Homecoming [24 Jan 2008|09:15pm] You are probably wondering "who is this strange name that is suddenly appearing on my friends list?" Fear not! It is I, xnera, posting from my long dormant writing journal. Once upon a time my greatest wish was to be a writer. To see my name in print. To inspire others with my writing. I tried to write some stories in my teens and twenties, but like many things, failed on the follow-through. Yet I was fascinated by this writing thing. My mid and late twenties saw less "creative" writing and more thinking about writing. I read "how to" books and attended seminars. And I filled pages upon pages in my journal with thoughts about the things I read, the things I watched. "Buffy" was highly praised. So was nocturne_alley. Eventually I stopped doing that, too. Words lost their importance once the discovery of the goodness of TV and manga happened. Writing, and the thinking about it, was put aside like a skin I had shed. I wondered what this meant for my identity. Wasn't I a writer? What happened to that desperate dream? I decided I needed a new label. I briefly toyed with "storyteller". I longed to draw the images that flooded my mind. But I had no desire to make art. No, I wanted to tell a story via images, just like all those wonderful manga novels I read. And yet "storyteller" still didn't seem right, because I sure wasn't doing much of it. "Creator", though... that was a damned good fit. Because I was still creating, in all sorts of ways. I wrote long posts in my journal and hacked perl (RIP, wibblebot. You are still sorely missed) and sewed costumes. I played with photography and made bento and learned how to knit and crochet. And I was happy. That raging, creative need was being satisfied in so many ways. I became comfortable with the idea of never being a "serious writer" because the core of my being was still shining brightly. I didn't need to reach the masses with my words to inspire; I was already doing that via my journal. And I didn't need to write to create. Yet here I am in this long-dormant, nearly abandoned journal. Quite to my surprise, I might add. It's all mackillian's fault. What happened is this: she entered the Amazon Breakout Novel Award contest. Not only that, but she made it to the second round. Which means an excerpt of her novel available to download on Amazon.com. HOW COOL IS THAT? For reaching the second round, she was entitled to a Publishers Weekly review of her full manuscript. She pinged me yesterday to let me know their review had been posted. And that she was o_O-ing at it, because it seemed like the reviewer hadn't bothered to read the entire novel, but had only read the excerpt. We grumped about this for a while, and began to discuss whether certain points in the "review" were valid. Except I then said that really, I should without my opinions, because I was a bad friend and hadn't read the excerpt yet. So while she went off to fence, I printed out the excerpt and began to read. And then magic happened. Because I slipped right back into that skin I long ago shed. I scribbled notes and drew arrows and crossed things out. I critiqued as if I had never stopped. I had forgotten, but now I remembered: I GET THIS. I grok this thing called writing. It's as natural to me as breathing. All those how-to books just reinforced what I already instinctively knew. I know when a plot point doesn't work, or when something is awkwardly written, or when a character needs to be fleshed out. I may not be able to write it myself, but I immediately see these things in stuff I read. The urge to identify, to deconstruct, to rebuild--it all came flooding back. I tore about my library at midnight looking for a favored workbook. My hands were itching to grab a script and pore over it, looking for the strengths and the flaws. I wanted new material, not the beloved manga and light fiction I had read and reread and read yet again over the past few years. In short: I came home. But I don't need to leave anything behind. It's not so much a return to a place I long ago left as it's airing out a room that hasn't been used. These new, creative parts of me that I've added over the years are annexes to the house of my core. I don't intend to give any of them up. I don't think I could. I'm not entirely sure yet where I will go with this returned desire (or with this journal, for that matter). It may end up being good china and the formal dining room. Or maybe it will be the family room with its cozy furniture and endlessly active television. Who knows what the long haul will be like? The immediate future, though... that's a bit easier to see. I want to slip into this forgotten world again, for a little while at least. I'll go as far as the lightpost and look for the path. It will be a Grande Adventure. write with me

Quantifying Rodents [31 May 2005|06:25pm] *brushes cobwebs from journal* Write what you know goes the familiar maxim. A corollary to that is Write what you love. I've been thinking about all of my favorite stories. Why do I love them? What is the common element amongst them--the element that I must include in stories of my own? One way to define stories is by Orson Scott Card's MICE Quotient. Is the emphasis on the mileau, an idea, a character, or an event? In a mileau story, the setting IS the story. We're exploring this dazzling world the author has created. Often, the story is told from the point of view of a stranger to the land. The story concludes when the stranger either returns home or decides to stay. Most characters encountered will be caricatures of their people as a whole. In an idea story, a question or problem has been raised. The story ends when the question has been answered, or the problem resolved. Mysteries naturally follow this structure. Character stories follow the evolution of a character, in the communities that matter most to him. They start when the character decides to make a change in their life, and end when that change is complete (or the character decides not to change after all). In event stories, disorder and disaster have come to the world. The story ends when a new order is established, or the old order restored. Stories can have all four elements; however, the overall structure should follow one of the above. I used to think that my greatest love was Character stories, but now I'm not so sure. I thought it might be helpful to label some of my favorites so as to discover the type of story I should tell. It's not exactly an easy process, though. Take, for example, The Lord of the Rings. Card originally called this a mileau story, and it does have strong elements of one. Pages of detail about the geography of the land. The main character going off on a journey to a distant land, seeing strange sights, and returning. In a later essay, Card changes his mind and calls LOTR an Event story. He points out that the story only ends not with the destruction of the ring, but with the last of the Elves leaving Middle Earth, thereby bringing in a new order: the age of Man. So is it a Mileau story, or an Event story? I'm leaning towards the latter. There are too many themes in LOTR regarding the emergence of a new order: The hobbits from the Shire losing some of their innocence and being involved in the larger world; the departure of the Elves from Middle Earth; Aragorn's heritage as rightful King. So that's one down. Let's see if we can figure out some more. Ender's Game. Mileau can be ruled out. There's lots of questions at the beginning of the story. What is the monitor? Why is being a Third such a big deal? What is so special about Ender? Who are the Buggers, and will they be defeated? Possibly an idea story, then. But I'd say it's an event story. The arrival of the Buggers had a strong impact on Earth politically, bringing in a highly militarized order; it's Ender's actions (and those of his siblings) that allow that order to be overcome and a new order established. Harry Potter. I don't know WHAT to make of Harry. I don't think it's a character story; Harry seems pretty resistent to change to me. There's definitely support for Mileau, as he is a stranger to the magical world, and we learn new things about that world in each book. He also returns to the Muggle world at the end of each school term, which fits the pattern of the stranger returning home. But there's also the question of whether or not he will defeat Voldemort, and there's a strong implication that the books will end when he does. One can also argue that there's disorder in the magical world with the reemergence of Voldemort, and it's Harry who will vanquinsh him once and for all and return the world to its proper order. So which is it: mileau, idea, or event? If the series had started with Harry receiving his Hogwarts letter and going off to school, then I might say that it was a mileau story. But it doesn't; it starts with the celebration of baby Harry's defeat over the Dark Lord, and Harry being left on the Dursley's doorstep. I think this rules out mileau, especiallly since so much attention was drawn to Harry's specialness; mileau stories often have an "Everyman" character as the POV, and Harry is definitely not that. So either idea or event, then. I'm leaning towards idea, with the question being "Will Harry survive the school year?" Artemis Fowl. This is an idea story, with the main question being "Will Artemis succeed with his plans?" Stephanie Plum. Idea. No doubt about it, here. It's not character because Stephanie barely changes from book to book. It's not event, because her world's not in disarray; she's just a normal girl going about doing her unusual job. And it's not mileau, becuse we're in New Jersey. So yes, definitely idea. Which makes sense, because the books are suspense, and shelved with the mysteries. Each book has the same questions: Who is her bounty? Will Stephanie capture him? And the books end when those questions are answered. The Princess Diaries. I think this is a Character story. It's not Event, because there's no real disorder in the world. It's not Idea, because there are no real questions being asked. And it doesn't really fit mileau, either, because a large portion of it takes place in high school, which is very familiar to us all. That leaves Character. And it fits, because the story starts at the exact moment that Mia finds out she's a princess and that her whole life is about to change. The stories also often end when Mia herself has changed, or her roles in her community have (i.e., she has a boyfriend now). A Song of Ice and Fire. Event. The books start when the reign of the current king is coming to an end; we don't know how they'll end yet, but there are strong signs that it will be when a new order is restored. Star Wars. The original trilogy is an event story; not entirely certain of the prequels, but I think they will be, too. Farscape. I'm only at the end of season three right now, but I'd say Farscape is foremost an idea story. It says it right in the voiceover: "I'm just looking for a way home." That's the main question, out of others: will John ever make it back to Earth, or will he decide to stay on Moya for the rest of his life? Buffy. Event stories often start by introducing the person who can restore the world to order; Buffy starts when the Slayer arrives on the Hellmouth. The series ended with every potential Slyer receiving her full powers, thus making the world a safe place to live everywhere. Angel. I still haven't seen the last season of Angel in its entirety, but I think Angel is an idea show. The series is about atonement and redemption: the question then is whether he will fully atone for his sins and receive Shanshu. Wonderfalls. Wonderfalls is pure idea. The pilot raises forth a lot of questions: Who is Jaye, and why does she live in a trailer park when the rest of her family is highly successful? Why are tchotchkes talking to her? Will she continue to follow their commands? Will she get the guy? The series was cut short, but the last episode attempted to answer many of these questions. Firefly. This is idea as well. What made Mal turn away from God? What's Book's secret? Why is Inara leaving, and why was she on the ship in the first place? Who are the Reavers? What is Blue Sun? And the biggest question of all: what did the Academy do to River, and will the men with blue hands succeed in recapturing her? Hopefully the movie will answer some of these questions. Conclusion Previously, I thought that Character stories were my thing. I love to see characters struggle and make hard choices. I like to see them grow and evolve. But from the list above, it looks like what really gets me is Idea and Event stories that have a strong Character component. For instance, I'd say that A Song of Ice and Fire is an Event story that is comprised of many Character substories. Certainly Dany, Jon, and Bran qualify as Character stories. My goal then is to write a story that answers a question or restores order to a disordered world, with a main character who evolves over the course of the story. References Card, Orson Scott. Characters & Viewpoint. pgs. 48-54. Writer's Digest Books: Cincinatti, Ohio, 1988. Card, Orson Scott. How to Write Science Fiction And Fantasy. pgs. 76-86. Writer's Digest Books: Cincinatti, Ohio. 1990. 1 scribble|write with me

