wetranscripts | Recent Entries

You're viewing

wetranscripts
Create a Dreamwidth Account Learn More

Reload page in style: light

Writing Excuses 13.6: External Conflicts for Characters

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2018/02/11/13-6-external-conflicts-for-characters/

Key points: External conflicts, aka person versus nature? Disasters. Anything outside the character that gets in their path. Make it personal, make the world provide conflicts for the characters. Think about how the person connects to their environment. Threaten things that main character cares about. Not just disasters, smaller stories, also, can have external conflicts. Acne, broken elevators, a food shortage. Try crossing two conflicts and see what happens. Mix an overarching conflict with day-to-day conflicts. Look at the cracks between how society labels a character and how they identify themselves.

( And then the volcano erupted... )

[Brandon] Awesome. Like I said, I think that we could probably do…
[Mary] An entire…
[Brandon] An entire season ongoing against your society, but we're going to have to end here. I'm going to give us some homework. This homework kind of traces back to one time Mary was on the podcast early… One of your early appearances, you talked about this yes-but, no-and method of plotting. Which is where you start with a person having a problem, you ask if they solve it. You answer it yes, but you add something on top of them. If you answer it no, you add something else on top of them. I always had just heard this called break things.
[Laughter]
[Brandon] So, I'm going to go back to the more simple version of the homework, which is you have a character. Start their day, and have things start breaking. Everything around them breaks. It can be literal. The coffee pot can just… The copy machine doesn't work. It can be figurative. Stuff goes wrong, and you don't fix any of it. It's… A lot of times, in stories, it's… You… A problem comes up, we fix that, a problem comes up, we fix that problem, problem comes up, we fix that. In this story, you're not going to do that. You're going to have things just constantly keep breaking, until the end, however you decide to end it.
[Mary] I have had that day.
[Laughter]
[Amal] So say we all.
[Brandon] This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 13.5: Villain, Antagonist, Obstacle

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2018/02/04/13-5-villain-antagonist-obstacle/

Key points: Holding up a mirror to hero, protagonist, main character, we have villain, antagonist, obstacle. Something or someone in the way is an obstacle. Someone intentionally working against the protagonist achieving goals is an antagonist. Evil makes a villain! Villains, antagonists and obstructions are key to good stories. Conflicts make the story change, while obstacles are just in the way. You may decide which one to use based on where you want the story to focus -- obstacles make protagonists more proactive, while antagonists and villains often make them more reactive. Consider scale. Superpowers and minor issues don't play well together. Antagonists can allow you to explore different viewpoints around an issue, topic, or theme.

( Thesis, antithesis... )

[Brandon] Mary, you had some homework for us.
[Mary] Yes. So. Last month, when we were talking about hero, protagonist, main character, we had you tell a story where you broke the hero, the protagonist and the main character apart and told it from different viewpoints. What we want you to do this time is to only have one main character, but they're facing three different types of problems. Same scene. One time, you're going to write it where they're just facing an obstacle or an obstruction. The next time you write it, reset everything to zero, and now they're facing an antagonist. Then you do it again, and they're facing a villain.
[Brandon] This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 13-4: Protagonists Who Aren't Sympathetic

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2018/01/28/13-4-protagonists-who-arent-sympathetic/

Key points: Non-sympathetic protagonists, aka antiheroes, come in two flavors, classic and pop! Classic or literary antiheroes don't protag. They don't move the story along, even though they are where a protagonist should be. Pop is an evil person who still does good. Why write an unlikable character? Well, one reason is a reverse character arc, where the character goes down, then redeems himself and comes back up. It does make readers uncomfortable! Sometimes it's a signal that the character is becoming an antagonist. Sometimes we do it to mimic reality -- some people aren't very likable! To make it work, hang a lantern on it, give the reader subtle hints that it is okay to dislike this character. Modern antiheroes? The Punisher, or other bad guys with a heart of gold. We like them because we wish we could forget the limits and just do it. Hulk smash! Also, the pop culture antihero has dramatic tension -- they aren't likable, but they are proactive and competent. Built-in tension! Or maybe they are likable and proactive, but not competent. Again, built-in tension. You may not like them, but when the aliens show up, they are the hero you need.
( Motorcycle jackets and long hair... )

[Brandon] All right. Let's wrap this one up. I have some homework for you. I want you to take a slightly different spin on this. I want you to write a protagonist or a hero that the reader is supposed to like and does like. Right? You're going to make them likable. But you're going to try to create dramatic tension by having them… By having the reader not want this protagonist to succeed. So, generally, the reader's going to have information that the protagonist doesn't, or they're going to see things more clearly than the protagonist does. So you want the hero to fail. He or she is trying something, and you like them, but you still want them to not succeed. See if you can do that. It's very difficult. It's an interesting thought experiment. This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 13.3: What Writers Get Wrong, with Aliette de Bodard

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2018/01/21/13-3-what-writers-get-wrong-with-aliette-de-bodard/

Key Points: What do writers get wrong about pregnancy and motherhood? First, even though pregnancies, children, and motherhood are common in real life, in fiction, they often disappear. Pregnancies often are depicted almost as Alien, a monster taking over your body and emerging. There are also things to love, like the baby moving. Amazing? The baby taking its first breath. Or the organs shifting back into place. Surprising? When the brother or father finds out what it's really like! The way a pregnant woman, especially late in pregnancy, stands up. Very cautious. The little problems of pregnancy, like vitamin shortages. The length of time labor takes! Cross your fingers, and pack the wound with moss.

