ZenoWriter

  • Feb 6, 2020
  • Joined Nov 22, 2019
  • In Questions about writing a novell

    Gourmet_DAO In my style of storytelling, the world reflects the characters, and the characters reflect the world.

    Take for instance Billy, and how we introduce him. We use no description of his character, just descriptions of his surroundings. He visits a run-down store, filled with fatigued people, and barely says a word as he pays for a sub-standard soda. We can say a lot of things about Billy that give context to a broader story, and because we create these ideas in the reader's head, we don't create confusion later, when Billy is mugged. Why was Billy mugged? He was clearly not in a great part of town.

    We can use physical traits, like being handsome, to play into or against certain expectations. Readers might first think a character has an easy life, because they're handsome. They might think they're sociable, or affluent. By setting up those expectations with a simple word like 'handsome' we can do our own twists. He was handsome, but airheaded. He was handsome, but unlikable. Details like those help create robust characters that either stick in the mind for their uniqueness, or add color to the world our protagonist travels: "Being handsome was considered a curse, it troubled him greatly," etc.

    And I'll mention that prejudices based on appearances, such as clothing, skin color, hair color, eye color, etc have existed for thousands of years. The way someone looks does have, and should have, an effect on any story where humans are being sociable. By addressing these things and including them in our stories, we create worlds that are relatable to things actual people go through every day. Some fantasies try to get as far from that as possible. I approach it and explore it.

    I agree with you, 'write to the fool, write easier' is a good saying. I also believe in 'write whatever you want, and your work will find its audience.'

      • In Questions about writing a novell

        Acutelittletrap You presented a situation where you expected detail would be unnecessary, because it was just 'getting a soda.' My example was how such a situation could add elements that expand on our one-bit character, and absolutely move the plot. I agree you can do description badly and not add anything helpful. Your guideline for describing what only effects the character is a good one.

          • In Questions about writing a novell

            Acutelittletrap

            I'm not understanding. If Billy walks into a store, and we describe all the people that are there, the quality of the tiles, his purchase, etc... why would readers be pissed?

            We have a setting for the scene, the store. It's a bit old on the outside, paint flecks from the facade. Billy steps inside, the tiles are fatigued and yellow, and what few customers mill between the isles are the same. Old, haggard, like flecked paint; tired as they go about their evening. Their black hair and olive skin is familiar, because they look just like him, one of the misfortunates left behind by a booming economy.

            Billy retrieves a soda from an old cooler, but the light is out, and the fridge is broken. He takes the lukewarm drink to the register, and grabs a bag of chips on the way. There's a smiling mascot on the bag, and the chips are his favorite flavor. He sets the drink down on the counter and drops the bag beside it. A joyless employee rings him up; he checks his wallet, he only has a dollar. He sets the bag aside, makes his purchase, and leaves with the soda, feeling no better than before.

            If we're judging this paragraph by its end, we can say "oh, he only gets a soda, what was the point of that?" But we can use that scene to demonstrate the wealth of the area, the class that Billy lives in, and the demeanor of his peers. We can show that Billy is tired, perhaps old, and poor. We can show that he buys a warm soda, as opposed to a cold one, because as it was implied with the bag, it's his favorite treat. That he didn't complain that the machine was broken implies that he sympathizes, or understands, or perhaps isn't outspoken. Maybe he's the sort of person who doesn't make waves.

            "Show, don't tell," is one of the most iconic idioms in writing. Whenever possible, demonstrate by the features in your scene what your character is feeling, what their world is like, and where they are placed within it. All of that data is crucial part of setting the scene, when Billy gets mugged the next street over, as his ghetto crumbles to riots that catapult Billy into the story's next arc.

              • In Questions about writing a novell

                Veronica8 This is similar to how I write, and I think that's the way it should be done. If you write with purpose, your story won't be exhausted until its end. I'll add that, rather than an outline, I use a guideline or a "waystone" technique. I do not keep notes and allow myself a lot of liberty to move within my story's critical beats. The main benefit of writing outside a predetermined diagram is that you can surprise yourself and your readers, and develop your story in a more organic way; a jigsaw puzzle, but one that feels natural, and not artificially constructed to fit a chart.

                  • In January 2020: Promote Your Novels Here/Review Swap

                    Nightmare_weaver I've still got a review to write and you seem to have a few on your docket. If you drop by and review my novel, I'll be sure to get to yours.

                      • In January 2020: Promote Your Novels Here/Review Swap
                      • In Questions for writers

                        Arkinslize No plan survives encounter with the enemy. Some writers do better with detailed outlines and thought-through plans. I think through the whole story in one pass, get a grasp of the emotional arc, and then render it in more detail along the way. In my opinion, writing is like jungle warfare, low visibility and crowded by ideas like trees. Expect ambushes, expect resistance; know when to power through and when to use the terrain.

                        My novel uses some advanced techniques in both its structure and prose. If you're looking for ideas you can always stop by, and if you ever want specific help with something, such as a synonym or turn of phrase, I'm often available to lend a hand with crafting. Talking shop is one of my favorite activities.