[16 Dec 2004|02:46pm] [ mood | thoughtful ] I am rereading my hatrack landmark. I just finished reading part nine, and you know? I think I really am a good writer. I should write more often. Maybe I will write something creative tonight. 1 scribble|write with me

NaNo Update: A lot of nothing, until just now [06 Nov 2004|10:14pm] [ mood | working ] Didn't get anything written on the 2nd, as I was busy analyzing election stats with my friends. Didn't get anything written on the 3rd, as I was busy reading the fallout from the election and watching Farscape. Didn't get anything written on the 4th, as I was busy feeling tired and watching Descendents of Darkness. Didn't get anything written on the 5th, as I was busy sleeping. Didn't get anything written this morning, as I was busy beating The Brothers. Didn't get anything written this afternoon, as I was busy organizing my sheet music, taking a nap, and attempting to clean the living room. Didn't get anything written earlier this evening, as I was busy finishing Disc One of Final Fantasy VIII and taking a shower. And I might not have gotten anything done just now, if I hadn't felt the evil eye of Chris Baty swing my way. Chris Baty is watching, and I have a novel to write. So I sat myself down in front of my computer, even though I was tired, and turned the timer (oh, I love that timer) to 30 minutes, and came up with 1,105 words. Which brings me to 2,826 total. If I had been writing the minimum necessary every day, I would be up to about 10,000 by now. I do not care to sit here for another three and a half hours to reach that total tonight. Instead, I am aiming for the 5,000-7,000 range, and will try to catch up some more tomorrow. The novel SUCKS. Badly. But it is very silly, and I am amused by it. And the point of this isn't quality, anyway--it's quantity. So off I go on another 30-minute spree, in search of another thousand words of quantitative drivel. 3 scribbles|write with me

NaNoWriMo, Day One: Wibbles and Snarks [02 Nov 2004|12:02am] [ mood | accomplished ] "My problem," I told Chris Baty, "is that I have studied writing for nearly half my life." Chris nodded knowingly. "You're going to do it this time, though. Right? I'll be watching you." And he gave me a menacing glare. "Right!" I replied. "I am determined to win NaNo this year." That was two weeks ago at the local book signing of No Plot? No Problem!. Back then, I was eager and excited. Oh sure, I didn't have any inkling of a plot, but I had my copy of the NaNo bible. And spreadsheets. And the message board. I was practically living NaNo, and November hadn't even started. But then depression, work and personal stress, and election madness have taken their toll. I didn't even think about NaNo during the last week of October. The end of the month snuck up on me, and I found myself going to bed yesterday with no plot, no characters, no setting--nothing but a huge heap of fear. I took my paper journal with me to lunch today, intending to come up with something during the thirty minutes I had to scribble. Mostly, I wibbled. I wibbled because I haven't read many novels lately, and thus wasn't sure I could write one. My pleasure these days comes from manga, and TV shows, and RPGs, all of which have their own unique flow and structure. How could I write in the structure of a novel if I was no longer familiar with it? I wibbled because as I wrote about the kinds of stories and characters I loved, it became apparent that what turns me on is the really deep, heartwrenching stuff. And I suspected that this kind of writing took enormous amount of effort and energy. It was much too big for a 30-day noveling sprint. I wibbled because while I had an idea of the kind of story I would like to tell, I still had no characters, no plot, no setting. Not even an opening sentence. I would have given up there, but I can't give up, because Chris Baty is watching me. It says so in my copy of No Plot? No Problem!. "To Karen: I'll be watching. Write that novel! -- Chris Baty" I tried to take comfort in the fact that at least I knew what I liked. The story would surely follow, if I just let it. Right? Right? I still wasn't sure. I flipped through the pages of the bible on the way home. The passages on "Exuberant Imperfection" caught my eye. It sounded so cheery. I imagined a horde of writers happily charging into the mud and muck of a forest that had just been rained on, and laughing as the slipped and slid their ways down the trails. I liked this idea. I also liked the idea of having a special writing outfit, and spent the rest of the train ride pondering what mine would be. Would I wear my "Pulitzer Prize Winner in Training" t-shirt at every writing session? Would I wrap a scarf around my neck? Would I write in the nude, wearing only my WWVD? bracelet? Oh, the possibilities! An hour and a half later, I was sitting in front of my computer in the same sweats I had worn all weekend, staring at a blank screen, and feeling ready to fall asleep at any minute. I was tired. I had spent the entire day sneezing from allergies. I didn't want to do this. Surely I could skip one day? No, I couldn't. Chris Baty is watching. I ran over the brief inkling I had in my brain. A reluctant female protagonist. A combination of modern-day living and old-world magic. An apocalypse. Plenty of snarking. Nope. Still felt too hard to handle. Still had no clue where to begin. So in desperation, I set the large kitchen timer I keep on my desk to fifteen minutes, and began typing anything that came to mind. Fifteen minutes later, I had 534 words, and a complete prologue featuring a classic Schmuck Bait. Huh. Twenty minutes later, I had added another 613 words, and was in the midst of a full-out snarking session. One last fifteen minute session, and another 664 words of snarking were added. In a mere forty-five minutes, I had written 1,811 words. I had also come up with my title (How To Avoid An Apocalypse in Ten Easy Steps), as well as a very rough chapter-by-chapter outline. Go me! No, it's nowhere near the story I want to write. My stories hardly ever are. I sit down to write fantasy, and out comes romance. But the point of NaNoWriMo is not to write your perfect story, but simply to write. And I did. And yeah, it's not a great story, but I laughed in the middle of it. I was having fun. And that makes it worth it. Heck, it's only one day into the damn thing, and I've already written more than I have in the past month. Day One has ended, and I'm off to a very good start. Quotage: "Dude, you’re wearing purple!" "And does it not look fabulous on me?" 3 scribbles|write with me

