tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1963464099089807142024-03-05T20:27:31.801-07:00Seven and a Half First DraftsEver wonder what makes stories great? Ever wonder what it takes to write great stories? If any of these thoughts have ever crossed your mind, then you are in the right place. I, too, share these thoughts.
This blog is dedicated to those who marvel at the mechanics of great storytelling, to anyone who's ever wondered, "Can I write a novel?" and to anyone who's ever tried.Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-37380359854224689142011-03-22T10:18:00.000-07:002011-03-22T10:18:54.018-07:00It's Official:I'm moving over to WordPress under a website in my name: <a href="http://tiyanamariewhite.com/">http://tiyanamariewhite.com/</a>. Though I can't showcase you in a widget for the time being, I do hope you'll follow! I will probably add some color to the site later, but for now it will stay in grey. (There is something about a neutral palette that I like, though.) I've got a <em>crapload</em> of schoolwork to be done, so playing with the site really is the last thing I should be doing right now, lol.<br />
<br />
Thanks to everyone who offered feedback. I'm very grateful for your support and advice. :)<br />
<br />
Now, back to work.Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-55665833828181593002011-03-21T22:59:00.002-07:002011-03-21T23:14:59.651-07:00Blogger Identity CrisisSo, thanks to <a href="http://www.jaynoel.com/2011/03/blogging-feng-shui.html">Mr. Jay Noel and his comment about black backgrounds</a> (:P), I am experiencing what I shall call a Blogger Identity Crisis. It's quite scary.<br />
<br />
Here's the deal: About two weeks after I created this blog, I learned about WordPress.<br />
<br />
Now, <strong><em>immediately</em></strong> I was in love with it. The simplicity and look of it... I know, looks are superficial, but it's just so lovely! I really, really wanted to migrate my blog over there but thought it would be very finicky of me to do so, having just finished creating this one.<br />
<br />
...<br />
<br />
But now I've done the impulsive thing and went over and explored WordPress a bit more...and I love it.<br />
<br />
I feel like a traitor. I'm betraying Blogger. Still, I want to complete the migration, but only if<br />
<ol><li>you all won't mind, and</li>
<li>I won't lose any readers.</li>
</ol>Granted, I only have about six or so regulars, heh, but I value you all the same--which means I very much value your opinions.<br />
<br />
So, here's what I'm proposing: I'll let you go check out the <a href="http://tiyanamariewhite.wordpress.com/">freshly-created site</a> I propose to move this joint to and then await your opinions on whether you think I should migrate or not.<br />
<br />
Is it silly that I'm even telling you all of this and not just making the switch? I hope not. I just don't like being impulsive, so I want to know if others think this is a good idea or not.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: orange;">So what do you think? Should I buy the new blog look, or does it make my butt look big?</span></strong>Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-57037675891066774152011-03-17T23:48:00.000-07:002011-03-17T23:48:48.058-07:00Pulp FictionI think I just discovered my latest obsession:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrdPz1n6iTjQqW7TnrpYqEOCApSEKd6VUW6OGSs5WYXgcHZWc1HReGA4Vi9n8dTA4qEfbMaww4uTZPNzroUIIlyhCQs_yIKZtmdKDFUFB4J0jHdOKYoqBuY2BwDBRBo5-bkaItBLJmww/s1600/G8+and+His+Battle+Aces+%252320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrdPz1n6iTjQqW7TnrpYqEOCApSEKd6VUW6OGSs5WYXgcHZWc1HReGA4Vi9n8dTA4qEfbMaww4uTZPNzroUIIlyhCQs_yIKZtmdKDFUFB4J0jHdOKYoqBuY2BwDBRBo5-bkaItBLJmww/s400/G8+and+His+Battle+Aces+%252320.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.vintagelibrary.com/pulpfiction/characters/G-8-and-his-Battle-Aces.php">G-8 and His Battle Aces</a>! I should have been inhaling this stuff <em><strong>ages</strong></em> ago! God, where have you been all my life...Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-50120411979885451692011-03-17T09:35:00.001-07:002011-03-17T09:49:16.361-07:00Worldbuilding: Magic Systems <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqSknPygvJ1QmqcNJwsLckNOwpNBQOz2HFC6VNYbjtQSSYaEmXwce4pgjHH616iuBd_SGSC0-7ocA1VYZSToD9IwDQeRKhLkxajBlmM2xZ0_e9wCZ_2Zy29Kv66ZlMoUbY5gfJGAeOs0/s1600/Elemental_Evolution_by_bdotward.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqSknPygvJ1QmqcNJwsLckNOwpNBQOz2HFC6VNYbjtQSSYaEmXwce4pgjHH616iuBd_SGSC0-7ocA1VYZSToD9IwDQeRKhLkxajBlmM2xZ0_e9wCZ_2Zy29Kv66ZlMoUbY5gfJGAeOs0/s320/Elemental_Evolution_by_bdotward.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Elemental Evolution" by bdotward.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<strong>This is part of an ongoing series about <u>worldbuilding</u>.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>* * *</strong><br />
<br />
I have to be honest: I am running out of steam with this series. So today, if you don't mind, I'm gonna be a little bit <strong>lazy</strong>.<br />
<br />
If you're writing fantasy, read <a href="http://www.brandonsanderson.com/article/40/Sandersons-First-Law">this article</a> by Brandon Sanderson, if you haven't already. I think it's the best I've come across on the topic of magic systems and will be basing the rest of this post off of it.<br />
<br />
<strong>What kind of magic system(s) have you worked with?</strong><br />
<br />
I've been experimenting with what Brandon Sanderson calls a "middle ground" magic system, with an emphasis on the soft side. There are no fancy spells or long drawn-out rules, though there is consistency. There is some explanation as to how it all works, but I generally want it to be a mystery to readers. An elementalist can only use their powers if their element is present in their surroundings. (And in the case of fire-wielders, they must use matches or lighters to produce and work with a flame until they've become advanced enough to make things "spontaneously combust.")<br />
<br />
However, because I'm using a "softer" system, I tend not to use magic to get my characters out of a tight fix, as Brandon's article talks about. If they win a battle it isn't always because they were better elementalists. It's usually because they were <em>smarter</em> about the way they used their abilities and/or their environment or had some other skill which gave them an edge. (They aren't at all like your all-powerful Jedi Knights. Well, with the exception of two secondary characters, but they're just <em>extreme</em> freaks of nature--exceptional elementalists at their prime.) Maybe they even had the element of surprise.<br />
<br />
(The biggest problems in <em>Element 7</em> cannot be solved with magic anyway because they are problems of human nature. The ability of those few who are able to manipulate the elements <strong><em>is</em></strong> one of the greatest problems in the first place. How do you live in a world beside people with such an ability? Could it ever be safe?)<br />
<br />
These are the kind of things I like to consider before I decide to use magic.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;"><strong>How about you? If you are writing fantasy, what kind of magic system do you use?</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">_____</span>Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-32916511174638513982011-03-16T09:55:00.000-07:002011-03-16T09:55:39.668-07:00Worldbuilding: Languages<strong><em>This is part of an ongoing series about <u>worldbuilding</u>.</em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong>* * *</strong><br />
<br />
I think this is something I've always played around with as a kid. I used to create interesting-looking writing characters and put them to the English alphabet. Never did a whole lot with them, though. (I did actually create a new font type using <a href="http://www.fontifier.com/">Fontifier</a> once. That was a lot of fun.)<br />
<br />
But really, languages go waaaaay deeper than characters and alphabets, as I'm sure you can appreciate.<br />
<br />
<strong>Confession!</strong><br />
<br />
I have a confession to make: I am a horrible citizen of the world. I'll learn a new language, oh sure, but don't count on me to actually <em>use</em> it on a daily basis or, heaven bid, <em>speak</em> it fluently. I took about four years of Spanish in high school, but I don't actually use it a whole lot now (except occassionally at work, when people are trying to figure out what stuff to buy; I can generally pick up what they're talking about and make recommendations for them).<br />
<br />
What a waste, right? Guess I'm just your typical American in that way, trying to earn some college credits to make life easier down the road. I was an honors student (still am--magna cum laude, yo!); the GPA game, inevitably, took precedence.<br />
<br />
It's just I've always been fascinated with people who can speak other languages; it's a mystery to me. Though I don't think I've ever wanted to become one of those people (as stupid as this may sound) because then the mystery of it all would be gone.<br />
<br />
Call it a silly form of idealism.<br />
<br />
I don't know. I think some people have a gift for speaking in different tongues and others don't. (Excuses, right?) But I don't think those four years and AP credits were a <em>complete</em> waste of my time. In fact, it wasn't wasteful at all.<br />
<br />
<strong>Building a Language (or two, or three, or...)</strong><br />
<br />
If you speak Spanish, then you already know that the syntax rules are a bit different from those in English. For example, if you want to say "the fat cat" you wouldn't literally say "the fat cat;" you'd say "the cat fat" (<em>el gato gordo</em>). Not to mention, words in Spanish actually have gender associations, so if you wanted to say "the fat girl," it wouldn't be <em>la chica gord<strong>o</strong></em> but instead <em>la chica gord<strong>a</strong></em>. (But don't go spouting <em>that</em> one around! "<em>Ey, chica gorda--ven aquí!</em>" *<strong><em>slap</em></strong>*) Of course, there are always exceptions to the rules, further complicating things.<br />
<br />
Anyways, I always thought this was interesting.<br />
<br />
These two rules about Spanish are just the little, <em>easy</em> things to catch on to. We haven't even <em>brushed</em> verb conjugation! (Good lord.) I can't properly imagine how languages like Japanese or Arabic might work, but I bet it'd be fun to learn (if only out of curiosity). In any case, it's stuff like that which you can incorporate into your own make-believe languages to make them more life-like while sounding foreign to the English-speaker's ear.<br />
<br />
There is an entire <em>world</em> of languages out there from which to derive inspiration and to serve as models for any languages you decide to create. Even if you haven't taken lessons in another language, you can at least look up phonetics and phonology or listen to audio and video clips of people talking in tongues that are foreign to you. Honestly, being a musician, a lot of times I just go by the general sound that I want a certain language to take on, and I only develop enough of it to get by. (If I didn't, I would have never gotten around to writing the first draft in the first place!)<br />
<br />
To create a new language, I would recommend getting a feel for the sound of it first by brainstorming sound combinations for words (which don't necessarily have to have meanings just yet but can later) then establish the alphabet and "rules" while developing a vocabulary that you think you'll want to use in your story as you go along. Of course, you can get really in depth with this, but you don't have to because the rest, as they say, is just gravy.<br />
<br />
<strong>An Example</strong><br />
<br />
So right now in <em>Element 7</em> there are actually seven languages which are made reference to. (And no, that was not an intentional allusion to the seven elements in the story, though now that I think about it... Hm, I could really do something with that!) Anyhow, those languages are:<br />
<br />
<ol><li><strong><u>Windi</u></strong> (which is just my name for English, because it wouldn't really make sense to use "English" in a make-believe world);</li>
<li><strong><u>Borellian</u></strong> (I use this one a lot, actually; it's modeled after Italian and French and was meant to be a bridge language between the ancient Nolians, who spoke Windi, and the Trysteese, who were displaced from their homeland into Nolian territory--which is why it's somewhat similar to Windi, or English);</li>
<li><strong><u>Heinu</u></strong> (only loosely developed at this stage; somewhat modeled after Japanese);</li>
<li><strong><u>Keshema</u></strong> (kind of inspired by Arabic, maybe? Very loosely developed);</li>
<li><strong><u>Urzu</u></strong> (um...couldn't tell you what that's modeled after, though it's certainly not Urdu; I haven't used it much, at this stage);</li>
<li><strong><u>Qyowen</u></strong> (a weird mixture of Chinese maybe and early Mesoamerican languages, I suppose; it's considered an antiquated language, so I haven't used it extensively); and finally</li>
<li><strong><u>Trysteese</u></strong> (which originally was going to be modeled off of Greek, though it turned out to be something else; also considered an antiquated language).</li>
</ol><br />
*breathes*<br />
<br />
Is it crazy that I've listed that many languages for one novel? I hope not. It's not like I've fully developed them all, either. For most of them, I've just given them distinct names and only use a couple of words from each in my character's dialogue. For some, it's mostly just been useful for coming up with city and region names.<br />
<br />
But anyways, those are my languages. I am by no means an expert in linguistics. Not even close. I just like making stuff up (or mixing stuff, as may be the case).<br />
<br />
Here is a snapshot of an Excel table I've created using <a href="http://shop.hollylisle.com/index.php?crn=214&rn=367&action=show_detail">Holly Lisle's Language Clinic</a> suggestions. It helps me keep track of all the words and rules I develop along the way for Borellian (though, honestly, I sometimes just wing the rules or follow the ones used in Spanish, heh):<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k206/tmwhite5/Element%207/Borellian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" closure_uid_p4gt6i="354" height="320" q6="true" src="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k206/tmwhite5/Element%207/Borellian.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Click it to see it full-size!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table> A few examples of sentences in Borellian might be:<br />
<ul><li><em>Ah, e Dammissi Román--noittro piolotti nouva!</em> <span style="font-size: x-small;">("Ah, and Miss Román--our new pilot!")</span></li>
<li><em>Nes no saene viti dammene, no?</em> <span style="font-size: x-small;">("She isn't very lady-like, is she?")</span></li>
<li><em>Ouele, nes saelét cala fete fer <strong>tad</strong> tempe.</em> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Literally, "Yes, she has been like that for <strong><em>all</em></strong> time," or more simply, "Yes, she's <strong><em>always</em></strong> been that way.")</span></li>
</ul><br />
Random, I know. Only the first one is in the story now. And here's what Trysteese would look like if it was written out:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k206/tmwhite5/Element%207/VoisNameWritteninAncientTrysteese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" closure_uid_p4gt6i="432" height="200" q6="true" src="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k206/tmwhite5/Element%207/VoisNameWritteninAncientTrysteese.jpg" width="181" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voi's name in Trysteese, though it's spelled the approximated "Foi" since the letter V doesn't exist.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<strong>Why Use Languages At All?</strong><br />
<br />
I think the number one reason would be just to make any cultural differences between your characters stand out and feel more realistic--particularly if they are incumbent on the plot.<br />
<br />
Language is important in my WIP because certain world events have happened to certain peoples, which makes them perceive things differently than their neighbors. (Vague, I know.) The idea of the seven elements is one of those things which is understood differently between cultures in <em>Element 7</em>, and this colors some of the world religions. Also, the word <em>emelesia</em>, which is the condition Voi has, has its roots in both Borellian and its predecessor language Trysteese. And since Voi is half-Borellian...<br />
<br />
It's all very connected. Let's just leave it at that. (<em>Element 7</em> has first and foremost been a labor of love, people.)<br />
<br />
Also, you can have a bit of fun and create language tics which can effect people differently. For example, urche, the medication Voi takes, is a Borellian word by origin and is pronounced "oor-keh" in that language, though Windi-speakers tend to pronounce it as "yerk." This naturally annoys some Borellians to no end, as the two sound nothing alike; it entirely loses its Borellian flavor when pronounced the Windi way. So sometimes I have one of my Windi-speaking characters use "yerk" to deliberately piss off a particularly annoying Borellian character. (Voi's name is another one--"voy" versus "vwah.")<br />
<br />
A minor thing, but I use it to build character.<br />
<br />
<strong>Hey, what do you know? My posts are <em>still </em>looking long!</strong><br />
<br />
Okay, so tomorrow I'll touch on magic systems. (I know Brandon Sanderson wrote a good article on this somewhere...I'll have to find that.)<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Qui aba vú?</em> "What about you?"</strong><br />
<br />
Okay, so that's not actually 100% original at all because <em>qui</em> actually means a few other things in French and other languages like Latin and Catalan (but I really, <strong>really</strong> love that word and kind of want people to be able to guess at the meaning anyway, so meh). And according to Wiktionary, <em>vu</em> means "you" in Ido. Though honestly, I didn't know about that last one. (I just looked it up, heh.) But <em>aba</em> doesn't appear to mean "about" in any language I have access to, so hurray for that, I suppose.<br />
<br />
That's another thing you can do is Goggle the words you think you're inventing to see if they've already been invented. It can be crushing. *sighs*<br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">So how about you? Have you tried your hand at creating a new language, or do you think it's just a waste of time?</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;">_____</span>Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-61404972287430632932011-03-15T09:23:00.003-07:002011-03-16T08:27:46.309-07:00Worldbuilding: Setting & Maps<strong><em>This is part of an ongoing series about <u>worldbuilding</u>.</em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong>* * *</strong><br />
<br />
Last time I gave you my <a href="http://seven-and-a-half-first-drafts.blogspot.com/2011/03/worldbuilding.html">personal definition of worldbuilding</a> and mentioned that next I'd be talking about settings (among other things) and processes I've used to develop them.<br />
<br />
All right, then so here it goes.<br />
<br />
<strong>Settings</strong><br />
<br />
Before, I've talked about <a href="http://seven-and-a-half-first-drafts.blogspot.com/2011/03/importance-of-setting.html">The Importance of Setting</a> in a story. Where do you get setting ideas? Largely from the real world, I imagine.<br />
<br />
I started off being inspired by how American and European cities might have looked and functioned during the mid-1930s/pre-WWII era, actually. (I don't think this is an era that gets explored much in fantasy.) I'm not writing about an alternate history, though, so this era only serves as an aesthetic and practical guide. I was really inspired by artwork and photographs of actual places, as well.<br />
<br />
Then I came up with some names for countries, brainstormed some general ideas about them and just flew off from there. (Real helpful, huh?) I'll explain more.<br />
<br />
<strong>Map-Making</strong><br />
<br />
