I'm pleased to have my sister Karri as a guest contributor for this post, since she's the one who inspired it. Please make her feel welcome, and enjoy!
Here are some tips and ideas guaranteed to create and promote doom, chaos, devastation, darkness, tumult, evil, despair, and mayhem - essential ingredients for every truly great work of fiction.
1. Give your main character not just one, but two step parents. If one can cause trouble, just think what two could do! (You can work it out any way you want. As the king of Siam would say: "You put in the details.")
2. Make each step parent arrange a marriage for your main character... with different people.
3. Make both parties to which your main character is betrothed hire someone to kidnap him or her. Then they can play keep-away.
4. Have your main character accidentally fall in love with both of the parties to which he or she has been unwillingly betrothed.
5. Give your main character serious personal insecurities, grotesque physical deformities, and a tendency to get amnesia easily.
What advice would you give someone who wanted to create more drama and trouble in their fiction? (Be as creative and silly as you want - this post is just for fun, after all. ;)
December 16, 2011
December 6, 2011
First Snow - Thoughts on the Natural Side of Fictional Story Worlds
This morning I woke up, pushed my sleeping dog off of my sleeping foot, and looked out the window to see - snow!
After two weeks of the local weatherman predicting the first snow, it's finally arrived! My transition into the Christmas spirit suddenly feels completed (and I have the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's song 'First Snow' going around in my head). I'm not the only one who's excited about it, either. No sooner had I dressed and made my morning cup of tea than my friend Ashley called me, asking if I had looked outside yet and wasn't it exciting? (And yes, I know you northerners out there are probably already sick of snow for this year... but please bear with me.)
Aside from getting me all revved up for Christmas and caroling and baking and all of that, this first snow also got me thinking about the more natural side of world-building in our stories. As I edit Son of the Shield, I've been adding in little bits and pieces to flesh out the natural story world I rather neglected in the first couple of drafts. I've added in varieties of flowers and other plants, constellations, and weather patterns unique to that story world.
But the shared excitement over this first snow got me thinking about the other natural events that we humans tend to get excited about - the first sign of green grass and flowers in the spring, the first weekend warm enough to go swimming, geese flying south and the first sign of autumn color in the leaves - and made me realize that my story world contains virtually none of that.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that a lot of the time in fiction, unless something in the natural world plays a significant role in the plot, it gets ignored. I don't want that to happen in Son of the Shield, so this morning I've been starting to think of ways I can bring the natural side of the world of Reyem to life. I realized that through the entire story (which spans a year and a half of their time) there is not a single mention of it raining. So there's one problem in need of fixing. It's not a desert, so it has to rain sometime.
But in addition to that, I'd like to come up with some natural events that the people of Reyem look forward to, like our first snow... or even something they dread, like we dread the thermometer hitting 100 or 0.
So that's something new that I'm going to be working on developing in my story world. So much to think about, so much to develop. It's a wonder any novel ever gets finished.
What is your approach to the natural realm of your story world? What are some natural events that your characters might look forward to, or dread?
After two weeks of the local weatherman predicting the first snow, it's finally arrived! My transition into the Christmas spirit suddenly feels completed (and I have the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's song 'First Snow' going around in my head). I'm not the only one who's excited about it, either. No sooner had I dressed and made my morning cup of tea than my friend Ashley called me, asking if I had looked outside yet and wasn't it exciting? (And yes, I know you northerners out there are probably already sick of snow for this year... but please bear with me.)
Aside from getting me all revved up for Christmas and caroling and baking and all of that, this first snow also got me thinking about the more natural side of world-building in our stories. As I edit Son of the Shield, I've been adding in little bits and pieces to flesh out the natural story world I rather neglected in the first couple of drafts. I've added in varieties of flowers and other plants, constellations, and weather patterns unique to that story world.
But the shared excitement over this first snow got me thinking about the other natural events that we humans tend to get excited about - the first sign of green grass and flowers in the spring, the first weekend warm enough to go swimming, geese flying south and the first sign of autumn color in the leaves - and made me realize that my story world contains virtually none of that.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that a lot of the time in fiction, unless something in the natural world plays a significant role in the plot, it gets ignored. I don't want that to happen in Son of the Shield, so this morning I've been starting to think of ways I can bring the natural side of the world of Reyem to life. I realized that through the entire story (which spans a year and a half of their time) there is not a single mention of it raining. So there's one problem in need of fixing. It's not a desert, so it has to rain sometime.
