Jamie C. Pritchard's Blog, page 4

Braindead Dairy #7: Day & Night

Why do I create? It’s a question most will come back to, probably when things aren’t going well. It’s essential your reasons are strong. Money is usually a good one though not when it comes to writing! You’ve got to enjoy the process. You’ve got to dive deep. Resurface with the treasure. Don’t half-arse it! ARRGGGHHH!

Over the last week I’ve been trying to convey weather/day & night conditions. Describing things – be it objects or landscapes – and how they appear during certain times of the day is one of the classic occasions for writers to strut their stuff. It’s a good way of grounding the reader in the experience – if they get it right!

I haven’t been as concerned with moulding poetic passages as I have with highlighting the differences in mood. The whole of book one takes place in a village so describing how familiar things differ under different conditions is super important. I’ve got to get that contrast. The point is (I think this is the point :P), that it’s more about carefully adding those subtle details as you go along to make it feel three-dimensional, like a place you could visit when you put the book down.

Stories that have a strong sense of location is usually down to the fact there is one location, and so it’s fleshed out. There’s probably a direct correlation between how much action is going on and setting the scene. If Commando (1985) was a book you wouldn’t go on about the sheen of the elevator glass or hordes of bargain-hunting women as Arnie batters policemen.

There is policeman in Legend of Simidae though none of them get battered. Some will probably get eaten.

Bloody Good Quote: Stephen King

“The scariest moment is just before you start.”

 

Origins: On writing: A Memoir on The Craft (2000). Since its release it’s been as well-received as his best novels. Breaking down the art of something highly subjective and personal is no mean feat, and so you could say doing so is one of the greatest challenges for any writer. I’ve yet to read it back-to-back but have sampled some of its wisdom. The quote is one of many gold nuggets.

Any writer will know…the moment before you begin…that feeling of unease…

It’s a fear that must be conquered every day.

Braindead Dairy #6: A Sense of Time & Place

Sometimes I think it’s cheating using computers for writing. Most of the greats used typewriters. They had to punch the keys. Typos were a bitch. They had to perform under more pressure. I guess getting one would be cool, make you feel empowered…it would also be really stupid…

The focus this week has been trying to create that sense of time and place. From all the tales I’ve read most fell into the category of being story driven, while the smaller percentage had much more detailed location descriptions. It’s a rare thing, a skilful balancing act, to keep a story nicely ticking along while colouring in the background, giving the reader a flavour for where the characters are.

It’s that nice middle ground I want.

This trilogy begins in the Victorian era so it’s got to have some of that – objects, clothes, facial hair. Just randomly mentioning them is no good though – basically what I did for the first draft. The odd twirl of a moustache or bell skirt is not going to cut it. It’s also in a mountain village with uniquely coloured homes so I’ve given myself a shit ton of work. 

Book Review: Dreaming at The Top of My Lungs (Israel Finn)

 

Bloody Good Quote: George A. Romero

“When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth.”

 

Origin: (1977) From the script of Dawn of The Dead of course! When asked next year by Rolling Stone Magazine where the line came from, George apparently laughed, explaining that he had “just made that up” while drunk because he thought it sounded nice! Preceding the famous line is mention of the Portuguese word ‘Macumba’ which is related to witchcraft.

The quote was awkwardly paraphrased in Lucio Fulci’s Zombi 2, though that’s no diss on an equally brilliant gore fest!

Braindead Dairy #5: A Character’s ‘Voice’

I worked this evening so I wrote this morning. I always get something done, even if it’s just a few tweaks. It makes work that bit easier, knowing I’ve got some creative stuff in the bank…it helps keep me sane-ish…

There’s been less descriptions and more dialogue as I continue to edit book one. I’m trying to make conversations sound natural yet engaging. It’s a balancing act between everyday language and sharp statements/reactions. If you’ve got two people walking and talking, and you’re not sure if it’s good, perhaps have one of the characters tell the other to “WATCH OUT FOR THE DOG SHIT!” Sometimes I think the reader needs a nudge.

Dialogue is just half the battle though. There’s also that BASTARD of a phenomenon known as giving characters a voice. It became apparent that many of my ‘distinct’ characters spoke like the lead. In fact, even his grandad (who is supposed to have Alzheimer’s!) was speaking the same, destroying the picture I was trying to build of frailty and dependence.

I think it’s one of the coolest things when writers are able to make characters jump off the pages, (it was probably Charles Dicken’s greatest strength), and it’s something I need to become better at. They may only appear once, and briefly, but if you’ve really got a character down they will not be easily forgotten.

I don’t want there to be any excess in this trilogy so I may make a list of all the characters with a brief synopsis of what they’re about. If they’re going to be in the story then THEY have to be in the story – their opinions, their actions, their own unique flavour. And for those who are a lost cause it will bring me great pleasure in killing them.

Bloody Good Quote: Edgar Allan Poe

“I remained too much inside my head and ended up losing my mind.”

 

Origin: Unknown. Whether or not these are Poe’s word is up for debate (research), but if they are later proven to have not come from him I doubt it’s going to put a dent in his towering legend. It does very much sound like something he’d say though, someone who perfectly understood the dark and seductive power of the mind. 

The quote reminds us that life’s scariest monsters might be of our own creation.   

Bloody Good Quote: Edgar Allen Poe

“I remained too much inside my head and ended up losing my mind.”

 

Origin: Unknown. Whether or not these are Poe’s word is up for debate (research), but if they are later proven to have not come from him I doubt it’s going to put a dent in his towering legend. It does very much sound like something he’d say though, someone who perfectly understood the dark and seductive power of the mind. 

The quote reminds us that life’s scariest monsters might be of our own creation.   

Book Review: Quick Fix (ATOT)

Braindead Dairy #4: ‘Chekhov’s Gun’

It’s about a fifteen-minute bus journey to town, perfect for a short horror story. Early morning is best as the freaks and drunks are down to a minimum. You have the privilege of gathering your thoughts. As a writer do you analyse more when reading, but the great thing about good writing is if it’s good enough you forget everything else…

…the opposite of editing…

If reading is akin to being swept away, editing is like digging yourself into a crypt. Errors are the walking dead. However, just like it is in the movies, its great fun smiting them. And that’s the cool thing about writing a book, no matter how tricky or long, the thing you’ve got to remind yourself – you may not know how many rooms are in the manor, or how each should be decorated, but each decision is one closer to the final design.

Over the last week the issue hasn’t been so much prose as characters. I’m trying to make them all count, play their part. It’s DEFINITELY NOT one of my strong points. They’ve got to weave in and out to make a strong tapestry, to give that sense of a living, breathing world. It’s something I admire in great works and am trying to replicate.

‘Chekhov’s Gun’ principle states that if you see a rifle hanging it should be fired in the next chapter. It’s not a rule that should be followed to the T but it nicely outlines the importance of making use of everything in a story. I guess the LESS emphasis you put on something the QUICKER it should reach its conclusion. Good stories know how to reward the memory.

There’s still so much I going to take my axe to, and then there’s characterization…but that’s another battle in the crypt…