13 KiB
[RT] Star Wars, Except Smart
-
Author: u/eaglejarl *
-
URL: https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/4nnybv/rt_star_wars_except_smart/
-
Score: 6
-
Created: 2016-06-12T00:06:27
Post:
I'm finding Tinker's Daughter extremely uncooperative, so I'm setting it aside for a while, but I've published a Star Wars parody over on Patreon for this week's update.
Having trouble writing Tinker's Daughter is a very strange feeling for me. Writer's block isn't really a thing I get, so this is weird. It's not so much that I can't write it, but that I have a real ugh field around doing so. I think the problem is that in the past I've simply sat down and written, with a loose outline or some bullet points as my guide, but it's effectively been me transcribing a book that I'm getting to read before anyone else. This time around I've tried to outline much more closely, because it seems like that should result in tighter writing. For me at least, it apparently results in no writing, so I'll keep that in mind in the future.
Has anyone else had this experience? For those of you who write, do you outline or write by the seat of your pants?
EDIT: Apologies, I had the wrong link on my clipboard. Fixed now.
Comments:
u/alexanderwales [+7] Time flies like an arrow (an hour later)
I'm very familiar with the ugh field. It's not writer's block, since you know what comes next and are perfectly capable of putting words in front of each other, it's just a lack of enthusiasm that slows the flow of words to a trickle. I usually step back and try to work out what it is that I'm not enjoying, but you can't really do that when writing serially since it's so important to stick to a regular schedule. (I write by the seat of my pants by nature, but think it's not a great way to produce quality work unless you're also committed to editing, which I generally am not. I use a variant on Dan Harmon's story circles method and drill down to at least the scene level in order to keep myself structured.)
u/eaglejarl [+3] (3 hours later)
Good to know it's not just me.
I tried using the Snowflake Method this time, and that's where I hit the ugh. I'll leave Tinker's Daughter fallow for a while, maybe come back to it later. In the meantime I've got plenty of other things to write.
u/AmeteurOpinions [+1] Finally, everyone was working together. (2 hours later)
Which now makes three of us. I hope there's a better term than "ugh field". At least half of my characters have names now.
u/TennisMaster2 [+6] (39 minutes later)
There's definitely a middle ground. If I outline the flow, then I get stuck if something emerges and it messes with the outline. If I outline the general bullet points of the piece's trajectory, I get stuck if I run out of bullet points or don't know how to transition from one to the other.
I found a semi-solution I've had difficulty implementing but has definitely assisted in approaching that middle ground: I ask why something happens. Here's a story outline - ignore the spoiler tags for now.
- Marcie goes to supermarket
- Marcie hears a robbery taking place
- Marcie attacks
- Leader hears minion's complaint - says she must back off or die
- Marcie doesn't hear
- Leader says to get money and go
- Leader passes Marcie's corpse on way out
- Leader collapses - Marcie is little sister
Tons of flaws there and I'd stop writing because I couldn't make any sense of it. A supermarket so vast as to need to communicate via radio or shouting is robbed by a gang with an organized hierarchy? How much money is there? What sort of supermarket is this? Why does Marcie attack - is she the lone attacker? Is she the only one shot? Why doesn't she hear - or does she, and back off? Why is the leader willing to kill? How could Marcie's brother be the leader? Why does he collapse and not keep it together after just ordering a murder?
Now check the spoiler tags.
I think it's a bit stupid he never told his sister his plan, but I think it's consistent he'd feel shame for planning a tragedy in order to create a rallying point for the villages to fight against the gang.
While this would be a very short story, expand the scale of the events, and you still have the reasons behind the main characters' actions. You understand their thinking, their emotions, their values. If events effect a change in those three things, you can keep asking why; unfortunately it may change your outline as a result.
Major caveat: I haven't attempted applying this to anything longer than book-length. I imagine in that long of a work you'll need to plan growth of character in the outline, or you'll be surprised when suddenly your character's values or ideas change and now you have to replan everything.
This is related to writing a short, unpublished character piece for each major character, as I believe GRRM does. I think once you know how everyone thinks, you know what will happen if someone has an idea you didn't think up when outlining. If you don't allow for spontaneity like that, then your characters are pretty boring people and you'd probably rather hang out with more interesting folk.
u/eaglejarl [+2] (3 hours later)
Interesting. I like how you built out the frame and then expanded on it. And yes, you're right -- getting the characters' thought patterns down is a key element.
