Tag: Story

April 6, 2016

10 Examples of Worldbuilding with Food in Books & Films

Who doesn’t like food? Ok, maybe someone doesn’t, but we all have to eat to live. That means we all have experiences with food (meh or no). That doesn’t mean we have the same experiences with food. What food is available, how much is available, what is common, how it’s eaten, and even who can afford what are all pretty...

Categories Research & Worldbuilding Comments: 0

February 22, 2016

A Character by Any Other Name Wouldn’t Be an Excuse

It’s amazing what excuses people will come up with when they’re trying to avoid starting a story, but having trouble naming the character shouldn’t be one. A student tried that one on me the other day. He said that he was supposed to write a story that was 2 pages long (the horror!). With a put-upon sigh, he explained how he...

Categories Creative Process/General Thoughts & Updates Comments: 2

February 16, 2016

Plotting & Progress Aren’t Mutually Exclusive

I tend to forget how much I like plotting. The adrenaline rush of figuring out the twists and turns, the superior feeling that comes from tying up loose ends, the thrill of realizing the perfect spot to sneak in a red herring: that’s all forgotten about 2 chapters in. See, once I get into writing the story, plotting starts to...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting/Creative Process Comments: 0

November 18, 2015

The Art of the Unexpected

If you want to spend an entertaining and informative afternoon, look up your favorite comic strips and standup comedians. Then, analyze them. You can still watch and laugh, but actually pay attention to how they’re making you laugh. Both mediums have the same goal (to make you laugh), and neither one has a lot of time to do it in....

Categories Creative Process Comments: 2

November 17, 2015

Starting Stories Before You Know What They Are

What do you do if you need to write a story, but you don’t have any ideas for a story? Yeah, that sounds a little silly (kind of like putting the cart before the horse). Sometimes, however, you decide to submit something to a contest, a magazine, etc. You look up the requirements and learn about the genre(s) and word count range...

Categories Creative Process/Inspiration Comments: 0

November 9, 2015

Plotting A Framework

I’ve been plotting this week (cue maniacal laughter). Of course, that shouldn’t be a surprise. No matter what novel or story a writer is working on, there should be a certain amount of plotting going on at regular intervals: decisions about new characters and what’s going to happen next. Even the most meticulous plotters have to check what they’ve written against...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting/Creative Process/Literary Devices & Writing Techniques/Research & Worldbuilding Comments: 2

November 1, 2015

You Can’t Scare Your Audience Without Suspension of Disbelief

All this talk about horror seems like the perfect time to mention suspension of disbelief – the ability to set aside reality long enough to enjoy the story. As readers or audience members, we have to accept the underlying “lies” of the story (supernatural monsters, magic, amazingly advanced technology, talking animals, or even people bursting out into song and dance),...

Categories General Thoughts & Updates/Literary Devices & Writing Techniques Comments: 3

October 30, 2015

An Author’s Thrill: Recipes from the Worlds of J.K. Rowling & J.R.R. Tolkien

As a reader, it’s always fun to find recipes for foods from your favorite books for movies. I recently came across one for homemade butterbeer, and, of course, many people have tried to recreate Tolkien’s cakes and foods from The Hobbit, including researching the kinds of food that Tolkien would have been familiar with (“Food in The Hobbit“). Thinking about it as an author, though,...

Categories General Thoughts & Updates Comments: 0

October 28, 2015

Gotta Catch ’em All – Not

Too often, we try to make our writing appeal to everyone. We cut something that might offend one group of readers even though it would probably amuse another. We add something to try to interest a third group. Adding and cutting like this can mangle a story so much that everything that used to be good about it is buried...

Categories General Thoughts & Updates/Humor & Wordplay/Writer Resources Comments: 0

October 24, 2015

Schrödinger’s Setting

You’ve probably all heard of Schrödinger’s cat, a thought experiment that has become a widespread internet meme. To summarize, the cat is simultaneously considered alive and dead until someone can be bothered to open the box. Now, about Schrödinger’s setting. I’m sure you all know what the setting is. ALL: [In a monotone chorus] Where and when the story takes place. Technically,...

Categories Characterization, Plot, & Setting/Research & Worldbuilding Comments: 2