How to Write Pulp Fiction (Bell on Writing)

by James Scott Bell

Pulp doesn’t bog us down with thematic ambiguity or thick flights of circumlocutory style. (I consulted a thesaurus to get circumlocutory, which is exactly the kind of thing pulp doesn’t do.) Pulp is escapist and entertaining. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

we can make some generalizations about the breadth and style of pulp. In general, pulp fiction is: Plot-centric Easy to read (no need to run to the dictionary) Fast-paced Pulp fiction is enhanced by: Colorful characters Snappy dialogue Intriguing settings At its best, pulp fiction is satisfying. It meets a need, a legit one—the need for temporary respite from everyday life.

Readers are not made for the popular magazines, but the popular magazines are made for the people. Unless there was a distinct and insistent demand for this sort of entertainment, so many all-story magazines, priced at a dime, could not exist. (Cook/Edwards, The Fiction Factory, 1912, The Editor Company)

Type Hard Type hard refers to the mindset of the pulpster. It’s an attitude that says, I’m charging ahead. I don’t care about the obstacles. I don’t give a rip about the odds. I haven’t got the time or the interest to think about the “cant’s.” Writing is what I do, so I do it. This is how pulp writers had to think during the Great Depression.

You want to write, but you have to squeeze in the time and can’t get all that much done. That’s all right. The pulp authors of old would welcome you into the club if you have an iron determination and fulfill whatever quota you are capable of. Take a look at your weekly schedule. Figure out the times you can dedicate to your writing. Cut something out if you have to, to get a little bit more. Do you really need to watch that Seinfeld episode you’ve seen twenty times? Is all that social media time really necessary? Take a couple of weeks where you write as many words as you comfortably can. See what that weekly quota works out to. Get used to writing without your “inner editor” blocking you. A pulp writer writes freely when at the keyboard.

You want specifics from your betas, not generic “I kind of liked it” sort of comments. To aid in this, editor Jodie Renner suggests fifteen questions to give your betas: 1. Did the story hold your interest from the very beginning? If not, why not? 2. Did you get oriented fairly quickly at the beginning as to whose story it is, and where and when it’s taking place? If not, why not? 3. Could you relate to the main character? Did you feel her/his pain or excitement? 4. Did the setting interest you, and did the descriptions seem vivid and real to you? 5. Was there a point at which you felt the story started to lag or you became less than excited about finding out what was going to happen next? Where, exactly? 6. Were there any parts that confused you? Or even frustrated or annoyed you? Which parts, and why? 7. Did you notice any discrepancies or inconsistencies in time sequences, places, character details, or other details? 8. Were the characters believable? Are there any characters you think could be made more interesting or more likable? 9. Did you get confused about who’s who in the characters? Were there too many characters to keep track of? Too few? Are any of the names or characters too similar? 10. Did the dialogue keep your interest and sound natural to you? If not, whose dialogue did you think sounded artificial or not like that person would speak? 11. Did you feel there was too much description or exposition? Not enough? Maybe too much dialogue in parts? 12. Was ther...

Scapple This is a mind-mapping app created by the same folks who gave us Scrivener. It makes brainstorming easy. I use it for thinking about the big picture, and also for preparing to write scenes.

The basic plot pattern in a mystery is simple. Somebody is killed (or kidnapped). The Lead character has a reason to solve the murder. Sometimes it’s his job. Other times because it’s personal. The Lead asks a lot of questions, and gets a lot of the runaround. In the hard-boiled genre, he may also get beaten up, or shot. The Lead eventually solves the case.

So choose … write … experiment … and when you hit on something that works, hammer out more of it. Especially if you come up with a great series character.

“The pulp writer's insurance policy: continuing characters.” — Erle Stanley Gardner Pulp fiction writers of old made much bank with a hit series character. Sherlock

What Makes a Great Series Character?

1. A point of uniqueness, a quirk or style that sets them apart from everybody else

2. A skill at which they are really, really good

3. A rebel

4. A vulnerable spot or character flaw

originality is nothing more than seasoning added to stock.

A chef’s genius is not to create a dish from original ingredients, but to combine standard ingredients in original ways. The diner recognizes the pattern established in the foundation of a baked stuffed turkey, and we look for the variation, the twist that will surprise and delight

Great idea on how to stop worrying about plot &originality

Instead, become a great chef. Know your ingredients. Cook up a delicious tale by mixing the familiar with your unique blend of spices. Your readers will eat it

So there I’ve mentioned three areas for you to consider if you want to kick your pulp writing up a notch—style, deeper characterization, dialogue. I’ll add a fourth: cliché hunting.

A cliché is a shortcut, a quick way to get from one moment to the next with the least possible thought. Readers, if they are being entertained, probably don’t mind a cliché or two. But if you freshen them up, they will be delighted. And delight helps sell your next book.

Radish. It’s a serialized fiction app that enables writers to post stories in bites, build up an audience, and eventually earn money with gripping serials readers want to pay to read.

Radish generates revenue by selling readers “coins,” which are a form of online currency that allows Radish readers to open a new chapter in a serial without waiting for access. Revenue is split 50-50 with the author.

You of course need a website. For best practices on setting up a site, have a look at what Jane Friedman has to say: www.janefriedman.com/author-website-components/

I simplify the marketing spectrum by emphasizing that you should do a few things well. Those things are: 1. Your writing 2. Your book description copy 3. Your covers 4. Your email list 5. Your pricing

“You want to be a writer, don’t state the obvious. Let the reader figure out things for himself.”

The ideal state of the pulp writer Cook/Edwards described this way: The main thing is to break the shackles of laziness and begin our labors; then, after that, to forget that we are laboring in the sheer joy of creation with which our labor inspires us.