Writing Excuses 11.16: Adventure as a Subgenre

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2016/04/17/11-16-adventure-as-a-subgenre/

Key Points: Don't just be a cook, following a list of ingredients, be a chef who knows what each ingredient does and how to add spice to your stories! Adventure adds a sense of wish fulfillment, of everyman victory, of the normal person doing great things. Adventure takes us to exotic locations, and lets us accomplish things. Adventure gives you external adversity. It also gives you "oh, awesome" moments that come from action, from derring-do, from swashbuckling! Why do people like adventure? Wish fulfillment. Stand-up-and-cheer moments! Creative fulfillment -- how are they going to do this? The "We did it" moment at the peak of the mountain. The expectation of success. The moment of triumph. Using adventure as a subgenre? Consider the chase scene embedded in heist stories and others. Adventure can raise tension, or relieve it. Adventure lets the reader have fun! Chase scenes, fight scenes, other adventure scenes need to have bits pulled in that are important elsewhere, that the characters care about. You can use adventure as the glue, to keep it interesting and provide an external motivation to push characters together. Adventure also is a good setting for banter, to illuminate character. Show who people are under stress by adding adventure.

( And they're off on a chase... )
[Brandon] But it's time for some homework. Mary is going to give us our homework this week.
[Mary] All right. So we're talking about you using adventure as a spice. So I want you to do is I want you to grab your favorite piece of media. But not an adventure film. Not something where adventure is the main ingredient. Grab a romance, grab whatever. I want you to watch it, and I want you to note the moments when they are using the adventure as a subgenre. Also note why. Look at the transitions into the adventure, look at the transitions out of it. Think about what it is doing and what would happen if it was removed from the plot at that moment.
[Brandon] This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go on an adventure.

Writing Excuses 11.14: The Element of Adventure

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2016/04/10/11-15-the-environment-with-l-e-modessit-jr/

Key Points: In adventure, the question is "Can I do this?" Pushing your limits, trouble you choose. Thrillers, on the other hand, have an outside threat coming after you. Similarly, wonder is the thrill of seeing something, while adventure is the thrill of doing something. Adventure is often based on the milieu. The challenge is usually a physical idea, whereas the idea story is usually a mental challenge. Adventure stories are often set pieces, doing amazing things, strung together. Adventure usually makes the reader think "I want to go there and do that!" Main character is often an outsider. Take a thriller, lighten the tone, and you will get an adventure. Thriller, survival; adventure, cool things to do. Key to writing adventure is take a competent hero to the edge of their competency, and a list of set pieces, amazing things to do. Make the explosions bigger! Conflict in an adventure story tends to be external. Add improvisation, and avoid a level playing field.

( Run, jump, and... )[Brandon] Alright. This has been a great discussion. We will dig into this again in a couple of weeks. First, I want to give you some homework. Dan. You have our homework this week.
[Dan] Alright. Your homework this week. You are going to do what Howard's editor made him do. Take an expository scene. Whether that is an introduction to a character or dialogue between two characters, something where you're feeding us important information. But then set it during something really exciting, something thrilling. The room is falling apart. You're being attacked. You're running away from something. Whatever that is. Make us have an adventure during an exposition.
[Brandon] This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 11.12: Idea As Subgenre, with Nancy Fulda

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2016/03/20/11-12-idea-as-subgenre-with-nancy-fulda/

Key Points: Start with a geewhiz idea. Where does it happen? Who's going to be there, who is affected? Who has what at stake? Often idea as a subgenre or spice is set dressing for a story. Pick a cool what-if, and then tell a thriller, mystery, romance, or whatever in it. Idea, or fascination, makes a great seasoning for a story, just like black pepper! Use idea hooks for characters and setting, to add "Oh, wow!" moments. Idea stories may not have a single protagonist or main conflict, just various viewpoints showing a discovery changing society. Follow the awesome! Pair the idea with something, like black pepper and chocolate. Think about how the idea will change the story. Watch what happens at the intersection of ideas! Mix it up, shake it up, extrapolate, and see where you go. It doesn't have to work the first time! Add more pepper. Idea stories are driven by what-if combined with fascination. Then think about consequences and implications, and follow the awesome. Push it further, make it weirder in a geewhiz kind of way!