( Take a deep breath, and push... )

[Dan] And, spoiler warning. Time for your homework. No? So…
[Laughter]
[Dan] Who has homework for us?
[Howard] I… I've got this. In anticipation of the year to come, what I'd like you to do is sit down with a piece of paper and identify… Make a list of the subject matter experts in your life. Maybe this person is an auto mechanic, maybe they are a rocket scientist, maybe they are a schoolteacher, maybe they are a physician, I don't know what they do, but they have expertise in a thing. As you are making this list, don't make it by topic. Make the list by thinking of a person you know, and then asking yourself, "What is it that they are an expert in?" Make the list as long as you can. Then, during the course of this year, keep that list handy. During the course of this year, check off those folks as you've taken the opportunity to go talk to them about the thing about which they are a subject matter expert. This is not going to make you an expert. But, over the course of the year, it's going to open your mind to all of the things that you don't know that you may want to.
[Dan] I think that's fantastic. I want to encourage you, as you're making that list, don't just think about professions, don't just think about those kind of experiences, look at people from different backgrounds, people with different gender identities, people from different cultures. There's a very broad spectrum of stuff about which we can learn this year. So… Fantastic. This has been Writing Excuses. You are out of excuses. Now go… Interview all your friends.

Writing Excuses 13.2: Writing Active Characters

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2018/01/14/13-2-writing-active-characters/

Key points: Active characters. Some characters seem to just observe events, are very passive. How can we move them to making decisions, be a part of events, be active? First, go and do things! Second, make sure your characters make plans and attempt to act on those plans. Not just reacting, but taking steps to move forward. Being an active character is not just external doing, but also internal choices and decisions. Desire! Make sure your characters want things. And make sure your readers feel those wants, those desires. Motivation! What do they want, what is their goal? Reluctant protagonists? How can they be interesting if they're not engaging the main plot? How do you transition them into engaging the main plot? Start with a personal goal, and let circumstances build a secondary motivation. Reluctant characters have a motivation that is more important to them than the main plot. The transition is when they start to recognize the importance of the main plot. Watch out for characters who are just waiting for the story to start, to jump into a riproaring adventure. Also, be aware that as a writer, you may think being an observer is natural. But… Make it more personal. Make sure the character has a desire. And make sure they have the ability to take action, that they have agency. When a character changes motivation, go through the stages of resistance, exploration. Use several catalyst points. Delve deeper into the character, and examine their why's. Why aren't they jumping in? Make sure they have small goals to accomplish along the way. In each scene, think about the principal action of the scene, and how the character intersects the plot threads. Make sure that they advance all the plot threads. Think about character motivation as architectural, and look for the keystones.

( Just do it! )

[Brandon] Amal, you have our homework.
[Amal] Yes. So, I write poetry. I love poems. A lot of people are scared of them, but you shouldn't be. What I would like to recommend as homework is that you find a poem written in first person, and write that poem in third person instead. Write it as if… Basically, extract that first-person character and write them as a character that you're observing.
[Mary] You had said to write a story around it…
[Amal] Write a story around it. Yeah. So if you take something like John Keats La Belle Dame sans Merci, "Oh what can ail thee, knight-at-arms," and then the knight starts responding. Right that is a scene you're actually observing, and give them motivations. Especially, because poems are ambiguous, sometimes difficult, so if you managed to decide a whole bunch of things that a poem leaves ambiguous instead and turn that into prose… I think that could be really neat.
[Brandon] Awesome. Well, this has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 13.1: Hero, Protagonist, Main Character

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2018/01/07/13-1-hero-protagonist-main-character/

Key Points: Hero, Protagonist, Main Character? A Venn diagram? Main character, aka narrator, relates the story. Protagonist takes action, and undergoes the most change. Hero saves the day. Emotional beats and character arc go with protagonist, while heroic action goes with the hero. Don't forget the maintagonist! Whose eyes do we see the story through? The main character! Who takes action to move the story forward? The protagonist. And who gets to do all the cool stuff? THE HERO! Some stories, grimdark and antiheroes, do not have heroes. Some don't even have protagonists. Sympathetic? The reader wants to be like that, or feels like they have experienced that. Likable, on the other hand, is active, doing heroic acts or protagging! Or show someone liking them. Heros are admirable. Plucky sidekicks are likable too. These roles are structural functions, as well as whatever you are doing with character sliders. Antagonists stand in the way, are obstacles, while protagonists go over the obstacles. Audiences like characters who are proactive. Knowing the different roles lets you combine or split them to serve the story. Letting someone else step up can add depth to a story. Knowing the roles also can help you see what's wrong when a story is broken or not working.
( When you want to read the rest... )

