Mapping Things Out.

            So it's a new year! And, obviously, I've made a writing related resolution - yes, you guessed it; I plan to finish a novel! In a year, you ask? It's not actually unrealistic. If I write ten thousand words in a month, which is only two and a half thousand a week, then I'll have a hundred thousand words done by October. Two months of the hair shredding, stress wrangling process known as 'editing' sounds a good amount of time to spend on it.

           

            How am I going to get it done, though? Maintaining vision and focus over such an extended period is no mean feat - that is one of the talents of a truly dedicated writer. Keeping a cohesive and consistent story together is difficult, and it's easy to lose yourself - and your plot - in the exploration of a story. A lot of writer's - myself included - will tell you that 'they don't know exactly where the story is going'. This doesn't mean we, they or you don't have a plan for the story, just that they haven't picked all the bells and whistles for it. It's in choosing these bells and whistles that writers can lose their focus and direction.

            After exploring a magnificent side story or addition to the main plot it can be difficult to return to the central story. Often I find myself re-reading the section or sections before where I intend to continue writing from to re-immerse myself, which can be arduous or annoying. The other stymieing factor is not knowing what the connecting elements of your story are - you know that you want to make a meal but not exactly what you need in it to make it a masterpiece of culinary art. You're aware there needs to be some nutritional content - probably vegetables- a bit of seasoning and some meat, because everybody loves meat. But which meat? And what about vegetarians?

            So you need some guidelines, a plan; a recipe. Writers - and directors - sometimes use a storyboard, which is a series of short paragraphs or captioned images. This gives a general outline of the plot and some basic story elements. At this point I will explain how I differentiate between 'plot' and 'story' so we're working with the same definitions;

            Plot: A series of events involving the same or related characters.

            Story: A detailed description of those events & how the characters react to them.

            Using these definitions it is clear that plot is a much simpler construct that the story. Another analogy for the difference is that your plot is the structure of a house and the story is the contents, furnishings and decorations which it a home. What I'm trying to highlight here is that a plot is only a fraction of the length of its story. In a hundred thousand word story, your pot will be somewhere around two to four thousand words.

            So write that plot! Get it down, even in untidy, scrawled shorthand. You'll have it for reference throughout your entire story, guiding you and keeping you focused on what's happening, what's going to happen and what needs to happen. It doesn't mean you can't chop and change your plot, rewrite it or recreate it; it's written in shorthand not stone!

           

            I sincerely believe this will help keeep your story on course through stormy times or low tides of writing. I know it will be helpful for myself, & I know other members of my writing group use the method. Maps - city, country, world - can also help your visualise your world as you write. Just make sure they're relevant to your plot if you intend to use them - it's all very well exploring your world but if you mapout a whole continent for a plot and story that only takes place within one city it's a bit more than your reader needs, and probably wants. Enjoy plotting your story's course. Keep it short, simple and mostly unembellished so that the story can flesh it out. Good luck, and don't lose your way!

Making Magic

     I have finally found time to get another blogpost up! It only took about a month…so much for my bold and optimistic plans, right? This has been due to looking into finding a new job and, more importantly, writing a lot more fiction! <Cue fanfare> If everything I’ve submitted over the last month weeks gets published then I’m making myself about $650 – or approximate four hundred and fifty Great British pounds! This is approximately a third to a quarter of my actual pay check so even if I keep it up every month (unlikely at this stage, sadly) it will hardly do anything as helpful as paying the bills. It will, however, be immensely welcome in my bank account nonetheless.

It will also mean I’m a published author! Why is this exciting? I’ll explain: ‘published’ also means ‘professional’, and that’s a title I’ve been chasing for over ten years – that’s right, readers; I’ve spent two thirds of my life pursuing, with a greater or lesser amount of effort, that goal and this month is the best chance I have of achieving it! Which means if I don’t I will be extremely upset BUT will just have to try harder – or submit my work elsewhere.

