Rob Bignell's Blog, page 214

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Published on May 23, 2018 04:45

Establish story��s central problem in opening lines

Almost all stories force the main character to solve several problems. The issues of where to hide, of finding a way to send a message for help, of obtaining a weapon to defend oneself, all might appear within a single chapter of a novel or even a lone scene of a short story.

One core problem, though, sets into motion the need to address these other issues. For example, escaping a murderer might require the main character to hide, to seek help, and to defend herself. This core problem also is known as the central problem.

The central problem is the broad or central conflict that the main character must resolve before the story is over. In the above storyline, readers will be interested in the tale because they want to see if the main character escapes the would-be murderer. They won��t be satisfied with the story unless it ends with a solution to the problem. Typically, this means the main character must be victorious in the conflict.

The bulk of a plot focuses on the main character addressing a central problem. The story��s opening lines then must introduce this catalyst, as it is what gets the story going. Consider these opening lines from three different stories:

Captain Steve Haley gazed warily at the shard in his helmsman��s palm. Not much larger than a peppershaker, the thing tapered from a wide jagged edge to a dull point, reflected the ship��s lights with the sharp gleam of obsidian. ��It��s safe to hold?��

Even before the sun rose, Evod and Nevar prepared themselves for the race. Silently, they inventoried supplies, examined their craft��s hull and unpacked Nevar��s ceremonial suit. Evod inspected each item with a drill instructor��s eye, discovering problems that really weren��t. As Nevar quietly assisted, her brother tapped here and there, scrutinized with the spectroscope, and fidgeted over adjustments. Then came the time for Nevar to don her suit. First the compuvisor went on, followed by the inertia damper ensemble with gloves and boots, each task done after a short chant as prescribed by tradition. Despite her magnificence in the resplendent suit, Nevar still felt like the adolescent girl the really was, not a daughter of the great pilot T��sohg.

Jalen skidded chin first into the ground and wincing, spit dirt from his mouth, then gazed up. Even at that moment with the machines upon him, he found the night sky beautiful and mysterious. The heavens grew inkier the higher one looked, as if space suddenly were denser there, and a streak of brilliant white light, the Saoirse Comet moving west, shined amid the stars. The fuzzy edges of the silhouetted corn leaves wavered above him, breaking his view of the firmament, and he resisted a tear. Everything stood between him and the stars.

Though never overtly stated, each of the stories has a definite central problem that demands resolution: What is the object in the helmsman��s hand?...Will Nevar win the race?...Will Jalen reach the stars?

Resolving the central problem becomes the plot goal, and the rest of the narrative arc then might unfold this way:
�� Rising action scene A �� The antagonist comes closer to achieving his goal as a direct result of the main character��s failure to resolve the broad conflict.
�� Rising action scene B �� The situation worsens for the main character, whose attempt to resolve the central problem only leaves the antagonist even more implacable.
�� Rising action scene A �� The main character��s attempt to resolve the central problem at best only slows the antagonist, who now appears to be undefeatable.
�� Climax �� The main character finds a way to defeat the antagonist, hence resolving the central problem.

Arguably, the central problem isn��t what a story ever is really about. It��s just a device to get the story going. After all, in many character-based stories, the story actually centers on an internal conflict within the main character that unless resolved will mean she can��t resolve the central problem. For example, if the main character is opposed to using violence as an ends to a means, her only alternative is to run from the murderer. That only buys her time. To resolve the central problem, her beliefs must change so she realizes that sometimes violence is necessary. Ultimately, she must decide to use a weapon to defend herself. For the reader, the most interesting aspect of this story is how the main character ��evolves�� or changes. Indeed, that��s true for the writer as well, as the message or theme of the story is that sometimes violence must be used to achieve peace.

Out-of-Whack Event
Usually the central problem in the opening lines involves some incident that upsets the status quo. In doing so, the main character faces the challenge of restoring order in the world.

This incident is known as an out-of-whack event, which is ��when the story concerns a character whose stable life is knocked out of whack by an external event,�� as the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc., defines it.

Consider this example of a story opener that employs an out-of-whack event:

Peter Hanswurst sniffed indignantly. A gray circle of withered plants lay in the middle of his field, an otherwise perfect patch of green soybeans alternating with black dirt that ran into the horizon. The hot Midwestern sun beat down on him, and he wiped sweat from his forehead. Hanswurst figured the circle was no more six feet across, a miniscule fraction of the entire field, and one he decided that was small enough to eradicate.

In this story, farmer Peter Hanswurst finds his world out-of-whack: a strange circle of dead plants sits in the middle of his otherwise perfect field. He now will spend the story trying to rid the field of the circle �� and face a number of obstacles in doing so.

