M.B. Weston's Blog, page 9

M. B. Weston’s Writing Diary: The Science of Fantasy 02/22/15

This thought literally crossed my mind tonight: “If iron and lodestone can repel magic [in my Michael Lodestone pulp/urban fantasy world], then magic has a magnetic field. That means JT can develop sensors to track it!” [JT is one of my characters I haven’t talked about much.]

It’s the science of fantasy.

Yes, as authors, we can technically do whatever we want. If I want pink trees, I can add in pink trees. However, the buck always stops with the reader. If the reader buys into my pink trees idea, then it works. If the reader stops and say to himself, “Hold on,” then my pink trees don’t work. (This little concept of getting the readers to buy into your fantasy or sci-fi world is called the suspension of disbelief.) I’ve done a few blogs before on this in the past, so I won’t dwell too much in it here.)

The main thing: you can do anything you want as long as you prove it to your audience. Your audience determines the amount of proving you will need. (As in: it doesn’t Takeuchi work to convince a three year old to believe in Santa Claus.)

When it comes to writing fantasy, say, for instance this Michael Lodestone story, I am trying to follow my own rules. I’m approaching the idea of magic from a scientific standpoint. I started with “Iron and lodestone can stop magic.” (Michael needed a bit of help since he is not allowed to use magic.) now I’m thinking through what that might look like if it were true in real life.

I’m currently developing the rules of magic in this new world, and it’s not as easy as it sounds. (I have to think way back to remember that I really struggled with developing all of the rules for the Elysian Chronicles as well. I’m kind of working through it the way Michael would work through it. Start with what you know and work backwards. Whatever I do, I need to make sure of two things:

–It needs to sound plausible. Iron repels magic. Michael caries around a sack of iron dust that he can throw in the air for protection. It sounds plausible–if magic from Lodestone’s world actually existed.

–I need to work through all the logic loopholes and issues. Last night, I realized the the zombie critters I’m dealing with are under a spell, but the spell has already been cast. It’s inside of them, so iron can’t break it unless it gets inside of them. (Hence, stabbing.) I have to keep working through the ideas to make sure they sound compatible…

Since my evil queen will be using all her nasty magic in the last half of the book, I have my work cut out for me.

How about you? How do you make your fantasy world seem real?

Toodles!

M. B. Weston’s Writing Diary: Writing Action 1 – 02/21/15

Action scenes are a nightmare to create. Yeah, I know, action is what I write. But filling my short stories and novels with action because that’s what I do doesn’t make writing it any easier.

Here are a few issues all of us need to look out for when writing action:

–Stage Directions: Nothing says “Beware: Awkward Writing Trap” more than having three or more people fighting to the death in a scene. Oh, and add masks to a few of them or try to conceal identity in other ways? Nightmare. “The masked dude threw a punch at Billy Bob, while another masked dude grabbed Sarah Lou and tried to drag her to the truck. The third masked guy….” You get the picture. Making sure your party of people all get their moment in the action scene makes for lots of words and lots of drafts before it sounds smooth. (PS give them each different mask colors. It helps. :::wink wink:::)

–Fighting Description: Unless you are writing hard sci-fi or for a specific audience who cares, no one really wants to read a detailed description of the execution of your beautiful fighting move. Don’t describe the exact method of grabbing the wrist, flipping it around, and forcing the twisted wrist against the elbow. The audience doesn’t care about your black belt in jujitsu. Say “He grabbed Sam’s arm, and with a twist had him in a wrist lock using Sam’s elbow for leverage.” You can even leave out the elbow part.

–Sentence Structure: Forget everything you believe about what good writing looks like. Don’t weigh your words down with description, and lose the compound sentences. Short sentences. And unless it’s pain or the smell of blood, your hero doesn’t have time to admire the particular blue color of the sky.

–The Laws of Physics I hate them, I tell you! Even if you are writing a fantasy or sci-fi story, you still have to obey them. And if you’re writing fantasy and have developed rules for your own magic world, you have to obey those too.