[Brandon] All right. I think we're going to wrap it up here. I actually have a bit of homework for you guys. One of my favorite storytelling methods, and we've given some homework like this before, but I really love it. It's when you tell the same story from multiple viewpoints. So I want you to design for yourself a story that has three characters in it. One who is the hero of that scene, one who is the protagonist, one who is the main character. Try to make this a short scene. Then I want you to write the same story three times. Once through the eyes of the person doing heroic action, once through the eyes of the person being the protagonist who is moving the story along, and once through the eyes of the main character. That's going to be very hard to do, because naturally, you're going to be whoever's eyes we're through is going to be the main character for that moment. But I want to give you this challenge, and see if you can pull it off and make it happen. So this has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 12.53: Writing Excuses True Confessions

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/12/31/12-53-writing-excuses-true-confessions/

Key Points: True Confessions! Projects that didn't work, or what do we learn when we fail. Trying to tell the origin story of a side character that everyone loves. Killing a novel because it would hurt the community you were writing about. Just because you've spent a lot of time making a mistake doesn't mean you need to keep making that mistake (aka the sunk-cost fallacy). Sometimes, you have to start over and make something new and better. Sometimes a Western needs a kickstart. And tropes and cliches! Being your own manager can be hard! How do you create things in the right order, when you don't know the order you need to do it in? Don't forget, you are not your customer -- they may want something different from what you think. Success is a diploma, but failure is the teacher. Give yourself permission to fail, indeed, aim to do something so hard that you will fail, and then look at the failure to learn what to do better next time.

( Wow! More words... )

[Brandon] And, speaking of last things that we do… I feel like we've been saying goodbye for an entire month, because we've had our little different groups of Writing Excuses who have all kind of had their last episode. Then we realized, hey, there's a fifth week in December. So we'll do a last last episode. This is the last last episode of Season 12. We will be moving on next week to Season 13, where our plan is to talk about character all next year, and use a similar format to what we've done this year. To have a lot more variety in the podcasters, but the four of us still being around to be your cornerstone, your familiar. I am super excited for what's coming. I am super happy we have a great season. So thank you guys all for listening. Have a great New Year's Eve. We will see you next year for some characters. This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 12.52: Cross-Genres as Gateways

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/12/24/12-52-cross-genres-as-gateways/

Key Points: Cross-genre books can be gateways to get readers to read in new genres. People who don't read a genre often pretend it is monolithic, because the iconic stories in a genre do so well. But each genre has blends and hybrids and explorations of new directions and interesting things! Romance is the genre that other genres like to pick on. Set aside the notion that some genre is untouchable, start with an open mind. Young adult used to be not segregated by genre. Most Americans think comic books are all superhero stories. Gateway cross-genre books are fun! Give readers more possibilities for reading and enjoying. Listen to Season 16... no, make that 11! Elemental genres let you mix the concepts. But don't just do windowdressing, or paint on the walls, build your genres in so they can't be easily separated. Cross-genre stories can help reluctant readers find what they love. So mix it up! Science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, mystery... cross the genres and build gateways into new and fascinating world! The familiar, and the strange.
( Crossgenres and hopscotch? )

[Brandon] I am going to close us out with a writing prompt. Our writing prompt is I want you to write a story where one of the characters thinks they're in a different genre from what the story actually is. They think they're in a story from a different genre. How does it go? This has been Writing Excuses. You are out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 12.51: Constructed Languages, with Dirk Elszinga

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/12/17/12-51-constructed-languages-with-dirk-elzinga/

Key Points: [First, an apology from the transcriptionist -- this was a very difficult episode to transcribe. I did the best I could. But listen to the audio for vocal points!] Creating a language? Keep it realistic. Look at a language you know, and play around with ideas from there. Loanwords, and the interaction between culture and language. Problems in creating a language? The fear that I'm just covering up English with funny words. Be aware of the idiosyncrasies and biases of the language. Study another language? Well, at least look at a reference grammar. DuoLingo, Google Translate, other online resources. Pay attention to sounds, and how they go together. Names! Dialect or not? Yoda, he says, a point can make. Check out the bibliography in the liner notes!

