[v0.2] Thoughts on Fiction (A "Guide" by Nevermore) [v0.2]

[Nevermore]

NOTE: This isn't complete (that should be painfully obvious). It's in-progress and I plan to add to it when I can (which should be on a semi-daily basis). I'd be grateful to Riel, bitteraudo, and darkisaac for their advice (but really, I say that mainly because they'd probably get mad at me for not including something anyway). Of course, any users who have comments (disagreements, I guess) can mention them. So blah, here we go.

UPDATE 10/21/09

Sections [2.0], [2.1], and [2.11] are up.

Coming up: New [1.2] (with the subsequent parts in [1.0] being bumped a number), [2.12], [2.13]

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Mmm, what you say? Mmm, that you only meant well? Well, of course you did.

Thoughts on Fiction
A Guide(-thing) by Nevermore

A product of my seemingly never-ending boredom (So. Much. Boredom.), I thought I'd try my hand at making a guide for the Creative Writing section. I know I'm not the most qualified person to do this, and I'm always up for advice on how to improve this guide from fellow writers. This guide will attempt to cover some of the more important, in my opinion, aspects of writing fiction (or, in essence, creating stories). I imagine there will be a fair bit of subjectivity that goes along with this, but I'll do my best to cover most of the larger topics. I won't focus on Grammar (in fact, I'll rarely mention it), so don't worry about that. Though I feel that Grammar is incredibly important when writing, that isn't really what I'm trying to cover here. Well, without further ado (a required phrase for all decent guides), let's get started!

[1.0] Marketing

Now, I know what you're thinking. “But, Nevermore, what does marketing have to do with fiction writing?” Well, the truth is that it's actually pretty important, especially if you plan to get published. Most young writers make the mistake of putting off publishing until the end (if they even get that far), but it's wise to take it into consideration much earlier. In particular, a good focus is on your audience. Certain people like certain stories, and those are the people that will buy/read your book/work. Fortunately, the genres have become so ingrained into our minds that most stories fit into nice enough categories, but it's important to recognize early on. This also comes into play when talking about editing and critiquing, which I'll discuss as well.

[1.1] Genres

Speaking of genres, this can easily be tied into the idea of marketing. While it's possible to go in with a blank slate and hoping something good comes out, it's generally a good idea to actually plan out a story. One of the best ways to begin is by starting with a genre. Not only does this help focus any further ideas, but it also establishes your core audience. More often than not, the type of genre you choose is almost always tied into your interests. If you like science fiction type stories, that's probably what you are going to write about. In the same way, it's also great to write about what you know; so the more you know about your genre, the better the story will be. What follows is a general list of genres. I doubt I'll get all of them in due to the sheer amount of them and their various subcategories. Many stories are actually a combination of varying genres.

Action/Adventure – One of the more typical genres out there. It covers a lot of bases and offers much flexibility. Most books directed towards men have some aspect of this genre in them. Basically, it's a genre that deals with intense action; while the adventure aspect just implies the journey taken throughout the story.

Crime/Mafia – This genre deals with criminals (usually including the organization that said criminals are involved in). This type of story focuses around pulling off a certain, very detailed crime and/or exploring dicey relations between two or more “families”. Its popularity generally comes from the “anti-hero” nature of the genre.

Comedy – A genre that is very rarely used by itself, it seeks to lighten moods with humorous events. Almost all stories have a certain amount of “comic relief” that is used to keep the mood from becoming too depressing. There are various types of humor (which changes depending on the target audience), and proper timing and use is key for it to make sense.

Detective/Mystery – Essentially the antithesis of the Crime/Mafia genre, this genre deals with a person (cop, detective, etc.) or group of persons dedicated to solving a crime or mysterious event. It's not uncommon to see this ties in with the Paranormal/Supernatural genre, though its most well-known stories tend to be realistic.

Fantasy – Another popular genre, this kind of story deals with large, imaginative worlds and the characters in them. While it does focus on specific characters for the sake of a coherent story, there is a large emphasis on content in the Fantasy genre (and rightly so). Many details go into the mythical world, all of which need to be explained to be comprehensible. Above all else, the world is the most important part of this genre, which are usually set in the “past”.

Historical – This type of fiction uses a pre-established setting to tell a story that seems likely in that particular period of time. The settings vary just as much as the amount of cultural and historical influences that have been made over the course of the years. Examples of this genre are Westerns, Samurai stories, and stories about World War II.