( Ideas here, ideas there, ideas everywhere... )

[Brandon] That's very good. I think we're going to end on that note. Although I'm going to give you guys some homework. This is something I push my students to do a lot in my class, which is to take a step further on something in their story. Often times, I'll have students come to me and say... They'll have actually a really compelling character, but they'll be in the most bland, generic world that's ever existed. So I want you to take a story that you've been working on, and I want you to push either some world building element or some character element further. I want you to brainstorm an idea. I don't want you to just have a monarchy. I want your monarchy to be weird in some way. I want you to follow the awesome. I don't want you to just use coins in your thing, or just fly on spaceships like every other spaceship you've seen. I want you to take a story you've actually written, and make it weirder in a geewhiz kind of way.
[Mary] While you're doing that, make sure that you are thinking about the implications and consequences.
[Brandon] This has been Writing Excuses. Nancy, thank you so much.
[Nancy] You're very welcome.
[Brandon] You all listening are out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 11.10: Idea, As Genre, with Nancy Fulda

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2016/03/06/11-10-idea-as-genre-with-nancy-fulda/

Key Points: The elemental genre idea story. Not MICE idea. Idea, question, what if? Fascination is the key emotion driving the idea story. What is this, what is happening? Mental exploration, ramifications, consequences, and poking. The reader needs to be fascinated, although the character may not be. Outside of SF/F, often close to mystery, drama, thriller. E.g., mystery looks at why did this happen and who did it, while the idea story looks at the ramifications of it. Beware of falling into world builder's disease -- put in character responses, and give the reader cues to understand and feel, not just details. Think about what could go wrong, who reacts to it, who gains or loses. Show how the idea changes familiar activities. Didactic stories and agendas often use idea stories. But the idea story really comes alive at the intersection with a strong character. Make sure that someone has a personal stake and consequences in the idea. For a story, start with an idea, then add in character, plot, setting, conflict.
( Brainstorms and other fallout... )
[Brandon] I like how this discussion's been going. I don't know if we've drilled yet into enough practical advice on how to write these. Fortunately, we're going to come back to this topic in a couple of weeks. So wait for it then, and we'll try to drill into the hows and whys you use this. Until then, we have some homework for you. Dan is going to give us our homework.
[Dan] All right. What we want you to do now is to go out and find a cool idea. Find a science blog or find a cool new piece of technology somewhere in the world or a great idea for a magic system you have floating around in your head. Find an idea, and then brainstorm 20 stories you could tell about it. Conflicts that could arise, using that idea as the core.
[Brandon] All right. Nancy, thank you so much for joining us.
[Nancy] Any time.
[Howard] Can you come back in two weeks?
[Nancy] Absolutely.
[Brandon] This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 11.8: Wonder As a Subgenre

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2016/02/21/11-08-wonder-as-a-subgenre/

Key points: Wonder as subplot. Often the first half is exploring amazing, wonderful new things, while the main plot is building for the second half. Mash up waiting for the next wonder with something else. Put awesome things in! Make a list, order them, and write. Beware taking them out of order, kung fu on a train goes before the nuclear explosion, not afterwards. Use set pieces, major scenes. Make your buildup fit. Foreshadowing is important. Sense of wonder, strangeness, newness, and reactions. Make sure the character can be awed -- sometimes a naive viewpoint character can help (eh, Watson?). But when Sherlock is surprised, you know it is amazing. Don't just do set pieces, fill in the corners with amazing candy wrappers, too. Even small moments of wonder can be very useful. Build the progression -- something new, something strange and unexpected, and then amazement. Booger-flavored candy? Consider timebombs, plot tokens that foreshadow you've got this many coming. Apprentice plot, travelogue, whenever you set up promises of wonders to come and then pay them off, it can be good. Be careful that your subgenre doesn't take over the story, though. Use little pockets, layers, flourishes of wonder, not a distraction but an accent, just an Easter egg for the reader to enjoy now and then.

( A drop of sunshine, a sparkle of dew, a firework display, bright and shiny! )
[Brandon] We actually are out of time on this. This has been a fantastic podcast. But we're actually going to give you some homework.
[Dan] All right. Your homework this week is that we want you to do this. We want you to actually take a story that you're working on, that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with a sense of wonder, and apply a sense of wonder to some aspect of it. Somebody walks into a room and sees something amazing. Or walks out into the city street and sees something amazing. Write a paragraph or two where your character experiences a sense of wonder.
[Brandon] This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 11.6: The Element of Wonder

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2016/02/07/11-06-the-element-of-wonder/

Key Points: Sensawonda? Oh, sense of wonder! A 15 story tall ship! A giant promenade in the middle of the ocean? An aft balcony, with a new sunrise and location every morning! New, strange, and amazing. That's so cool. How do you get there? A spaceship the size of a moon. "That's no moon." Context, the POV reaction, the reader reaction. Direct the reader's attention with the character's attention. Basking in the moment of awe. Give the character, and the reader, time. Foreshadow (aka context) and then reveal. Pacing. Don't rush, let the character's attention linger on it, walk through the fine details, enjoy it. The sense of wonder isn't always big, sometimes it's something tiny. Also, there's a sense of engagement, of wish fulfillment, with the sense of wonder. It's not just wonderful, we get to do something with it!