    This increased drive towards publication has been caused, as well as supported, by my writing group. This is the first week I won’t be attending so thought I would write a bit of a tribute to them here. I can only be thankful for the support, advice and criticism they have provided – if you are looking at writing seriously I would highly recommend finding a group of like-minded individuals to meet with on a regular basis. It’s surprising what gems of wisdom your friends have already discovered and, in my experience, are only too happy to trade and share.

     My group has semi-officially been entitled, ‘Mightier Than The Sword’, and all references to the other members here will be done using cleverly-devised pseudonyms which, unlike my normal method that claims a person’s real name is a false one, come from the first main character I encountered (and can remember). While the group is also a semi-official entity we have got a structure to our meetings that really helps order our thoughts and the feedback we get or give. More detail on this will be in a future post, but for now I’m moving on to something we have discussed in depth during our general discussion period – which usually happens while we eat/order food.

One of the most common themes of this discussion time – possibly the element of writing we have spent the most time on – is magic. We are all big geeks, something which may be of little surprise considering we are a group who meet to discuss escapism on a regular basis, and so magic is something we are very interested in as an element of writing. And the one thing we all agreed on, without any discussion, was that a writer has to be extremely careful how it is used.

     The problem with magic, or a magic system, is that it represents a vast challenge for the writer in that they have to make a reader believe it is real, or could be real. A wizard clicking his fingers and producing a fireball to engulf his foes is definitely cool, but if the wizard has that kind of power why are there any other characters? Is magic limited in anyway? If it is limited, how are those limits displayed? And, importantly, how can the writer convey this information in a compelling and interesting way? If a reader cannot reasonably explain a magic system to an interested non-reader then the author has failed in that endeavor themselves.

     If someone buys a fantasy novel, they expect plot, character development, a couple of twists and, if they’re an experienced reader, the potential for important character tragedy or loss. No one really wants to read a text book about a make-believe magic system. Some readers might enjoy it, but I think that if they found it hidden in the middle of an epic adventure they may be somewhat jolted out of the main story.

     So how can writers weave this information into plot and character development? To answer this I will throw out the first of two authors who are named at nearly every Mightier Than The Sword meeting, and this is Brandon Sanderson.  I name him as the most relevant, rather the most prestigious – to forestall any debate this may cause, notably among our group – as he is well known for his innovative and creative magic systems. He has three rules of making a magic system and rather than waste time/look like I’m claiming credit for them, you can instead find them here. By following these rules, perhaps with a little bending involved, I can confidently say you will be on your way to creating a magic system your reader will understand, appreciate and also have expectations of. So when the wizard throws a fireball, it has meaning beyond immolation – you will have a greater idea of how the action impacts the wizard, the other characters, and you will also be able to understand the theory of how it was done which will go some  way towards preventing deus ex machima uses of magic.

     Limiting magic can be said to remove some of its mystery; if a reader has been given all of the rules for a system then they will know exactly how and when magic can be used, right? Harking back to text-book avoidance, I don’t mean you have to give a description so detailed it’s painful. For starters, even the discovery of the system can be mysterious – in Sanderson’s Elantris the discovery of the magic system forms one of the major story arcs and the entire book hinges upon it. By simply telling the reader what the limits and mechanical elements of the system are, Sanderson does not remove the mystery of it. I promise you I found it the most interesting story element and I was looking for ways to pull it apart.

     Most of Mightier Than The Sword are currently devising/using magic systems created with the above rule set and so far we are all having meeting with success in doing so. Korvé is writing one based on particles and close-to scientific process; Torgan is using something similar to super-powers which are monitored or policed by the beings that grant them; Kappa is playing with an alchemical system; and I am running with something that’s quasi-spiritual. This should demonstrate the variety of system you can create using the rules Sanderson has made, if nothing else.

     

     I am certainly not saying you must use these rules; I’m strongly suggesting you consider them. It helps readers understand your world on a level they might not otherwise get an insight to. Korvé raised the good example of Harry Potter; while you are always told Voldemort is one of the most powerful wizards that ever lived, it is never explained why or how this is the case, or came to be. Also, since Potter-wizards use a set of generic spells it’s difficult to judge comparable strength or ability between wizards.