It has helped me immensely to keep track of locations by creating a map, so this might work best if I showed you a couple:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k206/tmwhite5/Element%207/TheWorldofElement7Map-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" q6="true" src="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k206/tmwhite5/Element%207/TheWorldofElement7Map-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
This one basically shows important geographical regions--deserts, rivers, mountain ranges, oceans, etc. in my WIP. I used Adobe Photoshop to create most of it, though I used AutoCAD, a computer-aided drafting software program, to do the little scale. (CAD is good for exact measurements 'n stuff. I often use it to draft floor plans and other similar drawings.)<br />
<br />
The compass, however, is <em>not</em> mine. Honestly, I don't remember where I got it from. (Does that make me a bad person?) I could have made one in CAD, though. Hm, guess I was just being lazy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k206/tmwhite5/Element%207/TheWorldofElement7Map-Atlas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" q6="true" src="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k206/tmwhite5/Element%207/TheWorldofElement7Map-Atlas.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Same story for this one, only it focuses more on the city names and more clearly delineates the nations with color. I separated these things from the geographical regions to keep it from getting too cluttered (though, this isn't all that necessary).<br />
<br />
To tell you the truth, neither of these drawings is complete. I really need to go back and update them with new references I've made in the story. (I tend to keep a lot of info up in my noggin 'cause I don't wanna have to keep making corrections to everything when I change my mind.) But still, it was a good starting point. I know where everything is located and if I need to I can measure approximate distances. This helps for calculating realistic traveling times, which is important, I think, when you're writing about an aviatrix--or train travel, or any other kind of travel, really.<br />
<br />
(That's another thing I've had to do is research typical car and train speeds in the 20s and 30s. Usually I just pick one car and train model, look up the specs and use those as a starting point. Of course, it's all approximated. I don't want to get too anal about that stuff.)<br />
<br />
Gosh, I wish I could find that link that got me started on these maps! Suffice it to say, it's a fairly detailed process that would not fit very well into a little blog post...<br />
<br />
<strong>OMG! NEWSFLASH: I FOUND the </strong><a href="http://www.zompist.com/howto2.htm"><strong>LINK</strong></a>!<br />
<br />
So there ya go. I would like to go back and try some new things I learned, to make the mountains pop out more, for example (that person's map on the link has <em>way</em> better mountains than I do), but that's something for another day.<br />
<br />
<strong>What else can you use to draw maps if you don't have Adobe Photoshop?</strong><br />
<br />
Well, you can always draw it by hand. Do a couple of drafts in pencil, trace over the final one with marker on vellum, trace or marker paper for the final version; splash some color on it here or there... (You cand do that on the back side of the paper so it won't bleed/smear with the marker, unless you do the marker last and just use pencil first.) For color, I have these really awesome (though pricey) art markers by Chartpak that work a little like watercolors, the way the colors kind of spread. Though, they smell <em>really</em> strong. You can get a little high off of them.<br />
<br />
...<br />
<br />
I'm kidding, but they are very strong-smelling.<br />
<br />
You could also leave it in black-and-white, which can make for a very graphic effect. Using different line weights really adds dimension--if you're interested in the more artsy aspects, that is.<br />
<br />
If not, that's cool, too.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, though, I think maps should be used to help the writer visualize where everything in his story is taking place. Doesn't matter if they're pretty or not, especially if they're only for you.<br />
<br />
<strong>Setting As Character</strong><br />
<br />
As it has often been said, setting can become a kind of character itself in your story.<br />
<br />
I've found this to be the case in <em>Element 7</em>. The geographical features actually have a direct relationship to historical events which were initiated by certain characters way back when. These events have effected the present-day geography. For example, why do you think the deserts seem to fan out from Daemon's Pass, just southwest of the Great Sea where floats a collection of scattered islands? And why <em>is</em> that region called "Daemon's Pass" anyway?<br />
<br />
Hm... The world may never know. (Especially if I don't finish editing this beast, heh.)<br />
<br />
<strong>Finding Inspiration</strong><br />
<br />
I find that artwork provides a lot of inspiration for settings in my story. They even give me some scene ideas. Here's one that inspired my vision for Chandra City, Apexia (which is only labeled "Chandra" on my map, so I better fix that, too): <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cZo5N5SrlwKwHcWyQI9MYGE4TA9QFm4KJzT2G0rcHo34HSCHBTs7lD6fTTT6RWoohMtxVkSRV2MSVVlOXVrnheJpSL0JVPmcBg_av_PycTRoIwQISlVYIwXsfRx5wmm3FrbYB6XcL50/s1600/Autumn+Glow+by+Alexei+Butirskiy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cZo5N5SrlwKwHcWyQI9MYGE4TA9QFm4KJzT2G0rcHo34HSCHBTs7lD6fTTT6RWoohMtxVkSRV2MSVVlOXVrnheJpSL0JVPmcBg_av_PycTRoIwQISlVYIwXsfRx5wmm3FrbYB6XcL50/s320/Autumn+Glow+by+Alexei+Butirskiy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Autumn's Glow," by Alexei Butirskiy</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
(This artist's work is so beautiful. I'm inspired by most of it, actually.)<br />
<br />
I imagine that the area my protagonist Voi lives in looks a lot like this. She stays in a townhouse of yellow brick and light-colored stone in Chandra City on Blithe Street, where an electric trolley runs by. Also, it's in the latter half of autumn at the beginning of the novel, so I like the image of there being golden leaves on the trees and sidewalks at this time. This is exactly where Chapter 1 starts off--someplace peaceful to contrast the psychological horror of Voi's condition.<br />
<br />
Her home is her refuge from the world.<br />
<br />
In Chapter 1, she is experiencing...what I will call a "private state of heightened awareness" as she soaks in a clawfoot tub, avoiding her meds...just generally being a naughty emelesiac. Kind of like this:<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnsB2xGJgOlsqKeuv2GUt7o6wCbNaBSWtSd4Wl4-JwCEJ1-5BsrHQBmHddNvb9vdyDXJ_9YCOgD6cExJIcaZAIRr_To82TTx_i0kPnxBNsLRGv2SNhFVop6RK9iQafEkhI2CScIsSUjI/s1600/bathtub_reader.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="185" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnsB2xGJgOlsqKeuv2GUt7o6wCbNaBSWtSd4Wl4-JwCEJ1-5BsrHQBmHddNvb9vdyDXJ_9YCOgD6cExJIcaZAIRr_To82TTx_i0kPnxBNsLRGv2SNhFVop6RK9iQafEkhI2CScIsSUjI/s200/bathtub_reader.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original author unknown.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> (But trust me, it's not what you think. Though, I certainly <em>want</em> you to believe it is. I'm hoping that the intent behind this scene thrives off reader assumptions. I'd like to share it sometime, once I've shopped it around a bit.)<br />
<br />
Meh, I could mention something about Borellia, too, but you know how I am with words. I will say, though, that the ancient ruins and antiquity of Italian cities have been a big inspiration for my vision of Borellia, as have French towns with half-timber structures from Medieval times.<br />
<br />
And Airships. You just <em>have</em> to have airships in a 1930s-inspired world. (This was during the latter years of their Golden Age, after all.)<br />
<br />
So that's kind of how I think about settings. Next time: languages! (Oh yes.)<br />
<br />
<strong>How About You?</strong><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">Do you like to use maps to aid with fleshing out your story? If so, do you keep them pretty simple or like to deck them out? Also, where do you tend to find inspiration for the settings in your storyworld(s)?</span><br />
<span style="color: #999999;">_____</span>Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-78527675249924650552011-03-14T10:41:00.001-07:002011-03-14T10:52:31.855-07:00A Little Advice?<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hey, peoples. I was wondering if I could get your opinion on something.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've been putting it off (my other versions weren't so great), but I finally wrote a presentable "blurb" for my WIP. Got some perspective and came back to it. So far it's the best I've managed to come up with. Here's what I have:</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> <br />
<blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Voi Román is in a pickle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suffering from a rare psychophysiological condition known as emelesia, she faces a grim fact of life: By her twenty-fifth birthday, the urche supplements she takes will not be enough to manage her condition; soon, she will need to be admitted to a mental asylum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, she’s twenty-four and a half now, and to make matters worse, her aeroplane tour company, AeroTaxi, has undoubtedly seen better days.</em></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Running on her last drop of optimism, a possible solution presents itself when a questionable government agent visits her home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He claims there is a cure for her condition, though it comes with a price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work for us, and we’ll work with you, he promises.</em></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Tentative at first, Voi embarks on a journey of self-discovery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before she knows it, she is swept up in a whirlwind of arcane occult practices, experimental aerocraft technology, aerial espionage, and international intrigue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s enough to make a girl go mad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though, Voi’s sanity is not the only thing she risks losing…</em></span></span></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"></div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's at 169 words, which I hope isn't <em>too</em> long. I've got a shorter version that's only a sentence long under my "Element 7" tab, and maybe that one could be a little shorter, too. Not 100% sure of length guidelines. (I've heard anywhere between 75 to 200 words for blurbs, at least.) Anyways, I was hoping to put this one up there, as well, to give folks (and myself) a better idea of the story. I hope that isn't too preemptive of me, considering I'm still in the editing process (halfway through now, not including rewrites). >_<</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Any suggestions? :D</span>Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-90767374784900335252011-03-14T08:52:00.001-07:002011-03-14T10:51:19.816-07:00Worldbuilding<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCXpftDb4QiRsAHVCVIzqTPGy_jSpOdxjJikz0G8MxWqYwmRfWguXhv7Ei4fwOjh_Zc4fVmdwYfTaxu9f83lpTCVEJ3hyphenhyphen-FUsMcnj_i_x8yySYyY0DhxNoIFXPpUfTJaP-4VLWpp89rs/s1600/The+Apex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCXpftDb4QiRsAHVCVIzqTPGy_jSpOdxjJikz0G8MxWqYwmRfWguXhv7Ei4fwOjh_Zc4fVmdwYfTaxu9f83lpTCVEJ3hyphenhyphen-FUsMcnj_i_x8yySYyY0DhxNoIFXPpUfTJaP-4VLWpp89rs/s320/The+Apex.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photoshop'd two <a href="http://homepage.mac.com/j.monro/070129BurjDubai/BurjDubai.html">internet photos</a> of Dubai, for fun.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong><em>This is the first in what will be a series of blog entries on the topic of <u>worldbuilding</u>.</em></strong><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><strong>* * *</strong></div><br />
You know, I have this horrible habit of typing W-O-L-R-D at the start of "worldbuilding." It's annoying. Does that ever happen to you?<br />
<br />
<strong>What is wo<em>rrrr</em>ldbuilding, exactly?</strong><br />
<br />
I'll give you a brief definition of what <em>I</em> think it is: Worldbuilding is simply the process of constructing (creating) and establishing the necessary background information for a story's world. And what kind of background information is deemed necessary, you might ask? Well, that would depend on what <em>you</em> are writing.<br />
<br />
For me, I am working a story in a world that does not exist, so I did some extensive legwork on building that world before diving into it because I needed to figure out what the reality of this new world was like before trying to present it to a reader. (This is probably one of the few smart things I did before jumping headfirst into my first novel, heh.) I had to develop a thorough understanding of what made it different from our reality then figure out how to render this through storytelling. Even after exploring the same world for years, I <strong>still</strong> feel like there's more left to discover--which is part of the reason why I want to write more than one book that takes place in it.<br />
<br />
If I was writing historical fiction, though, I imagine my worldbuilding process might involve a lot more research on real-world locations and details and less pulling semi-original invented ideas out of my brain and making them happen. I think there'd be less creativity going on with the worldbuilding and more trying to get the facts straight. If I were writing fiction set in an alternate history, my worldbuilding process would probably float somewhere in the middle of these two methods.<br />
<br />
In any case, research would still play a role, however large or small.<br />
<br />
<strong>Worldbuilding As an Organic Process</strong><br />
<br />
Like achieving focus in one's story, I believe worldbuilding can take place in both the planning and implementation stages of writing a novel. During the planning stage its all about the development of ideas; during the implementation, or writing stage it's about establishing, within the story itself, whichever details the writer feels are needed in order to best <em>tell</em> that story.<br />
<br />
You can plan 'til your heart's content, but there are some things you just can't plan for. They just come to you suddenly like a voice from heaven, imparting you with epiphanic artistic insight, and sometimes more like a freight train out of hell (or out of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQIpLBLLQoQ">a certain dream sequence from <em>Inception</em></a>), derailing everything you <em>thought</em> you knew about a setting, demanding that you alter some minor (or major, yikes!) world detail to better fit the developing story. And not all the stuff you meticulously plan out is going to make it into the novel anyway. Still, it's good to know your story's environment and history before trying to render it and have your characters interact with it.<br />
<br />
That's how I understand it.<br />
<br />
<strong>So that was all the boring, establish-the-platform stuff.</strong><br />
<br />
Now, on to all the <em>fun</em> stuff. (Note: I'm going to be writing this series in a way that a first-time writer might be able to follow, though I'm aware the majority of my readers have already gone through this process at least once. Hopefully everyone can get something out of it, though.)<br />
<br />
<strong>Where To Begin?</strong><br />
<br />
Wherever you want to, really. I started off just journaling about locations I had in mind. I also collected images and played around with Photoshop for a while (this was when I was first learning to use it) to come up with setting concepts, so that can help sometimes. I haven't been able to visit all the locations I developed for my first novel, but I at least know they exist. My characters sometimes make references to places I plan to take them to later on.<br />
<br />
At one point I discovered an amazing author named <a href="http://hollylisle.com/">Holly Lisle</a>. I have just gobbled up all the stuff she puts out there for writers. I've actually only read one of her novels <span style="font-size: x-small;">*guilt, guilt*</span>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0545000130/ref=cm_rdp_product">The Ruby Key</a> (which was great fun, btw, and the cover art is just <em>gorgeous</em>; had it as a desktop wallpaper for a while), but that's beside the point. The point is she gives some <strong><em>really</em></strong> helpful advice and offers some great tools that writers can use to help them develop their stories.<br />
<br />
Check out her $10 clinics on building <a href="http://shop.hollylisle.com/index.php?crn=214&rn=372&action=show_detail">cultures</a> and <a href="http://shop.hollylisle.com/index.php?crn=214&rn=367&action=show_detail">languages</a>, easily downloadable as PDF files. (She also offers some bundles, which can save you money if you decide to buy more than two or three.) I've found these to be very useful, actually. I printed them out and keep them in binders on some nearby shelves for easy reference.<br />
<br />
Don't wanna spend any money? Well, there's <em>plenty</em> of <a href="http://seven-and-a-half-first-drafts.blogspot.com/p/links.html">free stuff out there on the internet</a> that covers worldbuilding. Trust me.<br />
<br />
There are a few aspects of worldbuilding I've enjoyed more than others--those being languages, institutions and organizations, magic systems (I don't actually use the word "magic" at all in my fantasy novel, just "elementalism") and locales/settings, so I plan on talking about the processes I've used to develop some of those areas. Maybe you've used/will use similar processes. Maybe yours are radically different!<br />
<br />
<strong>How would <em>you</em> define worldbuilding?</strong><br />
<br />
You can find a lot of definitions of worldbuilding on the internet, but I'm more interested in what the term means to <strong><em>you</em></strong>, fellow writers. Maybe you'd disagree with how I've defined worldbuilding. Maybe it's too simplified or general. Perhaps there is even more to it.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">So, what are your thoughts about worldbuilding? What is it? What is it not? Is worldbuilding something that every fiction writer should consider doing before writing a novel?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">And also, how much detail is <em>too</em> much detail? How much is not enough?</span><br />
<br />
(Feel free to pick and choose what you want to answer, as always. I'm just throwing stuff out there.)<br />
<span style="color: #999999;">_____</span>Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-49366611540855358602011-03-13T16:40:00.000-07:002011-03-13T16:40:31.910-07:00Just a Heads Up:I've come to the realization that the topic of worldbuliding is <em><strong>far</strong></em> too complex to cover in just one or two posts--not in any detailed and practical way, anyhow. Though trust me, I tried. (I mean, what was I thinking? <em>Really</em>.)<br />
<br />
So here's what I'm gonna do: Normally I try to post something only on Wednesdays, but since this topic is so diverse and has so many interesting things to talk about, I'm going to post something each day this week starting on Monday. Consider it a series on worldbuilding! It should be fun.<br />
<br />
And since I'm on Spring Break this week, I can actually afford the splurge. (Besides, I've got most of it written already.)<br />
<br />
Okay, so that's all for now. :) Have a Happy Sunday!<br />
<br />
-TiyanaTiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-50085919207747947212011-03-10T10:46:00.003-07:002011-03-11T23:14:15.833-07:00Synergy in Worldbuilding (and Beyond)<em></em><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/56/B23.land_of_psychedelic_illuminations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><img border="0" height="240" q6="true" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/56/B23.land_of_psychedelic_illuminations.jpg" width="320" /></em></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Land of Psychedelic Illuminations," by </span><a href="http://picturerealm.co.uk/details.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Brian Exton</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>(I must apologize. My last post wasn't the clearest, as it came to me in several parts. I think my whole spiel about using the elements in my story was more about worldbuilding than setting...but then again, the elements are setting, in a way, because they represent Nature, which always surrounds my characters. This was all left too implied... Bah! I'm just being a perfectionist again. Forget I said anything.)</em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Okay! So today...I'd like to talk about what happens when setting, character, plot, and all those other important storytelling elements come together in holy matrimony, so to speak. (Or maybe it's more like "holy polygamy," which may or may not be a paradox, heh, but let's not go there...)</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Good Writing + Thorough Development + Cohesion Through Compatibility = Synergy</span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When all the elements of storytelling come together and somehow, in the mind of the reader, manage to transcend the sum of their parts, it makes for an amazing effect. When you can't remove one character, plot point, or detail of the setting from the story without it falling apart or changing altogether, then you know you've got something pretty tight (in every sense of that word).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is a word for this phenomenon. I believe it is called <strong>synergy</strong>. Here is </span><a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/synergy"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Merriam-Webster's definition</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> of the term:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;">A mutually advantageous conjunction or compatibility of distinct business participants or elements (as resources or efforts).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Origin of synergy: New Latin synergia, from Greek synergos working together.</span></blockquote><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Everyone loves M-W (right?), so I thought I'd put that one out there; but honestly, I think we can do a little better. Here's how the American Heritage Dictionary, on </span><a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/synergy"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Answers.com</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, defines synergy:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<ol type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cooperative interaction among groups, especially among the acquired subsidiaries or merged parts of a corporation, that creates an enhanced combined effect.</span></li>
</ol><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Right, so key words are "compatibility," "combined effect" and "greater than the sum of their individual effects."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I love this word to death for two reasons: (1) because it's one of those words that smacks of New Age and just sounds undeniably cool, but more importantly (2) because it accurately describes a particularly elusive effect that is really more of a feeling one gets or an impression one is left with than a real, tangible thing. It is a quality of relationship between story elements, a kind of organic network of details that give and take from one another to produce something greater. It is difficult, I think, to attain in a novel and can be hard to pinpoint when it plays out before your eyes, though you know it when you see it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A story with synergy has just got that "It Factor."</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Examples Where Synergy is Achieved</span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not too long ago I finished reading Kameron Hurley's debut novel </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gods-War-Kameron-Hurley/dp/159780214X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299691581&sr=1-1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">God's War</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. It is an exercise in worldbuilding, among other things, and I believe a successful one at that. She features a style which is now being called <u>bugpunk</u>. In </span><a href="http://booktionary.blogspot.com/2011/01/interview-kameron-hurley-author-of-gods.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">an interview with Kameron on Mad Hatter</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, I read about the source of her inspiration for the novel: a time spent living in <country-region w:st="on"><place w:st="on">South Africa</place></country-region> where bugs were simply a normal part of everyday life. She runs pretty far with that idea in God's War, incorporating it into the very lifestyles of her characters. "Magicians," for example, can call bugs to do their bidding, creating defensive barriers or offensive swarm attacks, among other things.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">However, her worldbuilding doesn't stop there. Bugs are ginormous and scary in Hurley's setting of the polluted and war-torn planet of Umayma, but they also serve an even deeper purpose. All of the technology in this world runs off bug juice, really. Bug-based technology allows the protagonist Nyxnissa to ride relatively long distances in her "bakkie." Bugs also allow Umayma's inhabitants to communicate via radio. There are many other ways in which bugs are useful in this world, to be sure, but those are some of the most prominent examples throughout the novel.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All of these details, and so many more, just came together very nicely, in my opinion. It was all thought-out and cohesive. It just felt right when it was all mixed together.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I could go into the numerous other reasons of why I feel God's War is a success as far as worldbuilding is concerned, but that would make for a lengthy analysis. I think that if you don't mind ultra-tough female leads and a little head-lopping (for Nyxnissa is a deadly bounty hunter), then you should just go ahead and read it for yourself!</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Other Examples of Worldbuilding Done Right</span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also admire the worldbuilding of Martha Wells. I especially loved </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=the+fall+of+ile-rien"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Fall of Ile-Rien</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> series from her, which played with the idea of two vastly different peoples: one, the Rienish, for whom wizards and magic were the norm and even used in conjunction with technology; and another, the Syprians, who considered to any and all magic to be pure evil. Of course, the two civilizations meet face-to-face and are forced into a circumstance in which they must work together in order to survive.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Death-Necromancer-Martha-Wells/dp/0380788144/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299694059&sr=1-1"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Death of the Necromancer</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, kind of a prequel of sorts (from the same author), was also done very well, I think; it was nominated for a Nebula Award a while back.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">These may not be the most well-known examples of incredible worldbuilding out there today, but they are some of my favorites because not only are their settings awesome and unique, but they directly contribute to the effectiveness of each story. In fact, these novels would be entirely different if their settings were altered in any way.</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">What other good examples of striking settings can you think of?</span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not all novels will have settings that especially stick out to the reader, but sometimes you come across ones where they do. Also, worldbuilding does not necessarily have to involve creating a new world from the ground up. It could just mean doing the necessary research to render a setting(s) in a realistic way--particularly when the story is set in a real-life location.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">With that said...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: inherit;">What are some of your favorite settings from novels? (Movies? TV shows?) What made them special or successful in terms of the bigger story, in your eyes?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next week I plan on talking more about the actual process of worldbuilding and different aspects that must be considered--particularly when creating a new world. (And if you think this is the last time you'll be seeing psychedelic weirdness from me, think again--mwahahaha! It's just one of the many strange things that have inspired the ideas behind my novel.)</span></span>Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-88166585999784499002011-03-09T13:23:00.004-07:002011-03-09T13:54:15.960-07:00The Importance of Setting <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/VFT_ne1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/VFT_ne1.JPG" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/VFT_ne1.JPG">Wikipedia Creative Commons</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Oh look, I'm using an image today--yay! (Usually I just don't feel like doing the whole free-image-search-attribution deal. <em>Indolence</em>!)</span><br />
<br />
Okay, so here's a thing I could probably lose entire months getting lost in: worldbuilding.<br />
<br />
<strong>But first, let's talk about setting. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(<em>Aaaaaawww...)</em></span></strong><br />
<br />
Setting is important. It is where your story takes place. <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Really?!)</span></em> It also refers to the time frame during which the story unfolds. Without setting, your characters, and your readers, have no frame of reference, no context from which a "story" may even be derived. No grounds for constructing a meaningful experience upon.<br />
<br />
Place. Time. Context. Together, they help to create story orientation. (I just got this image of a Captain Planet-like team putting their superpowered rings of storytelling together in a big circle, declaring, "Concept, plot, character, setting, theme...<strong>Story</strong>!" [Insert bubbly, make-believe theme song here.])<br />
<br />
Setting can be as ordinary as a barber shop somewhere in a post-WWII American town or as outlandish as a foreign alien planet where gargantuan, mobile, carnivorous plant species coexist with the indigenous lavender-skinned humanoids with sweat glands that secrete a natural repellent, making them inherently "unappetizing" to their feisty plant denizens.<br />
<br />
Of course, perhaps for your protagonist that little barber shop doesn't seem so ordinary anymore after he inadvertently (it seems) discovers a small, odd-looking chest hidden beneath some floor boards, locked by a key of unknown whereabouts and origins; and perhaps those flesh-eating plants and that lavender skin are just as commonplace as the next pebble on the ground, though not so common as that new, benevolent yellow plant species that suddenly popped up in the forest this morning and seems to respond, out of tentative interest, to only one humanoid native in particular. It all depends on the perspective of the characters you choose and the plot they're involved in. All these things are dependent upon one another.<br />
<br />
And <em>that</em> is the beauty of <strong>story</strong>.<br />
<br />
However usual or unusual your setting may be, I firmly believe that it must be unique to the story being told. If it doesn't make a hill-of-beans difference whether Mary discovers herself in Plano, Texas or on the Moon, then perhaps that writer has got a bit of story-soul-searching to do. A setting that does not participate with its characters, plots and themes, or has no connection to the other elements of the story, is just an inconsequential place setting at which the writer may be left alone to dine. And maybe you don't believe this to be true in real life, but wouldn't you say that in every great story all things happen for a reason? That nothing--no detail of setting or plot or character or anything else--is ever left to chance?<br />
<br />
Think about it. Would Jane Eyre's story be the same if it were set in modern-day England? Would the tales of Jedi Knights be nearly as epic were they placed on a single planet during a time in which space travel was not yet possible? I should think <em>not</em>.<br />
<br />
<strong>It's All In the Details</strong><br />
<br />
In my current WIP the elements of earth, metal, wood, water, fire, air and aether/void play a <em>tremendous</em> role in the overall color and flavor of the story. Not only are they the categories for elemental powers used by some of my characters but also personality types. I'll use word associations that are evocative of the elements to describe my characters, according to whichever element I've linked them to.<br />
<br />
For example, my protagonist Voi is linked to the element of air. Her entire way of being, even some of her thought processes, mimic or relate to the characteristics of air--a passion for air travel, for example, and a tendency towards flightiness, even a fickle and child-like nature. Now, not everything she does is filtered through this one element, however, because people in real life aren't one dimensional like that, but I do make it a point to carry out the personification of the elements through my character's actions.<br />
<br />
(I definitely think this has the potential to get pretty hokey and cliché, depending on how it's done, but that's something I've had to work out in my own writing style. The popular axiom of "show, don't tell" is probably the easiest way, I think, to avoid this trap. <em>Showing</em> Voi fleeing from situations rather than conveniently narrating the fact that she is, in fact, a sylph-like creature prone to capriciousness. And so on and so forth...)<br />
<br />
If God is in the details, and the author is virtually a story's god, then why would he leave the setting (or any other story element, for that matter) to chance when ultimately <em>he</em> is in control? Though, you also know what they say about the Devil fitting somewhere in there, too, so the moral of that story is: It's not easy playing God for a day, or 365 of them, or however many days it takes you to write a novel (because let's face it, this is what writers essentially do when they write, isn't it?), though if you care about writing a quality story, then you'll give every ounce of it its due amount of attention to detail.<br />
<br />
<strong>Perhaps you are thinking now, "That's some high talk...coming from an <em>amateur</em>."</strong><br />
<br />
Look, I'm not saying I'm some master at all of this, 'cause I'm not. Like any other art form, I think learning to tell a story with attention to detail is a continual practice, though I think it is important to do so and it is something I am actively pursuing to the best of my ability--barring the fact that I am not (yet) published.<br />
<br />
<strong>[Obligatory Hiatus]</strong><br />
<br />
All right, all right, so by now you've probably realized that I like to write <em>loooong</em>-ish posts. I've already written like a three-part series and just decided to chop it into pieces. (Did I tell you that my manuscript at this moment is sitting at just under 200K words? Um, yeah...I am <em>seriously</em> considering labeling it as an "epic fantasy," at this point, though I'm not 100% sure if it belongs there.) I'm verbose like that, and I really can't help it. Apparently, I've got <em>a lot of freakin' stuff to say</em>.<br />
<br />
I understand that people generally need to eat large beasts in small bites, though, so tomorrow I'm gonna post the rest of my thoughts. (I don't really want to get into the habit of posting in Parts I, II, III, etc. like I have already, twice, 'cause oddly I don't really feel I have that kind of privilege. Couldn't exactly tell you why.)<br />
<br />
But since we've come to this hiatus now...I've got some questions for you!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">How important is the setting in your current work(s) of storytelling art? How is it connected to the other elements of story--your characters, themes and the plot itself? Is it something that's more of a background element, or is it one of those things you want to showcase?</span> (Neither is it necessarily good or bad, I don't think, though I am curious. It probably depends a lot on your genre, too.)Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-14113126804452756982011-03-04T18:01:00.000-07:002011-03-04T18:01:30.507-07:00Thoughts on Black SwanI just got back from seeing the movie <em>Black Swan</em> at Harkins for the first time today, and honestly...I'm pretty conflicted about it.<br />
<br />
Why?<br />
<br />
<strong>Let's start off with the good.</strong><br />
<br />
Natalie Portman was <em><strong>excellent</strong></em>. I can see now why she one an Oscar for her role. I was 100% immersed in her character Nina. In fact, a lot of the time, I felt I <em>was</em> her character.<br />
<br />
I think that says a lot about Natalie as an actress. She is so good that she makes her viewers forget who they are yet at the same time enables them to see themselves reflected in her role. That's how I felt about her performance, anyway.<br />
<br />
But really, for me it goes deeper than this. I get what it means to be that nice, sweet girl, that one who (more or less) never gets into trouble. That one who strives toward perfection in her work and is devastated, or at least pretty upset, as she realizes that her work is not as perfect as she'd hoped. I understand what it feels like to be told to "let go" and "live a little" yet continue to refuse because it could mean risking coming in contact with the darker side of one's self. On all of these points I could identify with Portman's role as the delicate (and ultimately imperfect) Nina Sayers.<br />
<br />
Because that's what it means to be human. Nina's way of life is just one of many ways to be human. A flawed, tragic human, but human nevertheless.<br />
<br />
It's ironic, really, what happens to Nina in <em>Black Swan</em> because what she really does is trade one form of perfection for another, so that the area she once was "perfect" in (or at least perceived to be perfect in) is compromised so that she might become "perfect" in another way.<br />
<br />
And that's where my conflicted sentiments about the film come into play.<br />
<br />
<strong>That Typical "Good Girl Gone Bad" Story</strong><br />
<br />
There's a part in the movie where Thomas (I guess he's the head honcho of the dance company Nina works for), played by Vincent Cassel, is trying to get Nina to "open up" to him and stop being so inhibited. He asks her bluntly, "You're not a virgin, are you?" (Really, you should hear the tone he uses here.)<br />
<br />
Nina, after some time, replies softly, "No." (And actually, I didn't believe her when she said this, like she was just too ashamed to admit it in this harrowing-prick-of-a-man's presence; but maybe that's just my interpretation of Natalie's acting.)<br />
<br />
Thomas then smiles as says, "So there is nothing to be embarrassed about."<br />
<br />
. . .<br />
<br />
Why should it be "embarrassing" to be a virgin in the first place? Why can't it simply be a choice, a way of life? (Ooo, don't even <strong>get</strong> me started on this point.) Honestly, if I was in Nina's position, I would have <em><strong>pimp-slapped</strong></em> that man. (Actually, I wouldn't have even taken his invitation to have drinks alone with him in his home in the <em>first</em> place.) But if this one exchange doesn't say loads about the overall lack of morality in this film, then I don't know what does.<br />
<br />
Even worse is the fact that Nina <em>chooses</em> to become what she does by the end of the movie and sees it as "perfection." It's disgusting, to be frank. Horrific. But inevitably, I guess that's what the whole movie was about.<br />
<br />
<strong>What I Took Away From This</strong><br />