( Fireworks, sunsets, glory! )

[Brandon] We are out of time with this one. So we want to give you some homework.
[Dan] All right. Your homework today is that you are going to apply a sense of wonder to something for us. But we want you to do it with something that is relatively small and ordinary. Something maybe just by your desk, something in your house as you look around. Spot an object, and then describe it in such a way that the reader will get a sense of wonder.
[Brandon] This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 11.4: Newton's Laws of Writing

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2016/01/24/11-04-newtons-laws-of-writing/

Key points: Tayler's Three Laws of Writing. [1] A word count at rest tends to remain at rest, while a word count in motion tends to remain in motion. Motivation? To keep writing, write some more! To start writing, start slow, then bump your goal. Build your writing inertia by writing every day! Oh, at the end of a session, don't stop at the end of a chapter. Write the first page of the next scene, and then pick up with that jumpstart. Dan it all! Don't sweat the zone -- fight to make the most of each chance, and make sure people understand don't interrupt me! Think before you start writing, don't waste time ramping up. [2] Word count equals motivation times focus. Motivate by thinking about what comes next. Focus BICHOK and clear distractions. Consider word count per hour. Try a timer (sand timers don't beep!). Meditation might be your ticket to a clearer mind? [3] For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When you write words, the words write you. You also are affected. Writing is its own reward. Every word you write builds your writing skill. The goal of writing stories is to become a better writer. The equal and opposite reaction to writing is that you become a better writer!
( Three Laws of Writing in Motion? )[Brandon] Now, we are out of time on this episode. I'm going to give you a writing prompt. It's going to actually be a classic writing prompt. One of these ideas that popped into my head and I was on the cruise, and that I was actually pretty excited about. So maybe someday I'll write it. They were talking about art auctions, and it just sent me down this weird spiraling path to thinking about, "You know, it would be kind of smart to take artists, buy up all their paintings, and then murder them so that the art spiked in value."
[Howard] Nice.
[Brandon] So the story somehow is about somebody who is a serial killer of artists, specifically in order to bump the value of all that art up and try to make money. This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write. Please don't kill any artists.

Writing Excuses 11.2: How to Get the Most Out Of a Conference, with Kathy Chung

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2016/01/10/11-2-how-to-get-the-most-out-of-a-conference-with-kathy-chung/

Key Points: Conventions, or cons, tend to be fan-based, volunteer run, and the goal is to celebrate readers and have fun. Conferences are more about honing your craft, growing as a writer. To get ready for a conference, first introverts may want to spend some time alone to recharge before you come. Go with an open mind and try things. Bring your notebook! Think about your learning style beforehand, and what helps you capture information. Plan on networking, at meals, everywhere! Strike up conversations. Be aware of BarCon. Business cards are optional, carry a manuscript for your own use if you don't mind hauling it home again, consider cough drops, sweater, earplugs, eye mask, or other personal comfort items.

( When you are the belle of the conference? )
[Brandon] Well, Kathy, this has been wonderful. Thank you for coming on the podcast with us.
[Kathy] Thank you for having me.
[Brandon] We are going to have you give us a little bit of homework, or at least our audience a little bit of homework.
[Kathy] I think that people should have a look, research some cons in their area, in their genre, and beyond.
[Brandon] Right. Do some research. Find out what cons are near you, what convent... Conferences are near you, and ones that are far away but are specifically to your genre and things like that. That's great. Thank you so much. You guys who are listening... This has been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

Writing Excuses 10.52: Moving On, with Ellen Kushner

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2015/12/27/writing-excuses-10-52-moving-on-with-ellen-kushner/

Key points: How do you let go and start a new story? Deadlines. Box up the old clutter, or just leave it in a pile in the corner, but insist that you are done with it. Outline what is coming in the old story, so you know it is still there. Write fan fiction and short stories in the old universe. How do you juggle multiple projects? Use mnemonic cues, such as music, to help switch. Make more notes when switching. Use a physical activity to switch mental gears. Use a timer and force yourself to jump right in. Watch out for the magic helicopter ride when you write The End.
( Up, up, and away in my magic helicopter... )
[Dan] All right. I actually was waiting for the end, because I'm going to give you your homework. I have essentially built my career on trying new things. I wrote fantasy books forever and then thought, "You know, I'm going to try a horror novel," and loved it. And got published in horror. I did third person forever and then I thought, "You know what, I'm going to try first-person this time." Just at every stage, and sometimes my editors get incredibly frustrated. Dan Wells, why did you send me this book when it's nothing at all like anything you've ever published before? Well, because I wanted to try something new. That's what you're going to do now. We want you to brainstorm new ideas. Go back to the beginning of the season, when we talk about how to get ideas and what to do with ideas, and really branch out. Push yourself. Work on something that is very new, either in a new genre or a new style or a new something. But brainstorm some ideas for a brand new project.