     That wraps up my post. I will revisit magic and its place in stories at a later date; that, I can guarantee. This is an important starting point though, and some of the lesson can be applied to other elements of your story which, again, I will discuss in the future. For now I hope this gives you pause for thought and something to consider. Read long and write well, readers!

Rejuvenation

It’s been awhile since I did any of this blogging lark, mainly due to a new job and other commitments rather than just being lazy – I won’t substantiate this with details, you’ll just have to take my word. However, I have been writing a lot more! Two pieces written, a third and fourth begun and my addiction to the hobby/craft has been reignited. Joyous news, no? 

What has stirred these sadly-stilled sentiments? A fair question, and one that the answer to may assist those authors who are struggling to find time, inspiration or motivation to write with all three of those troubles. I have a surprisingly large number of talented and aspiring writers in my friendship group and, having broached the idea tentatively, we have begun meeting every week to workshop, present and discuss our projects. 

I wouldn’t call it a terrifying experience, per se, but the first week was certainly nerve wracking for me. We have decided that each attendee must present five hundred words in the form of a –preferably dramatic – reading and then the other members give feedback. I can’t remember the last time I told a story out loud but it was definitely an intimidating experience to do it the first couple of weeks.

I will admit to my apprehension; I rushed my words, stammered through my own grammar and stumbled at some of my mistakes which were highlighted by reading it aloud rather than to myself. But we are all friends as well as writers, so the feedback has been overwhelmingly helpful and supportive – no, obviously my work is not perfect and refusing to edit or redraft my work before bringing it along has meant I have some small reputation for eclectic and frenetic use of commas amongst other punctuation, but every comment I have received has either been in the form of constructive criticism or constructive praise. Both are very welcome and, I hope, gracefully received.

Yes, some people are better, more practiced, possessing greater talent for writing than others but our group is far from elitist. If anything, the more experienced writers are more encouraging of newer members or new writers – perhaps this is only an increased expression of vocal support, as they realise writing is viewed as a difficult task by a good percentage of people, but it is inspiring to see and hear nonetheless. We do not tell people their writing is bad; we tell people how it could be improved. What works, what doesn’t, what we like and what we don’t about someone’s work. Grammar is only highlighted in an editing manner – while it is an important element of writing, to be sure, it is not what makes great writing. You must catch and skin your prey before you even begin to cook it, let alone eat it.

So what gems of wisdom and nuggets of writing advice have we given so far? Firstly, when faced with an empty page and having an idea in your head one should definitely write it down. It might be clumsy, the words might not be close to perfect and you may use anywhere between a million punctuation marks to none, but write it down. Once the idea is there you can play with it, hone and perfect it. This is catching your meal, your food, your prey. A less violent metaphor would be that this is the stage that you put paint on your pallet. It may be just blobs of colour that form a loosely patterned mess at this stage, but later it will be what you create your masterpiece with.

After that, keep writing. Don’t stop; you can come back to it at the end of your short story, your chapter, whatever part of your story you’re currently writing. It does not have to be perfect, and it’s highly doubtful that it ever will be when you first scratch it out. Then don’t be afraid to show it to people and get their opinions – you never know, you might find that you have budding writers among your own friends who are simply too nervous or unsure of themselves to risk committing their ideas to physical form lest they be judged wanting. 

There are many mediocre books that have been published, and a number of terrible ones. I won’t name any of them but I fear we have entered the twilight of an age as far as literature is concerned, so there are plenty of shades of grey as far is quality is concerned in published material and storytelling in what has become known as the modern novel. No, I’m not published or successful as an author (yet) but that does detract from my ability for form a critical analysis of something. And if some of the collections of words being advertised as books are being bought by the public, then there is a good chance that as long as you finish something it will be bought as well. 

So our biggest piece of advice to writers is write. Refine it later, just write it first. This echoes my previous message – don’t worry about the quality, simply having a story on paper or typed up is more than most people do with their time. And remember; you’re a writer as long as you’re actually writing.