T-minus 20: The Tools of the Trade & The Two Magna Cartas [11 Oct 2004|02:40pm] Twenty days till NaNoWriMo starts. This year, I would love to go to a write-in session. I know if I just sit at home, I will likely find other things to do instead of write my novel. So meeting with other people to write sounds like it would be very beneficial. Plus, I would be getting out of the house, going places, and meeting new people. Fun! The problem is that I don't have an easy way to write away from home. Oh sure, I have my writing journal and my favorite pens, but my hand cramps if I write too long like that. I would much rather type, but alas, I have no laptop, and do not have the means to afford one. Therefore, I've been thinking about alternate methods. The first that came to my mind was to get a cheap PDA with a collapsable keyboard. The problem with this is that the really cheap PDAs look to be little more than electronic datebooks, and thus have no word processing program. I need to do some more research on the Zire and other models, before I completely rule this out. A second option would be to get an Alphasmart. I like these because all they do is process words. That's it. There's no solitaire or Internet to distract me. I can imagine that if I had one, I would even use it at home, and sit on my couch or at the dining room table to write, so I wasn't distracted by email or the Internet. They're rugged and sturdy, and have a long battery life. I couldn't afford a new one, but the older models go pretty darn cheap on eBay, so it's definitely an idea. The drawback here is that most eBay models come with the mac connector only, so I'd have to spend extra money for a PC cable. Also, they cannot hold the novel in completion, but that's not so bad, as I'd probably be downloading it everyday for backup anyway. So, those are the toys I am considering getting in order to help me reach 50,000 this year. I finished reading the first half of No Plot? No Problem! I'm following Baty's suggestion, and leaving the last half of the book for November, to be read at the pace of a chapter a week. I figure I need all the help I can get, and reading Baty's funny, encouraging words will likely keep the interest and dedication high (or higher, anyway). The first half of the book was really wonderful, though. Yeah, Baty hasn't sold a novel yet, but he does know what he's talking about. I found that a lot of his ideas match the wisdom of published authors. One such idea is to write not what you know, but what you like. He suggests creating two lists, which he calls the Magna Carta I and II. Magna Carta I is a list of everything you love in stories, and should be what you turn to when you get stuck. Magna Carta II is a list of everything you hate about stories, and should be what you try to avoid. He cautions that when people get stuck, they often unconciously find themselves using items from Magna Carta II, because they have a notion that these things are what a story should be. Therefore, he recommends framing both lists and keeping them handy when you go about writing your novel. Here are mine, so far. I may add to them. Magna Carta I -- Things I Like Humor Wittiness Unique phrasing Speculative Fiction, Romance, and Suspense Third Person (first is okay, too, but I read more third than first) Internal conflict Apocalyptic events Paranormal suspense Character stories Emotional conflict Character growth Romantic comedies Human triumph Lightheartedness Over-the-top emotional responses (think anime, especially Shuichi in Gravitation) Sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat action Prolonging the chase (in romance novels) Epics Gray characters Good vs. good Favorite settings: spaceships, high schools, the old west, scotland and england Plucky heroes who want to be ordinary Japanese culture Smart, witty, concise writing A good balance of action and dialogue Exposition via action and dialogue Dramedys Manga Carta II -- Things I DO NOT Like Writing in STRONG dialect Literary novels Hard science fiction Second Person Long, detailed descriptions Watching a character deliberate or come to a decision through internal dialogue. Mileau stories. I love interesting mileaus, but I don't want them to be the focus of the story. War stories (there's been some good ones, but as a whole they do not interest me) Unbelievable storylines or reactions. Over-the-top can be funny, but it's got to be an honest reaction. Deus Ex Machina Copulation by the end of chapter one in a romance novel. Should be more like chapter 26. Black-and-white characters Good vs. evil. This *can* be done well, but often is not very interesting An emphasis on business or the working world Unfavorite settings: courtrooms, businesses (unless quirky, like Stephanie Plum) Slapstick humor Toilet or gross humor Perfect heroes Shows about nothing Overly flowery writing Superlong paragraphs Exposition via description Sitcoms I'm excited about these lists, because I think they will help me discover a plot. At the very least, they will point me in a direction. write with me

T-minus 24, and I am excited [07 Oct 2004|10:14am] [ mood | excited ] I have "crushing on favorite writers" listed as an interest. Smart is sexy, or so they say. A well-told story makes my innards flutter and my toes curl, which is why I have been known to squee at the merest mention of the likes of Joss Whedon, or George R. R. Martin, or potterstinks' player. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I have developed a new crush. It is one Chris Baty, founder of NaNoWriMo and author of No Plot? No Problem!, a guide to writing a novel in thirty days. I am only a few chapters into his book, and already I am feeling the love. Not only is it jam-packed with excellent advice, but it's entertaining, too. I am reminded of the first time I read Orson Scott Card's "How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy", when I was amazed that a non-fiction book could possibly be unboring, as up to then I had been led to believe that they were all dry, dull things. Too much reading of textbooks, I think. Anyway. I am feeling the love, which means I am now superexcited for NaNo, and have been thinking about it constantly. Of course, me being me, I am not thinking about plot or characters, but about the process. Wouldn't it be cool, I thought, to have some way to track my progress? I imagined having a thermometer chart hanging in my library and my cubicle, and coloring it in every day with my progress. And again, me being geeky me, I technified it, and starting writing an Excel spreadsheet. Heh! Except I couldn't figure out how to do a nice thermometer chart. Grr, argh. But wait--didn't someone post something about a tracker in the NaNo forums? A forum search was done, and I found this spreadsheet, which is so much cooler than the one I was working on. <3! So I've got my tracker, and I've got my inspiration. Now, I just need to find a plot. write with me