[Brandon] Now, if I might be so bold, I want to mention something to you. You have been listening to these podcasts, and we have been on a boat. Indeed, we are on the Writing Excuses cruise right now, and we are wrapping it up. But we are coming back next year. As you are listening to this podcast, we have actually opened up the opportunity for you to make reservations to come with us to the Caribbean next year. So if you have ever wanted to say go to dinner with Howard and make wisecracks about his pants...
[Laughter]
[Brandon] Or if you've ever wanted to lay down at night, comfortable in the knowledge that Dan is somewhere trapped on the boat with a knife with you...
[Chuckles]
[Brandon] Then you can come on the cruise. If you want to see if you can write more words than me in one week, you can come on the cruise. Or if you'd like to go to a masquerade ball dressed up like a steampunker and meet Mary in her Regency dress... These are all things that happen on the Writing Excuses cruise. We will post in the liner notes how you can come and reserve yourself a cabin. Come along, hear from wonderful guest instructors, have breakout sessions, write books, eat great food, and maybe fall in the ocean.
[Mary] Don't fall in the ocean.
[Howard] Don't fall in the ocean.
[Mary] They stop the boat. It's not good.
[Brandon] You could fall in the ocean off the docks or on... I fell in the ocean several times.
[Laughter]
[Ellen] Okay. Sure. You can see the world. You can even go to countries that you wouldn't fly to because suddenly the boat is there in the morning going, "Hello. Would you like to go to a new country, because it's just outside the window?"
[Brandon] So, do...
[Dan] I have to say, because you mentioned me and a knife... Everyone in the audience is laughing. Two nights ago at dinner, a knife plummeted out of the sky
[laughter]
[Dan] And hit my dining room table.
[Giggles]
[Dan] So some rad things happen on this cruise.
[Mary] I mean the trigger wire that he had placed for it was very clever.
[Ellen] Oh, I thought it was the people on the deck above us.
[Mary] Nah.
[Brandon] As a final wrap-up, thank you audience. Thank you for listening to our Writing Excuses Masters Class, thank you for supporting us as a podcast all of these years, encouraging us and writing along with us, and becoming our colleagues as you finish stories. Thank you so much. Good job this year. Let's look forward to another great year. This has been Writing Excuses Season 10 Master Class. You're out of excuses. Now go write.

Writing Excuses 10.50: How to Hand-Sell Your Manuscript to Agents and Editors with Michael Underwood and Marco Palmieri

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2015/12/13/writing-excuses-10-50-how-to-hand-sell-your-manuscript-to-agents-and-editors-with-michael-underwood-and-marco-palmieri/

Key Points: Don't try to pitch unless you have read the instructions! Also, know the market. Don't compare your book to things it has nothing to do with. Don't interrupt a conversation to pitch your book, don't pitch your book while the editor is eating, and don't follow the editor into the bathroom. Do research the markets and the editors. Go to the bookstores, look at the acknowledgements and dedications, and then dig around the web to find out about the editors. Watch the online resources, and social media. Go to the convention publishers' presentations. Talk to the editor as a person first, then ask about giving a short pitch. The pitch? Brevity! What is the core, emotional or dramatic? What is the essence? Editors are often at a convention to meet writers -- don't be afraid, they are looking for you!
( Pitch some horseshoes... )
[Dan] Awesome. Well. I believe we are about out of time. So thanks, both of you, for being on the show. I think this has been incredibly helpful to our listeners. I believe we have a writing prompt?
[Michael] All right. So your character has to go undercover at a writing conference and get access to an editor so that you can steal a supersecret manuscript. Figure out how they are going to case the editor, their interests, and pitch them so that they can then get access to the secret USB with the manuscript of awesomeness.
[Laughter]
[Dan] Excellent. The manuscript of awesomeness.
[Marco] They have to do it without following the guy into the bathroom.
[Laughter]
[Howard] Okay. So the bathroom and the elevator are off-limits.
[Dan] Okay. Very good. Well. All right. Thank you very much. For our listeners, you are out of excuses. Now go write.