<br />
I realize I'm making some very subjective remarks here, but that's just the nature of this post.<br />
<br />
What I can say is this: I truly do admire the beautiful, weird, fantastical poetry of the overall film and Natalie Portman's portrayal of Nina. There were a lot of things I could have done without (like the unabashed lesbian sex scene), but for the most part I enjoyed the film.<br />
<br />
I felt it achieved the thing I talked about on Wednesday evening, about "creating an experience," because <em>Black Swan </em>was most <em><strong>definitely</strong></em> an emotional experience, and the creepy, fantastical element only enhanced that experience. It was beautiful and ugly all at once. Light and dark. Good and evil. The White Swan vs. the Black Swan, essentially.<br />
<br />
If there's one thing I can take away from this film that applies to writing fiction, it's that fantasy can be used to create unique situations which highlight the themes of humanity, making them larger than life. And since I'm writing fantasy, I think that's just <em>great</em>.<br />
<br />
<strong>Have You Seen <em>Black Swan</em>?</strong><br />
<br />
If so, what are your thoughts about it? How did it make you feel? What, if anything, were you able to take away from it?Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-56796595537769823472011-03-02T23:00:00.006-07:002011-03-04T08:29:51.402-07:00Writing an Experience<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sorry I'm posting this one so late. My internet has been all wonked out for half the day, making me run around like a headless chicken, but it's all good now. We're back in business. (Though, technically, I <em>did</em> still post this on Wednesday. ;))</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong>* * *</strong></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You know, I just kind of realized a couple of days ago that the folks over at </span><a href="http://night-bazaar.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Night Bazaar</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> are actually posting on the very topic I planned on covering this week: Setting & Worldbuilding. (They even announced it like a week or two in advance on their sidebar.)</span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I <em>totally</em> forgot about this. I was gonna put up a picture of the local mountain here and everything, telling you about how it inspired me and whatnot. But it looks like Courtney Schafer beat me to the chase.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ha!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All right, well I don't wanna look like a copy cat (and an amateur one at that), so I'll wait 'til next week to do it. I don't think it really matters, though. Still, I find it amusing.</span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why I Love Worldbuilding (or creating make-believe places to escape to)</span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Okay, so ever since I was a little kid I was creating things from scratch: paper dolls and magical creatures coordinated to accompany board games I made up; piano and Noteworthy compositions; elaborate Barbie fashion shows complete with pre-show news broadcasts, galloping horses and half-time entertainment... No, I'm serious. (I've got a video of it, but haven't figured out how to convert it from the cassette to a computer format yet, dangit. Maybe I'll post it when I figure it out, heh.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I mean, this was THE event girls in my neighborhood looked forward to each year. (I only did it twice, but trust me, everyone was excited about it--<em>including</em> my parents.) Everyone got involved. It wasn't just a show; it was an <strong>experience</strong>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I guess you could say I was a kid that really, <em>really</em> loved to exercise her creativity. I still do; I'm majoring in interior design, for one, and am writing a novel. Both of those things take major creativity to pull off.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If I had all the brains, money and time in the world I would equally pursue music composition, interior design and novel-writing. But life currently demands I stick to interior design and finish the one novel for the time being, so I digress.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Okay, so...what do interior design, music and</strong> <strong><em>Barbie</em>, for heaven's sake, have to do with writing a <em>novel</em>?</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A lot, actually, if you'd care for me to explain.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">With interior design, the goal is to present a client with a solution to whatever issues they are having with an existing space, or to present solutions for a yet-to-be-constructed interior. The "solution" must serve the client's functional, health, safety and aesthetic needs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">That is no small feat. (People generally think that interior design just means making things look pretty, but trained, certified designers actually have to know how to implement building codes, among others, into their projects as well as how to present their ideas clearly via floor, electrical, reflected ceiling etc. plans using either hand or computer-aided drafting (CAD); hand drawings/sketches; materials boards; and/or computer software for presenting documents and 3D imagery. The methods used are dependent upon the project and client types.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of my instructors--an architect, actually--would go so far as to say that the interior designer has to become a psychologist of sorts; not only do many people not know what they want, but they can sometimes bring some...unwanted emotional baggage to the table that the designer would much rather not deal with. The designer, then, must diplomatically sort through all the vagueness and extra stuff, figure out what people really want, and then exceed their wildest expectations.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oy. I think I'll try a martini for the first time now.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">/unnecessary digression.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ultimately, the interior designer is the visionary that coordinates an interior space that will shape the user's overall <em>experience</em> while using that space.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The same can be said for a music composer; they create soundscapes that immerse the listener into an audible <em>experience</em>. (Starting to see a pattern here?)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Even <em>Barbie</em> can be used to create a memorable experience. (You'll have to trust me on this one. ;))</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>They Say You Should Write What You Know</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I see this advice out there a lot, but frankly, I feel like I don't know that much.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm 22. Do you know how many published fantasy and authors are younger than 28, or were when they published their first novel? Probably only a handful. (I can only think of Christopher Paolini, author of <em>Eragon</em>, and Sam Sykes, author of <em>Tome of the Undergates</em>, off the top of my head.) All my favorite authors are in their 30s and beyond, so these guys are going to have a few life's experiences under their belt.</span><br />
<br />
As a young writer, I find this kind of intimidating. Compared to these guys, what <em>do</em> I know? I mean really. I'm not a professional and I can't really say I'm an expert at anything other than, well, how to be <em>me</em>. So what gives me the right to write anything worth reading?<br />
<br />
Well, here's how I've come to look at it: sure, I have hobbies and things I've been involved with. I've got my near bachelor's education. And I've got my own life experiences, people I've met and interacted with... and that's about it. That is <em>all</em> I know. But even in this there is an abundance of emotional experiences I can draw upon for my writing. I also have a vast imagination.<br />
<br />
I think I've chosen to write fantasy for these very reasons--because I believe I am capable of creating an emotional experience by taking others to a place they've never been to before, by introducing them to a character who experiences something none of us will ever have to, or get to. Depends on how you look at it.<br />
<br />
But maybe that's all "write what you know" really means, is writing from what you know not necessarily experientially, through certain kinds of actions, but through emotion. Connecting with readers on an ordinary, human level, even when your story's world is extraordinarily alien.<br />
<br />
I believe that is my goal. (I just now decided to have one beyond satisfying my imagination, heh.)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span style="font-family: inherit;">So Give Your Readers (and yourself) Something to Experience</span></strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If there's one thing I know I can do, it's creating an experience. When I write I do my best to achieve this, and I do this by focusing on my characters and their world. I approach storytelling from a psychological standpoint--how certain things, ideas and people make my characters feel and react; how they show unspoken sentiments using body language and other social cues, etc. (I'm fairly interested in this kind of thing. I think you can infer a lot about a person by just watching and listening--truly listening--to the words they choose and how they choose to use them.) For me, I've discovered that the story will naturally unravel from the players I've place on the giant board game that is the novel, though for other writers it's sometimes the other way around.</span><br />
<br />
You know, that little rant on interior design wasn't such a digression after all. There are a few things I can pull out of that which are relevant to writing. When it comes down to it, I think most [<strong>edit</strong>: fiction] writers write for themselves first and for others second. (I don't know of anyone for which the reverse is true, but it's a big world and I'm an introvert, after all.) So then, like a designer must do with their clients, I challenge thee fellow writers with these three tasks:<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Sort through the vague stuff until you find your story;</li>
<li>Figure out what you, as a writer and a person, truly want; and then</li>
<li>Aim to exceed your wildest expectations.</li>
</ol><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is pretty much what I'm aiming for now as I edit.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ultimately, I am my own client, for now. I do what I can on my own to craft a unique, hopefully memorable experience that maybe, just maybe captivates someone else, somewhere. Somehow. But maybe it won't. Maybe I'm not even writing something that will sell. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I know that only peer editing, reader's reactions and submission to agents or publishers will tell me how my work is received, so I'll have to let you know how that goes once I get that far. :)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">(As tempting as it is to show people my work now, in the past I've learned that (1) unfinished, unedited work is subject to change, and (2) a faithful reader can only put up with so many of your "changes" before he gets tired of reading your work oh-so faithfully. Being the somewhat capricious, slow writer that I am, I won't ever again put a reader through this, as it is <em>not</em> a pleasant experience.)</span>Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-27250534367460766422011-02-24T22:19:00.004-07:002011-02-25T10:29:15.481-07:00The Imaginary War: Plot- vs. Character-Driven Story Development (Part II)<span style="font-family: inherit;">Wow, this one was <em><strong>so</strong></em> much harder to write...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Okay, so last time I left off with the thought that the PvC issue was a matter of approach (meaning how you plan a story) and orientation (meaning the actual direction the story takes)—which is part of it. Ultimately, though, I think the issue has to do with learning how to allow either plot or character to carry the primary story to its resolution while at the same time achieving <u>balance</u>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s true: Lots of character-driven stories tend to showcase more of the elements that may be lacking in plot-driven ones, and vice versa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, trying to assign various characteristics to one side or the other is like driving a stake through the left and right heart; correspondence between <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">both</i></b> sides is necessary in order to keep a story alive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A story without character is just as DOA as a story lacking plot.</span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another Way to Look at the Dichotomy</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You know what this issue reminds me of is the whole fate vs. free will debate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the ying and yang of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s the idea that people can choose how they act, conduct themselves and initiate change, but then there’s also the idea that there are just some things in life that are out of the individual’s control and actually end up changing the individual instead.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I think this is similar to fiction where a writer can choose to highlight their character(s)’s choices and the consequences to said choices, or they can highlight the events that happen <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to</i> them, not because of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Character vs. plot; free will/choice vs. fate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plot influences character influences plot; choice influences fate influences choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could say character influences plot influences character, and fate influences choice influences character, but does that make it any different?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People are either going to act on their own accord or react to things coming from outside their realm of influence, when it comes down to it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The difference, in fiction, is going to be what you decide to pose as the main conflict—an action performed or decision made by the character or an event that happens to them and causes them to react? The difference may also be in how you choose to resolve that conflict—with the protagonist taking action or making a decision, or by them reacting a certain way to something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An illusion is created when you choose to focus on one or the other because though the one may be highlighted, the other is still at play in the background or beneath the surface. (At least, it should be.)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The way I see it, both dichotomies are continuous loops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Destiny and choice are not mutually exclusive, and neither are plot and character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The issue, then, becomes a matter of what you choose to highlight or how you balance the two sides in your story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you more interested in a character(s)'s ability to influence events, about an unusual event (or set of events) that changes your character(s), or some combination of the two?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Whatever your focus, it will surely manifest itself in your work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having <u>balance</u> between plot and character by adequately developing both is what’s important.</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Focus (or Lack Thereof)</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The deciding factor, I think, is <u>focus</u>, and this is two-fold because focus can be implemented in both the planning and execution stages of creating a novel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the one hand, you have to consider what elements were originally important to you while you were in the planning stages of your novel. Which of the story elements came most readily to you? Was it your characters? A certain world or setting? Perhaps it was an event, or even a theme? More importantly, how did you juggle all of these things? Is there a connection between them all?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Hopefully you started with a strong concept and were able to develop it into a premise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That helps to keep a story in focus.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">On the other hand, you must be aware of what your focus was once you started writing your novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did you choose to put the most effort into? That same character, world/setting, theme or event?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Or did you put a pretty balanced effort into including all of these thing? </span>(Also, was this in keeping with the original focus dictated by your concept and premise?)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I think one reason you won’t hear terms like setting-driven or theme-driven stories tossed around much is because theme and setting have less carrying weight than character and plot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stories are ultimately about characters and the events they are involved in, so to put the primary focus on setting or theme is to miss the whole point of telling a story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(And if you’ve done this with your draft, then you’ll already have a good idea of what needs to be fixed.)</span><br />