( And the words that followed... )
[Howard] Let's have a writing prompt.
[Dirk] All right. So one of the funniest things about language is the way we use metaphor. One of the common metaphors for engaging in debate is combat. So when we talk about like a Presidential debate, candidates debate, where we talk about, "Yeah, he scored points," or "he knocked his opponent out." We frame it in terms of personal combat. Come up with a metaphor for a debate that does not involve personal combat. That talks about how the exchange of different ideas can be thought about in a different way.
[Howard] This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 12.50: Form and Function

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/12/10/12-50-form-and-function/

Key points: Different media may change how you tell a story. For example, keyboards, typewriters, longhand, and quill pen, all impose their own rhythms and pauses while writing. What happens when you write flash fiction on your business cards? Slam poetry, with strong audience participation, reinforces repetition, rhythm, and other tools in a way that writing on a page does not. Audiobooks versus the text! Although WhisperSync imposes limits for those books. Graphic novels and audiobooks. Converting short stories into TV episodes, how do you dramatize the internal struggles? Often movies and stories are different, due to adaptation. Hypertext may be a way to experiment with taking the linearity out of the narrative experience.

Special bonus! Why do you love telling stories? It allows me to tilt the world on its side and see what's underneath, and the act of communicating that understanding makes me a better person. It allows me to be somebody I know I can't be in real life. I can be the hero, I can become a better person. Stories let me explore taboos, let me process things and say things that I can't any other way. Stories are the closest I can get to magic in real life. I can imagine something, and engage in telepathy with my readers!

( Put that in a box... )

[Mary] So, since we've been playing with Mary Anne and Wesley, and it's the end of the year and things are sometimes kind of busy, we thought that this homework we would give you is a little bit of play. We're going to ask you to just play Exquisite Corpse. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, write the first line of a story. Hand that first line to someone, ask them to illustrate it. Then, they will fold the… Your first line back, and hand just the illustration to someone else, who will then describe what is happening. Then that illustration gets folded back, and the new first line goes to someone else in your circle of friends or family. Let that create this strange, strange interactive storytelling that is completely nonlinear.
[Mary Anne] Writers think this is a really fun party game. Actually, it's great to do with kids.
[Wesley] Or drunk.

[Brandon] Anyway. We are running out of time. But there's a couple of things I want to do before we go. The first is to give a special thank you to Mary Anne and Wesley.
[Mary Anne] Awww.
[Wesley] Yay.
[Mary Anne] Yay.
[Brandon] You guys have been great this year. We have loved having you. We want to thank our listeners, specifically those who supported us on Patreon. Because we were able to afford doing this. We're actually paying our cohosts now.
[Yay]
[Brandon] We are able to pay for flights and things like this.
[Mary] And our engineer.
[Brandon] And our engineer. Specifically because you guys directly support us. And we are beholden to no advertisers, specifically because you guys support us. So check out the Patreon. We do give some cool little bonuses on the Patreon. But mostly, the bonus comes in the form of being able to do things like this.

[Brandon] I thought we might close out this year with the Chicago team by returning to the beginning, as is a great storytelling archetype. We began with first person narratives, so I've asked each of them to think about a little first-person narrative… Doesn't have to be long… Of why they love telling stories, spoken in the first person. Mary, will you take first stab at this?
[Mary] Absolutely. So, I love telling stories, specifically science fiction and fantasy, because it allows me to take the world that I live in and tilted to its side in a way that makes it easier for me to see the kind of interconnected tissue. It helps me understand the world more, but it also… The act of attempting to communicate my understanding to other people, I think makes me, as a writer… Not just as a writer, but as a person, a richer and more aware person. I love that connection between story and new person.
[Brandon] Awesome. Wesley?
[Wesley] Well, I love telling stories because it allows me to be somebody that I know I can't in real life. So, not only am I smart and witty and a kung fu master and a secret agent, I…
[Mary] That's in real life?
[Mary Anne] Hmmm…
[Wesley] I'm actually not, in real life. But, not only can I do these things, I'm allowed to really explore myself, and see who I can be, how I can be not only more… Oh, man. Not only can I be more… I guess…
[Brandon] Articulate?
[Wesley] Articulate. I'm sorry.
[Laughter]
[Wesley] [garbled] I can be the hero I want to be. I can be the self improvement that I want to be. Really, it… What I do in my stories affects how I am in real life. So really, for example, my debut novel, Lives of Tao, is really how I look at self improvement. Because of my stories, I became a better person in real life.
[Mary Anne] I love telling stories because they let me explore things that are taboo to say and to talk about in nonfiction or over the dinner table. So when I first started writing, I was writing about sex. Sex was a huge area of conflict in my life. My parents had had arranged marriage, they expected the same for me. They certainly did not want me to date. I was dating. We were fighting about it. All of that emotion and frustration went into my fiction. It let me process things and say things that I couldn't find a way to say otherwise. That sort of evolved into writing about race and ethnicity, and war and parenting. So anytime I am feeling very stuck, I tend to turn to fiction to figure out what it is I really want to say.
[Brandon] I love telling stories because it's the closest I can get to magic in real life. I can imagine something, and then put it on paper. Someone else, who doesn't speak my language, across the world, can read this and imagine the same thing. I have just engaged in telepathy. Right? We are reading each other's minds in this kind of weird way, that if you think about it is just kind of bizarre and cool and magical, to use the phrase. So, that's part of why I love stories. I also love stories because they let me hang out with people like you guys.
[Awww, Wow! Chuckle]
[Brandon] Writing Excuses will be back for a couple more episodes this season before we introduce our next season. But this is our last time with Wesley and Mary Anne, so, thank you guys again.
[Mary] Thank you. [Inaudible]
[Mary Anne] Thanks for having us.
[Brandon] This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses. Now go write.