But in addition to that, I'd like to come up with some natural events that the people of Reyem look forward to, like our first snow... or even something they dread, like we dread the thermometer hitting 100 or 0.
So that's something new that I'm going to be working on developing in my story world. So much to think about, so much to develop. It's a wonder any novel ever gets finished.
What is your approach to the natural realm of your story world? What are some natural events that your characters might look forward to, or dread?
December 1, 2011
Emerging on the other side...
... and finding that the world is still here!
After thirty long, grueling days and nights of NaNo (Has anyone else noticed that NaNo is only a few days shorter than the time God used to destroy the world in Noah's day?) we've at last emerged on the other side to find that, remarkably, life still goes on.
And better yet, there is no diabolical daily quota hanging over us any more! That uncanny internal clock that chants "You're getting behind, you're getting behind" has been silenced. No more annoying 'Stats' page telling us just how dismally far behind we are and how many millions of words we'll have to write per day to catch up.
Life's good, isn't it?
So, now that NaNo is safely behind us for another year (and by the way, my hearty congratulations to everyone who participated, whether you made the goal or not - merely taking part was no small thing), it's time to get back to life as we knew it.
And on that note, I'm pleased to announce that a new chapter of Falls the Shadow has been posted at The Lost Scribes! If you haven't already stopped by and read Chapter 14, you can Click Here to do so.
In this chapter, Skylar is beginning to struggle with the idea of keeping the library a secret from the professor who has done so much for him, and Coll, his best friend. The library is what they've been after for so long - now he's found it, and he can't even tell them.
He does make a surprising new discovery about the library, though... in the professor's study, of all places! Read Chapter 14 to find out what it is.
After thirty long, grueling days and nights of NaNo (Has anyone else noticed that NaNo is only a few days shorter than the time God used to destroy the world in Noah's day?) we've at last emerged on the other side to find that, remarkably, life still goes on.
And better yet, there is no diabolical daily quota hanging over us any more! That uncanny internal clock that chants "You're getting behind, you're getting behind" has been silenced. No more annoying 'Stats' page telling us just how dismally far behind we are and how many millions of words we'll have to write per day to catch up.
Life's good, isn't it?
So, now that NaNo is safely behind us for another year (and by the way, my hearty congratulations to everyone who participated, whether you made the goal or not - merely taking part was no small thing), it's time to get back to life as we knew it.
And on that note, I'm pleased to announce that a new chapter of Falls the Shadow has been posted at The Lost Scribes! If you haven't already stopped by and read Chapter 14, you can Click Here to do so.
In this chapter, Skylar is beginning to struggle with the idea of keeping the library a secret from the professor who has done so much for him, and Coll, his best friend. The library is what they've been after for so long - now he's found it, and he can't even tell them.
He does make a surprising new discovery about the library, though... in the professor's study, of all places! Read Chapter 14 to find out what it is.
November 30, 2011
Journaling - Day 30 of NaNo
I'm finished!Total Word Count: 55, 103
I made the word count goal, and my story is completed. It turned out nothing like it was supposed to, not at all like I thought it would, and I'm relatively certain it's pretty sappy. Like I said in the last post, I'm an action writer, not a sit-around-and-think-and-make-tough-decisions-and-fall-in-love writer. Unfortunately that's just how this year's NaNo seemed determined to come out.
Eh, oh well. I've got that story idea off of my plate and out of the way, and I've completed my second successful year of NaNoWriMo. So all's not lost, even if the story didn't turn out quite the way I wanted it to.
On the whole, I think this year's NaNo has been a great way to get myself back into a serious hard-and-fast writing groove after a long, crazy-busy summer and fall. I'm ready to get back to Son of the Shield and hit it hard. That editing just isn't going to finish itself (believe me, I know - I've been waiting for it to for some time now). I'm ready to get back to the 'normal' writing life bright an early come December first!
Well... maybe I'll let myself sleep in a little. You know, just to recover from NaNo. But you get the picture.
Writers, have you finished yet? What's something interesting or unexpected you've learned about your story this month, or maybe even something you've learned about yourself as a writer?