NaNoWriMo loometh... [05 Oct 2004|11:56am] [ mood | contemplative ] *brushes dust off journal* So yeah, I'm doing NaNoWriMo again this year. And I'm determined to make it a much better experience than the previous two years. The wordcount is a little scary. Fifty thousand in one month seems an awful lot. But then I started wondering how long my landmark was. Cut and paste into Word, and we find out that it clocks in at nearly 18,000. And it was written in ten days, with over half of it (9,717, to be exact) written in a two-day period. So the length alone isn't a problem. I think it's the fiction aspect. I have a hard time coming up with ideas. Or rather, I have a hard time following through on ideas. I can come up with them, but I think that too often I discount them as being silly and unworkable, and don't give them a chance to live. Also, I know I have a real problem with wanting things to be good. This often stops me from writing anything at all, for fear that it will not live up to my expectations. I think I "lost" the previous two years of NaNo because of a combination of these two things. Both years, I entered it without having any idea of what I was going to write about, so I had no direction. Not even a starting point. And I still wanted it to be good. Well, obviously that didn't work, so it's time to try something new. It's time to embrace the crappiness. The NaNo FAQs themselves say that the point of the challenge is to write a novel, and not The Great American Novel. NaNo fully expects the novel you produce to be crap. The point is to write it. Editing will be left for NaNoEdMo in March. So write I will, and it shall be crappy. w00t! But I still need something to write about. I thought about continuing with the memoir, since the landmark went over so well, but that's not really fiction. Often when I try to do fiction, it comes out as romance, but eh. Romance alone no longer excites me. Maybe romance suspense? I like those. And there's always fantasy or science fiction. Hmm. The next week or so, I'm really going to try to generate some ideas. I'd like to have a firm idea of what I'm going to write about by the time the middle of October rolls around. Then I shall start outlining and plotting. Because I really like the idea of having a blueprint to follow, so that when November comes, I can just write and not sit there saying "Now what?". Hopefully Colleen will start feeling talkative soon. 2 scribbles|write with me

Now? You speak NOW? [26 Jul 2004|02:57pm] [ mood | giggly ] So, does anyone else have problems with their muses speaking to them at inappropiate times, and not only that, but being hella funny while doing so? 'Cause Colleen is being especially naughty right now. I cannot keep a straight face. Dude, I'm at work! write with me

On the subject of RPGs [25 Jul 2004|04:25am] (note: written 7/15/04 @ 7:30 p.m. Just getting around to posting now.) My friends list has been bombarded with RPG talk lately. I think it's an effect of the end of NA. People want another one to follow, or they want to be in one, or... well, you get the idea. I actually got RPG spam: "No, I don't know you and have never talked to you before, but we need players for our spiffy RPG, will you come join?" How very rude! I was quite annoyed. And I am equally annoyed by one-line spams for readers. I know people mean well, but that's not going to get me to read. What will get me to read is brilliance. Be good. Write the best damn story you can. Because then people will talk. They will talk & gush & mention your RPG a million times, till everyone wonders what all the fuss is about and goes to check it out. Do that, and you will win me over. I wonder, though, if my own demands for brilliance from the RPGS I follow keeps me from being in one myself. I won't deny that I want to be in one. I do, I do, I do. RPGs make sense to me. They have the ability to tell deep, intricate stories, as does TV. I love it. But I fear I wouldn't be able to follow through or keep up. I have so much doubt in my ability to write. I know I can be funny, or witty, or write something that causes one to think. I'm just not sure I could do it on demand. I'm not sure it I could keep it up. And that is why I am so hesitant to be in an RPG. It feels like such a burden, like a huge obligation. And I know I'm probably making it much bigger than it is. I mean, there are plenty of folks who are in RPGs for play. It's just something fun to do. They don't see it as this huge thing, this obligation, this very testing of the soul. It's just a game to them. I wish sometimes that writing could just be a game to me. I wish I didn't take it so seriously. I miss writing in my blog. Back then, I wrote for an audience, and I wrote to be witty, but somehow it wasn't an obligation then. It was just fun. But now, every piece of fiction I write becomes this huge thing. I mean, this fic that's been in my head... the plot bunny came right as NO was ending. And I wanted to write the story because I liked it and it would be fun, but also because I thought fandom could use a pick-me-up then. What ended up happening, of course, is that it didn't get written. Until I managed to pull out one scene a few days ago. And even then, it wasn't very fun, because I was concious of the fact that I was writing it so that I could post it and get feedback & love. I pressured myself, and thus it wasn't as good as it could have been. Or maybe it was, and I just can't see it. But then I wonder. Maybe I should be in an RPG right now. Maybe it would be good for me. The camaradie alone would be worth it. And I'd be forced to keep working and thinking and being creative. Maybe it would teach me some much needed discipline. Ponder, ponder, ponder. 1 scribble|write with me

The List [14 Jul 2004|01:52pm] [ mood | determined ] So I have finally started writing again, whee! Today I dragged out queen_raina briefly, which was fun. This, of course, made me think of the ghost blog, which led to thoughts of the various WIPs I have that I would like to complete. Hence, a list: The post for etern_alley. The two other half-written posts about nocturne_alley. The ghost blog. Not to complete, really, but just to tinker with. A place to play, if you will. Mostly it's an exercise in voice with a little fiction thrown in, because it's really about my life, just in disguise. But it would be good to work on it again, because I do thing it's fun and promising. The Hatrack landmark. Got a little bit of time for this, but yeah, this needs doing. More posts about 20 Master Plots. I have two that are half-completed, so hopefully I will have those posted shortly. The fic that's been rattling in your head for the last few weeks. And speaking of that last, during lunch I scribbled out a rough draft of a scene. Would you like to see it? write with me

