Art Imitating Life
I spoke with John Hickman (@loonymoose1), a fellow writer, on twitter about how our experiences influence our writing. It was an important discussion to have, so we each blogged about it! Here’s my take:
There’s a popular phrase in writing, “Write What You Know.” That’s all well and good for nonfiction or contemporary fiction and a few genre pieces, but I write fantasy, scifi and speculative fiction. I write about things that never will happen or have an infinitesimally small chance of happening. So in you’d assume, I write about what I know only in my imagination. Oh contraire, plenty of my ideas are based off facts I do know. That sort of knowledge is needed to ensure the believability of said imaginary places.
Even though it may not seem it, I believe in the original statement wholeheartedly. Although I have written from a male perspective and focused the plot around a whimsical setting, the day-to-day minutia he endures is largely based off my own experiences. Interactions with peers, romantic entanglements, even how I sleep at night. The struggles in the story are either those I lived through or had been concepts I’m drawn to that I have extensively researched.
I don’t think the rule is meant to pigeon hole a writer into communicating a tale that strictly adheres to whatever they experienced firsthand, I believe it is meant as a guide. It reminds us scribes to use those life moments as a building block, not a blueprint. By extrapolating minor details and plugging them into a large scale project, it can bring something unfamiliar into a realm that can be understood.
For example, my WIP’s setting is on an Earth-like planet (think Star Wars’ Naboo or Avatar’s Pandora – similar, but not identical) that uses inspiration I have discovered from the nature I’m exposed to, sometimes in my own backyard. The atmospheric patterns could be entirely unlike Earth’s, but I don’t know anything different. Sure, I have unusual animals, but they’re foundation is from what I know.
Most of the time, writers incorporate details of their lives subconsciously, throwing in a reference that might only have significant meaning to those in the know. Other times, the insertion of the writer’s life is intentional. Some people use friends and family members as the skeleton for characters, or perhaps even someone they hold a vendetta against. I’ve used anagrams of people and pets names.
The experience of the writer is a tool on its own, offering substantial information and detail that can then be transferred into a story of any genre. So when you write, write what you know. Use that knowledge to develop something incredible that speaks to people. Readers will latch onto events and characters they relate to, and soon enough, your narrative will not only be a secret guide to your life, but to others’ lives as well.
Read John Hickman’s blog here: AColdSnowinCastawayCounty.authorsxpress.com
Transforming the Paranormal
A sparkle in my eye the other day got me thinking, why are paranormal characters so popular? They’re everywhere! Television, movies, books, comics—you name it! Vampires, werewolves, and sirens, the whole human/demon shebang seems to be like a moth to a flame these days. If you add a bit of mythology into the mix, well you’ve concocted a veritable goldmine of fantastical elements. Add an undercurrent (over?) of romance and you might as well collect your check.
Ugh.
Before I go any further, I have to admit I’m just as guilty of using paranormal characters in my works as I am for involving a mythology. I’m not saying that using these tropes are a bad idea, I simply believe they have become so overused that in order to be different, so must your paranormal. Para-abnormal if you will.
Grand sweeping statement of unpopular proportions: I don’t like Twilight. But Meyers did herself a favor by differentiating her vampires and werewolves from the endless stories like hers and the legends that started the whole phenomenon. Had they been the stereotypes, I think there would have been less intrigue about the story.
With that said, I know I rather read a unique idea than something I could find in every paranormal tale. And I’m sure you’re the same. As writers, we have the opportunity to bring people into a world where even our imagination’s craziest ideas could exist. So there’s no reason to repeat the same vampire love story over one-billion-and-one iterations.
How does one reinvent something that already has a reputation? Fairly easily, actually.
Step 1- Choose your paranormal or mythological idea
Step 2- Change one (or better yet, several) aspect(s) of its identity to be unique
There you have it! Now your brand new sphinx character can walk upright and has wings. Oh, it shoots lasers from its eyes as well? Aren’t we feeling mighty sci-fi today. How convenient! But seriously, my point is that if you plan to tap into the goldmine that is human folklore, myth and legend, don’t just use it as is, make it different. Make it yours.