Writing Excuses 12.49: Non-Linear Narratives

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/12/03/12-49-non-linear-narratives/

Key Points: Nonlinear structure just means not in chronological order. Flashbacks are a common example of this! Sometimes scenes or viewpoints are taken out of order for an effect. Each piece should be enjoyable and contain its own reward, even if the reader doesn't know where they are in the timeline. Give the reader a reason to keep reading. Sometimes the same scene is shown from different viewpoints. This contrasts the people, and lets you explore the characters. Nonlinear lets you present the pieces in an order that produces the maximum emotional impact on the audience. Nonlinear blends familiar stories with strange order. You can also shake up viewpoint and tense. You really could, can, should, would, might? When you are the hero of a video game, second person is natural. But don't break your sense of the world, your suspension of disbelief. Don't do it just for shock value! Some readers will not like this, will think it is just a dumb gimmick. Shake it up!

( Replay, replay.... )

[Brandon] All right. We are out of time for this episode. Dan, you are going to give us some homework. Let's pause here. Take a note, Dan. When we were talking about books of the week, we may have just collided...
[Howard] We totally forgot…
[Brandon] Yeah, we forgot to get to this. We actually have Dan says look at fan edits of scenes in order from a nonlinear.
[Dan] Oh, okay.
[Brandon] Then, I will just say, that leads us to our homework. Howard will say reorder index cards or something and shake things up.
[Dan] Okay. I'd forgotten.

[Brandon] We are out of time. This leads us to our homework. Dan, you have our homework this time.
[Dan] Yeah. So earlier, I talked about Pulp Fiction, but you can do this with any number of different things. Find a movie like Pulp Fiction or Momento or something, that has a version that's been put in order. With Momento, it's actually on the DVD as an Easter egg. With Pulp Fiction, there's versions on YouTube where all these scenes out of chronological order have been re-edited to be in chronological order. Watch both versions. Then ask yourself, "Why? How does it change? Why did the director choose to put them out of order, instead of chronologically? What does that add to your experience?"

[Brandon] That's really interesting, although it reminds me that we haven't given our homework yet this week. Howard, you were going to give us our homework?
[Howard] Yes. Take something… Taken outline of yours, something that you are writing, and move your outline onto index cards, if you're not already an index card person. Put scenes or chapters or pinches, whatever, on a set of index cards. Then shuffle them out of order and read them in the new order, and pay attention to how your story unfolds now that it has been resequenced by the random hands of chance.
[Brandon] That is great. So now go write, because you're out of excuses, and this has been Writing Excuses.

Writing Excuses 12.48: Q&A on Novels and Series, with Brian McClellan

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/11/26/12-48-qa-on-novels-and-series-with-brian-mcclellan/

Q&A Summary:
Q: How do you write an ending that gives a sense of closure, but still leaves it open for more stories?
A: Make sure the ending is satisfying. Try introducing a cast in the first book of strong supporting characters, then have your satisfying HEA ending, and future books star other supporting characters. Wrap up most of the plot lines, large and small, but leave tantalizing bits. Finish this villian, but expand the scope for the future.
Q: If I write one book and it takes me a long time, should I put it out as a serial? I understand people put out serials or make their first book free to get people interested in sequels, but what if I don't plan on having a sequel? Is a serial a bad idea?
A: The serial is in a renaissance. Make sure the chunks are satisfying, with a climax, hook, and lead-in to the next part. Make sure you finish the story before you start releasing pieces, because you want to be able to revise early parts.
Q: For an unpublished writer, is it a waste of time to pitch a multi-book series, or should I focus on standalone works until I've gained some traction?
A: Best, to go in with a standalone that has series potential. Every editor wants a book to be standalone when they start reading, and a series when they end.
Q: How do you keep readers engaged, and coming back for more, between novels in a series?
A: Teasers! Short stories, novellas, anthology stories, even outtakes.
Q: For a first-time author, should a series be completed before looking for an agent, or is the first book enough?
A: First book.
Q: Do you ever find that you have this great outline for a trilogy, but when you go to write it, you find you've written the story for all three books in a short period of time? How do I fix this? Am I cutting too much? Am I missing more subplot?
A: Give it to test readers and see what they think. If it is moving too fast, add subplots, add character plots, add viewpoints. Check your try-fail cycles, and make it hard on your characters. Consider expanding on why your characters made the choices they made. Add set pieces.
Q: Is it possible to write a series as a discovery writer?
A: Yes. Make sure your ideas are big enough, and then go!
Q: What are some specific examples you can give of foreshadowing and how it works on a longer piece of writing?
A: Fix it in post! Make sure you foreshadow three times. But don't be heavy-handed. Don't forget the red herrings to go with your foreshadowing.
( One more question, and then... )

