound logical, but it is something a few people tend to forget because they are so happy to have completed this. 8) Assume you are writing it for a future generation to read This follows on, and it does mean there is often some extra work to do. Yes, you have it in a format that people can read and look at. But future generations – and often you are going to be writing this not for your children, but your grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and generations yet to be born – may not understand some of the things. An example. My son has been asking his great-grandmother (who is 100 years old) about life when she was younger. He had no idea what it meant to hand-crank the starter in an automobile. If I was to explain what we did as teenagers, I would have to include an explanation of what a Blue Light Disco was. Things we took for granted that are no longer around, at least not in that form, will need a note of explanation. This can, of course, lead to more memories and things like that, so I would suggest including them as you write. A way to make sure of this is to ask a younger relative to read your first draft, and take note of everything they don’t understand so you can go back and add explanations to your second draft. 9) Defamation This is a tricky one. You are writing your story with your memories. However, if you remember Aunt Lizzie being someone who slept around with the entire first XVIII at high school, and she recalls it very differently, you could be in trouble. Including rumour and innuendo, even in a little book that is not meant for wider public consumption, is fraught with danger in our increasingly litigious society. Fortunately, in Australia, truth is a defence against defamation. If you can prove it, then you are fine. If you cannot prove it, then you need to have words like “I believe” or “everyone thought” or “rumours said” or the like to make sure you are not claiming it as fact. Again, in Australia, that has been accepted as a work-around. However, again, by making the story about you, and not about others, you can avoid this sort of pitfall. 10) Making it public Here at the library, we have the Family History Room where volunteers like myself help local residents and those descended from locals trace their family trees back. In the collection, we also have a number of books – the majority self-published – about families of the area written by their descendants, and some autobiographies. This is something that could, in the future, see your book become a useful resource. However, before donating a copy of your work, you need to make sure: a) there are no defamatory statements; b) you have the rights to include the photographs you have included; c) it has been professionally bound and presented (and so has an ISBN); & d) you have not copied any of it from any other source whatsoever. This is very important for legal and self-preservation reasons. I would also include – get it professionally edited before making it a publicly available work. It just reflects better on you as the writer. And there we have it. I hope this has helped give you an overview of how to write your memoir or autobiography. (I now throw it open to a Q&A session from the floor) (Oh, and Firstival is a library event in SA.) |
| Plot Holes Yet another question from a WdCer, and something that a few editors (and one author) responded to when I sent out my emails. How can we avoid plot holes and how do we fill them afterwards? Okay, first… what is a plot hole? A plot hole is a point in a narrative where something happens that does not make sense based on what happened before or the laws of the world it is set in. Logic takes a holiday and that suspension of disbelief in the reader is pushed beyond normal limits. Most often, plot holes are seen in visual media (movies, TV), and many alleged plot holes are just continuity errors or were created by stupid editing mistakes. Or are seen as such by people being pedantic. Oh, and despite what some modern critics claim: Plot holes do matter! The most commonly cited plot hole is in the original The Karate Kid. In the final Daniel uses a crane kick to win. But, people cry, kicks to the head were deemed illegal by the judge! Plot hole! Well, no. Punches to the head were deemed illegal (Johnny was warned about that earlier), not kicks. Not a plot hole, just people not bothering to watch properly. The police emerging from Gotham’s underground after months of being trapped looking clean-shaven is not really a plot hole but a continuity error. Indiana Jones surviving outside a sub for a long journey is not a plot hole, just not explained. A cut scene, in fact, shows him hanging onto the periscope. So, editing issues as well. In Black Panther, T’Challa is rescued by fishermen from the Northern tribes, who are isolated and do no trade with any other tribes. Later on, the leader of said tribes says they are vegetarians. So, why do they have fishermen? That is a plot hole. I hope that explains it. Basically, when something is explicitly stated and is important to the plot, then later contradicted in that same plot, it is a plot hole. Now, in a book, because you can explain things, and the editing is not going to cut chunks of explanation (unless it’s cutting chunks of info-dumping exposition to make it, you know, readable), plot holes should be the sorts of things that a good beta reader (or even an