Starting a story with an out-of-whack event is a time-honored tradition in Western storytelling. Indeed, Aristotle touted it.

Usually the out-of-whack event happens at the story��s beginning. Sometimes it even occurs before the story begins, as the tale starts with the main character already engaged in the struggle to get his life back in order. If the excerpt above started with Peter Hanswurst plowing under the dead plants in the gray circle, the out-of-whack event would have occurred before the story began.

If using an out-of-whack event, don��t wait too long to introduce the incident. If you do, you risk having the story move too slowly and missing out on a great opportunity for a narrative hook.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Published on May 22, 2018 04:45

Hint at story��s theme in opening lines

Even the most action-packed, blood-and-gore story has some message or point. A proposition that is argued or an aspect of human experience that is examined in your story is its theme. For example, the theme of the novel ��Moby Dick�� is revenge and obsession. Those dual passions and their costs are explored as Captain Ahab hunts and tries to destroy the great white whale that bit off his leg.

You want to hint at your theme on your opening page. This doesn��t mean you overtly state the story��s message or moral. Rather, as you know what the story��s message will be, you include underlying values that allow your theme to be revealed.

All stories convey underlying values. Like hues added as accent colors in a painting, they aren��t at the forefront of your story but subtly guide your reader.

The opening lines of your story ought to suggest these underlying values. This can be done in a variety of ways.

The simplest method is to pit the worldviews of your protagonist and antagonist against one another. As they attempt to top the other, their personalities manifest the values of their competing worldviews. For example, a hero might stop to help someone in need even though it means the antagonist gets away while the villain will show no remorse at being cruel because he believes the ends justifies the means. During your opening lines, you contrast these characters�� worldviews in the way the antagonist upsets the status quo and how the protagonist feels that this problem must be corrected.

Another way is through character development. In this case, the protagonist��s viewpoint changes to one reflecting the theme. For example, a soldier may start the story by believing force is necessary to bring peace to a country, but by story��s end he realizes that violence only begets more violence and that cooperation is the only way to bring about peace. If your story is told this way, the opening lines should show the protagonist expressing a worldview that contrasts with the theme.

A third way to suggest underlying values is symbolism. For example, suppose your protagonist is an unhappy person, never able to achieve perfection in anything despite being a high achiever; the theme of the story is that seeking perfection to achieve happiness is fool��s errand. Now add the symbol of chrysanthemums, which traditionally represent perfection. During the opening lines of the story, that character could be shown fussing with a bouquet of chrysanthemums on her dining room table, trying to make it just right but never being able to do so.

Whichever way you reveal the story��s theme, don��t use a ��You see, Timmy.�� This technique is named after a line in a popular TV show of the 1950s-60s, in which an adult explains to a child character the lesson learned in that episode. In short, the author directly states the theme in the narrative. While that may be fine in a children��s show, it��s insulting to adult readers, who are intelligent and sophisticated enough to infer your story��s theme. Just as you wouldn��t end your story with this Aesop-styled reveal, so you shouldn��t begin it by revealing the theme in the opening lines by stating it, such as It��s a truth well known that those who do not embrace hard work ultimately suffer or Those who aspire to govern must first learn to govern themselves and then set out to prove the premise through dramatic action.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Published on May 21, 2018 04:45

5 Great Quotations about the Writing Process

��I don��t feel I��m finished with a book until it��s remaindered.�� - Joseph Heller

��If you are in difficulties with a book, try the element of surprise: attack it at an hour when it isn��t expecting it.�� - H.G. Wells

��The scariest moment is always just before you start.�� - Stephen King

��I just sit at my typewriter and curse a bit.�� - P.G. Wodehouse

��I hate writing, I love having written.�� - Dorothy Parker

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Published on May 20, 2018 05:21

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story...

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Published on May 19, 2018 04:45

7 Tips for Building your Author Platform

�� What exactly is an "author platform"?
�� Use consistent name across your author platform
�� Writers can blog about variety of topics
�� Get a hashtag for your book to generate sales
�� How authors build a brand to sell more books
�� Pay attention to your author's bio pic
�� Develop a marketing plan to increase sales
�� BONUS: "The biggest threat to authors in this age is not plagiarism or poverty, it's obscurity."

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Published on May 18, 2018 04:45

How to create a bulleted list in your book

One of the best ways to convey connected bits of information is through a bulleted list.

Such a list sets each item on a single line after a bullet point. For example...

The five most visited U.S. national parks are:
�� Great Smoky Mountains National Park �� 11.3 million annual visitors
�� Grand Canyon National Park �� 5.9 million
�� Yosemite National Park �� 5 million
�� Rocky Mountain National Park �� 4.5 million
�� Zion National Park �� 4.29 million

A bulleted list makes information easier for readers to digest and to refer back to later.

