I've come to the realization that the topic of worldbuliding is far 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? Really.)
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.
And since I'm on Spring Break this week, I can actually afford the splurge. (Besides, I've got most of it written already.)
Okay, so that's all for now. :) Have a Happy Sunday!
-Tiyana
Ever 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.
March 13, 2011
March 10, 2011
Synergy in Worldbuilding (and Beyond)
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| "Land of Psychedelic Illuminations," by Brian Exton. |
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...)
Good Writing + Thorough Development + Cohesion Through Compatibility = Synergy
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).
There is a word for this phenomenon. I believe it is called synergy. Here is Merriam-Webster's definition of the term:
A mutually advantageous conjunction or compatibility of distinct business participants or elements (as resources or efforts).
Origin of synergy: New Latin synergia, from Greek synergos working together.
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 Answers.com, defines synergy:
- The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.
- Cooperative interaction among groups, especially among the acquired subsidiaries or merged parts of a corporation, that creates an enhanced combined effect.
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.
A story with synergy has just got that "It Factor."
Examples Where Synergy is Achieved
Not too long ago I finished reading Kameron Hurley's debut novel God's War. 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 bugpunk. In an interview with Kameron on Mad Hatter, I read about the source of her inspiration for the novel: a time spent living in
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.
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.
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!
Other Examples of Worldbuilding Done Right
I also admire the worldbuilding of Martha Wells. I especially loved The Fall of Ile-Rien 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.
The Death of the Necromancer, 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.
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.
What other good examples of striking settings can you think of?
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.
With that said...
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?
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.)
March 9, 2011
The Importance of Setting
Oh look, I'm using an image today--yay! (Usually I just don't feel like doing the whole free-image-search-attribution deal. Indolence!)
Okay, so here's a thing I could probably lose entire months getting lost in: worldbuilding.
But first, let's talk about setting. (Aaaaaawww...)
Setting is important. It is where your story takes place. (Really?!) 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.
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...Story!" [Insert bubbly, make-believe theme song here.])
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.
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.
And that is the beauty of story.
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?
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 not.
It's All In the Details
In my current WIP the elements of earth, metal, wood, water, fire, air and aether/void play a tremendous 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.
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.
(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. Showing 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...)
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 he 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.
Perhaps you are thinking now, "That's some high talk...coming from an amateur."
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.
[Obligatory Hiatus]
All right, all right, so by now you've probably realized that I like to write loooong-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 seriously 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 a lot of freakin' stuff to say.
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.)
But since we've come to this hiatus now...I've got some questions for you!
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? (Neither is it necessarily good or bad, I don't think, though I am curious. It probably depends a lot on your genre, too.)
 |
| From Wikipedia Creative Commons. |
Oh look, I'm using an image today--yay! (Usually I just don't feel like doing the whole free-image-search-attribution deal. Indolence!)
Okay, so here's a thing I could probably lose entire months getting lost in: worldbuilding.
But first, let's talk about setting. (Aaaaaawww...)
Setting is important. It is where your story takes place. (Really?!) 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.
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...Story!" [Insert bubbly, make-believe theme song here.])
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.
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.
And that is the beauty of story.
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?
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 not.
It's All In the Details
In my current WIP the elements of earth, metal, wood, water, fire, air and aether/void play a tremendous 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.
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.
(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. Showing 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...)
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 he 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.
Perhaps you are thinking now, "That's some high talk...coming from an amateur."
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.
[Obligatory Hiatus]
All right, all right, so by now you've probably realized that I like to write loooong-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 seriously 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 a lot of freakin' stuff to say.
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.)
But since we've come to this hiatus now...I've got some questions for you!
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? (Neither is it necessarily good or bad, I don't think, though I am curious. It probably depends a lot on your genre, too.)
March 4, 2011
Thoughts on Black Swan
I just got back from seeing the movie Black Swan at Harkins for the first time today, and honestly...I'm pretty conflicted about it.
Why?
Let's start off with the good.
Natalie Portman was excellent. 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 was her character.
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.
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.
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.
It's ironic, really, what happens to Nina in Black Swan 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.
And that's where my conflicted sentiments about the film come into play.
That Typical "Good Girl Gone Bad" Story
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.)
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.)
Thomas then smiles as says, "So there is nothing to be embarrassed about."
. . .
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 get me started on this point.) Honestly, if I was in Nina's position, I would have pimp-slapped that man. (Actually, I wouldn't have even taken his invitation to have drinks alone with him in his home in the first 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.
Even worse is the fact that Nina chooses 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.
What I Took Away From This
I realize I'm making some very subjective remarks here, but that's just the nature of this post.
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.
I felt it achieved the thing I talked about on Wednesday evening, about "creating an experience," because Black Swan was most definitely 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.
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 great.
Have You Seen Black Swan?
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?
Why?
Let's start off with the good.
Natalie Portman was excellent. 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 was her character.
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.
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.
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.
It's ironic, really, what happens to Nina in Black Swan 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.
And that's where my conflicted sentiments about the film come into play.
That Typical "Good Girl Gone Bad" Story
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.)
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.)
Thomas then smiles as says, "So there is nothing to be embarrassed about."
. . .
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 get me started on this point.) Honestly, if I was in Nina's position, I would have pimp-slapped that man. (Actually, I wouldn't have even taken his invitation to have drinks alone with him in his home in the first 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.
Even worse is the fact that Nina chooses 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.
What I Took Away From This
I realize I'm making some very subjective remarks here, but that's just the nature of this post.
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.
I felt it achieved the thing I talked about on Wednesday evening, about "creating an experience," because Black Swan was most definitely 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.
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 great.
Have You Seen Black Swan?
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?
March 2, 2011
Writing an Experience
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 did still post this on Wednesday. ;))
* * *
You know, I just kind of realized a couple of days ago that the folks over at Night Bazaar 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.)
I totally 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.
Ha!
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.
Why I Love Worldbuilding (or creating make-believe places to escape to)
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.)
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--including my parents.) Everyone got involved. It wasn't just a show; it was an experience.
I guess you could say I was a kid that really, really 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.
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.
Okay, so...what do interior design, music and Barbie, for heaven's sake, have to do with writing a novel?
A lot, actually, if you'd care for me to explain.
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.
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.
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.
Oy. I think I'll try a martini for the first time now.)
/unnecessary digression.
Ultimately, the interior designer is the visionary that coordinates an interior space that will shape the user's overall experience while using that space.
The same can be said for a music composer; they create soundscapes that immerse the listener into an audible experience. (Starting to see a pattern here?)
Even Barbie can be used to create a memorable experience. (You'll have to trust me on this one. ;))
They Say You Should Write What You Know
I see this advice out there a lot, but frankly, I feel like I don't know that much.
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 Eragon, and Sam Sykes, author of Tome of the Undergates, 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.
As a young writer, I find this kind of intimidating. Compared to these guys, what do 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 me. So what gives me the right to write anything worth reading?
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 all 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.
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.
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.
I believe that is my goal. (I just now decided to have one beyond satisfying my imagination, heh.)
So Give Your Readers (and yourself) Something to Experience
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.
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 [edit: 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:
- Sort through the vague stuff until you find your story;
- Figure out what you, as a writer and a person, truly want; and then
- Aim to exceed your wildest expectations.
This is pretty much what I'm aiming for now as I edit.
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. 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. :)
(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 not a pleasant experience.)
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