[Brandon] All right. So let's do the homework, which again, I have written down Dan does something weird.
[Dan] Yes. Okay.
[Piper] Wacky.
[Dan] So, this is Dan gets to be weird again. This is actually a game that you will hear on a lot of comedy podcasts. So, in honor of this being our series, closing out our series idea, I want you to take two books or two movies. Get suggestions from friends, make sure that they are whatever weird things. Then, that is going to be part one and part three of a series, and you have to figure out what part two is, in the middle.
[Brandon] Awesome.
[Piper] That's fun.
[Dan] It's a lot of fun.
[Brandon] This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 12.47: Screenwriting And The Writers Room, with JD Payne

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/11/19/12-47-screenwriting-and-the-writers-room-with-jd-payne/

Key points: In the writers' room, your job, as writer, is to be delightful. It is intensely collaborative work. Be good to work with. Keep your ego out of the way. Try "Yes, and..." to reduce conflict and make that idea grow! Half of the job is getting everyone on the same page with the creative vision. Pitch, treatment, and then screenplay. When you get the note that destroys what you've been doing, the only thing you can control is your pain. So take a deep breath and figure out a whole new approach.

( What's my motivation? )
[Howard] Who's got our writing prompt?
[Mary] That would be…
[Howard] JD again?
[Mary] Yes.
[JD] Yeah. So they asked me to come up with one right before the panel started. I thought about it for a minute. Describe a character using only visual cues… Or introduce a character using only visual cues in 20 words or less. If you can, do it in five words or less. There's a couple great descriptions I read in screenplays where they'll say Palmer comma a bloodshot soul. That's like the only description of the guy. It's like… Another one I liked was Smith, Superman with a hangover.
[Laughter]
[JD] Just like… You instantly get those characters. So, like, the pithier you can be, the better. In screenplays, every word is your enemy. I think short story writing is probably similar. I mean, every word you write is an opportunity for them to get off board. So, particularly with your character introductions, if you can instantly get them on board with knowing who this person is, then that's half the battle.
[Dan] Awesome.
[Howard] That sounds like such good practice, that I think they should do it…
[Mary] A couple of times.
[Howard] For each of their characters.
[Laughter]
[Howard] And see how short they can get them. Listeners, this has been Writing Excuses. You are out of excuses. Go write.

Writing Excuses 12.46: Reinventing Yourself

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/11/12/12-46-reinventing-yourself/

Key points: Transitions can be conscious, and risky, because readers/fans don't always follow you. Read your reviews -- the four stars, especially, provide information about what to keep, and what needs tuning. Be conscious of your choices. But they do have benefits, too. You need to stay interested and engaged. Be aware of the market, but try to avoid letting yourself be trapped by it. How do you keep learning? Do new things, try them, learn how to do them. Talk to people who have experience doing what you want to do, and study how other people have done it (read!). Pick out places that your writing is weak, and then figure out how to correct them.

( Learn, plateau, learn... climb! )

[Brandon] Mary Anne, you have some homework for us?
[Mary Anne] Yes. So, this is continuing with what Brandon was saying. What I do when I'm switching genres is I going to immerse myself in the genre. Because often, it's been a while since I've had time to read a lot of it. So, I would go, decide I'm going to try fantasies, science fiction, horror, whatever it is. Find a year's best anthology. And from… And a recent one, because things change over time. Just read through it, that's going to give you a huge variety. Or, if you're not a short story person, then go to the award winners from the previous years. The Nebula awards, the Brom Stoker awards, whatever it is, and read the nominees for best novel.
[Brandon] Excellent. Well, this has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 12.45: Structuring a Series

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/11/05/12-45-structuring-a-series/

Key Points: There are various kinds of series: one long continuous story, broken into parts (aka serialized); episodic, or continuing adventures of...; Ensemble series, with a cast and each book tells one person's story; etc. Can you read it out of order or is there a required reading sequence? Consider the types of protagonists, varying from the hero who grows to the iconic hero who never changes. In many cases, the iconic hero acts as a catalyst for change in those around him/her, but does not change in the process. To structure a serial story, know the ending, and construct a large plot arc, then cut it into pieces. For an episodic story, do world and character building, then pick out some stories to tell. Another strategy is to start by writing a standalone book, to get the characters and world worked out, then build an outline for the rest of the series. Think about the way we describe history, with a narrative thread tying together a large chunk of events, a framework for many stories. In structuring a series for readers who want the same but different, consider the same/different balance, and what will be the same, and what will be the different, that you are offering. To take a successful standalone and turn it into a series, make sure to identify what people liked that keeps them coming back, and what new thing you can add that they don't know they want but they will love.
( Book 2, Book 3, Book... )
[Brandon] We are out of time. Mary, you were going to give us some homework?
[Mary] Yes. What I want you to do is I want you to go to a book that does not have a sequel. This can be one of yours or a published one. Then, I want you to write down five sequel possibilities. These can be a series, or they can be individual standalone. Your choice.
[Brandon] You can try out several of the different ideas that we talked about today. All right. This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses. Now go write.