Only create a bulleted list when you��ve got at least two items to include. Even that is iffy, though, for readers probably could just as easily understand your text in a couple of sentences as they could by reading a list. Three to six points �� which are more difficult to pick out of a paragraph �� are ideal for a bulleted list.

Once your bulleted list gets to seven or more points, however, then it��s time to rethink it. You probably can consolidate points. Or perhaps you may need to split the list into two��s or three��s.

Begin the bulleted list by writing a lead-in line. This is a phrase, clause or sentence that introduces a vertical, bulleted list. It typically appears after the headline and immediately before the first bullet point. In the above example, The five most visited U.S. national parks are: is the lead-in line.

Next comes the bullet point. To create one, in MS Word hit NUM LOCK then after that hit at the same time ALT and the 7 in the keypad.

The bullet point is the beginning of the bulleted line; in the above example, �� Yosemite National Park �� 5 million is a bulleted line. There are several widely-accepted rules for creating a bulleted line:
�� The list of bullet points either can be aligned left or indented.
�� Place a blank space between your bullet and the first letter of the text that follows.
�� Don��t start bullet point text with articles (a, an, the).
�� Only capitalize the first word of the bulleted text, unless the word is a proper noun.
�� Use the hanging-indent style; that is, if the text from the first line of bulleted text spills onto a second line, indent the second line and all subsequent text of the bulleted item so it begins beneath where the first line of text started. (Note: This blog does not follow that style to avoid transcoding problems when it is read on different devices.)
�� Only use a period at the end of bulleted line if the text forms a complete sentence. Each bulleted line either should be written either as a complete or an incomplete sentence but not a mix of them.
�� All text following a bullet point should line up vertically.
�� Avoid starting different bullet items with the same word.
�� When text after the bullet point is only a line or two long, use compact list format, meaning no space or empty lines between each bulleted item. When most text after the bullet points are three or more lines long, use loose list format, meaning a space or empty line appears between each bulleted item. This list is in compact list format to avoid transcoding issues.
�� If the list consists of keywords/phrases followed by definitions/explanations, place the keywords/phrases in boldface and seperate it with a space/en dash/space then in regular font the definitions/explanations
�� Sublists follow the the same rules with two exceptions:
�� Use a clear disc (known as an ��empty circle��) for the bullet point; to make one, in the keypad hit NUM LOCK then at the same time hit ALT and the 9.
�� Start the new bullet point even with the first left of the text.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Published on May 17, 2018 04:45

8 Sets of Commonly Confused Words and Spellings

�� For convenience sake vs. For convenience's sake
�� Lose vs. loose
�� Irregardless vs. regardless?
�� I vs. me
�� Accidently vs. Accidentally
�� Council vs. counsel vs. consul
�� Everyone vs. every one
�� A moot point

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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Published on May 16, 2018 04:45

5 Writing Prompts for Sci-Fi Writers

Science fiction stories typically arise from a novum, a scientifically plausible concept that is a ��reality�� in the tale. The novum might be an mechanical device like robot servants, artificial intelligence, or faster-than-light spacecraft; it also can be a hypothetical idea such as ��The Earth is a scientific experiment run by aliens to determine the meaning of life�� or ��The government outlaws books.�� The author then asks ��What if?�� exploring how the world with this novum is different than ours.

Among the problems of many novice science fiction writers is instead of introducing a new novum they rely on used furniture �� that is, they borrow novums from popular SF series. After all, how many novels have you read that use starships exploring the galaxy for the Earth-based Federation? Barely changing names to appear as if you are not appropriating �� a starcraft seeking M-class worlds for the Earth-centered Alliance �� still doesn��t cut it as original or fully using the potential that science fiction offers to examine our culture or humanity.

To help SF writers, here are some novums of potential near-future inventions from which stories could be built:

Lie detection glasses
What if police officers, teachers and juries wore glasses that analyzed micro-gestures to determine if a person is lying or not? What happens in a world where even white lies can be detected?

Rearranging rooms
What if compartments in the walls, floors and ceilings of a room could fold out various pieces of furniture and appliances so that it could one moment be a living room then the next a home office and then a workout gym, and so on? How does the change the size of apartments and homes that we need?

Smartbed
What if your hospital bed could read your temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and more? How does this affect health care, especially if the smartbed can be purchased for home use?

Solar roof tiles
What if efficient solar roof tiles looked like and were the same cost as the standard roof tiles we use today? How does solar energy incorporated into millions of homes change our economy?

Vacuum airships
What if airships that maintained an air-displacing interior vacuum were used to explore planets with low atmospheric pressure, such as Mars.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

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