Non-writers, are you ready for your writer friends and family to finally be getting back to normal?
November 28, 2011
Journaling - Day 28 of NaNo
Total Word Count: 42, 717
Yes, by now I'm sure you're used to the fact that I'm behind. Between Thanksgiving and the nasty cold I've had that just refuses to go away, it's been tough catching up. I'm gonna have to really crank it tomorrow and the next day to finish on time. Frankly, I'll be glad to get it over with and get back to work on Son of the Shield, Falls the Shadow, and my bevvy of other projects.
One thing I've learned from this NaNo: I am totally an action writer, and I really don't do well when there's not a lot of action going on. Last year during NaNo I got to write naval battles and shipwrecks and invasions and last stands and espionage and kidnapping and escapes and plots and... yeah, you probably get the picture. This year, all my characters will do is sit or stand around and talk and think. And no matter what I do, they just won't do anything else. It's to the point now where I'm beginning to get very disgusted with all of them.
But, I only have to put up with them for two more days, and then I can get back to work on other things.
How's it going for everyone else? Have you reached the finish line already? Are you going to make it before the end of the month?
Yes, by now I'm sure you're used to the fact that I'm behind. Between Thanksgiving and the nasty cold I've had that just refuses to go away, it's been tough catching up. I'm gonna have to really crank it tomorrow and the next day to finish on time. Frankly, I'll be glad to get it over with and get back to work on Son of the Shield, Falls the Shadow, and my bevvy of other projects.
One thing I've learned from this NaNo: I am totally an action writer, and I really don't do well when there's not a lot of action going on. Last year during NaNo I got to write naval battles and shipwrecks and invasions and last stands and espionage and kidnapping and escapes and plots and... yeah, you probably get the picture. This year, all my characters will do is sit or stand around and talk and think. And no matter what I do, they just won't do anything else. It's to the point now where I'm beginning to get very disgusted with all of them.
But, I only have to put up with them for two more days, and then I can get back to work on other things.
How's it going for everyone else? Have you reached the finish line already? Are you going to make it before the end of the month?
November 19, 2011
Journaling - Day 19 of NaNo
Total Word Count: 26,333
Still behind, I know. But making headway! (Or at least, not falling any farther behind.)
I came across this quote today:
"A novel is a work of creative imagination and to write it an author's mind must be completely at peace."
~Fyodor Dostoevsky
The man had obviously never done NaNoWriMo
Still behind, I know. But making headway! (Or at least, not falling any farther behind.)
I came across this quote today:
"A novel is a work of creative imagination and to write it an author's mind must be completely at peace."
~Fyodor Dostoevsky
The man had obviously never done NaNoWriMo
November 16, 2011
Journaling - Day 16 of NaNo
Total word count: 21,370
Time to bring out the big guns, and employ shameless NaNo tactics. Today's weapon of choice: describe everything.
Time to bring out the big guns, and employ shameless NaNo tactics. Today's weapon of choice: describe everything.
November 15, 2011
Journaling - Day 15 of NaNo
Total word count - 20,613
Yes, I'm behind. Quite a bit behind, actually. I'm hoping to catch up over today and tomorrow. The weird thing is, I'm not even sure what happened that caused me to get so far behind. Oh well, such is NaNo, I guess.
At the moment I'm trying to find some exciting action points I can throw into my plot line to sort of liven things up. At the moment it seems like it's all just thinking and talking and thinking and talking.
One interesting note is that I watched The Scarlet Pimpernel over the weekend, and now I'm starting to find that my main character, Grayson, is behaving sort of like Percy Blakeney. He's all tough and rugged and gallant on the inside, but on the outside he comes across as being more like absurdly charming. He's currently in the process of befriending the cooking woman who brings meals to his cell every day, going way overboard with his politeness and charm.
All the while, of course, looking for a way to escape. I have absolutely no idea how that particular plot thread is going to unwind, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Oh, and by the by, in the excitement of NaNo Day 1 I forgot all about notifying you all about the release of Falls the Shadow chapter 12 on November 1. My apologies. However, with today being the 15th, Chapter 13 has just been released. You can Click Here to read it.
We're at the halfway point today, writers. The first half of NaNo is behind us. Here's to a wild and crazy and successful second half!