–Continuity Issues: Literary authors have it great. They don’t have to keep track of a character’s weapons, electronics, injuries (prior and new), and clothing. Once your hero loses his sword, it’s gone. He either has to steal one or he’s up a creek. Unfortunately, action scenes usually end with changes to the above. Your hero isn’t getting out of a fight without damage, and in long strings of action scenes, he’s piling damage on top of damage. His weapons are degrading, he’s losing ammo, and his clothes are either dirty, wet, gone, or bloody. Keeping track of all of that is crazy.

The only solution to these are 1) editing and 2) getting someone else to edit as well. You aren’t going to catch everything. I had a character leave a knife in the basement and then use the same knife in the next scene. Someone else caught it for me. Get help.

Here are a few issues I ran into last night, and I didn’t even write the fighting parts. (I saved those for later when I know more about where I’m going.):

–Crap. Iron doesn’t work on zombies. They aren’t magic. Michael needs another weapon.

–Dang it! Stupid Michael’s cell phone went into the river with him three hours ago, and it’s broken. Dude has no cell phone…

–Does Louisiana have laws against carrying concealed machetes? Even if they did, would Michael obey them?

–Is Michael going to fit in that mirror? (It didn’t matter because I ended up closing the portal before he could jump through…)

–Michael needs a flashlight. Wait! He has a flashlight app in his cell phone. Crap! Wait, the dude’s gotta carry a flashlight somewhere. Yeah, but he fell in the friggin river! Crap! “Michael felt his way through the dark…”

–Dang it! His stupid cell phone is still broken. How do they get a ride back into town once he rescues Claire?

The cellphone/electronic issue is bigger than it seems at first glance. Michael is a wizard who is not allowed to use magic. It only makes sense that he would learn to love and rely on technology that do things magic does as well.

Example: Gandalf was mighty good in a pinch because he could create fire out of nothing and turn on lights in the goblin cave. (And that whole wisdom thing comes in handy, too.) Gandalf’s usefulness–except for the wisdom–could often have been replaced with a mag light and a Bic lighter.

Anyway, I was the idiot who decided dunk Michael in the river for a few hours, and now I’m having to write around it. It will make for a better story, but it’s a bear to wade through…

What about you? How have you struggled with action scenes? How have you fixed it?

Toodles!

M. B. Weston’s Writing Diary: Benefits of Writing Every Day 02/20/15

Writing on Friday night is difficult–although my reasons for it being difficult are different than those of most people. Most people would say that they don’t like to write on Fridays because they are out having a good time. I wish that was my case. Writing is hard on Fridays for me because I am exhausted from the work week and just plain old ready for a mental break.

I am finding however, that since I am writing every day now, a few odd things are happening:

First, I am anxious to get to my computer and write once I get home. (My house has suffered for this, however.) I want to get my story down, and I’m excited about it.

Second, my brain keeps coming up with more stories, which makes me anxious to finish this one. I’ve got three novels in my head–plus another brewing–and a bunch of short stories lined up. And if you have seen an author with stories rustling around in his or her head just waiting to get out… Well it’s kind of crazy. (Not crazy like Friday night crazy, but it’s enough to drive an author, and therefore those around her, insane.) I went through a period of a year-and-a-half to two years (probably longer) of depression where the ideas weren’t flowing. While I think life circumstances contributed to that, I also think that not writing every day was part of it.

Third, I need now writing the way an athlete needs water. I don’t get it either… It’s like I’m addicted…

Anyway, last night: writing happened. My characters are snarky, which is good because I didn’t want Michael Lodestone to be all brooding… He’s becoming like a darker-haired Indiana Jones, which I think will make for a better story. Unfortunately, my next few sessions will be all either approaching the climax or climax, which means action scenes.

Be prepared for future posts whining about action scenes.

How about you? Have you found that forcing yourself to be work everyday in whatever creative medium you have chosen is a good thing? Is finding time to do so a struggle?

Toodles!

M. B. Weston’s Writing Diary: 02/19/15

Last night’s writing session: AWESOME!