A Screenwriting Workshop [21 Jun 2004|09:09am] (Originally posted 10/3/01) About a week ago I went to a screenwriting workshop. I'll use this thread to post various stuff about it. (copied from Barbara's board... yeah, I'm lazy). I instantly fell in love with the room it was held in. It had tan-and-white striped wallpaper which was covered with movie posters and all these quotes printed on 8.5x11 inch paper. Later the instructor admitted that there were so many things hung on the wall because the paper turned out to be a little too busy to look at. The class was pretty good, considering it was only about an hour-and-a-half long. It was held at a screenwriting school so they did a lot of promotion for their classes, but that was to be expected. I found myself nodding and agreeing with lots of what they said, so I guess I must already know some stuff about writing movies. Primarily we talked about what kind of scripts sell--Mainstream American. More on that below. Mainstream American A Mainstream American film tells the story of a person in pursuit of an objective, who overcomes opposition to reach the resolution (often told in a genre setting). Or, to put it simply : A person does something and it works out. The Story of a Person... Breaking down the first definition: You start with the story of a person. A movie should always have a Me character--the character that the movie is about. There may be other prominent characters in the film, but ultimately the film is the story of just one person. This person should be described with adjectives. Don't use adjectives such as "secretary" or "window washer", but "adventurous", "silly", "resourceful". "Secretary" doesn't tell you anything about the character as a person, whereas "adventerous" does. ...in Pursuit of an Objective... The objective is simply what the character wants. The size of the objective doesn't matter--your character can desire a Twinkie, or could want world peace--what matters is that the character wants it very, very much. In other words, it's not the value of the object she's pursuing, it's the value to her. The objective can be broken down into a dream objective and a movie objective. My notes on this aren't too clear, but the dream objective would be the ideal--what the character really really wants. The movie objective is how the character defines the dream, or how he chooses to obtain it. The movie objective is usually a thing--the Twinkie--or a person. ...Who Overcomes Opposition... Along the way the person faces opposition. This is usually a person (my evil nemesis Maltida steals the Twinkie from my grasp!). If the opposition is not a person, then the movie will be an episodic narrative (the Twinkies are upstairs in the kitchen: I have to navigate a dark basement, make my way up the broken stairs, cross the living room filled with the kids' toys, and find where my spouse hid the Twinkies). ...to Reach the Resolution The resolution is simply the attaining of the objective. (The speaker didn't go into much detail about resolutions, sorry!) The Windowing Character How do you show the audience what the main character is thinking? Greek plays used the chorus, who would come on stage and sing a ditty to set up the next scene. Shakespeare introduced the soliloquy, where the character gives a speech directly to the audience. Soliloquy is used sometimes in movies, but more often the main character's inner thoughts are conveyed to the audience through a windowing character. This character is usually a "buddy" of the Me character. It's important to note that the windowing character doesn't think of himself as a windowing character; he thinks of himself as Me. One other way to show the main character's thoughts is with voiceover narration, though this often doesn't work so well. Excerpts from my writing journal, dated December 6th, 2000. Some of my grammar is bad, but hey, it's just a journal entry! (regarding a certain type of character)... Their job is to tell it like it is... Readers love these characters because they're telling heroes what we long to tell them but can't... Often a source of conflict as hero could not believe, did not want to believe, what was being said... I think it's because they are not close to hero that they can be so knowledgable. If they were friend, relative, or lover of hero then they would be too close to see faults and truths, or too polite to say it. I had a major AHA! moment in the screenwriting class when they talked about windowing characters, because I realized that was basically what I was writing about in this journal entry; I just didn't know the terminology for it. The only difference I can see is that in the class they said the windowing character was usually a "buddy" of the Me character, whereas I said it couldn't be a buddy. From what I've seen, there's often tension between the Me character and the windowing character. Here's a perfect example of a windowing character. In the clip below, Spike acts as the windowing character to Buffy and Angel. In this episode, Spike is also the opposition as he has kidnapped two of Buffy's friends. SPIKE: (yells) What do you know? It's your fault, the both of you! She belongs with me. (sobs) I'm nothing without her. BUFFY: That I'll have to agree with. You're pathetic, you know that? You're not even a loser anymore, you're a shell of a loser. SPIKE: Yeah. You're one to talk. BUFFY: Meaning? SPIKE: The last time I looked in on you two, you were fighting to the death. Now you're back making googly-eyes at each other like nothing happened. Makes me want to heave. BUFFY: I don't know what you're talking about. SPIKE: Oh, yeah. You're just friends. ANGEL: That's right. SPIKE: You're not friends. You'll never be friends. You'll be in love till it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. (points at his temple) Love isn't brains, children, it's blood... (clasps his chest) blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it. Quotes! I love quotes; I used to dream about having a little sanctuary, usually a small room with lots of natural light, that would have quotes written all over the walls. No surprise I loved the room class was held in, then. :) Here's some of the quotes they had posted. I didn't have time to get them all. To name it is to kill it. (also: To say it is to kill it.) Life is short--move slowly. All cinema takes place in the present. Read over your compositions and when you meet a passage you think is particularly fine, strike it out. The secret to being a bore is to tell everything. -- Voltaire "Montage" is French for "no story". Only a mediocre writer is always at his best. Don't write about what the movie's about--write about the effect of what the movie's about. You may only write descriptions of pictures. Nothing else. Plot happens. Can you take a picture of your character's objective? In a movie, "I love you" is a question. (x's note: I think I've heard this one before). Failure isn't the end unless you give up. -- Jim Carrey Don't think--just write. IN DIALOG: Never ask a question. But if you do, never answer it. But if you do--LIE. Who is this "we"? Simplicity is the last effort of genius. Nothing you write, if you hope to be any good, will ever come out as you first hoped. (Ain't that the truth!) Reality is the poorest excuse for bad drama. Yes, but will it make a better movie? The struggle between good and evil is nowhere near as interesting as the struggle between good and good. In movies, people only talk when they want something. Let's go to the zoo! (Note: "Going to the zoo" is anything the character does in a movie that is NOT in pursuit of the objective.) 1 scribble|write with me

Screenwriters on Screenwriting (a book review) [21 Jun 2004|09:08am] (original posted 9/1/01 10:58 pm) Screenwriters On Screenwriting by Joel Engel Hyperion: New York, 1995 ISBN: 0-7868-8057-0 Screenwriting is a thankless job. Studio rewrites, being fired from projects, being uncredited for your work, having your vision changed--it's not fun. And audiences don't go to see a movie because of who wrote it. Even other writers don't respect screenwriters--Writer's Digest often lists new movies coming out, but only mentions the title and stars, not the screenwriter. But there's some hope for screenwriters: At this year's Academy Awards, screenwriter Ernest Lehman won an honorary award for his work, the first time such an award was presented. And fans of TV shows discuss the writers as much as they talk about the actors. Still, it's no surprise that the only interviewee I recognized in Screenwriters on Screenwriting is Oscar-winner Lehman. Yet one only has to look at their credits to realize that the book includes interviews with some of the best in the business. Check out some of these titles: Honeymoon in Vegas; To Kill A Mockingbird; Indecent Proposal; The Sound of Music; The Last of the Mohicans; Ghost; The Silence of the Lambs. That's an impressive list, and it's far from exhaustive. This book is a fascinating read in many ways. First, there's the engaging anecdotes on how and why certain movies were made. Lehman's account of working with Hitchcock on North By Northwest was so captivating, I rented the movie a few days later. There's also insights into the business of screenwriting. The difficulties of working with directors and producers. Putting aside your emotions when the studio asks you to make changes to the script. The problems you face being taking seriously if you're not a white male. Finally, there's plenty of great writing advice, suitable to all kinds of writers. It's very reassuring to hear successful writers say they often fight self-doubt. Another common theme is the idea of a story as a problem to be solved. And finally, there's the notion that the first goal of the writer is to tell the truth; this was very validating for me, as I've been harping on this in my writing journal for a year now. I'd recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in writing or film. write with me