alpha reader if you use them) will see and point out. A publisher and editor should also find any missed by readers. Should. Some things still get through. I guess the most famous is in Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe where he strips naked, swims out the ship and then fills his pockets with biscuits. Unless pockets is a euphemism **shudder**. A more recent example is Michael Crichton’s Timeline where the concept of time travel is not actually time travel, but travelling to the present of an alternate universe… and yet a pair of glasses are left behind 1000 years in the past for people in the future to find. Yeah… that’s a plot hole. Anyway, so the first thing is to work out if it is an actual plot-hole or not. If in doubt, then assume it is. Plot holes to be aware of as a writer include: 1) Events that don’t make sense or are impossible. I bring this up a bit, but a story I read had a horse ride from Melbourne to Adelaide take a day; it’s 8 hours by car at 110 km/hr. Even something as simple as no-clipping to get from one room to another can be like this. Another is characters coming back to life; don’t laugh, killing a character in chapter 2 and then forgetting you did and them coming back in chapter 31 is surprisingly common. On a wider note, the wizard who has a spell that can kill a person then cannot kill the hero at the end is one that appears way too often. The impervious hero is another; how did they survive that explosion? This is the most common plot hole I have seen in written work. 2) Character contradictions is the next most common. This is where a character’s personality undergoes a change for no apparent reason, or they perform actions that are completely out of character. 3) In-world contradictions is one I see most often in fantasy and science fiction works. This is where established laws/rules of the world are established and then broken later on; this is most common with magic systems. Some also consider continuity errors as plot holes when it comes to writing. I think it depends, as these are usually easily dealt with. That’s because continuity errors are often just a matter of making cosmetic changes. One of the surprisingly most common is a character’s name changing halfway through a story! This is simply a matter (on computer) of search and replace. If it goes beyond that and does affect the ending, then, yes, it does become a plot hole. So, how to avoid these pesky plot holes. First problem is recognising them. As the writer, we are often too close to the work, so it could well be that an initial reader is needed to point it out. Anyway, here’s the best ways to avoid them. 1) If you are a plotter, use the plan or skeleton of the story beats to identify plot holes before you write them into the first complete draft. 2) Even if you are a pantser, have an idea how plot beats lead to other plot beats before (or as) you write them. Think before you write is what this means. I know that when you are on a good flow, that can be an issue, but it can help prevent future issues. Even as a pantser, when I wrote Invasive Species I had the life cycle of the monster all plotted out and even wrote a sort of an essay first to ensure it followed in the story. 3) Make sure characters are behaving in a logical manner in the context of the story. That last is important. A meek woman might be able to lift a car to rescue her child because it’s been reported and adrenaline is a mighty drug, but a meek woman becoming a popular public speaker in one day goes against what a meek woman would be mentally able to do. Use character sheets – I do that in my fantasy especially – and refer to them. This is my greatest weakness. People who beta read my novel here at WdC recently will note that I often asked if a character’s actions/ motivations made sense in the context of the story. I use betas to help me get it right. 4) Especially if you are creating a world, make sure you have a list of all the laws of the world. I mentioned earlier I did a detailed outline of the monster so the immersion was not broken. The more fantastic the world, the more you will need to make sure these laws are there. James Cameron did this with Avatar, to the point he has published essays about Pandora. Remember, though: not all of it needs to be included! Make sure you have it so your story has a logical through-line but don’t info-dump it all on your readers. Cameron’s essays have not made it into the films, but they show his world has remained consistent. I might be a pantser, but my fantasy worlds have been carefully created, often once I realised I was in a foreign world. So vital. 