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Develop a strong concept and premise beforehand, and you'll have something to write towards for the rest of your journey.<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When the Focus is Split</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes the plan and the execution go hand in hand; your story may develop along the lines you’d initially intended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If that’s the case for you, then I consider you to be quite the lucky duck (or just really good at sticking to a plan).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looks like relatively fair winds ahead for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Other times, though, you may discover that the two don’t actually line up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve designed your story to unfold one way but as you’re writing it you find it wants to go another, then realignment will be necessary because there is a disconnect somewhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll have to find a way to get the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">actual</i> story on the page and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">envisioned</i> story of your mind’s eye in sync with one another.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In other words, something’s gotta give.</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">An Example</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">With my novel I did a lot of experimental drafts because I couldn’t decide on a premise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The overall concept more or less stayed the same in each draft (that there are those who have the power to manipulate the elements and live secret lives), but my focus kept shifting around in the execution stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Should the story focus on someone who is already aware of their powers or someone who is just discovering them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, is this person’s entire life kept secret from others or just their abilities?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was difficult to settle on an angle, but once I did I found that my premise was (finally) linked primarily to the one character that had the most potential for change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also decided that outside forces would drive the larger (world) plot, but the development of the protagonist would be my main focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Perhaps I’ve taken this approach because I plan on writing a trilogy.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In other words, I’m driving the story ahead with both plot and character but in two different ways (and for two different reasons).</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Diagnosing Your Story</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The thing to remember, no matter which element you find most interesting, is to shoot for balance in your writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chances are that during your first draft your focus was on maybe one or two elements (say setting and plot, for example) and then you later realized that your story was lacking others (like character and theme).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An overall assessment of your story at the end of your first draft will be paramount in identifying its strengths and weaknesses and then later deciding how to go about making it better.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you find that your characters are pretty two-dimensional, boring, useless, cliché, etc. then it looks like you’ve focused too much on another element, likely plot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll have to go back and beef up your characters and figure out what you can do to make them more interesting or vital to the story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you find that your plot is meandering or non-present, then you’ll know you’ve neglected an important story element and may be too focused on the characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe the plot doesn’t make sense or the story needs more events with conflict to create rising action and drive it towards a climax and, ultimately, resolution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is something you’ll have to go back and investigate.</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shooting For the Stars</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It may take longer, making sure all these elements are up to par, but why write if you don’t aim to improve?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Writing novels isn’t for the faint of heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It can be a frustrating process that demands your very best effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it certainly helps to know whether your novel is more plot- or character-driven, but that should never be the end goal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What matters most is that you are telling a great, entertaining story that artfully balances the elements of storytelling.</span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What do you think?</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">How important is writing a plot- or character-driven novel in the grand scheme of things?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can you tell what kind of story you’re working on while writing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which elements of story do you find yourself focusing on more often than not, and which do you have to work harder on?</span>Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-84155412823051672252011-02-23T10:44:00.002-07:002011-02-26T22:30:16.426-07:00The Imaginary War: Plot- vs. Character-Driven Story Development (Part I)On the matter of plot-driven vs. character-driven stories, I am a little conflicted. The novel I'm currently working on has taken on a more character-driven orientation since I've decided to stick with my latest draft. However, I <em>did</em> start off on the plot-driven route but then decided to switch gears after my sixth-and-a-half (failed) attempt.<br />
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Why?<br />
<br />
Well, that's what I plan on talking about this week. There are reasons to approach stories from either angle at first, but once the story is underway does it have to remain that way? <em>Should</em> it remain that way?<br />
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<strong>The PvC Issue</strong><br />
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For those who may not know what the PvC (plot vs. character, not polyvinyl chloride!) issue pertains to, I'll try to summarize it.<br />
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Basically, there are two schools of thought out there that favor either a more plot-driven story or a character-driven one. I imagine you already gathered that much, though, being the bright folks that you are, so let's just get into the deeper aspects of the issue.<br />
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Often, the term "plot-driven" is associated with genre fiction (science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, etc.). The focus, when you read a plot-driven story, tends to be on the plot itself. When you close a plot-driven novel, what you remember most--the most poignant element--is the journey, the events that took place and/or the settings you were taken to. Not necessarily the characters who were in it.<br />
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Its aftertaste is something like, "Yeah, I'll remember going on <strong><em>that</em></strong> ride." (Star Wars, anyone?) And actually, with an excessively plot-driven story, you may find that the characters are lacking development. They are either cliché or boring. Or worse, both.<br />
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A science fiction example might be Karl Schroeder's <em>Sun of Suns</em>, or Cherie Priest's <em>Dreadnought</em>. Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy <em>His Dark Materials</em> is <strong><em>definitely</em></strong> plot-driven, in my opinion, particularly in the two last novels. I'd like to point out that all three of these are more-or-less known for their detailed or unique worldbuilding, as well.<br />
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On the other hand, character-driven stories are, well, most memorable for their <em>characters</em> (go figure), and the plot takes secondary priority in the grand scheme of things. Your literary classics tend to fall into this group. <em>The Great Gatsby</em> by F. Scott Fitzgerald is certainly one of them, as is Charlotte Brontë's <em>Jane Eyre</em>. (Daisy and Rochester were some of the characters that especially stood out for me.) I'd like to point out that these novels are heavy on themes surrounding human nature, as well--shallowness amongst the upper class, for example, in <em>The Great Gatsby</em> and bigamous love and differences in social class in <em>Jane Eyre</em>. Symbolism and motifs, which are especially characteristic of literary novels, were also important in these two stories. (Remember the green light in <em>The Great Gatsby</em>?)<br />
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The literary novel's aftertaste might be something like, "Huh, I need to think on that one." Or even, "What the <strong><em>f#@!</em></strong> did I just read?" (And if you read it back in junior high or high school, like I did with <em>The Puttermesser Papers</em>, then you <em>still</em> may be wondering the answer to that question.)<br />
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The character-driven story really<em>,</em> <em>really</em> makes you think about the characters' choices and the implications of said choices because they are typically implied and not spelled out for the reader. And if that wasn't enough, you might also have trouble remembering what, exactly, happened in the novel (aka the plot) because the emotional experience of it all was so strong by comparison. In contrast with the plot-driven story, I think with the excessively character-driven novel you may find that it is the author's plot that is lacking development--i.e. rottenly cliché and/or boring. Or just non-present/-evident.<br />
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At least, that's how I understand it.<br />
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Take a look at what other people have to say on this topic, if you're interested:<br />
<ul><li>HearWriteNow discusses <a href="http://hearwritenow.com/writing/plot/plot-vs-character/">Plot Versus Character</a>.</li>
<li>Nathan Bransford talks about literary fiction and a little about the PvC issue in <a href="http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2007/02/what-makes-literary-fiction-literary.html">What Makes Literary Fiction Literary?</a></li>
<li>Writers at Suite101 tackle the subject in <a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/plotdriven-novels-vs-characterdriven-themes-a126314">Plot-Driven Novels vs Character-Driven Themes</a>.</li>
<li>And lastly, here is a really excellent podcast discussion on the matter, brought to you by <a href="http://www.writingexcuses.com/2009/10/11/writing-excuses-season-3-episode-20-plot-vs-character-driven-fiction/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Writing Excuses</span></a>. (If you only look at one of these links, then check this one out. It really is an interesting podcast, only 15 minutes long.)</li>
</ul><br />
I think I've said enough about that. Now, on to the actual issue.<br />
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<strong>What <em>is</em> the issue, really?</strong><br />
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I don't think that the <em>real</em> plot- vs. character-driven debate has anything to do with whether or not your story should include plot or character. Any sensible writer knows that a good story should include both, so there is no versus, no actual <em>war</em> between those two concepts. Not really.<br />
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As I see it, the PvC issue is a matter of approach and story orientation. It is usually discussed as a matter of end result, but I think it starts earlier in the writing process, before an author even begins to write, and it might even shift for an author in the middle of the writing process.<br />
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I've got a few more thoughts on this, so I'll be splitting this topic up into two posts again.<br />
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In the meantime, what are your thoughts on plot- and character-driven stories? What type of story do you find yourself currently working on, or perhaps reading? Is it difficult to tell? Also, do you have experience writing both types?Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-20483459887587312872011-02-17T11:15:00.004-07:002011-02-20T13:18:34.366-07:00Getting to Know Your Story - Part IIIn a previous post I talked about the notions of idea versus story, and last time I discussed the importance of doing research--aka learning.<br />
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You cannot hope to understand your story if you don't even know what is supposed to go <em>into</em> one in the first place. You cannot write a good novel without having basic knowledge of storytelling elements beforehand. Trust me, that lack of knowledge will pop up later as some glaring weakness in your writing you hadn't really noticed before, which means you'll have to stop writing, go investigate the problem and <em>then</em> learn about it when all you want to do is write the darn thing. At least if you've done the research first you'll know how to spot those weaknesses when they do manifest. More importantly, you'll know how to fix your own problems. (There's that do-it-yourself aspect again...)<br />
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Most of them, anyway. The rest is for first readers and editors to catch. But we haven't gotten that far yet.<br />
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Today, I am going to use my experience writing a novel to provide some examples of methods and techniques you can use to help you start fleshing out that vague, nebulous idea into what will eventually, hopefully, become an actual <em>story</em>. A completed first draft. Perhaps even a novel worth reading. (Though, who knows? You may discover your idea isn't large enough for a novel but instead is more suited to a short story or novella. No one length is better or worse than the others. I just happen to know I'm writing a novel-length tale, so my blogs are going to naturally reflect this.)<br />
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<strong>NOW, *ehem* to the point.</strong><br />
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Even while you're learning about the basics of storytelling, you can begin exploring your new story idea. Looking back on my experience thus far, there are a couple of things I wish I would have done differently before I decided I was writing the actual novel. Doing more <u>research</u> about writing is one of them. (And you may get sick of hearing it, but I can't stress it enough.)<br />
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I did it backwards. I explored my ideas some, started writing the novel, and <em>then</em> went back to learn more about the basic elements of storytelling--<strong>concept, character, plot, theme</strong>...those things. (I also see <u>setting</u> mentioned as one, but really you can view your setting as another character. Some people also list <u>conflict</u> as a basic element, but your plot <em>should</em> already include that after it's been planned/figured out or else you'll put readers to sleep. Larry Brooks also lists scene construction and writing voice, or <u>style</u>, as "executional competencies." I think scenes belong to the larger plot, but they certainly do merit their own discussion. However, style isn't such a basic thing and doesn't emerge until you've written a good number of words, so let's not go there just yet.)<br />
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The other thing, I think, has to do with the discovery process of figuring out what story you want to tell. I don't believe a story just magically comes to you all wrapped up in a pretty pink bow saying, "I grant you the power of omniscient knowledge and artistic insight. Now go, aspiring writer--<strong>write</strong>!" Though, that <em>would</em> be pretty awesome.<br />
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What does happen is this: Your mind is captivated by some vague-ish idea, be it a thought, a character, a setting or some other element of a story, and it grabs hold of you like a...well, I don't know what. But you can't shake it because it's determined that you, lucky you, become its voice.<br />
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Unnecessary mysticism? Perhaps, but for lack of any other way to describe the phenomenon, that is <em>exactly</em> how I feel about it.<br />
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<strong>Exploring Your Idea</strong><br />
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If you can't just walk away from something like this and are suddenly inspired to become a writer (Lord help you), then what you have to do at that point is explore this thing, this vague idea that's spontaneously come to you. What is it, exactly? (Idea, concept, or story?) What does it want to become? (A short story? A novella, a novel? Something <em>epic</em>?) What, if anything, does it have to say? Hmm...<br />
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More directly, what do <strong>you</strong> want to say? Why? (More on this another time; it's something I'm still exploring, more or less, as well.)<br />
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Perhaps you're the kind of person that is <em>really</em> good at coming up with a clear plan, implementing it and sticking to it. You come up with a story idea; you outline your setting(s), character bios, and plot(s) and develop a premise; you are blessed with a clear vision of what your novel is going to be about after some effort; and then you're on your merry way writing the thing.<br />
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I'm not that kind of writer. I think I have to take a more organic approach, and by that I mean I can't just sit around thinking about things for them to "come" to me. I have to sort of muck around first and make connections between things that aren't even necessarily related to one other before I come up with something that would work for a novel; the premise and the story itself have to kind of <em>morph</em> out of a collection of broad ideas that I feel should go together but, at the time being, don't mix well logically.<br />
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It's like pulling select things out of the vast aether and trying to make sense of it all.<br />
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It's like a giant <strong>puzzle</strong>, in my mind. I've got the pieces (some of them, at least); now I just need to figure out how to put them together. Or if I'm still missing pieces (plot holes, lack of character development, etc.). Or if I have extra pieces (ideas that come to you but don't necessarily work for the story or novel you're currently working on.)<br />
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The organic process takes time, but that's how I have to do things and I'm cool with that.<br />
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The moral of that short story: I don't know what kind of writer you are; you'll have to figure that out for yourself. What I <em>can</em> do is share some suggestions on how you might go about discovering your story and come up with some preliminary plans. (I say preliminary because those initial plans are bound to change, in one way or another.)<br />
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<strong>Just write.</strong><br />
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Remember at the beginning I talked about what the first step might be after you've been bitten by the muse--aka got an idea? I suggested you start writing about it.<br />
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Yes and no.<br />
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<strong>No</strong>, don't start writing the novel just yet. <strong>Yes</strong>, <em>do</em> start writing something creative. Something that has to do with your new infant idea. (As they say, you can't be a writer if you don't, after all, write. They also say you may go through a million rotten ideas before you get to a nice shiny one. I wholeheartedly believe both are true.)<br />
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What I mean is, if you've never written a novel before, don't put yourself in the mindset of "okay, I'm writing a novel now" right off the bat. Set out to explore your idea a bit. Get chummy. <strong>Get to know</strong> one another. Some of your ideas may even insist that you know <em>yourself</em> a little better before you get try to get to know them. *snap-snap-snap* <em>Okaaayy</em>? (Black humor there.) Your muse/subconscious can be self-righteous and sassy like that.<br />
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When I <em>thought</em> I was writing a novel, when I went through the entitled "Seven and a Half First Drafts," I believe that what I was actually doing was making small attempts at scenes. Perhaps some short stories. The problem was I didn't have a clear end goal in mind, no overarching plot to provide a sense of purpose. The scenes had conflict and were connected through character and setting, but the overall plot was vague, undecided.<br />
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So I suppose I did gain some practice in this way. (I also participated in some online role-playing at one Star Wars community for several years, but that is <em>quite</em> another story...)<br />
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<strong>Writing Tools</strong><br />
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One of the ways you can "get to know" your novel before you start writing it is by keeping a <u>writer's journal</u>. You wouldn't <em>believe</em> how many journals I've kept on my WIP (work in progress, from here on out). Not only do I keep a paper-and-pen journal--you know, the old school kind--but also a word processor journal because sometimes thoughts come to you when you least expect.<br />