Horror – A genre that focuses on suspense and thrills to terrify the reader. This is another genre that needs carefully placed details to be effective. This is often paired with the more supernatural for added fear, though it isn't necessary. Romance is also common within the Horror genre, due to it's ability to paradox security and fear. The relationship between the two genres can also be used to a darker effect by comparing sex (the means to start a new life) and death.

Paranormal/Supernatural – This genre focuses on the surreal and the unknown. Typically set in the present day or the “near” past, it uses the unusual (such as ghosts or monsters) to make an interesting story. These stories tend to be darker than others, and are often tied in with the Horror and Detective/Mystery genres.

Romance – More popular among women, this genre is very self-explanatory and explores the romantic relationships that exist between people (more often than not, between men and women). While most can be traced back to the “lost and found” formula for romance stories; ideas such as sex, marriage, adultery, children, multiple suitors, and the like are used to increase the level of detail and overall quality of the story.

Science Fiction – The “future” version of the Fantasy genre. Though, while the world (or worlds) are important, it's usually the technology that gets the spotlight. It also tends to be far more technical than other genres, so it's most popular with the scientifically or mathematically advantaged individuals.

Aside from these types of stories, there are a couple of other things that I'd like to mention (I'll go into more detail about things like narrative and characters later on).

Commercial Fiction – Fiction that focuses on Narrative and Plot.

Literary Fiction – Fiction that focuses on Style and Characters.

[1.2] Handling Critique/Suggestions

This is a very important part of writing and is the main way that we improve. What you need to look for when you read comments on your stories is a thing called “Constructive Criticism”. This magical word is the line between “OMG! I really liked it!” and “Wow, this sucks. Like, seriously, stop writing.” What you are looking for are comments that state what they thought was good about the piece and what they thought was bad. More than that, however, you want to see what suggestions they make for improvement. This isn't just about fixing the stuff that you did wrong. It is also about strengthening the things that you do well. You should never feel content with your level in any aspect of writing. Striving to be better is what makes writers better; and without that mindset, you'll never improve.

Of course, after noticing constructive criticism, you have to accept it. This may seem pretty easy and straightforward, but it can be difficult to do. It can be difficult to think that the “best thing you've done” isn't all that good, or needs some strengthening up. However, you can't hide behind some of the common excuses. Examples of these are “I'm only doing this to express myself,” “Well, I still think it's really good,” and “Don't be so harsh!” What do you think? Do you think that, somehow, you'll miraculously improve while ignoring the the critique of others? Do you think that you are already so good that you don't need any advice? I can tell you that the answer to both of these questions is a blunt NO! No one is going to force you to take any particular piece of advice, but if you want to improve, you have to take notes of what people mention and at least test them out to see what works better.

That being said, you shouldn't take every piece of advice given to you without thinking about it. This is especially true when crafting a story. Be very careful when people say “You should have this in your story” or “I'd really like it if this character was more important” or anything like that. It can be a good idea to look over what someone has advised; but remember that it is what they want to see happen. Certain advise can help make your story more original and flow better, yet others can hurt it and take away from your story (or even worse, make it into something other than what you originally planned). Personally, when I get this kind of suggestion, I always ask “Does this improve my story or not? Does it compromise the idea of the story?” Though I'm sure it sounds obvious, I've always felt that suggestions should improve a story without compromising its message or focus.

[1.3] Giving Critique/Suggestions

Just as important as taking critique, is giving critique. There really isn't that much to it. You just have to take the time and effort to seriously look over what someone else has written. More often than not, you'll learn as well. By looking over another's work and pointing out errors, you'll start to watch for those errors in your own work. If you notice a person switching their point of view too much, you'll be more likely to notice it when you are going over your piece.

Now, when actually going over someone's work, just remember one simple sentence: “It's better to be too honest than too lenient.” What I mean by that is, don't worry so much about making the other person feel bad. You shouldn't be a complete jerk about it, but pointing out flaws in a less-than-tasteful way is better than ignoring them to spare the author's feelings. You can tell them what you thought was good, but make sure you're being honest. Sugarcoating everything will only stall their growth as a writer. If you notice something wrong, tell them about it. You don't have to mark every single thing down to the smallest comma error. It would be nice if you did; but you probably aren't an editor, so I wouldn't expect something that detailed. Focus on consistent errors and show them ways to help correct and avoid them in the future. For the more minor infractions, just tell them to keep an eye out for it next time. Odds are, if they don't make the mistake a lot, they just made a simple oversight and will be more wary next time.