Suspense and Romance (a book review) [21 Jun 2004|09:07am] (note: this is the kind of stuff I write in my offline journal) The trend these days in the romance genre is suspense. Now there's not only the sexual tension between the main characters, but an edgeiness caused by the mystery they must solve before all hell breaks loose. Elizabeth Lowell is one such author writing the suspenseful romance. Her Donovan family series have added more suspense with each new book. It's especially evident in her latest novel, Midnight in Ruby Bayou. I'm a big fan of Lowell, so I eagerly waited for this book to be published in paperback. Perhaps my anticipation was too great: although I enjoyed the book, I felt it wasn't as good as her previous novels. Lowell has become too fascinated suspense; the mystery she was unfolding took center stage, to the neglect of the budding romance. And unfortunately for Lowell, the mystery, though exciting at times, seemed patchy and sensational, leaving me not intrigued but impatient for the return to the more pleasurable portions of the book. Hopefully in further novels, Lowell will either return to the excellent balance of mystery and passion she's had in the past, or come up with a better mystery that's capable of holding its own. Another writer of suspenseful romance is Kay Hooper. Her Shadows series has gotten good reviews, so when I saw Hiding in the Shadows at my local library, I decided to check it out. Like Midnight in Ruby Bayou, Hooper's book has more suspense than romance. But here it works. The romance is subtle, barely arising except for small moments; it felt natural, given the characters' current situation. The suspense is so good that at times I wondered why it was even a romance novel at all. The book is well paced; insights and revelations occur steadily, upping the intensity and keeping you turning the pages. There were only a few times when I figured things out beforehand, and they were small enough that I wasn't too bothered by it. The climax of the romance and the suspense occured nearly simulateneously: everything tied together neatly, and the reason why it was a romance and not just a suspense became obvious. It was necessary, as well; I don't believe the book would have worked as well without the romance. I figured out the big revelation right before the main character did, which is how it should be. It was nearly perfectly executed; tears slowly rolled down my face as I realized what it all meant. I've read better suspense novels and also better romances (previous Lowell novels, for example), but Hooper's storytelling is solid and capitavating. I'm sure I'll look for her other books when I return to the library. write with me

Excellence in Epic Proportions (a book review) [21 Jun 2004|09:05am] A Song of Ice and Fire, series by George R. R. Martin "The Hedge Knight" -- short story, available in Legends Book One: A Game of Thrones, ISBN 0553573403 Book Two: A Clash of Kings, ISBN 0553579908 Book Three: A Storm of Swords, ISBN 0553106635 Book Four: A Feast For Crows, forthcoming At least two more books planned ------ Winter is coming. Those three simple words summarize A Song of Ice and Fire (hereafter ASOIAF). It's true in the literal sense: winter is indeed coming to the land of Westeros. And that's a very big deal in a place where winter can last years. It's also true in the metaphorical sense, as dark times are descending on the kingdom. Murders are comitted. Wars break out. Prophecies are fulfilled. There's danger to the north as the wildings are on the move and the Others are restless. In the south there's a battle over the throne. The gods of the three major religions are making their voices known. And across the sea an exiled princess is coming of age. This story is huge, but it's very accessible. Martin is one of the few writers I call "Genius"; his prose is lush and rich, his characters well rounded, the story tight. He excels at foreshadowing; so many of the lines have hidden meanings that are only revealed later on. The series has often been compared to the works of other epic writers, such a Tolkein and Jordan. I've tried to read Tolkein, but only managed halfway through the first book. Tolkein is an adventurous fairytale, simple and sweet, made for a lazy summer afternoon. Martin's work, on the other hand, is fantastical--it's dark, it's hard, and utterly real even though it's set in an imaginary land. Martin has no qualms about doing the unthinkable, which is why his writing is so fresh. ASOIAF is indirectly responsible for this board, as I discovered ezboard while browsing Martin fan sites. The ASOIAF ezboard is a very happening place. There's so much to discuss and debate; it's like trying to figure out who the murderer is halfway through the mystery. Fans are playing the prophet, and only time will tell if they're right. With Martin's penchant for the unexpected, they might not be. There's several devices that Martin uses which serve the story well. One is the use of repeated phrases, such as the Stark words "Winter is coming". Other examples of such prhases are Arya's mantra of "Fear cuts deeper than swords", and Dany's chants of "I am the blood of the dragon" and "If I look back I am lost". Each of these phrases, so fitting to their use, instantly reminds us of who the characters are, something that's essential in a story of this size. He also very subtly changes the voice in each POV chapter. The prose in Bran's POV feels like it could come from an eight-year-old's mind. It's entirely possible to go through the books reading only one of the POVs, and still have a complete story (in fact, he's published Dany's storyline as a novella in Asimov's science fiction magazine). And the level of detail really is amazing. Martin can write three lines about a character (never seen before) who recently died, and still make you feel as if you knew the man. If there's any fault to the novels, it's that they don't come often enough. A Storm of Swords was published last November; the next one's not due until next fall. Until then, I'll be one of many fans discussing the novels on the ASOIAF ezboard. ----- Author's Note: This was written several years ago, before I became a Lord of the Rings fanatic. I had only read the first half of Fellowship at the time, so needless to say my view of the LOTR series was much different then than my current views. Also, "this board" refers to a writing board I once ran (long dead), where this was originally posted. write with me

spammy interlude! [21 Jun 2004|09:01am] [ mood | chipper ] Happy Monday! I'm pleased to hear that some of you are finding this journal useful. Yay! Glad you are enjoying it. I'm taking a short break from 20 Master Plots to repost some stuff I had written elsewhere, so I have everything in one convenient place. I apologize in advance for spamming your friend's list, but I am sure you'll find at least one of the posts interesting and relevant. Which one depends on your particular interests. I have the next two posts for 20 Master Plots written in my head, though, so I expect you'll see them soon. If not today, then definitely tomorrow. On with the spam! write with me

20 Master Plots, part three: Use the Strong Force, Luke! [18 Jun 2004|02:51pm] [ mood | geeky ] So now we know the eight basic Lowest Common Denominators of plot. Great! Let's get plotting! Not so fast. First we need to understand the two basic types of plots: plots of the body, and plots of the mind. Plots of the Body This is your basic action plot. It's Indiana Jones and James Bond. The emphasis is on the adventures your main character undergoes. "What happens next?" is what the readers want to know. Action plots often do not have very developed characters. They also tend to focus on local tension rather than deep tension. This doesn't necessarily make them bad literature; there is plenty of demand for a good action story. As long as it is compelling, it will find an audience. Action flicks, westerns, and science fiction can all fall in this category. Plots of the Mind Plots of the mind explore human nature and relationships. It's all about idea and meaning, and heavy on the deep tension. Comedy also often falls into this category, as (according to TObias) "comedy is deception: mistaken identities, double meanings, confusion." The Strong Force Your plot does not have to be exclusively a plot of the body or plot of the mind. Joss Whedon insisted that the network use the full title of his TV show about a high school girl who fights demons, as the title summarized the three emphases of the show: Buffy (comedy) the Vampire (horror) Slayer (action). However, every plot should emphasize either the plot of the body or plot of the mind. This is your strong force. Buffy's strong force was the latter; what drove the plot every week was Buffy's internal struggles with her calling in life, and her relationships with her friends, lovers, and adult authority figures. Choose scenes, characters, and oppositions that consistently match your strong force, and you'll have a winning story. 5 scribbles|write with me