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I always include the date of entry and give it a title. This helps to set a writing goal, something to write towards. If I want to explore a certain character, for example, then I name that entry something like "Voi's Character." Or, if I'm exploring more than one thing, I'll link several titles together, like "Voi's Character; Elementalism." That way, if I want to look back on it later, I know what it was about and can find it more easily.<br />
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("Who is Voi?" you might wonder. <a href="http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k206/tmwhite5/Element%207/?action=view&current=VoiRomn.jpg">This</a> <em>dammissi</em>, which is Borellian for "little woman," or more commonly "miss." Depends on how it is used.)<br />
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Once I name the journal entry, I'll try out several things: just plain talking to myself, freeform word association, bubble diagrams, stream-of-consciousness entries, spiels of dialogue, vignette studies of certain settings or characters living their lives... There are a lot of different techniques you can try and different reasons to use them. Whatever will help you get from formless idea to a coherent story that has a point to it is what you should use.<br />
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Another thing I do is collect images like there's no tomorrow, and my poor hard drive suffers for it (though luckily I've got a back-up external drive now with like a <em>terabyte</em> of storage space). If I see something that inspires an idea for a setting or character, for example, I'll save it to my "Element 7" (a working title for my current novel) file under those categories for inspiration. I keep files on characters, settings, technology in my world, historical photographs to observe certain outmoded lifestyles from... You name it, I've got it.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_map">Mind mapping</a> has also helped me figure out the finer points of my story. It's not as complicated as it sounds, only looks that way once you're finished. Basically, you take one central idea, generate a few connected sub-ideas and use those to further explore even <em>more</em> offshoots. The goal, when you use it to help you develop your story, is to come up with ideas for characters, places, etc. that are connected to your central idea or concept and can later be used to generate a story. Or, if you already have a premise, then you can use mind mapping to make the overall story richer by exploring deeper connections between characters, themes, settings, and so on.<br />
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Of course, there are many other uses for this tool outside of writing. (I first learned about it in one of my interior design classes at ASU.) In the end you get this giant diagram that looks like a network of brain synapses or something:<br />
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<div align="center"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k206/tmwhite5/Miscellaneous/finalmindmap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" j6="true" src="http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k206/tmwhite5/Miscellaneous/finalmindmap.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">An example of a mind map I made at ASU with a friend.</span></div><br />
<a href="http://litemind.com/what-is-mind-mapping/">Here</a> is another, shorter, article about mind mapping, if you're interested. I'd share a map I made for my novel, but it isn't as pretty, heh. Like this one, from Wikipedia:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Guru_Mindmap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" j6="true" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7f/Guru_Mindmap.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center"></div>(By the way, your mind map doesn't necessarily have to be pretty. It's just has to get your brain juices flowing. I did my mind map for my story in black and white.)<br />
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<a href="http://www.meadecomm.com/clustering.html">Clustering</a> is another technique I've used that's helped me understand my story a little better. I just used it a few days ago to sort out all the prominent themes in my novel; I found there were eight. O_O (However, I also discovered that they were all connected to each other either directly or indirectly, which helps create a sense of unity, and they all could be linked directly back to one prominent theme: humanity, or human nature.) I didn't use color in mine, but you can take a look at it:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CxSJXWK6upo/TVwtfCd7h6I/AAAAAAAAAIY/VxdUzH5KGns/s1600/Cluster+Diagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" j6="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CxSJXWK6upo/TVwtfCd7h6I/AAAAAAAAAIY/VxdUzH5KGns/s400/Cluster+Diagram.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><br />
I used solid lines to suggest direct relationships and dotted for indirect. The "people/humanity" cluster had the most (all) solid line connections, which to me suggests it may be <span style="color: white;">[<strong>edit</strong>: connected to]</span> the central theme in my story. I can use this knowledge now to help me assess whether or not my story reflects this then go back and "realign" sections where it does not. Theme is a tricky element because sometimes you don't "see" it until you've finished writing most of, if not all of, your story. However, it can be used to create focus, unity and cohesion. (Funny--this is starting to sound a lot like the principles and elements of design.)<br />
<br />
At first I tried <em>everything</em> because I didn't know what would work for me and what wouldn't, but eventually I found techniques that got results, so now I'm sticking to them. And that's kinda what you have to do as a writer: figure it out.<br />
<br />
<strong>"Ah-hyuk! That's all, folks!"</strong><br />
<br />
Really, it is. For now. I've rambled on long enough. Bless those souls who actually <strong>read</strong> both posts on this topic. I really do hope you got something out of it.<br />
<br />
On another note, I am interested to know what others do to help develop their story ideas. Got any unusual or particularly effective brainstorming methods?Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-77834895589727398912011-02-16T09:11:00.002-07:002011-02-16T19:51:10.075-07:00Getting to Know Your Story - Part ISo let's say you've got this fantabulous idea for a novel, right. So then the first step, naturally, would be to start writing about it. Riiiiight?<br />
<br />
Err...if you mean start writing the <em>actual</em> novel, then I'm afraid not. I'll explain why.<br />
<br />
<strong>READ the INSTRUCTIONS <em>FIRST</em>. Please.</strong><br />
<br />
I can be a real stubborn one. I'm the kind of person that will purchase one of those self-assembled furniture pieces from places like Target and IKEA and refuse to read the instructions because I'm smart and can figure it out by myself, thank you very much. My dad's an engineer (electrical, actually). Works in the aerospace industry. I'm sure he passed down some of his figure-it-out mentality to me through the bloodline, even if it's just a fraction. Convicted of this, I set my mouth in a grim line and put those insulting pictorial instructions with those <em>ridiculous</em> smiling faces aside.<br />
<br />
Of course, I usually end up regretting it later. "What? Where did <strong><em>that</em></strong> piece come from?"<br />
<br />
Disassemble. Insert missing piece. Reassemble. Scowl at own stupidity. <em>Smart, eh?</em><br />
<br />
<em>Shut up</em>, I tell my snickering subconscious. <em>Shut the</em> frak <em>up.</em><br />
<br />
* * *<br />
Not surprisingly, I've taken a similar approach to writing. I like to learn things the hard way, apparently. Make mistakes. Make a fool of myself. Gain incredible insights along the way.<br />
<br />
The latter is the greatest part, the part I <em>never</em> regret. The same can be said for making some mistakes along the way, though a good number of the mistakes I've made probably could have been avoided.<br />
<br />
Here's where I'm going with this: There are <u>instructors</u> out there in this big wide world who have set aside time out of their daily bustling lives to provide useful tips, guidelines and storytelling commandments, either free of charge or for an affordable rate, to would-be writers who think they'll have no trouble figuring it all out on their own by doing things their way. (<a href="http://seven-and-a-half-first-drafts.blogspot.com/2011/02/links-on-writing.html">This</a> page is proof.) Writers like me. And, perhaps, you.<br />
<br />
I think it's quite possible to figure it out all on your own, but if you're not a very patient, dedicated, or disciplined person you'll burnout long before you've even gotten a quarter of the way there. Lucky for me, once I've dedicated myself to an endeavor I don't quit easily, but I also don't like floundering around like a fish out of water for long and will eventually turn to someone for help. But only if I can't figure it out by myself first.<br />
<br />
Call it a character flaw, but I <em>really</em> do like to figure certain things out on my own. There's a sense of achievement that comes along with that. I'm sure you've experienced this for yourself at one point or another. You'd understand.<br />
<br />
<strong>Okay, so <em>maybe</em> there's stuff I should learn before attempting a novel. So what?</strong><br />
<br />
If you're not convinced you need to get yourself edumacated before you set out to start a novel with any hope of potential amongst other readers besides yourself, then I'm sorry; I can't help you. No one can. If that's what you want, to figure it out on your own, then more power to you.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, if you are new to this writing thing, want to benefit from those who've been there and learn more about storytelling before you embark on the incredibly ambitious mission of writing a novel (or any story for that matter), then there are a few places you can start.<br />
<br />
The first: remember that page I mentioned earlier, that orange link? (At least I think it's orange, unless you already visited it.) That would be a good start. Or, if you have a favorite author(s), why not check out his/her website or blog? They might even have free writing tips to share with you.<br />
<br />
There are also some books out there that you might want to consider. If you've read some of my other posts, then you already know that I'm a biased writer in that my focus is on the fantasy genre. With that said, there are a couple of books I've read and thought were helpful without them being limited to fantasy writers.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Write-Damn-Novel-Step---Step/dp/0312010443/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297358725&sr=1-1"><em>How to Write a Damn Good Novel</em></a> by James N. Frey was one. It gives you some basic things to think about before you start pecking away on your keyboard, relentlessly churning out fiction into your poor word processor during ceaseless nights, and perhaps even, days. (Sometimes you get that into it.) <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Key-Write-Fiction-Using-Power/dp/0312300522/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_6">The Key</a></em>, by the same author, was also useful to me in understanding the archetypal Hero's Journey and character types but also cliches, how to avoid them and how it's possible to mix character roles to create more complex characters. Also, check out Strunk and White's <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style-50th-Anniversary/dp/0205632645/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297871437&sr=1-1">The Elements of Style</a></em>. It goes through the basics of how to put a coherent sentence together, but it also talks about how to appropriately use certain misused words and phrases like lie and lay. Style and grammar all wrapped up into one. It's a good reference book--one I still like to thumb through.<br />
<br />
...and that's where my book-reading advice stops short. Like I said, I am of the figure-it-out variety, so I didn't read too many how-to books before I dived back into the process of writing. Most of my research, when I hunkered down and did some, was actually done online. However, if you prefer books to online articles or want to mix up your educational-things-to-read list, then there are many bookstores out there, online and in-person, that make it easy to search for instructional books and make personal judgements as to which ones might help you the most. This is especially easy online, where you can also browse other reader's reviews on books you're interested in and read their takes on how helpful those books were/were not. That's personally my favorite way to go about purchasing books.<br />
<br />
Alibris, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Borders are all great places to search. I'm sure there are more out there, but those are the one's I've tried. (Amazon is probably my fave. :D)<br />
<br />
Learning about writing is a lot like homework in college: No one's gonna keep looking over your shoulder to make sure you're doing it. Either you learn the material or you don't. That's how I feel about it, anyway. In essence, I think becoming a (creative) writer is just one of those do-it-yourself kinds of things. That doesn't mean there aren't mentors out there who can give you pointers and advice along the way, though.<br />
<br />
<strong>Now, to the Point.</strong><br />
<br />
Hm, this post is getting long, and I've barely brushed the titular topic! You know what? Here's what I'm gonna do: Consider today Part I. Tomorrow, I will post Part II.<br />
<br />
"Soooooooound good?"<br />
<br />
"Yes, sir!"<br />
<br />
(Thinking of Inglourious Basterds there.)Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-16474976171111465482011-02-15T12:52:00.000-07:002011-02-15T12:52:45.076-07:00Sorry!I know changing the look of my blog in the middle of it is bad form, but I really did want something more graphic for the top banner. Using color can be tricky.<br />
<br />
Bear with me. It should be final after today.Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-21059154017212297332011-02-10T12:26:00.002-07:002011-02-11T07:47:50.936-07:00Posting Days: Now on WednesdaysI thought I'd let readers know: I'm going to try to post something new on Wednesdays, from now on. Between Monday and Wednesday morning I usually bunker down on school projects I've been slacking on, heh, or just need more work on. By Wednesday evening I'm thoroughly pooped and homework is the absolute <strong>last</strong> thing I want to think about. Blogging provides a nice distraction to the daily grind, you know. (Plus, if I do get free time, I can write my next entry ahead of time and come back later to edit it. Not that you really care about these things.)<br />
<br />
If I tried to write something every day I'd run out of things to say. Worse, I'd fail my classes, never see the light of day, and would never become the amazing interior designer I'd so much like to become. (I've put a lot of thought into my posts, so far, and sometimes they take longer to write than I first expected.)<br />
<br />
So Wednesdays. Expect new posts on Wednesdays, from now on. You can write something amazing in the meantime. ;)Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-6865707412390193062011-02-08T13:55:00.016-07:002011-02-25T11:40:24.506-07:00Inception: When a Novel Idea Impregnates the Mind<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"What is the most resilient parasite? Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea. Resilient... highly contagious. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it's almost impossible to eradicate. An idea that is fully formed - fully understood - that sticks; right in there somewhere."</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><span style="color: #999999;">-Cobb from <em>Inception</em></span><br />
<br />
Ideas can be insidious little things. I feel like I've been haunted by a few for the past four years.<br />
<br />
<strong>My Story</strong><br />
<br />
On January 1st, 2007, I decided to start a journal because I had an idea: What if the world really was run by the classical or Chinese elements, and what if those elements could be controlled, manipulated? How would that affect people? How would that make their world different from ours?<br />
<br />
Of course, I realized I was not the first person to ask these questions. The idea has been done many times before--the Nickelodeon show "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "Naruto" and "Captain Planet" (do you remember that silly show?!) are all relatively well-known examples. <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ElementalPowers">TV Tropes</a> gives a pretty large list of other examples in a wide range of media, including novels. I realized then, sitting in my room with my mostly empty journal, that I needed to explore some other ways to make my take on the elements unique.<br />
<br />
For some reason I was really drawn to the idea of making people with elemental powers outcasts, forced to live secret lives. Maybe their powers were even suppressed. Immediately, I thought of the TV show "Heroes" and even the X-men. Okay, I told myself, so that's been done before, too. But <em>my</em> take on this idea is going to be <em>different</em>.<br />
<br />
Again, how?<br />
<br />
<strong>Coming Up with a Premise</strong><br />
<br />
It's taken a lot of experimental drafts for me to finally settle on a premise that I felt really got to the heart of the things I wanted to explore about life. My premise, as it stands, reads something like this:<br />
<br />
<em>An aviatrix with a rare psychophysiological condition discovers the truth about herself when a clairvoyant government agent employs her in acts of espionage against an elemental terror.</em><br />
<br />
27 words. It may not be perfect (the jury is still out on that one), but it does highlight the prominent elements in my story. The protagonist is an aeroplane pilot with a rare psychophysiological condition (there's a mouthful). That condition is called <a href="http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k206/tmwhite5/Element%207/?action=view&current=Urche.jpg">emelesia</a>, something I made up along the way, and it holds the fantasy element in my story and is connected to the "elemental terror" I mentioned in the premise. That same terror highlights the antagonistic force in my novel. Also, with the mention of the clairvoyant agent and acts of espionage you get the sense that there'll be some paranormal espionage at play. The combination of all these elements is what makes my story unique.<br />
<br />
I hope.<br />
<br />
(You can read more about some of the characters and organizations in my work in progress at my <a href="http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k206/tmwhite5/Element%207/">Photobucket account</a>, if you're interested.)<br />
<br />
<strong>It Ain't Over 'til It's Over</strong><br />
<br />
The thing is, a manuscript ain't finished 'til it's, well, finished. I've still got a lot of editing work to do on mine, but I've gotten through the initial hard part of churning out the first draft (and I've been told this is a milestone in itself, as most people who start novels never finish them). It's been a long process, but that phase is complete. What I'm focused on now is refining my ideas, characters, plots, etc. and making sure everything is coherent, tells the story I want to tell and has the capacity to hold a potential reader's interest.<br />
<br />
It's taken me four years to even get to <em>this</em> point.<br />
<br />
Why? Well, for starters, I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I made the decision to turn my idea into a novel. That said, I did a fair amount of floundering about until I learned more about the writing process and writing craft. And really, I'm still learning more about these things. It's a process. (It's why I started this blog and provided a readily available list of <a href="http://seven-and-a-half-first-drafts.blogspot.com/2011/02/links-on-writing.html">links for writers</a> who are as new to this process as I was/still am!)<br />