[2.0] Plot

Alright, now to get down to the actual story-crafting. First, I'm going over the plot. Put simply, “plot” is the content within any given story. It is the events (whether sequential or otherwise) that take place between the front and back covers. Plot isn't limited to the super important revelations either. It can be anything from “Luke, I am your father's uncle's cousin twice removed!” to “I ate Cheerios this morning!”. They can be related to the major focus (main plot) or something else entirely (subplot). While I wouldn't place this on a higher level of importance compared to the other aspects of creating a story, I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that it's what the reader will notice first.

[2.1] Main Plot

This is it! The big one! The central events that garner the majority of our attention. It's the key focus that the readers are supposed to focus on, and it starts at page one and ends at the back cover. Where other plots come and go, this lasts throughout the entire thing. It contains within it the important characters and, most crucial, the major conflict that directly relates to the protagonist and antagonist. It can be anything from an action epic to a sappy romance story, but it has to be good enough to maintain the reader's interest. If it doesn't, don't expect people to rush to the stands for your self-proclaimed masterpiece. So, instead of trying to cover the entirety of the main plot in the single section, why don't we divide this up into five separate parts?

[2.11] Intro/Beginning

We authors love the beginning, don't we? It's the very start, we're all excited, and we think that we'll finally finish this one! Maybe we do, maybe we won't; either way, it's important to realize what needs to happen in the “Beginning”. There are no clearcut rules for how much time should be spent on the beginning of a story, but most people would agree that it shouldn't take too long. That's because the purpose of the introduction is precisely that: an introduction. It's meant to establish the groundwork for what comes in the rest of the plot.

Quite a few things need to be established in the introduction. One thing that's often overlooked is the setting. Sure, we give vague details about the general surroundings, but it's more than that. We need to understand not only the aesthetics, but also the world's rules. This is less necessary in most modern settings; but for everything else, we need to know what works. For example, let's say you have a world where super-sparkly vampires exist. Do all vampires sparkle like this? Do only “TEH SUPAH HAWT” vampires sparkle? We need that kind of information for a normally unbelievable world to be believable. Fortunately, you don't need to go into some boring exposition about what's what. As long as you present events/scenes in the beginning to help us infer what generally works, you are good to go. Using the reactions of characters can also help with this. If a character freaks out over something, most readers would assume that it isn't a normal occurrence.

Speaking of characters (you like that transition, don't you?), they definitely need to be established in the beginning. I mean, these are the people who we will spend the next some-odd chapters reading about. We don't always need to be told what they look like (though I appreciate “subtle” information about character appearance through events), but we need to know their personality. This is done largely through their reactions to events and interactions with other characters; and once you get the personality down, don't change it! The worst thing you can do to your characters is make them do something that completely conflicts with what they normally would. It makes the plot feel forced and detached from your characters, which is generally what is known as a “bad thing”. I'll go off on this more in the “Character” section of this guide.

Just as important as the characters are the conflicts that they are involved in. These can be thought of as the obstacles to be overcome. Conflict is what drives the main plot through to the end. There is usually a main conflict between the protagonist and antagonist with a bunch of smaller conflicts in-between. If it helps, imagine that the main conflict as a ladder and that all the in-between conflicts are the steps that the characters climb to reach the top (otherwise known as the “conclusion”). Without these conflicts, there is no motivation. Without motivation, our actions have no believability. Without believability, we have no readers.

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So yeah, I'll edit more in when I get around to it.

[Disc Jockey]

Wow, this sucks. Like, seriously, stop writing.
I'm kidding.
This is a really good idea, I'm taking it under consideration for me to follow these rules. Please continue (:

[∞]

I'm rather liking this.

Also, maybe it's just me, but I tend not to see science fiction or fantasy as a genre in itself, but more of a setting with implications, of course, of the exploration of that setting, with the elements of genres such as action/adventure, mystery, etc.

[Nevermore]

Originally Posted by ∞

I'm rather liking this.

Also, maybe it's just me, but I tend not to see science fiction or fantasy as a genre in itself, but more of a setting with implications, of course, of the exploration of that setting, with the elements of genres such as action/adventure, mystery, etc.

Well, genres can be a tough thing. It's extremely rare for something to only fit in only one genre (in fact, I only say "extremely rare" to allow for the possibility, it probably never happens). The main reason why I included them is because they are generally considered "genres". Though they have spawned from settings, I would say that they've become more than that (something that I might explain in a later addition/update, lol). Take Fantasy for an instance. Obviously, when people hear that, they think of the "older/past" past setting with little in the way of "technology" and a heavy focus on magic, nature, etc. Though, more than that, it also has more traditional things in general (like Chivalry). It's similar with Science Fiction. "Progress" is a common theme in Sci-Fi (for obvious reasons).