I wrote an entire chapter–over 1000 words, and I mapped out the rest of the urban fantasy pulp story! I plan to finish the rough draft by this weekend, and then the race is on to see if I can get a good final done for advance readers before the end of March. (Any volunteers?)

I’m also implementing a new idea… I have too many short stories in my head that need to get out. Some people read before they fall asleep. I’m going to start writing before I fall asleep. Just for fifteen minutes or until I fall asleep on the couch… I’m working on a short story about a woman who works for an eccentric old couple. As she works, she discovers that she hears strange noises, but only when the lights go out… And move and get destroyed, but only in the pitch black…. Yeah, chalk this one up to horror/suspense. I’m hoping I can go to sleep after writing it.

I’m hand writing this in a journal, just as an experiment….

How are your projects going?

Toodles!

M. B. Weston’s Writing Diary: 02/19/20

Last night’s writing session: AWESOME!

I wrote an entire chapter–over 1000 words, and I mapped out the rest of the urban fantasy pulp story! I plan to finish the rough draft by this weekend, and then the race is on to see if I can get a good final done for advance readers before the end of March. (Any volunteers?)

I’m also implementing a new idea… I have too many short stories in my head that need to get out. Some people read before they fall asleep. I’m going to start writing before I fall asleep. Just for fifteen minutes or until I fall asleep on the couch… I’m working on a short story about a woman who works for an eccentric old couple. As she works, she discovers that she hears strange noises, but only when the lights go out… And move and get destroyed, but only in the pitch black…. Yeah, chalk this one up to horror/suspense. I’m hoping I can go to sleep after writing it.

I’m hand writing this in a journal, just as an experiment….

How are your projects going?

Toodles!

M. B. Weston’s Writing Diary: The Importance of Build Up 02/18/15

I’m reaching the point in the novella where I have to start worrying about the approach to the climax. Last night I took inventory of what I have so far and where I’m going. The answer was obvious.

I’ve got a rough rough rough pieced-together story with a lot of holes.

I’ve also go witches, a witch hunter, zombies, and weapons. I’ve got the main plot and I know the end.

To be honest, this is how most of my stories look at this stage, and I think it’s because only through writing the climax that I figure out how to fill the holes in the story.

The answer is the build. It’s timing. It’s tightening the tension. Think of stories like a good joke. Good jokes are only funny if the stories leading up to the punchline use buildup correctly.

I’m not going to know how to fill the holes in this thing until k figure out what kind of build-up I need to make the climax as intense as possible.

I knew this. I just forgot. Now, instead of sitting down at the computer and staring at it, I’m just going to finish the rough draft so I can work on filling in.

How about you? How does your story change after writing the rough draft?

Toodles!

M. B. Weston’s Writing Diary: Dual Duty Scenes = Action + Character Development 02/17/15

As I work through the first draft of this urban fantasy pulp novella, I keep trying to remind myself of three things:

–The scene in Sweet Home Alabama where the heroine tells her dad she is getting married.

–Indiana Jones

–Lethal Weapon

What do they all have in common, and why would I remind myself of them as I’m writing a high-action story?

Their scenes pull double duty: they pull the plot along and develop character at the same time.

In Sweet Home Alabama, the book, I believe the heroine tells her father about her upcoming nuptials while in his trailer. The screen writers thought it needed pop, so they had her tell Daddy during a civil war reenactment, which adds to the comedy and tells us a little bit more about Dad. When I first read about that change in one of Syd Field’s screenplay writing books, it realigned how I wrote dialogue-only scenes.

The same with movies like Lethal Weapon and Indiana Jones. The discoveries the characters make about the villains happen on the run. So does the character development. No scene is wasted.

I’m working out this lovely scene where my heroine and hero have a conversation about something that happened to her. It’s riddled with problems:

–it happened to her. I only write from Michael’s point of view. What happened to her is massively intense, and it would be amazing if I wrote it in such a way that Michael (and therefore the reader) could be there when I first bring out the zombie creatures.