Yes, I'm behind. Quite a bit behind, actually. I'm hoping to catch up over today and tomorrow. The weird thing is, I'm not even sure what happened that caused me to get so far behind. Oh well, such is NaNo, I guess.
At the moment I'm trying to find some exciting action points I can throw into my plot line to sort of liven things up. At the moment it seems like it's all just thinking and talking and thinking and talking.
One interesting note is that I watched The Scarlet Pimpernel over the weekend, and now I'm starting to find that my main character, Grayson, is behaving sort of like Percy Blakeney. He's all tough and rugged and gallant on the inside, but on the outside he comes across as being more like absurdly charming. He's currently in the process of befriending the cooking woman who brings meals to his cell every day, going way overboard with his politeness and charm.
All the while, of course, looking for a way to escape. I have absolutely no idea how that particular plot thread is going to unwind, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Oh, and by the by, in the excitement of NaNo Day 1 I forgot all about notifying you all about the release of Falls the Shadow chapter 12 on November 1. My apologies. However, with today being the 15th, Chapter 13 has just been released. You can Click Here to read it.
We're at the halfway point today, writers. The first half of NaNo is behind us. Here's to a wild and crazy and successful second half!
November 8, 2011
Journaling - Day 8 of NaNo
Word Count so far: 13,376
I'm finally caught up after the weekend! Hurrah!
Ashamed as I am to admit it, at one point I was forced to resort to pulling one of the infamous NaNo stunts along the way:
Shameless, I know. But hey, sometimes a writer's just gotta do what a writer's gotta do.
Writers, have you been forced to pull any 'NaNo stunts' so far?
I'm finally caught up after the weekend! Hurrah!
Ashamed as I am to admit it, at one point I was forced to resort to pulling one of the infamous NaNo stunts along the way:
Grayson forced a smile and said something mildly profound as a moving conclusion to the chapter, but at present the author is unable to think of what it is so it will be added later.
Shameless, I know. But hey, sometimes a writer's just gotta do what a writer's gotta do.
Writers, have you been forced to pull any 'NaNo stunts' so far?
November 7, 2011
Journaling - Day 7 of NaNo
Total word count: 10,985
I'm a little behind on word count after the weekend, but I wrote over 2,500 words today alone so I'm sure I can catch up again... just in time for next weekend, probably. *rolls eyes* Oh well.
I've taken the excellent suggestion of several different people and shortened Tiberius' name to Ty for now. I may go back and change it once I don't have to worry about the NaNo deadline anymore, or Ty may turn out to really be Tiberius' nickname. Who knows?
I was kind of surprised to begin discovering today that my character Edea is pretty self-centered. It's not really how I imagined her, but the more I think about it the more I guess it makes sense. After all, she's royalty, and her entire life she's lived in the palace with servants to do everything for her, and until she became queen (just a little bit prior to the beginning of the story) all she ever had to worry about was entertaining herself. So even now that she is the queen her world still basically revolves around her.
I'm looking forward to seeing how this affects things when she sees my character Grayson offer to trade himself in as a prisoner of war in exchange for the freedom of his younger brother. I should get to that scene tomorrow, so I'll let you know!
How did your first NaNo weekend go?
I'm a little behind on word count after the weekend, but I wrote over 2,500 words today alone so I'm sure I can catch up again... just in time for next weekend, probably. *rolls eyes* Oh well.
I've taken the excellent suggestion of several different people and shortened Tiberius' name to Ty for now. I may go back and change it once I don't have to worry about the NaNo deadline anymore, or Ty may turn out to really be Tiberius' nickname. Who knows?
I was kind of surprised to begin discovering today that my character Edea is pretty self-centered. It's not really how I imagined her, but the more I think about it the more I guess it makes sense. After all, she's royalty, and her entire life she's lived in the palace with servants to do everything for her, and until she became queen (just a little bit prior to the beginning of the story) all she ever had to worry about was entertaining herself. So even now that she is the queen her world still basically revolves around her.
I'm looking forward to seeing how this affects things when she sees my character Grayson offer to trade himself in as a prisoner of war in exchange for the freedom of his younger brother. I should get to that scene tomorrow, so I'll let you know!
How did your first NaNo weekend go?
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