20 Master Plots, part two: Eight Simple Rules for Plotting Your Story [18 Jun 2004|02:31pm] [ mood | accomplished ] Continuing on with the discussion of 20 Master Plots by Ronald Tobias. Part one proclaimed that without tension, there is no plot. Now we'll expand on that a bit, and discuss the eight Lowest Common Denominators of every plot. LCD One: Make tension fuel your plot As discussed in part one, a story just ain't right unless it has some tension. Without tension, it's just a retelling of events: dry, boring, factual. Add in a bit of tension ("I won't marry you because you are a drunk!"), and you've got the makings of plot. LCD Two: Create tension through opposition I previously attended a screenwriting workshop in which the presenter defined Mainstream American films as "The story of a person in pursuit of an objective who overcomes opposition to reach the resolution". This sentence is LCDs One and Two in a nutshell. First, your protagonist has to want something. His desire is the kindling of the tension in your story (LCD one). If your character didn't want anything, then what was the point of the story? Why would we be interested? Your character doesn't have to want anything grand (the workshop presenter used a pacakge of Twinkies as an example), but he has to want something. Next, your character must face opposition. He wants Twinkies, but ack! the vending machine is all out of them. That's the ignition fluid of tension. Once we introduce opposition, the plot takes off and we're rolling right along in our story, and the readers are turning the pages as fast as they can. You might be tempted to think that the opposition has to be in the form of an antagonistic character -- some evil person who is dead set against your protagonist getting what they want (they saw you going for the Twinkies, and stole them before you could get them!) -- but it doesn't have to be. It can be a situation (the vending machine is out of Twinkies) or an internal conflict (you really want the Twinkies, but you are trying to stick to a diet). Just make sure there is some kind of opposition, or your plot will go nowhere and your readers will fall asleep or throw your fic down in disgust. LCD Three: Make tension grow as opposition increases For a story to be effective and compelling, the opposition needs to grow as the story continues. One way to do this is through local tension, which is basically the person, item, or situation that is affecting your protagonist at the present moment. Boy asks girl to marry him; girl says no. That's local tension. Stories have strings of local tensions that carry the plot along, but they can't rely on local tension alone, as local tension hardly ever increases. It can also lead to boredom, or the absurd. Let's go back to our Twinkies. If we only had local tension, the plot might go something like this: Character wants Twinkies. He searches his pockets for change, but finds none (local tension #1). He borrows change from a friend. He goes to the vending machine, but alas, the machine is out of twinkies! (local tension #2). He decides to go to the sundry shop next door. But the shop is closed because of a fire that occured there last night! (local tension #3). He decides to get in his car to go to the grocery store, but gets stuck in traffic because the circus is coming in town, and the elephants stampeded during the parade. (local tension #4). Tension-filled plot? Heck yeah. And it might even make a successful action story. But notice how as the story goes on, we get more and more into the fantastical, which can increase disbelief in a story. This is the last thing we want to do. We want our readers to trust us, and to be so involved in the story they lose track of time. So instead of relying solely on local tensions, we introduce deep tension. Think of deep tension as the story's purpose for being. It is the underlying drive for the story or character. In our Boy Meets Girl story, the deep tension is his struggle to overcome achoholism. It's personal, and tough, and cannot be resolved easily. In fact, your character might have to undergo a paradigm shift in order to resolve the deep tension, which leads me to LCD Four. LCD Four: Make change the point of your plot We could decide that our story is simply about a man's quest for a package of Twinkies. It might be possible to come up with a humorous story based on this scenerio. But for a story that really packs the wow, make your plot about change. How do the events of the story change your character or world? Change goes hand-in-hand with deep tension, as there's not a lot to be learned from local tension. Patience and strength in the face of adversity, maybe, but not much more. Back to the Twinkies. If we relied on local tension only, then at the end of the story we might have a character who has decided he really hates Twinkies because of all the obstacles he faced in getting those Twinkies. A change, yes, but not a very compelling one. Now let's introduce some deep tension. Our story is now about a man who is struggling to lose weight, but finds himself one day really longing for some Twinkies. He struggles with himself over whether or not to give in and get the Twinkies. Maybe he decides he really doesn't need to be on a diet, or that it is okay to "be bad" sometimes, and gives in and gets the Twinkies. Or maybe he decides that his long-term goals (the weight loss) are more important than immediate desires (the Twinkies) and decides not to purchase any. Either way, he has gone through a change of his convictions, which is much more satisfying as a story than a character who has simply survived a frustrating day. LCD Five: When something happens, make sure it's important Your job as a writer is to keep the reader engaged in your story. Far too often, beginning writers (and some published folks, too!) let their stories take unnecessary side trips. As Tobias put it: "Your intended for [your character] to be at a board meeting in New York and suddenly they're at a pig farm in Green Sleeve, Mississippi." The pig farm may be fun--the smells! the laughter when the pig chases your character!--but if it's not important to the plot, your readers are going to get bored. So, you have one thing to do: cut it out! Yes, it may be some of the best writing you've ever done, but if it doesn't advance the plot, it does not belong in your story. Cut it, and keep it in a clip file, and take it out to read every now and then, but don't keep it in your story. Know who's important to your story. Just about every story has a main character; the majority of the scenes should involve that character somehow. Don't let your supporting characters become too big. The H/D fic I am musing over was originally going to open with a scene from Harry's childhood, that explains why Harry is the one who can answer Draco's questions. It's a lovely little scene, and very important to Harry's characterization. Yet I have decided not to include it in the story, because the story is really about Draco, and not Harry. I still might write the scene for reference, and I'm pretty sure Harry will end up mentioning this experience to Draco, but we will not see the scene as a whole, either as a prologue or a flashback, because this isn't Harry's story. This LCD is actually one of my biggest complaints about Cassie Claire's Draco trilogy. Draco's name is in the title of each fic, but yet Harry seems to have just as many scenes as Draco, which leads me to confusion as to who this fic is really about. And Cassie has written some really lovely scenes with other characters as well (Tom, Ginny, etc), and yet I still question their inclusion in the story. The plot could use some definite tightening, as the third part of the trilogy is already obscenely long and shows no sign of ending soon. Still a great story, but yeah, it needs tightening. LCD Six: Make the causal look casual So we've trimmed our plot and gotten rid of any extraneous scenes. And we have this item the character needs to use in the climax, and we need to somehow introduce it earlier in the plot. This is the infamous "If you show a gun in scene one, make sure it goes off in scene three" LCD. The question is, how to go about introducing the gun? We could make it really obvious ("LOOK! HERE IS A GUN!! OH MY MB ISN'T IT SCARY?"), but if we do so, we risk losing our readers as the plot would then be obvious as well. Why should the reader keep reading if they know what is going to happen? Instead, we do this in a very sly manner. All casual-like. Mention the gun as being just one item of many items in a room: blend it into the scenery so that it does not jump out at the reader. Now, you may be worrying that your reader will not pick up on the mention, and totally forget about the gun and be all confused when it comes up later. Readers are often more intelligent than writers think, though--in most cases, they are going to remember the gun (there are a few clueless folks, alas, who cannot pick up on anything). Trust your readers to follow your clues, and you'll write a compelling, interesting story. This is an area in which I feel nocturne_alley particularly excels: the character's posts are often packed with information or casual lines that appear to be throw-aways and unimportant, but turn out to be very important. Making the connections and remembering references when the climax finally occurs is a big part of the fun in following the RPG. LCD Seven: Make sure you leave Lady Luck and chance to the lottery This is the LCD that warns against Deus Ex Machina. Your character is in dire straits. He is backed against a rock wall, facing a large dragon, with no chance of escape, when suddenly a rope ladder appears out of nowhere and he climbs to his escape! How very lucky and convenient. Which is exactly the two things you don't want your readers to be thinking. The resolution of the character's issues or obstacles should arise from the character, not from chance or "magic". We want to root for the character, and believe that she has the skills, talents, and strength to overcome her opposition. Using a plot device is, well, cheap, and much less satisfying than if she worked things out on her own. Which explains my dissatisfaction with the climatic scene in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Little Anakin Skywalker is told to go sit in the cockpit of a ship to stay safe during the battle with the droids, except the ship is set for autolaunch (convenient plot device #1) and he soon finds himself hurtling towards the space battle. While there, he appears to magically move through dense enemy fire, as his dialogue ("Let's try spinning! That's always good!") shows that he is not flying out of skill or natural ability, but implies that he's not sure what to do in this case (convenient plot device #2). He then ends on the droid control ship, where he accidentally presses a button or something, which fires a shot into the control ship's core, in turn blowing up the ship and causing the droids on the surface to go "dead" at the the most critical time of the battle (convenient plot device #3). Yeah, I was disgusted. Maybe George Lucas was trying to imply that Anakin had the Force flowing through him during the battle, and that's why he was able to do these things. But really, it felt like magic and convenience, whereas Luke's trench run on the first Death Star in the original Star Wars did not. Then, it was about faith, courage, and natural talent and ability; here, it's just about luck. Do not rely on luck to save your characters. You will lose your audience. LCD Eight: Make sure your central character performs the central action of the climax Imagine if Wedge Antilles had blown up the Death Star instead of Luke Skywalker. Would the audience have been as satisfied? Probably not. The victory is hollow if the character we have been emotionally connected to (Luke) is not involved. Your main character must be present at the climax of the story, and must be an active part in it. This one also ties back to my comments in LCD Five about knowing who's important in your story. If you do not properly identify a main character, your readers will be confused or feel like something is "off". I felt this way about the movie "Jerry Maguire". The movie attempts to focus on Jerry, but I found myself being much more drawn to Renee Zwelleger's character. To me, she appeared to be the one who was undergoing the most change, and who was driving the plot. This makes me feel like the movie did not properly identify its main character. Either she should have been the main character, or the plot should have been more advanced by Jerry's actions than hers. </ul> Next up: The strong force, and the two major types of plot. write with me