Writing Excuses 12.44: NaNoWriMo 2017 Primer

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/10/29/12-44-nanowrimo-2017-primer/

Key points: Nanowrimo is a community of people who are all pushing for a goal, giving you a sense of participation, community, and commiseration. It can also push you to up your game, seeing other people turn out words. Look for tools, for word sprints, or roleplaying games with monster writing challenges. Motivators! Nanowrimo can help you learn to be a professional writer, to set goals and get the job done. It teaches you to get the words out. "You can't find those awesome words without writing the crappy ones." You can also do Nanowrimo just for the fun off it. Writing quickly and writing well are two different skills, and Nanowrimo can help you practice and learn to write fast. Nanowrimo is a tool to help you be a better writer. It's one way to learn that you can write 50,000 words in a month.
( Here comes Nanowrimo! )

[Brandon] We're out of time. With that… On that wonderful note, you guys… Your homework is to find a way to use Nanowrimo to your advantage. Set some goals this month. Some writing goals. It doesn't actually have to be the 50,000 words. It can be whatever is going to fit your schedule. But I want you to push yourself. And I want you…
[Howard] Use this month to make words that you would not have made otherwise.
[Brandon] That's right. That, simply, is your homework. This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses. Now go write.

Writing Excuses 12.43: Serialized Storytelling

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/10/22/12-43-serialized-storytelling/

Key Points: Character progression in the long run, or don't bore the reader with arcs? First, beware of breaking relationships or character to make an arc. Try changing character focus to get an interesting character arc in each story. Separate your iconic heroes, who don't have character development, from your epic heroes, who do. Romance often has one character who is the star of the first book, then later books take characters from the side cast of the first book and give them a romance. To keep it fresh, give them different issues, different love triangles and problems, and often, an overarching background struggle. Use the set of characters as a framework or structure for the series. Another approach is to keep the same character or characters, but have different challenges for them to react to in each book. Different sets of characters, who is working together on what, also can keep it fresh. Avoiding power creep? Different problems. Also, consider a design space that provides consistent problems, character growth, powers, etc. across the series. Not "save it for the sequel" but "here is the set of cool things for the series, which ones am I going to do in detail in this book?" Beware the perfect romance. Yes, characters can resolve issues and be strong, but they should still need the relationship and each other.

( Cliffhangers and other cereal dangers? )

[Howard] You need me to do homework, Brandon?
[Brandon] I need you to do homework.
[Howard] okay. I've talked about beat charts before. Where you write down the iconic moments, the character arcs, whatever for your story. Build a beat charts for a series. Identify iconic heroic moments in which the hero does something awesome. Put each one down on an index card. Identify character arcs. Learns to love. Has a descent into madness. Put those down on cards. Identify what the reveals are. Then take this stack of cards, and spread them out into multiple stories. Order yourself a series in which everything gets to happen, but it doesn't all happen at once.
[Brandon] Excellent. This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses. Now go write.

Writing Excuses 12.42: Adapting Your Stories for Game Play, with Alan Bahr

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/10/15/12-42-adapting-your-stories-for-game-play-with-alan-bahr/

Key Points: Turning a story into a game? First, understand the tactile feel, the idea of the story. What is the experience of the reader? The game should feel like your story when someone plays it. What is that feeling? Games are 2nd person narratives with the player as protagonist. Don't break the player's self-image! RPGs use emergent narrative, with a story emerging from the players. To encourage this, use mechanics, such as plot points, and social manipulation, with the game master and other players comments and questions. Avoid putting the player on rails, where the narrative is not influenced by the players, but just marches along. Let the game and the narrative evolve through actions and consequences.

( Roll the dice, and pick your trouble... )
[Howard] We are out of time. Who's got our writing prompt?
[Alan] That would be me. I would… So my writing prompt this week… As a game designer, I don't write a lot of fiction or prose, but I consider narrative and approach to narrative a lot in how I design things. So my writing prompt to you is to write down three rules about your world or your story or your game that are unbreakable, and then find ways to break them without actually legally breaking them. Try to circumvent your own rules inside the rules that you've created.
[Howard] Outstanding. Sorry. Sitting here with my mind blown, wondering how my players are going to try and break the rules of the game that we created. I'm sure they already have. Fair listener, this has been Writing Excuses, you are out of excuses. Now go write.