<br />
From what I've gathered from reading authors' blogs, books and online articles, a good idea can take anywhere from a couple of months to several years to develop into a finished novel. Some writers will discover they churn out novels rather quickly. Others like to take things a little slower. The fact that it's so far taken me more or less four years does not daunt me. For me, it's just a matter of putting in the necessary effort to finish my novel to my satisfaction.<br />
<br />
How this will pan out if I ever become published, I'm unsure of. I imagine publishers have expectations with shorter deadlines than some four years, heh, but I'm keeping in mind that this is my first novel and I've been using this experience to learn how to write one in the first place. Writing the next should be a lot easier. Also, I've never written short stories before, so I didn't have the knowledge that often comes through that process to help me learn more about storytelling before diving into a ginormous freakin' <em>novel</em>.<br />
<br />
Which is fine by me. I'm the tortoise in this race; I've already accepted this fact. But I <em>will</em> finish this novel, doggonnit! My subconscious mind will not let me rest until I do.<br />
<br />
I know I'm not the only slow plotter in the world. J.R.R. Tolkien is notorious for taking a long time to complete his famous trilogy. In the extra content on the Inception DVD, Christopher Nolan said it took him about ten years to make his dream become a reality. <em>Ten</em> years. Granted, movies probably take a little longer to develop than some novels, but ten years is still a really long time for one idea. (Don't get me wrong; I'm not trying to compare myself to these guys. I'm just saying: Some ideas take longer to come into fruition.)<br />
<br />
Personally, I thought the concept and story behind Inception was brilliant. I still like to watch the movie over and over again. I listen to the soundtrack, too, like it's my religion. Not for a moment did I lose interest in the storyline. And don't even get me started on the cliffhanger ending--<em>scandalous</em>. What's more, each character contributed something unique and important to the story and--added bonus--they were all exceptionally <strong>cool</strong>.<br />
<br />
In my opinion, anyway.<br />
<br />
<strong>Inspiration to Write a Novel</strong><br />
<br />
Reading other people's novels can be a source of great inspiration, but I've also found that movies, television shows and music can do the same. Heck, <em>anything</em> can spark an idea for a novel. The difficulty lies in taking your initial idea and turning into an actual story--because <em>idea</em> and <em>story</em> are <strong>not</strong> the same thing. Larry Brooks discusses this in an <a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/article/story-engineering-excerpt/">article</a> he wrote on concept, and how that differs from premise and idea.<br />
<br />
Getting an idea for a novel is just the beginning. Now you have to start making some plans to help you finish it.<br />
<br />
Think you don't need a plan to finish a novel? <em>Think again</em>. *hovering clouds of doom and lightning, followed by an evil cackle and roll of thunder*<br />
<br />
<strong>How About You?</strong><br />
<br />
So now you know a little more about me and where I'm at in my experience of learning how to write a novel. Perhaps I'll hear of yours? :D If you're writing a story, be it a novel, a short story or anything in between, what is it about? Can you sum it up in around 25 or so words? (Trust me, it's a lot harder than it looks.) Or how about stories that aren't necessarily yours? Any favorites that you can sum up? What makes that story unique?Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-76506628127007881692011-02-02T12:22:00.605-07:002011-03-20T11:56:42.827-07:00Links on Writing<strong><em>Please scroll down if you'd like to skip my preamble and see all the links.</em></strong><br />
<br />
Let me just start off by saying that the Internet is an <strong>amazing</strong> tool. It's ridiculous how much is out there nowadays. Really. (And it's <em><span style="font-size: x-small;">free</span></em>!)<br />
<br />
Over the years I've done <em>oodles </em>of research into how to write a novel, a lot of it online. I knew absolutely nothing starting off and wanted to learn as much as I could. Along the way I kept track of all the useful websites I'd visited under my "Favorites" tab on Internet Explorer and I've been referring back to this collection of links ever since.<br />
<br />
So, I figured, why not share the wealth?<br />
<br />
If you're at all like me, having a voracious appetite for knowledge, then you might make great use of this resource. Please do! There are a lot of wonderful authors out there (like those listed on the right column of this blog) who have shared their knowledge via websites and blogs. If it weren't for them, I'd know next to nothing about writing.<br />
<br />
Below is an extensive list of links to articles about writing. It is listed topically in alphabetical order (should be, anyway). That way, if you have a particular interest in one aspect of writing you can just look under that topic and browse accordingly. I plan on adding sites along the way if I come across new ones that I believe share information that might be helpful to fiction, particularly speculative fiction, writers.<br />
<br />
Now, if you've taken a look at the list and already want to flee, I can recommend a few good sites for <span style="color: orange;"><strong>beginners</strong></span> (below) that go over the basics:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://storyfix.com/">Larry Brooks</a> does a great job of covering the basics<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA;">—</span>what he calls the Six Core Competencies of writing: concept, character, theme, story structure (plot), scene construction and writing voice<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA;">—</span>on his website, and it isn't particularly focused on any one type of genre. However, I do find his site a little difficult to navigate through at times. Still, it would certainly be a good start content-wise. Also, check out <a href="http://hollylisle.com/index.php/Writers/forward-motion-for-writers.html">Holly Lisle</a>'s site for writers and <a href="http://marthawells.com/writingguide.htm">Martha Well</a>'s list of links for beginners. (Martha lists some good books on writing to check out or purchase, too, if you get the chance.) Now, if you'd <em>really</em> like everything laid out in a straight line for you, then you should check out <a href="http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/how-to-write-a-novel.html">how-to-write-a-book-now.com</a> because that's exactly what you'll get there.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.suite101.com/">Suite101</a> is another great free resource available to writers and has tons of articles written by professionals, not just on writing but on other topics like music, history and technology.<br />
<br />
If anyone knows of any other links that would fit nicely on this list, do feel free to share and I will check it out and add it. I'll be sure to make a list of names to thank and credit for any additions. :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: orange;"><u>Helpful Links for Writers</u>:</span></span><br />
<br />
<strong>Action Scenes</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://night-bazaar.com/action-write-spare-to-get-the-most.html">Action? Write spare to get the most.</a> - Night Bazaar</li>
<li><a href="http://www.fmwriters.com/Visionback/Issue32/thriller.htm">Thriller: Writing the Action Scene</a> - FM Writers</li>
<li><a href="http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/crafttechnique/tp/actionscenes.htm">Writing Action Scenes</a> - About.com</li>
<li><a href="http://magicalwords.net/aj-hartley/writing-action-scenes/">Writing Action Scenes</a> - Magical Worlds</li>
</ol><strong>Agents</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.agentquery.com/default.aspx">Agent Query</a></li>
<li><a href="http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2007/10/guest-blog-ginger-clark-on-how-to.html">Guest Blog: Ginger Clark on How to Handle an Offer of Representation</a> - Nathan Bransford</li>
<li><a href="http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2008/04/how-to-find-literary-agent.html">How to Find a Literary Agent</a> - Nathan Bransford</li>
<li><a href="http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/">Publishers Marketplace</a> (requires a monthly fee of $20 for access to some of the information, though not info on members--i.e. agents!)</li>
</ol><strong>Chapters</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/dividing-a-novel-into-chapters-a33322">Dividing a Novel into Chapters</a> - Suite101 (I'm guessing chapters then to be a bit longer for fantasy and epic fantasy novels, but this article is still good reading, I think)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.fictionfactor.com/articles/wordcount.html">How Long Should Your Story Be?</a> - Fiction Factor (general guidelines to go by)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-write-a-strong-novel-chapter-a106522">How to Write a Strong Novel Chapter</a> - Suite101</li>
</ol><strong>Character Creation & Development</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/1226682-Antagonist-in-Fiction-He-Is-Powerful">Antagonist in Fiction: He Is Powerful</a> - Writing.com</li>
<li><a href="http://www.deepgenre.com/wordpress/craft/characterization/building-characters/">Building Character(s)</a> - Deep Genre</li>
<li><a href="http://www.writingcorner.com/fiction/character/characterization.htm">Characterization</a> - Writing Corner</li>
<li><a href="http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/main-character.html">Choosing Your Main Character and His/Her Essential Counterpart</a> - How to Write a Book Now</li>
<li><a href="http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/archetypal-characters.html">Creating Archetypal Characters To Fill The Dramatic Functions in Your Novel</a> - How to Write a Book Now</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/creating-memorable-villains-a43842">Creating Memorable Villains: Four Steps to Creating Unforgettable Fictional Bad Guys</a> - Suite101</li>
<li><a href="http://www.advancingwomen.com/writing/creative-writing/">Creative Writing Tips - Have You Established Your Main Character At The Start?</a> - Advancing Women</li>
<li><a href="http://www.writersdigest.com/article/Bullies_excerpt/">Defining and Developing Your Anti-Hero</a> - Writer's Digest</li>
<li><a href="http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/characterization.html">Direct vs. Indirect Characterization</a> - Fiction Factor</li>
<li><a href="http://menwithpens.ca/fiction-writing-characters-rule-the-story/">Fiction Writing: Characters Rule the Story</a> - Men With Pens</li>
<li><a href="http://menwithpens.ca/fiction-writing-what-makes-readers-care-about-your-characters">Fiction Writing: What Makes Readers Care About Your Characters?</a> - Men With Pens</li>
<li><a href="http://shop.hollylisle.com/index.php?crn=214&rn=356&action=show_detail">Holly Lisle's Create A Character Clinic</a> (requires an online purchase for the PDF file, though is quite affordable at $9.95 and very informative)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/create-characters.html">How to Create Characters That Are Believable and Memorable</a> - How to Write a Book Now</li>
<li><a href="http://www.omnivoracious.com/2011/02/kameron-hurley-author-of-gods-war-on-bring-me-your-heroes.html">Kameron Hurley, Author of God's War, on "Bring Me Your Heroes"</a> - Omnivoracious (Kameron Hurley talks about anti-heroes)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/characters-in-fiction-a69536">Realistic, Engaging Characters in Fiction: How to Build Character in Novels and Short Stories</a> - Suite 101</li>
<li><a href="http://horror.fictionfactor.com/articles/villains.html">The Other in Fiction: Creating Wonderfully Wicked Villains</a> - Horror Factor</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/the-story-crucible-a68214">The Story Crucible: The Factor that Keeps the Character in Trouble</a> - Suite101</li>
<li><a href="http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/villains.html">Villains</a> - Fiction Factor</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sfnovelists.com/2009/07/16/villains-vs-antagonists/">Villains vs. Antagonists</a> - SF Novelists</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/ways-minor-characters-improve-a-story-a272133">Ways Minor Characters Improve a Story</a> - Suite101</li>
<li><a href="http://lucyvee.blogspot.com/2009/02/what-are-you-talking-about.html">What Are You Talking About?</a> write here, write now (a look at gender and archetypes)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.superheronation.com/2007/04/08/writing-male-characters-and-perspectives/">Writing Authentic Male Characters</a> - Superhero Nation (being female, I found this useful)</li>
<li><a href="http://fierceromance.blogspot.com/2009/08/writing-male-character.html">Writing the Male Character</a> - Fierce Romance (generalizations, though again, probably most useful to females)</li>
</ol><strong>Climaxes</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/reaching-climax-in-a-novel-requires-planning-a151883">Reaching Climax in a Novel Requires Planning</a> - Suite101 (it really does)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sfwa.org/members/bell/writingtips/spring08.html">Rising to the Occasion: the Climax of Your Novel</a> - SFWA</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/troubleshooting-a-weak-climax-a174961">Troubleshooting a Weak Climax in a Novel</a> - Suite101</li>
<li><a href="http://www.findingfigments.com/author-troubles-climax/comment-page-1">Troubles With the Plot Climax</a> - Finding Figments</li>
</ol><strong>Concept</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://writersdigest.com/article/story-engineering-excerpt">Concept Defined</a> - Writer's Digest (Larry Brooks; really an excellent article; also addresses the terms "idea" and "premise")</li>
<li><a href="http://www.visualwriter.com/ScriptDr/Advanced/Concept.htm">Using Concept To Focus The Story</a> - The Visual Writer</li>
</ol><strong>Conflict</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/increase-character-conflict-a87878">Increase Character Conflict: Make Characters and the Story More Interesting By Increasing Conflict</a> - Suite101</li>
</ol><strong>Dialogue/Dialog</strong> (they're the same thing)<br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/147621/how_to_write_dialogue_in_fiction.html?cat=24">How to Write Dialogue in Fiction</a> - Associated Content</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/ideas-in-creative-writing-dialogue-a71673">Writing Compelling Dialogue in Fiction</a> - Suite101</li>
<li><a href="http://www.thewritersezine.com/t-zero/archives/2005-texts/2005-07-quill.shtml">Writing Effective Dialog</a> - The Writer's Ezine</li>
<li><a href="http://www.writingexcuses.com/2011/01/16/writing-excuses-5-20-more-dialog-exercises/">Writing Excuses 5.20: More Dialog Exercises</a> - Writing Excuses (podcast - 24min.)</li>
</ol><strong>Editing & Revision</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.musik-therapie.at/PederHill/Editing.htm">Elements of a Novel: Editing</a> - Musik Therapie</li>
<li><a href="http://hollylisle.com/index.php/Workshops/one-pass-manuscript-revision-from-first-draft-to-last-in-one-cycle.html">One-Pass Manuscript Revision: From First Draft to Last in One Cycle</a> - Holly Lisle</li>
<li><a href="http://www.nanoedmo.net/xoops2/modules/article/view.article.php?c9/11">Revision Technique</a> - NaNoEdMo</li>
</ol><strong>Endings & Resolutions</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/creative-writing-ends-with-conflict-resolution-a152287">Creative Writing Ends With Conflict Resolution</a> - Suite101</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/editing">Editing</a> - Suite101 (lists a whole collection of topical articles on editing)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/writing-the-novel---guidelines-for-effective-endings-a236356">Writing the Novel – Guidelines for Effective Endings</a> - Suite101</li>
</ol><strong>Genre</strong><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Not sure what genre(s) you write in? Check out the "Genre Descriptions" article under All Genres. Still confused? Well, my friend, you might be writing cross-genre fiction. Many folks out there would agree that some genre definitions are a bit...<em>vague</em> to begin with. Do some research, read more in the field(s) you think your work fits in and maybe then you'll have a better idea of where your work fits it. We fledgling writers will need to know this eventually anyway if we plan on getting our work published some day.)</span><br />
<ul><li>All Genres / Genre in General<br />
1. <a href="http://www.toasted-cheese.com/jj/fiction.htm">Fiction: Genre vs. Mainstream vs. Literary</a> - Toasted Cheese<br />
2. <a href="http://www.agentquery.com/genre_descriptions.aspx">Genre Descriptions</a> - Agent Query<br />
3. <a href="http://www.sffworld.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-5338.html">Mainstream vs. Genre</a> - SFF World (Kat G., a former agent for Penguin, sheds some light on the difference between the two in a discussion forum)</li>
<li>Fantasy<br />
1. <a href="http://www.suite101.com/lesson.cfm/17284/2862">Fantasy Fiction</a> - Suite101<br />
2. <a href="http://www.strangehorizons.com/2002/20020624/epic_fantasy.shtml">Quality in Epic Fantasy</a> - Strange Horizons<br />
3. <a href="http://www.rinkworks.com/fnovel/">The Fantasy Novelist's Exam</a> - RinksWorks (do take this with a grain of salt; use this list to help you lookout for common fantasy cliches in your own writing and aim for originality)</li>
<li>Literary Fiction<br />
1. <a href="http://www.absolutewrite.com/novels/create_literary.htm">How to Create Literary Fiction</a> - Absolute Write<br />
2. <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Literary-vs-Commercial-Fiction&id=3527836">Literary vs Commercial Fiction</a> - Ezine @rticles<br />
3. <a href="http://www.writing-world.com/fiction/literary.shtml">What Is Literary Fiction? Literary Editors Share Their Views.</a> - Writing World<br />
4. <a href="http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2007/02/what-makes-literary-fiction-literary.html">What Makes Literary Fiction Literary?</a> - Nathan Bransford<br />
5. <a href="http://www.dailywritingtips.com/whats-a-literary-novel/">What’s a “Literary” Novel?</a> - Daily Writing Tips<br />
6. <a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/writing-a-novel--the-literary-fiction-genre-a325898">Writing a Novel — The Literary Fiction Genre</a> - Suite101</li>
<li>Mystery<br />
1. <a href="http://www.poewar.com/mystery/">Whodunnit, Howdunnit, And Whydunnit: 10 Tips For Writing Your Mystery Novel</a> - PoeWar (scroll towards bottom to see the article)</li>
<li>Noir Fiction<br />
1. <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2010/10/otto-penzler-on-noir-fiction.html">Noir Fiction: Money, Sex, and Revenge</a> - The New Yorker</li>
<li>Romance<br />
1. <a href="http://www.writing-world.com/romance/love.shtml">20 Steps to Writing Great Love Scenes</a> - Writing World</li>
<li>Speculative Fiction (Science Fiction, Fantasy, Alt. Historical Fiction & Horror)<br />
1. <a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/genre-speculative-fiction-a300356">Genre: Speculative Fiction</a> - Suite101<br />
2. <a href="http://thedabblingmum.com/writing/writerniche/speculativefiction.htm">Help! I Want To Be A Speculative Fiction Writer</a> - The Dabbling Mum</li>
<li>Urban/Contemporary Fantasy<br />
1. <a href="http://www.writing-world.com/sf/contemporary.shtml">Contemporary Fantasy: Setting the Fantastic in the Everyday World</a> - Writing World<br />
2. <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UrbanFantasy">Urban Fantasy</a> - TV Tropes</li>
</ul><strong>Grammar</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.artlebedev.com/mandership/79/">Bold or Italics?</a> - Artemy Lebedev</li>