5) Never throw away a draft! If you make changes, keep the original. Sure, this is easy if you hand-write, but on a computer, create a new file and rename it! I am currently writing a horror and, after 25 pages, I knew I’d gone down a wrong path. So I created a file called ‘mummyB.doc’ and this is where I changed it. I am currently at page 60 and the file I am using is ‘mummyC.doc’, and the original ‘mummy.doc’ is still there as well. What this means is if you read later on and find a plot hole, go back to former versions and see if you didn’t have it there, and how you got around it. 6) Give yourself space before editing. Space is normally time, but could also be editing it in a different location (the human brain is a wonderful thing). I make sure I have written something else before editing, so it’s often months. Why write something else? Because then my head has pushed that first story aside and is concerned with something else, so when I return to a work to edit it, it is with fresh eyes. For example, some just find that three months is enough to forget about it. But the long and short of it is: do not edit straight away. Now, one area that I am ambivalent about is that some consider unresolved storylines (especially concerning secondary characters). This is when a subplot is not finished. Now, sometimes, it does not matter and is a nice little mystery, sometimes it leaves it open for a sequel or can be closed in a sequel, but a lot of the time (and I am guilty of this) it is just ignored because the writer (usually a pantser) has forgotten. So a subplot checklist (an editor I contacted uses the term) is what is needed here. I do this. As things appear in a story, I write them down on a separate piece of paper. This way I can keep tabs of what is happening when and where. I plot in reverse, I guess, but it does make me ensure I no longer leave these plot threads hanging. Some plotters will have subplots running concurrently alongside their main plots to ensure they do not leave something out. One surprisingly common error in this regard involves pets or animal companions. Dogs disappearing and re-appearing without explanation are very common. Not sure why. The solution is a simple one: if you have a dog with a character, don’t think of it as two beings, but one entity. This means whenever you think of the character, the dog is there as well. So, let’s say we tried all of this, but unfortunately for us, a plot hole has been discovered by our eagle-eyed beta reader. We can’t just hand-wave it away, and there is no simple “add a paragraph” or “add some extra explanation” fix for most plot holes, or adding some exposition in dialogue, or hand-waving it as “magic” (hello, Harry Potter) to disguise the fact you made a boo-boo. Getting rid of a plot hole does generally involve a new draft. Sorry, but that is the way it goes, which is why avoiding them in the first place is by far the best way to go. You might have to change the personalities of characters, change the way the ending is reached, change subplots, add a new character, remove an old character, even changing a law of the story-world which will have knock-on effects all of its own. But it will make the work much better. Just remember, the simple fix of a plot hole is most often not the best fix. So, that’s a lot of writing, but plot holes are something that no creator of a narrative wants to be faced with. |
| Starting A Story This came up as a question when I asked for questions on WdC, and has come up a couple of times on Discord, and a fellow local writer and I had this discussion the other week. It’s been tough to come up with an answer, so I have been asking other published authors, and the following is what, as a collective, we have come up with. Before I start, I will freely admit this list is not comprehensive, and some people have found other ways of starting that work for them. These are just what have worked for those I have spoken to, and what does not work from the point of view of slush readers, editors, and publishers (who I also asked). I should say now that when I asked everyone by email, etc. about publicity (see not last post, the post before that), I also asked about beginnings, endings, plot holes and plotting techniques… so get ready for some more topics you asked for! Preferred: 1. In Media Res This Latin for “In the middle of things,” and it means you start with some action. Especially in a short story, starting with action already happening is a way to hook a reader. This is also very common in some specific genres – fantasy, thriller, Western being the most common. When using this technique, you need to make sure the characters are introduced organically and that there are no info dumps, as it takes away from the pacing of the writing. This is a good way of starting, in my opinion. 2. Description of Setting This is used primarily when a scene is central to the action, or when the location can almost be considered a part of the story. There should be description of what is there, and any exposition should be set seamlessly into the narrative. It takes a writer who is very good at description to pull it off well (not me). This tends to crop up in horror and romance more than most other genres, though some science-fiction starts this way, especially when set on an alien world. One big issue with this, according to a few professionals, is when the writer switches to second person in a description. For example: If you look to your left, you will see the ancient Halberk Mountains, where King Harold fell to the forces of Prince Henri… This info-dumps the history lesson and uses second person (and it comes from a published book). But if this is your strong point as a writer, don’t be afraid to use it. 3. The Climax Start with the events right before the climax of the story, then back-track to the beginning. Works best if used in a first person PoV story. This can best be exemplified by the meme of a record scratch, action on a screen stopping, the music of The Who’s ‘Baba O’Riley’ starting and a voice-over saying, “I suppose you’re wondering how I got myself into this mess.” Don’t use those words or anything like them! Cliché alert! However, it is not a bad way to start a story. Maybe not a short story, but a longer work can certainly utilize this. I have seen it most often in horror, comedy and romance. Difficult to pull off well, but when done well… it is really effective. 