Writing Excuses 12.41: Raising the Stakes

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/10/08/12-41-raising-the-stakes/

Key Points: Raising the stakes over the long haul? How do you keep it interesting? Lots of smaller plots, smaller scenes that raise the stakes in different ways. Subplots! Make the failure worse, and worse. Mounting consequences! Put yourself into it. Find the personal issues for the character. More specific, and more personal. Use try-fail cycles, yes-but/no-and, and build new problems out of old solutions. Rest points can accent the pedal-to-the-metal moments, if they are real. Build a stairway, always up and progressing, but there are plateaus as well as risers. The question raised at the beginning must matter, it must be gripping, then the stakes will carry you. Don't raise the stakes too fast and too high! Save your great finish for the end, don't give it away too early. Also, delayed consequences, or solutions that postpone the problem without solving it may work for you.
( Raise the stakes? Bet on it! )

[Brandon] This has been a great discussion. I'm going to have to call it here. But I do have some homework for you guys. I want you to try a few of the things that we've talked about in this episode. Specifically, raising the stakes, number one, by making… Try taking a side character from a story you're working on, and raise the stakes for what's going on for them. I want you to try by making it more personal first, but I'm not going to let you use the crutch that a lot of us use, that they have lost someone in their past or that it's personal because this is the person that killed their mentor or something like that. It can't be related to the loss of a loved one.
[Mary] No fridging!
[Brandon] Yes. Just make that one not on the table, and just see what you can do with that then. And then make it more specific. Try to make it a little less epic, but more specific to the person. Try that. Try that instead. See if this raises the stakes for you in interesting ways for your story. Well, this has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 12.40: Structuring a Novel

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/10/01/12-40-structuring-a-novel/

Key Points: In structuring a novel, remember Howard bleeding, and use little bits to explore your characters. What makes a novel more than a collection of small incidents? A story that goes somewhere. There is an arc, something changes. Consequences! A thread of progression. What's it about? What's different about writing a novel? Short story readers want an emotional punch, while novel readers want the sense of immersion. Add characters, locations, plot threads, even secondary characters can have their own threads. More perspectives and character arcs. Enough words to evoke the feeling, the emotions, to immerse the reader. Do you build in breaks? Mostly as a secondary effect from building in set pieces. If you make a high point for your roller coaster, you will also make low points. MACE, scenes, plot structure, gaps... then write, and use scene-sequel to give characters time to react, and you automatically give readers time to react, too. Outline plot threads, goals and bullet points, then pick pieces and discovery write a chapter. The breathers come naturally. You may also use a beat chart, noting what emotions you want to evoke.
( The beat goes on... )
[Brandon] Let's go ahead and end here, and ask Howard to give us some homework.
[Howard] Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Okay. Take a film or a television program that was not based on a book, so you can't use Game of Thrones, you can't use The Expanse, you can't use The Lord of the Rings movies. Take a film or a television program that does not come from a book that you like, then, after seeing it or assuming you're familiar with it, sit down and write an outline for it in which you are expanding it into a novel. Not novelizing it, not doing the Alan Dean Foster novelization of Star Wars. No, you are writing the novel that is what this movie would have been if it were a best-selling book.
[Brandon] This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses. Now go write.

Profile

Writing Excuses Transcripts

February 2026

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28

Syndicate

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

mbarker - Writing Excuses 13.6: External Conflicts for Characters
mbarker - Writing Excuses 13.5: Villain, Antagonist, Obstacle
mbarker - Writing Excuses 13-4: Protagonists Who Aren't Sympathetic
mbarker - Writing Excuses 13.3: What Writers Get Wrong, with Aliette de Bodard
mbarker - Writing Excuses 13.2: Writing Active Characters
mbarker - Writing Excuses 13.1: Hero, Protagonist, Main Character
mbarker - Writing Excuses 12.53: Writing Excuses True Confessions
mbarker - Writing Excuses 12.52: Cross-Genres as Gateways
mbarker - Writing Excuses 12.51: Constructed Languages, with Dirk Elszinga
mbarker - Writing Excuses 12.50: Form and Function
mbarker - Writing Excuses 12.49: Non-Linear Narratives
mbarker - Writing Excuses 12.48: Q&A on Novels and Series, with Brian McClellan
mbarker - Writing Excuses 12.47: Screenwriting And The Writers Room, with JD Payne
mbarker - Writing Excuses 12.46: Reinventing Yourself
mbarker - Writing Excuses 12.45: Structuring a Series
mbarker - Writing Excuses 12.44: NaNoWriMo 2017 Primer
mbarker - Writing Excuses 12.43: Serialized Storytelling
mbarker - Writing Excuses 12.42: Adapting Your Stories for Game Play, with Alan Bahr
mbarker - Writing Excuses 12.41: Raising the Stakes
mbarker - Writing Excuses 12.40: Structuring a Novel

Style Credit

Base style: Patsy by sforzinda
Theme: Clay Deco by timeasmymeasure

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

Page generated Feb. 11th, 2026 10:33 am

Powered by Dreamwidth Studios