Write Between the Lines
Writing with great care and focus, you wove your story’s plot together through major events and character interactions to create a completed draft. Well done, but you’ve really just begun. A novel is only as good as the sum of its part. Take the time to think this over: If you split apart your book into plot points and characters, is it any good? It may have the opportunity to be great, but my guess is it would be slightly boring. Before you cry foul, I would agree to this statement in terms of my own novel. With just the bare essentials, a story cannot live up to its full potential.
What you need are subplots. These superbly subtle additions are what connect A to B and lace the tale in a web that captures every angle. A subplot can be a short-lived addition or have the lasting endurance of a marathon runner. That’s their greatest trait: they’re flexible. Your prime plot features are rigid and must fit the structure of the narrative, but subplots can pop up anywhere at any time and disappear just as easily.
More often than not, they grow themselves, erupting from your writing without intention but giving additional life to the story. It may be startling at first, when something you intended to use only once develops into a longstanding undercurrent. That’s the beauty of these gems; they’re like sous chef to our profession. Don’t be afraid to let them help.
Here are a few examples:
Romance: In any story that is not a romance novel
Secondary Character Development: How a sidekick or acquaintance to the MC changes over time
Fleeting Event: Uses little page space and adds traces of development to the main plot
However, you can go overboard. Too many subplots will ultimately be known as filler. And filler is bad. You may want it in your pillows or meatballs, but you do not want it in your novel. Take care when you’re adding these pieces to ensure you’re sights are set on quality not quantity. Wisely integrating these connective plots will give extra body and depth to transforms the otherwise bland outline into a robust story.
How to Market for Success
Dickens didn’t need a twitter handle. Hemingway had no facebook. Bronte blogging? I don’t think so. The great scribes of previous generations had it easy. Yeah, I said it. They spent a lifetime focused on writing. No distractions from technology. Hello? They were too busy making sure their candles didn’t burn up their hardcopy papers!
Today is different. In many ways, it’s a prime environment for writers. And because of that, instead of being the token writer in your village or maybe even within a hundred miles, you can now instantly connect with hundreds and thousands of other people who have also written a book. Intimidated yet?
Perhaps in the past you would have been published by noble prestige or through a family friend, but now you have work at it. Hard. Either you labor over your query hoping it catches an agent’s eye, or you bypass it all together and brave the turbulent waters of independent or self publishing. Either way, the sea is packed with fish. In a landscape of endless writers, how do you stand out and catch the reader’s eye?
DO’s:
Be Professional: Create a presence that says to others that you are a professional, damnit! Invest in a website that displays your works or achievements. Not only will this boost your credibility, but it’ll also boost your confidence.
- Join Social Media Sites– A great way to develop this persona is by involving yourself in social media sites. Get on as many as possible that make sense to your specific route of choice. Traditional? Pick and choose based on your goals. Self/Indie? Be where the readers are.
- Have a Blog– This step is in the same vain as being present on the web, but slightly more specific. If your novel’s topic is niche or broad, this creates a location for you to display your talents and expertise.
Remain Active: It’s all well and good to create these profiles across several domains, but if you sign up and drop out, that won’t do any good. To see a return on your investment, you have to be active and present. Create relationships with your readers and other writers. Engage the community and they will respond.
DON’Ts:
Oversell: The worst way to gain attention is to beg for it. Don’t use social media or your blog to force your book down people’s throats with constant hard-sell posts. It’s obnoxious. And it’s the quickest way to be unfollowed, unfriended, unliked and so forth.
Ignore Reviews: Once your product is out there, people will interact and express their feelings. Some may love your work, others may not. Pay careful attention to reviews or comments that are critical. Remember: feedback paves the road to success.
Belittle Yourself: If you doubt yourself or your work, you aren’t giving readers or peers a reason to believe in you. Saying your story won’t appeal to everyone is a given. Highlight its best qualities and promote those.
There’s no surefire way, as if there was, all writers would be enjoying the six-figure return of their hard work. However, if you adhere to these simple do’s and don’ts, your chances of hooking readers will definitely increase.
Pitch Wars Mentee 2014
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