–The are relaxing with a cup of tea while they talk. This can work in a novel, but I have 30,000 rapidly disappearing words I have to work around. I don’t have time for boring small talk, even if it develops character, which it has. I need to develop character and progress plot at the same time. Boring small talk has to happen on the run.

–I’m bored. If I’m. Bored, so is the reader.

If I can somehow make this scene occur during action, I might be able to make it work. :) That will be tomorrow’s task.

How about you? Have you ever tried to make your scenes pull double duty?

Too flea!

M. B. Weston’s Writing Diary: 02/16/15

I just received my first set of Big Bad II books in the mail! For those of you unfamiliar with the urban fantasy/horror anthology series, the stories within are all written from the villain’s point of view, and my story helped inspire the cover! If you have been keeping up with my writing diary posts, my story is called “The Witch Hunter.” The protagonist in the urban fantasy, pulp novella I’m working on (i.e. Michael Lodestone) happens to be the witch hunter referred to in this story. (But he is not the protagonist in this story.) If you want to get a glimpse of where I’m going with Mr. Lodestone, you might want to check this out! (Links to be provided later.)

Why is this important to my silly writing diary?

Because I’m exhausted.

Fatigued.

Beaten down.

I have so many stories in my head and deadlines and goals and time is short… I’ve worked into the night so many times, fallen asleep in my chair while sitting up, and fallen asleep on the couch while writing. I’ve crammed myself into hotel bathrooms to try to write without waking the occupants and gotten myself carsick while trying to get scenes in during car rides. Some days I feel like I have nothing left in the tank to give. Some days, I want to just toss it in and go to sleep.

It’s easy to get burnt out when you don’t see the fruits of your labor, and books have long gestation periods.

Last night’s writing session was shorter than I wanted it to be, and I left disappointed in myself because I caved in and chose sleep instead of writing for a longer period of time. The only redeeming thing I could take away from last night’s session was that my heroine, Claire, is starting to show her personality a bit more, and I like it because she’s snarky. Other than that, I keep telling myself that I’m failing and worrying that I won’t meet my deadline.

Getting something like this in the mail is a gentle reminder that the work is worth it, and all of us need that reminder from time to time.

So keep writing!

Toodles!

M. B. Weston’s ConNooga 2015 Panel Schedule

I have received my panel schedule for ConNooga. If I’m not on panels, I will be at the Dark Oak Press and Media table, so please let drop by and say hi!

Friday

1:00pm – Examining the Spiritual in Gaming
4:00pm – Explore the Horror in the Writings of MB Weston
5:00pm – Character Development for Writers
7:00pm – Horror clips

Saturday

12:00pm – Writing for a Series
7:30pm – Ghost Stories
8:00pm – The Great Plot Off
9:00pm – Scream Queen Contest Judge

Sunday

10:00 – Writing Openings: Character, Setting, and Conflict

M. B. Weston’s Writing Diary: I Just Created Scary Zombies! 02/15/15

I just created the scariest zombies ever!

:::throwing up hands in innocence:::

It’s not my fault. When I was writing my scene. And they just crawled out of the mirror, I didn’t know what they were… Dude, these things are bad! Like, they totally could explain stigmata…

But enough on that… The more important thing is why they are so scary. First, I’m not familiar with all the types of zombies, so I’m going with the common stuff we see on TV, such as Walking Dead. (I also hate to say that Sean of the Dead and Zombieland make up a large fraction of the zombie movies I’ve seen.

That being said, I actually didn’t make these things up from any kind of zombie movie.

I went to the source.

I pulled the idea for these puppies from the zombie stories in Haiti where the witch doctor would poison someone with pufferfish poison–I believe. They would get sick and appear dead, get buried alive, and then the witch doctor would dig them up. The oxygen deprivation would have cause them brain damage, and they were completely under the witch doctor’s control…

These things are kind of like that… But they are under someone else’s control.

And quick as lightning…

This is the part of writing it love: discovering their are new creatures in your story and figuring out how they work.

How about you? What kinds of creatures have you either created or messes with to make your own?

Toodles!