<li><a href="http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/">Guide to Grammar & Writing</a> - Capital Community College</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/handling-internal-dialogue-a74361">Handling Internal Dialogue in Fiction: Using Quotation Marks and Italics to Express a Character's Thoughts</a> - Suite101</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-correct-runon-sentences-commasplices-a82455">How to Correct Run-On Sentences & Comma-Splices: Ways to Identify & Punctuate Using Semicolons, Conjunctions, Periods</a> - Suite101</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-use-a-colon-and-semicolon-a77935">How to Use a Colon and Semicolon</a> - Suite101</li>
<li><a href="http://everything2.com/title/hyphen">Hyphen</a> everything2.com (who knew there were so many types!)</li>
<li><a href="http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/fiction/2006/07/parentheses_and.html">Parentheses in Fiction</a> - Crawford Killian </li>
<li><a href="http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/passivevoice.html">Passive Voice</a> - unc.edu</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/punctuation-rules-of-english-ellipses-and-braces-a216229">Punctuation Rules of English Ellipses and Braces</a> - Suite101</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/technical_writing/62239">Semicolon Use</a> - Suite101</li>
<li><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Humble-Hyphen---Punctuating-With-Hyphens,-Em-Dashes,-and-En-Dashes&id=1575060">The Humble Hyphen - Punctuating With Hyphens, Em Dashes, and En Dashes</a> Ezine @rticles</li>
<li><a href="http://grammartips.homestead.com/lie.html">The Proper Use of "Lay" and Lie"</a> Grammar Tips (this eluded me for the longest time...)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/when-and-how-to-use-a-dash-a86374">When and How to Use a Dash in Writing: Used to Interrupt, Introduce, Repeat, Separate & Clarify Sentences</a> - Suite101</li>
</ol><strong>How to Get an Idea</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/writing-ideas.html">Novel Writing Ideas: How to Get Them</a> - How to Write a Book Now</li>
<li><a href="http://www.writingexcuses.com/2010/11/07/writing-excuses-5-10-john-brown-and-the-creative-process/">Writing Excuses 5.10: John Brown and the Creative Process</a> - Writing Excuses</li>
</ol><strong>Magic</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.brandonsanderson.com/article/40/Sandersons-First-Law">Sanderson's First Law</a> - Brandon Sanderson</li>
</ol><strong>Manuscripts</strong><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(You'll find some variances, depending on your source, and the guidelines in these links are pretty much similar, but ultimately you'll want to go with the publisher's guidelines.)</span><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.writing-world.com/basics/manuscript.shtml">A Quick Guide to Manuscript Format</a> - Writing World</li>
<li><a href="http://hollylisle.com/index.php/How-To-s/how-to-format-a-manuscript.html">How to Format a Manuscript</a> - Holly Lisle</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4841027_format-unpublished-novel-word.html">How to Format an Unpublished Novel in Word 2007</a> - eHow</li>
<li><a href="http://kayedacus.com/2007/05/23/manuscript-101-introduction-basic-manuscript-format/">Manuscript 101–Introduction & Basic Manuscript Format</a> - Kaye Dacus</li>
</ol><strong>Marketing Your Novel (or yourself)</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://night-bazaar.com/carol-berg-on-book-releases.html">Carol Berg on Book Releases</a> - Night Bazaar</li>
<li><a href="http://www.authortechtips.com/how-to-create-a-facebook-page/">How to Create a Facebook Page in 3 Easy Steps</a> - Author Tech Tips</li>
<li><a href="http://storyfix.com/top-ten-tuesdays-please-welcome-judy-dunn-of-catseyewriter-com">Your Blog as Stage: Building a Believable Author Brand</a> - Storyfix</li>
</ol><strong>Novel Length</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?Creative-Writing:-How-Long-Should-Your-Novel-Be?&id=314544">Creative Writing: How Long Should Your Novel Be?</a> - Ezine @rticles</li>
<li><a href="http://www.hatrack.com/writingclass/lessons/2000-08-02-1.shtml">Uncle Orson's Writing Class: Novel Length</a> - Orson Scott Card</li>
<li><a href="http://www.novel-writing-help.com/novel-length.html">What Is the Ideal Novel Length?</a> - Novel Writing Help</li>
</ol><strong>Organic Writing</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://jodihenley.blogspot.com/2009/01/organic-plotting.html">Organic Plotting</a> - Jodi Henley</li>
<li><a href="http://blog.crowinfodesign.com/2009/03/17/organic-writing/">Organic Writing (mind-mapping)</a> - From the Crow's Nest</li>
<li><a href="http://writetodone.com/2009/08/29/solved-the-outlining-vs-organic-writing-debate/">SOLVED: The Outlining vs. Organic Writing Debate</a> - write to done (Larry Brooks)</li>
</ol><strong>Outlining</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://novelwritingschool.com/free-plot/">Holly Lisle's Novel-Writing School</a> (yes, it's free)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/plot-outline.html">How To Create A Plot Outline In 8 Easy Steps</a> - How to Write a Book Now</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sff.net/people/alicia/artout.htm">Outlining Your Novel in Thirty Minutes</a> - SFF Net</li>
<li><a href="http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/writing-an-outline.html">Writing an Outline of Your Novel</a> - How to Write a Book Now</li>
</ol><strong>Point of View (POV) & Perspective</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.tarakharper.com/k_pov.htm">Multiple Points of View</a> - Tara K. Harper</li>
<li><a href="http://storymind.com/content/29.htm">Story Perspective</a> - Storymind</li>
</ol><strong>Plot</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.musik-therapie.at/PederHill/Structure&Plot.htm">Conflict and Character within Story Structure: The Basic Three Act Structure</a> - Musik Therapie</li>
<li><a href="http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/pages/current/goodPlotsTakeTime.html">Good Plots Take Time</a> - Highlights Foundation</li>
<li><a href="http://www.spacejock.com.au/PlottingANovel.html">How to Plot Your Novel</a> - Spacejock</li>
<li><a href="http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/plot-development.html">Plot Development: Climax, Resolution, and Your Main Character</a> - How to Write a Book Now</li>
<li><a href="http://www.tameri.com/write/plotnstory.html">Plots & Stories</a> - Tameri</li>
<li><a href="http://hearwritenow.com/writing/plot/plot-vs-character/">Plot Versus Character: Which Drives the Story?</a> - Hear Write Now</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sff.net/people/Alicia/arta.htm">STORY STRUCTURE: PART ONE (Asking the Right Questions)</a> - SFF Net</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ipl.org/div/farq/plotFARQ.html">The "Basic" Plots in Literature</a> - ipl2</li>
<li><a href="http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/story-structure.html">The Best Approach To Story Structure: From Aristotle to Dramatica</a> - How to Write a Book Now (debatable, but still worth reading)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/story-goal.html">The Story Goal: Your Key To Creating A Solid Plot Structure</a> - How to Write a Book Now</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sff.net/people/Alicia/10prob.htm">The Top Ten Plotting Problems</a> - SFF Net</li>
<li><a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/112552/tips_for_plotting_how_to_create_a_fascinating.html?cat=4">Tips for Plotting: How to Create a Fascinating Plot for Your Story</a> - Associated Content</li>
<li><a href="http://mbarker.livejournal.com/121686.html">Writing Excuses Season Three Episode 12: Subplots</a> - MBarker at Live Journal (transcript of a podcast discussion on subplots featuring fantasy author Brandon Sanderson; link to original podcast provided)</li>
</ol><strong>Plot Twists</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.davekingedits.com/twists.htm">Playing it Straight With Plot Twists</a> - Dave King Editorial Services</li>
</ol><strong>Prologues</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://blog.janicehardy.com/2009/07/pondering-prologue.html">Pondering the Prologue: Should You Keep it or Kill it?</a> - The Other Side of the Story</li>
<li><a href="http://behlerblog.com/category/prologues/">Prologues – This Side of Hell</a> - Behler Blog (from an editor's POV)</li>
<li><a href="http://foremostpress.com/authors/articles/prologue.html">The Prologue - When to Use One, How to Write One</a> - Foremost Press</li>
<li><a href="http://www.writing-world.com/fiction/prologue.shtml">Where to Begin? When, Where and How to Write a Prologue</a> - Writing World</li>
</ol><strong>Publishing</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.completelynovel.com/self-publishing">CompletelyNovel</a> (a combination self-publisher/social network; read a review by Self-Publish Review <a href="http://www.selfpublishingreview.com/blog/2009/02/10/completely-novel-review/">here</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.lulu.com/">Lulu: Self Publishing & Book Printing Solutions</a> (a review from PCMag <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2302322,00.asp">here</a>)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/">Publishers Marketplace</a> (requires a monthly fee of $20 for access to some of the info)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/content/self-publishing-a216004">The Pros and Cons of Self Publishing</a> - Suite101</li>
<li><a href="http://www.writing-world.com/publish/PODstats.shtml">To POD or Not to POD? Some Pros and Cons</a> - Writing World</li>
</ol><strong>Query Letters</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.agentquery.com/writer_hq.aspx">How to Write a Query</a> - Agent Query</li>
<li><a href="http://callmyagent.blogspot.com/search/label/query%20letter">Query Letter #...</a> - Call My Agent (an Australian literary agent posts some examples of query letters and explains what works, what doesn't and why)</li>
</ol><strong>Scams</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://night-bazaar.com/avoiding-writing-scams.html">Avoiding Writing Scams</a> - Night Bazaar</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/">Warnings About the Schemes, Scams, and Pitfalls That Threaten Writers</a> - SFWA</li>
</ol><strong>Scenes</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/novel_writing/14516">Scenes: The Building Blocks of Novels</a> - Suite101</li>
<li><a href="http://www.kaykenyon.com/2011/01/24/the-essential-scene-list/">The Essential Scene List</a> - Kay Kenyon</li>
<li><a href="http://www.kaykenyon.com/2010/08/18/writing-in-scenes-part-1/">Writing in Scenes, Part 1</a> - Kay Kenyon</li>
</ol><strong>Short Stories</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/creative/shortstory/">Short Stories: 10 Tips for Creative Writers</a> - Dennis G. Jerz</li>
<li><a href="http://www.write101.com/shortstory.htm">Tips for Writing a Short Story</a> - Write 101</li>
</ol><strong>Starting (& Finishing) a Novel</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/2006/09/06/how-to-write-a-novel/">How to Write a Novel</a> - Justine Larbalestier</li>
<li><a href="http://www.deepgenre.com/wordpress/craft/how-to-write-a-novel-part-1/">How to Write a Novel (Part 1)</a> - DeepGenre</li>
<li><a href="http://www.spacejock.com.au/WriteANovel.html">How to Write a Novel</a> - Spacejock</li>
<li><a href="http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/snowflake.php">How to Write a Novel: The Snowflake Method</a> - Advanced Fiction Writing (not recommended unless you have a <em>clear</em> vision of your novel before starting)</li>
<li><a href="http://katieganshert.blogspot.com/2009/04/stages-of-novel-writing-rough-draft.html">Stages of a Novel: Writing the Rough Draft</a> - Katie Ganshert</li>
<li><a href="http://www.karenmiller.net/index.cfm?page=20">The Tyranny of the First Draft</a> - Karen Miller</li>
<li><a href="http://www.kaykenyon.com/2011/01/30/what-starts-a-story/">What Starts a Story?</a> - Kay Kenyon</li>
<li><a href="http://www.autocrit.com/websitepublisher/articles/61/1/Writing-Your-Books-In-Multiple-Drafts/Page1.html">Writing Your Books In Multiple Drafts</a> - AutoCrit</li>
</ol><strong>Style & Prose</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://teachers.lakesideschool.org/us/english/ErikChristensen/WRITING%20STRATEGIES/LiteraryStyles.htm">Checklist: Elements of Literary Style</a> - teachers.lakesideschool.org</li>
<li><a href="http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/passivevoice.html">Passive Voice</a> - unc.edu</li>
<li><a href="http://blog.janicehardy.com/2010/12/re-write-wednesday-send-up-red-flag.html">Send up the (Red) Flag: Words That Often Spell Trouble</a> - The Other Side of the Story (gives some great examples of the problematic use of certain words)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.fictionfactor.com/articles/style.html">Style: the Rhythm of Prose</a> - Fiction Factor</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sfwa.org/2009/06/turkey-city-lexicon-a-primer-for-sf-workshops/">Turkey City Lexicon – A Primer for SF Workshops</a> - SFWA (meant for science fiction writers, though it has great pointers for writers in general; scroll down to "Part One: Words and Sentences" for the helpful stuff)</li>
</ol><strong>Synopses</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.writing-world.com/publish/synopsis.shtml">How to Write a Synopsis</a> - Writing-World</li>
<li><a href="http://www.fictionfactor.com/articles/synopsis.html">Mastering the Dreaded Synopsis - Condensing Your Novel</a> - Fiction Factor</li>
<li><a href="http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/synopsis.html">Synopsis vs. Outline</a> - Fiction Factor</li>
<li><a href="http://fantasy.fictionfactor.com/articles/trilogy.html">Trilogy Synopses</a> - Fantasy Factor</li>
</ol><strong>Theme</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/theme.html">Choosing a Theme for Your Novel</a> - How to Write a Book Now</li>
<li><a href="http://menwithpens.ca/fiction-writing-story-theme/">Does Your Fiction Novel Have a Theme?</a> - Men With Pens (a guest post from Larry Brooks)</li>
<li><a href="http://hollylisle.com/index.php/Feature-Stories/finding-your-themes.html">Finding Your Themes</a> - Holly Lisle</li>
<li><a href="http://storyfix.com/the-elusive-and-confounding-core-competency-that-is-theme">The Elusive And Confounding Core Competency That Is “Theme”</a> - Storyfix (Larry Brooks again!)</li>
</ol><strong>Writer's Block</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/writers-block.html">Plotters vs. Pantsers: How To Make Sure Writers Block Doesn't Kill Your Dream</a> - How to Write a Book Now</li>
</ol><strong>Writer's Groups</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.writermag.com/groups.aspx">Writing Groups</a> - The Writer Magazine</li>
</ol><strong>Worldbuilding & Setting</strong><br />
<ol><li><a href="http://www.sffworld.com/authors/s/savage_steven/articles/creatingnewreligions.html">A way with worlds: 14 - Creating new religions</a> - SFF World (try to ignore the annoying ads)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/setting.html">Choosing a Setting for Your Novel</a> - How to Write a Book Now</li>
<li><a href="http://www.write-thing.com/2010/04/13/creating-worlds-part-1-overview-and-uniqueness/">Creating Worlds, Part 1: Overview and Uniqueness</a> - The Write Thing</li>
<li><a href="http://www.sfwa.org/2009/08/fantasy-worldbuilding-questions/">Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions</a> - SFWA</li>
<li><a href="http://shop.hollylisle.com/index.php?crn=214&rn=372&action=show_detail">Holly Lisle's Create A Culture Clinic</a> (requires an online purchase for the PDF file, though is quite affordable at $9.95 and very informative)</li>
<li><a href="http://shop.hollylisle.com/index.php?crn=214&rn=367&action=show_detail">Holly Lisle's Create A Language Clinic</a> (requires an online purchase for the PDF file, though is quite affordable at $9.95 and very informative)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.zompist.com/howto2.htm">How to Draw Nice Maps</a> - Zompist</li>
<li><a href="http://www.writing-world.com/sf/card.shtml">On Religion in SF and Fantasy: An Interview with Orson Scott Card</a> - Writing World</li>
<li><a href="http://www.rpgmud.com/WorldBuilding/Mythopoets/tmm.html">The Mythopoet's Manual</a> - Loren J. Miller</li>
<li><a href="http://larseighner.com/world_builder/index.html">Worldbuilder Questions</a> - Lars Eighner (tip: try pressing Ctrl+A to highlight all text and make it stand out if it's too hard to make out on the graph paper background)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.kameronhurley.com/worldbuilding-201-normalizing-the-absurd/#comments">Worldbuilding 201: Normalizing the Absurd</a> - Kameron Hurley</li>
</ol><br />
Keep in mind, too, that some of these links cover multiple topics and some are even from the author links I've posted on this blog.<br />
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If you happen to visit one website and find yourself liking most of the content on it, then why not add them to your favorites? I admit, I'm going to be putting up a ridiculous number of links and the thought of it overwhelms even me. Having a resident go-to how-to site, if you will, that you feel most comfortable with is a lot less daunting than having a huge list in front of you. (Though, I personally believe it's good to diversify and read from multiple sources, just to cross-reference information.)<br />
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Again, this is just a resource. What one writer may find immensely helpful another may think is useless and utter crap. I'm just putting it all out there because you never know what you might learn from someone else's perspective.<br />
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<strong>A Final Note</strong><br />
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If there's one prominent thing I've learned in my experience so far, it's this: There is more than one way to write a novel or complete a story. Lots of these links will suggest multiple strategies for achieving results, and not all of them may work for you. As a new writer you will have to try different methods and learn what works best for <em>you</em>. It can be a tedious, frustrating process, but I believe that the writer who knows himself well will have a better time of knowing what to write and how to write it. Keep that in mind if you ever feel overwhelmed with your project because becoming a good (or rather a <em>great</em>) writer takes lots o' time.<br />
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I should know; I'm still trying to get there!Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-83625801098500701622011-02-02T12:18:00.004-07:002011-02-04T11:36:50.418-07:00Welcome to My Blog!Hello, there, and thanks for stopping by! If you don't know me, my name is Tiyana and I've decided to start this blog for a few reasons:<br />
<ol><li>as a resource for other aspiring writers;</li>
<li>to discuss writerly (yeah, I made that up) topics with like-minded individuals; and finally</li>
<li>because I can!</li>
</ol>I plan on adding lots of links that would be helpful to those looking to learn more about writing or honing their craft. I am particularly interested in novel-writing in the fantasy and speculative fiction genres, though not all of what will be on my blog will be limited to novels or fantasy and spec fic. Core storytelling principles and elements are the same no matter what kind of story you write! Sure, there will be differences in content, style, and length, but I think you'll find the information on this site useful no matter what your interest in writing is.<br />
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Anyhow, that's all for now. I can't wait to get all of those aforementioned links up and start posting some of my thoughts on writing for discussion. I look forward to hearing from other writers/storytellers out there and learning from your experiences, as well. Hopefully we can get a good community going here. :) (If not, it'll be just me talking to myself! Haha.)<br />
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Until next time.<br />
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-TiyanaTiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-196346409908980714.post-40748376329373557212011-01-21T23:22:00.001-07:002011-01-21T23:51:18.984-07:00Testing, Testing, 1-2-3...It's working!Tiyana Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11022663279469468201noreply@blogger.com0