4. The End This is related to the previous one, and is becoming more and more common, especially in science-fiction, action-adventure, thriller and romance. What this involves is starting right at the end, after the climax is over, and the protagonists are going over the ashes, but also leaving questions that need to be answered. It is becoming more common, as I said, and I have experimented with it a few times, and I can see it working, although it can reveal the ending too much. Yes, in these stories, the journey is all the fun, but if you show that a person everyone thinks dies on page 12 is still alive afterwards, tension is not maintained, so too much being revealed can be an issue. This I have seen used a bit in young adult fiction of late. Again, it needs to be done well, but can be an interesting way of approaching a longer work. 5. Normalcy Start with a scene showing the world as completely normal, people going about their lives. This can introduce characters in their natural setting and show (not tell) them being themselves. A Stephen King book I can't remember the name of started with reader following a kid riding his pushbike around his hometown. Then you can introduce the inciting incident or complication or whatever else in the way your story is going to work and disrupt this setting of the normal world. This is really common in romance, young adult and horror stories, because it can make the changes seem even more drastic. This is such a great way of introducing everything without info-dumping. This is a strong story start, especially when stakes are going to become really high later on. Questionable: 1. Dialogue This one was a split in professionals! Starting with two (sometimes more) characters talking, having a conversation, is seen as either a strong way of scene setting and character establishing, or lazy. Yes, it is split quite far apart. So, it is two people have a conversation about something relevant to the story action to follow, or discussing something that has just occurred in media res. If they are just talking about irrelevancies, then why is it there? Remember Chekhov’s gun! I think for a short story, it can work, but it needs to flow into the action seamlessly. Also, if a story is dialogue-only (becoming more and more popular, by the way, and quite the challenge to write well), then, obviously, it is going to start this way. Some people also think starting with an argument can work for their tale. I have this as questionable because of the split amongst those I spoke to, but I personally see nothing wrong with it. Not preferred: 1. Info Dump This is one of the most common errors seen in beginner writers, though it can also be seen amongst more experienced authors as well. Starting with a dump of the back-story of the story, a history lesson, what has just happened as a tell not show – all of these info dumps just feel like the writer has no idea how to incorporate the details into their narrative well. What is worse is when a reader manages to wade through such details, finishes the book, and finds that 90% of the info is completely irrelevant to the tale. I’ve covered this in quite a few previous posts – it is word count for the sake of word count, or just the writer telling the reader, “Look at all the stuff I made up; aren’t I clever?” 2. Character Description While describing a scene can be a good way to start, describing the characters is not. Especially if describing them like a sportsperson’s statistics or what they are wearing like a reporter from Vogue magazine. For example, Emily was a five foot three girl with blue eyes and a body she thought was too skinny. Her hair was just below her shoulders because she was growing out an awful pixie cut. She wore a pink t-shirt and blue jeans and her favourite crocs. She liked the music of Dua Lipa and thought Taylor Swift was over-rated. And she liked to draw pictures of ponies in her school-books. I have copy-pasted that from a story I was asked to edit a few years ago. This is the sort of information that, if it is important to the story, should be blended in seamlessly. Not dumped like this. It’s worse when there are four characters in a row where this happens (which I have recently seen in a “novel” here on WdC). And when they describe the person as "perky" or "intelligent" or the like, we hit tell and not show and it grows tedious. 3. A Question This used to be a way some stories started from the mid-1800s into the early 1900s. the writer poses a question that the story is then going to answer, usually a philosophical one, or a moral one. Horror writers especially were prone to this. If not a question, then a statement that the story examines. It has simply fallen out of fashion, and modern readers have rejected it in newer works. The professionals don’t like it and readers wonder why you do it. Having said that, some capital-L Literature short stories have started this century using it again, so – who knows? It might be on the way back. Personally, I am not a fan. And that is a quick look at starting your story. Hope this helps someone! |
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