 

All Good Things

                   There’s nothing like having a goal, something to achieve – and knowing what you want to achieve as well. It gives you purpose, a dream, a drive! It lets you plan your journey to it, predict obstacles and prepare for everything that might come your way while you quest after it. You set yourself targets or goals in nearly every aspect of your life, or have them set for you – so why shouldn’t you do it with your writing?

                Today I’ll be talking about endings; very specifically about how to reach them and why they’re important. My last post talked about having a story board prepared for when you wrote short stories. Logically there must be a final panel; this is your goal. The others lead up to it – a charge or a creep towards an incredible crescendo (or a credible one, if you prefer) – and you might find you can almost write the story backwards. 

                I don’t mean to be awkward with that statement – I have always found it difficult to write a short story if I didn’t know where I wanted it to go, so much so that I’ve often abandoned pieces I’ve started or let the fall by the desk-side until I have more inspiration for them. My normal technique is to envision how I want something to progress – usually in the form of a story board – and then connect the panels I created in my mind. I usually do this backwards, working from the last panel back to the one before and figuring out how that journey forms before going back to the step before and doing the same again.

               Some people call this a ‘bad way to write’. Maybe for them it is; it works for me. Sometimes I just make a few notes to describe how these panels link – the tendons that bind the skeleton together, if I continue using last post’s analogy – before moving back. I can then build one these notes to literally flesh out the story, adding the characters in and around the rest of it to give it life and power it through its own story line. This is not to say, of course, things cannot be edited and changed later – this is always, always, always and option, as is a total rewrite or even abandonment if you actually think you can’t finish a piece. 

                As you can tell for me to make this process work the ending is very important to keep in my mind, to know where and what everything is building up to. It means I can drop in hints and twists that stay consistent with the rest of the story, or sometimes it’s vital I include them to maintain that consistency. Imagine a story where there can be next to zero risk of inconsistency, or risk of it, in the early chapters; this is achievable for me (or perhaps just in my mind) because you’ve already written the ending and you can tie in the beginning and middle straight away because you know what will happen. You can plan the twists and their results, you can choose ahead of time which characters will die/betray the heroes, and you can embroil the reader in mysteries knowing full well how they are resolved all with the confidence of knowing how it ends. 

                A story is certainly all about the journey, but without a target or goal it’s not journeying too anywhere – this will come across in your writing. If people finish it and say things like, “It’s good, I like it, but I don’t know where it’s going,” take a step back and ask yourself, “Do I know where it’s going?” Stories need to be going somewhere, they need to have a point they’re driving at or towards, otherwise they wander and meander and lose focus (much like some of my blog entries). So make sure where you’re going somewhere with your story, else you might find it goes nowhere.

                This doesn’t mean you have to know everything about the story to begin with, not by a long way. Imagine you’re making a puzzle; it has irregular sides and it’s got a lot of repeating patterns. Not having an ending in mind is the same as not having a picture to refer to while making a puzzle – you don’t know what your building up to, it’s difficult to make a start and even if you do you are not always sure what you’re doing is going to make sense later on. You might even have to start again and after doing that several times the idea of giving up seems like a really good one.

                Giving up will not get your piece finished. Just think about that for a little bit; it might be easier, but what does it achieve if you take the ‘easier’ route? It will not finish your short story. It will not finish your play or script. It will not finish your novel. Is it really the easier route to your goal or is it just less effort for you in the immediate future? Less effort, by its very nature as a practice, is unlikely to be more efficient in achieving your goal than putting more effort in – I think it is in fact a more difficult endeavour to finish a piece by not writing it than by actually getting on with it. By that token, the easier route or method to finishing your script/story/novel/masterpiece is definitely to sit down and write it. Not all in one sitting, but bit by bit, and never forgetting where you want it to end up.

                This doesn’t mean you have to know everything about the story from the start. It doesn’t mean the ending is set in stone. You can change the ending, sculpt it as your story evolves, make it the most perfect and dramatically appropriate ending you can as you find out more and more about your characters. But have an ending in mind. Remember, you can’t complete a quest without being told where to go and what to do. So set your goal and bring on The End.