Two things I've noticed I need to take care with:
Put the camera inside the characters' heads. I visualize my scenes as I go and write that, but the result is that I end up writing what happens but not how it affects the characters. Now I try to write in 3PL POV, but still imagine the scene as though I were behind the eyes of the POV character. When I remember to do it, it produces much better work.
Do character sketches on each character before that character's first scene. Otherwise they tend to end up sounding much the same.
u/themousehunter [+7] Sunshine Regiment (an hour later)
I can't comment on your writing skills, but it sucks that you're promo-ing your pay-only writing on /r/rational.
You should mention it as such in the title, or something.
u/TennisMaster2 [+14] (2 hours later)
It's not "pay-only." It's a web-serial you can get in more sophisticated formats if you support the author monthly, and in html if you don't. He just mixed his links up - here's the Star Wars bit.
This may be slightly unrelated, but I think it needs to be said. If the genre is to become more widely adopted then shaming authors for seeking remuneration for their works is counterproductive in the extreme. While I understand it would be rude to regularly promote a web-serial only available to paid subscribers, this is not that, nor do I believe such a web-serial exists anywhere online (except perhaps in SF&F magazines or the New Yorker).
Your feedback is valuable in that it tells eaglejarl some people may have difficulty learning by what means they may access his stories, and for pointing out a mistake. In the future, please phrase your feedback more charitably.
u/themousehunter [+6] Sunshine Regiment (3 hours later)
Hmm. Thanks for clarifying, and I'm glad it's available (and quite good)!
My beef was with someone who I assumed made semi-frequent posts linking to a patreon account on a sub full of works that are generally assumed to be readily available to everyone. Now that I see that OP was definitely not such a person, I'll take it back.
It does seem that I'm not alone in this confusion, given the current voting on the post.
u/TennisMaster2 [+4] (3 hours later)
Aye - I think he was just a tad hasty out the door.
[A] sub full of works that are generally assumed to be readily available to everyone.
This assumption I think limits the scope of the thread. I honestly hope that in the future more and more pay-only works will be shared here, as more authors choose to write rational fiction for a living or to otherwise profit.
u/elevul [+1] Cyoria Observer (a day later)
I hope the opposite, as I refuse to pay before trying. The current free + Patreon model works for me because if I enjoy the content I gladly throw some money to the author via Patreon. If I don't, I either keep reading to participate in the community, or I stop reading and move on.
That's why I will never buy the sequel to Forging the Sword. I did read the first book with KU, I didn't like it and in the meantime I cut the subscription to KU. So to find out whether I'd like the second book I'd have to pay, one way or another. And if I don't like it, it's wasted money.
u/TennisMaster2 [+1] (a day later)
I agree. I like going into a bookstore and read-skimming a few books that only have a few but worthwhile insights or I'm unsure are quality fiction. What about books sold on Amazon with a "Look Inside!" that extends to three or so chapters, however many the author thinks you need in order to make an informed purchase?
u/elevul [+1] Cyoria Observer (a day later)
What about books sold on Amazon with a "Look Inside!" that extends to three or so chapters, however many the author thinks you need in order to make an informed purchase?
Too easy to game, since the story could start very well and then go to shit and you wouldn't know until way beyond that. Obviously on amazon you also have the advantage of reviews, but that doesn't apply that much to rational fiction since so few people read it and thus so few people review it.
u/TennisMaster2 [+1] (a day later)
What about traditional publishing, and a post with a notice that it's available in bookstores? Perhaps an additional note, exclusive to the community, to pm the author with any requests or questions, if you understand my meaning.
u/elevul [+1] Cyoria Observer (a day later)
Seems like a pointless complication, tbh. If it's an original story, Wildbow's project is not a bad one (he will publish Worm after heavy editing), assuming he leaves the unedited copy online for everyone to read.
And, regardless, rational fiction in general is such a niche subculture that actually getting a good amount of money from selling this kind of product is probably quite difficult. Though as far as I know /u/eaglejarl has tried both paths, so perhaps he can provide a more informed opinion on the matter.
u/eaglejarl [+1] (2 days later)
It's actually not up to the author. The Look Inside is always 10% of the work.
u/TennisMaster2 [+1] (2 days later)
They must have changed it, then. I remember an author a few years ago saying they set it to 60% or so, the maximum.
Yeah, they changed it. Bummer.
Actually, I was able to navigate to it even now. Did they lie to you or is the information misleading?
u/eaglejarl [+2] (3 hours later)
As /u/TennisMaster2 pointed out, I had the wrong link. Fixed now.