                          • In January 2020: Promote Your Novels Here/Review Swap
                          • In January 2020: Promote Your Novels Here/Review Swap
                          • In January 2020: Promote Your Novels Here/Review Swap

                            Title: Emperor NPC
                            Genre: Sci-fi Fantasy/Video Games
                            Synopsis: The Demon Emperor had taken one billion lives and conquered the realms of elves, dwarfs, and giants. When the final realm of man fell to his armies, the stage was set for their world’s finale.
                            A spire of brilliant light pierced the sky, and as the land was torn asunder, the demon emperor met his death. It was not by the hands of a hero, or goddess’ champion, but by a system developer—a creator of the VRMMO Ark World—masquerading as a god!
                            “It’s ironic that it would be you,” said a voice in the black void of the quantum system. “Strange, that you’ve given me this quest, and stranger that I can’t do it without you.”
                            By the power of the thirteenth system developer, the “goddess” Amarytha, the demon emperor was reborn in a new video game where his character never came to be. In the Ark World Sandbox, humans rule as gods over nations of NPCs. Through mastery of their administration commands, they hold absolute control. Only the demon emperor, liberated by the Player System, can challenge them.
                            A crusade begins with one step. Freedom from humanity begins here!

                            https://www.webnovel.com/book/15442526006533005/Emperor-NPC

                            I'm open to review swaps, just message me.

                            • In Questions about writing a novell

                              There are some cool thoughts here. I'll start from the bottom up, because I feel I have most expertise in your last three questions.

                              Q.5: Web novels and traditional, paper back novels are different in that web novel authors tend to inflate word count, or draw out arcs, in order to hold readers for as long as possible. My background is in traditional novels, so when I was writing those, my editor hammered me constantly. "Be concise!" he seemed to shout in his emails. "I can reduce your entire novel by 30%!" A 30% reduction on a 600 page novel is crazy to imagine. He thought I wasted too many words, and he was right, frankly.

                              My method back then was to keep each scene in the area of 2k words, and thereby keep each chapter about 10k words long. Currently, I do it mostly the same. I keep each chapter around 2k words, but if it's 500 words less or more? That's fine. I write only what's absolutely necessary, either for the reader or for myself. While I try to keep within a range, if a scene is only 800 words? Fine. Bloat is distracting, it's complicating, and this reflects on your third question; write too much and the details that matter, like chekhov's gun, will be lost or forgotten.

                              Q.4: Very rarely does something have to be exact. Only be exact if it makes sense for a smart character or funny narrator. As a general rule, keep things vague in the beginning, and if it's a recurring theme or event, get more precise as you go along. It will help you remember, and it will keep it in your reader's mind. For instance, start with a reference to a battle, then if it comes up again offer more details about what happened; eventually, someone might mention the date, and if it has mattered for so long, it'll be an important plot point you will remember.

                              Q.3: I always try to include details about characters, even the minor ones, because I want to create a good image in my reader's mind. I'm taking them on an adventure, to my place, filled with strange people and strange things, so they should have a good idea of what they're looking at. Not everyone believes this is important, and depending on your genre and your audience, it might not be, but it's what I like.

                              But, of course, the characters in my novel actually have special eyes! So, it's often important to talk about eye color. It's also important to talk about age and gender, skin color, or clothing style, because how people look and who they are affects how characters interact. I may not often mention how tall the king is, but I do mention it, and it affects every scene he's in. He can be thoughtful and gentle, but he can overpower people with his size, and that has an impact on the reader's perception of him... and the house nobles, who surround him like children; look to him for guidance.

                              But, remember, the rule is to say only what's necessary. Be concise, says the harsh editor! If a character's 'character' doesn't influence the scene, perhaps you should rethink them, or include a wider representation of ages, genders, races, professions, etc. Sometimes, a character who pops in just to deliver a letter doesn't need an introduction; sometimes, that character starts a conversation in the room, and then maybe it's worth mentioning that he's a down-and-out noble scion, working as a page while his house is in disarray.

                              In all things, use your best judgment. Write the way you want to write, and your work will find an audience. If that audience is large enough to earn a living is another conversation.

                              • In Questions for writers

                                Write for yourself, don't write for other people. Your work will find its audience, that's what grand dad said. If you're writing a scene that's boring and it's making the process difficult, step back, rethink your ideas, and approach it in a different way. Your first, second, or third idea for a scene isn't the only way it has to be. Whatever is exciting or interesting for you is right, not what you think other people will like.

                                Thinking like this helps when you're working every day. Writing can be hard for a thousand reasons, it can often be difficult and it can feel physically and emotionally exhausting. You don't need to force yourself to do something you don't enjoy on top of that, it only leads to burn out faster.

                                In my conversations with authors, 2k words a day is a good, healthy, and achievable goal. If you do more, great! If you do less, don't worry about it. A scene is done when it's done. If it's only 1,500 words, fine.

                                Don't do write what you don't want to, don't write more than you need to.

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