20 Master Plots, part one: I'M NOT TENSE ENOUGH!!! [18 Jun 2004|02:06am] [ mood | too relaxed ] Okay, so I am rereading 20 Master Plots by Ronald B. Tobias, and already it's been helpful! I think the reason I have not been able to start writing the H/D fic that's been rattling around in my brain is that there's a story there, and maybe even a plot, but there is no real conflict. Well, I know that it starts with them apart and ends with them together, and that's definitely emotional change, which is vital to stories and character growth. But I really don't have any conflict for the middle part. Draco has questions -- he goes to Harry with them -- Harry answers them. The end. Obviously, this is not enough, and so, the story remains unwritten. Tobias sums up plot very nicely. Take, for example, the ubiquitous Boy Meets Girl: Boy meets girl. Boy wants to marry girl. Girl says yes. That, technically, is story, but it's not really plot, because it's not enough. There's no tension. So you add some: Boy meets girl. Boy wants to marry girl. Girl says no. Boy asks "Why?". "Because you're a drunk," she replies. And with the introduction of tension, we have the very basic of plots. I'm actually wondering if so-called PWP stories don't actually have a germ of plot in them. Take, for example, my script snippet. It is full of tension. There is anticipation, as Draco waits for Harry to arrive. There is tension (and possible rejection) when Harry realizes Draco has been pretending to be hurt. There is a build of tension as the sexual heat builds up until we reach a climax (literally!) and the tension is resolved. It's a very basic plot, true, but it does fit the tension requirements. The difference is that it is all local tension, which, again, is a start, but it's not enough for most plots. For that you need something bigger, or deeper. More on that later. I am thinking back to one of the most unsatisfying fanfics I read, which was so unsatisfying because there was no tension. H/D somehow get under the influence of a love potion, or something. They immediately set up "house" together, and spend the rest of the fic making googly eyes at each other. Sure, it was sweet and cute, but there was no point to it, really, because the main characters underwent no tension. Perhaps it could have worked if H/D were less of the focus--but as written, it failed horribly. So, tension is definitely important. It comes as no surprise, then, that nocturne_alley has a vast, rabid following, because NA is all about the tension. Oh, sure, sometimes there are moments of squee, but those are usually the resolution oif built-up tension. And also usually the calm before the storm, when the next bit of tension occurs, and it's usually even bigger than the last! This just proves yet again that the players really know that they are doing (and yes, I cannot stop writing about how much I love NA and how well I think it is done). So now I am back to my unwritable story, and wondering how I can add some much-needed tension into it. Because the initial idea of the story really does intrigue me, and I'd like to explore it--but it's not going to be possible unless I feel compelled to write it, like I was compelled to write the movie scenes. Perhaps I can just add some stubborness on Harry's part. Or maybe Draco can never get close to Harry to ask him his questions, because Harry is always surrounded by friends or those who would protect him. Or maybe Draco does ask his questions and gets answers, but then misunderstands what Harry was trying to say. There are multiple things I can do; it's just a matter of finding the right source of tension and following through with it. And that, ladies and gents, brings us to about page 19 in 20 Master Plots. I intend to write more as I reflect on the book's ideas and how it relates to my current and past fics, as well as others. Stay tuned for further updates. write with me

More prompts [17 Apr 2004|05:29pm] [ mood | accomplished ] [ music | nraged wibbling over nocturne_alley ] Prompt for Thursday, 04/15/04 Write another person's epitaph, but make it rhyme. Here's a silly one: There once was a guy from Chicago Who was quite fond of escargot He ate a bad snail That ended his tale His service will be in rondeau May add more later. Kinda want to write some sad and heartbreaking, but I have no poem bunnies yet. Prompt for Friday, April 16th Make a list of the works you've written of which you are most proud. Collect a copy of as many as possible. Put them in a binder and title the compilation. The works I'm most proud of are all creative non-fiction pieces. I started working on a memoir a few years back, and my best peice is a vignette from it. I like it because of the humor, and the voice. The voice is so uniquely mine, and felt so concrete when I was writing the thing. It was also a great writing experience, because I was able to see how editing can make a piece better. I don't think I've come up with a title for the memoir as a whole. I should do that. I should also keep working on the thing. It's easier than fiction is for me, and it would let me ease back into writing. Other things I'm proud of: the ghost blog. I had so much fun writing that. I do intend to update it someday, hopefully soon. I'm also quite fond of the regular blog, especially posts such as this, this, this. Not so much anything from xnera, though, as it's mostly a place to wibble. write with me

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