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Category: Writing
The Shape of the Character Arc
Character arc refers to the changes that take place within a single character throughout the course of an entire story (or even across several stories) told in the same universe. While not every tale has such an arc, many do. It can be one of the most important aspects of storytelling, as it provides the growth and development that makes stories relatable and characters memorable. Many authors have different ideas about what exactly character arc is and how to create it, but this article will help you understand just what it entails and why you should care when writing your own fiction!
What is a Character Arc?
A character arc, in its simplest form, is a change or transformation in a character. This transformation happens over time, usually over several episodes of a TV show or even within one episode. There are many types of character arcs but two major categories, stories where characters start as good and become evil (sometimes known as villain arcs) and tales where characters start out as bad but end up redeeming themselves (redemption arcs). These arcs can be minor or complete transformations depending on your needs for your story.
There are several types of character arcs. The five most common are: Eustress (Positive), Distress (Negative), Flat, Upward Spiral, Downward Spiral. Eustress is a positive growth arc where your character becomes more successful through his journey to resolve his conflict. In a distress arc, your characters become less successful as he deals with obstacles in his way to achieve resolution to his conflict. A flat arc does not follow one of these traditional paths but can be anything that evolves your character over time by adding depth or layers and making them more complex. An upward spiral is when a good person tries to do something bad but then makes it right during their journey while they descend into darkness when a bad person tries to do something good but ends up making it wrong (or worse) along their journey. Finally, downward spirals happen when someone who’s bad keeps doing bad things until they reach rock bottom.
How Can You Spot a Good Character Arc?
Characters who go through transformations must eventually return to normalcy—but with something new learned from those experiences. Without exception, every hero will have gone on some type of journey before reaching a resolution. This can mean fighting off villains, discovering hidden knowledge about oneself, or saving someone close to them. Even if our heroes don’t emerge completely unscathed from battle, they still have made progress toward self-actualization.
What really defines a great character arc is being able to find meaning in that journey. Your story’s protagonist must learn an important lesson or truth that he or she can take with them in life. Ideally, your readers will see something of themselves reflected in your characters—whether it’s enduring struggle, love lost or gained, or simply what it means to be human—and come away from it feeling changed for having read it. In order for a character arc to work properly, you a believable reason for change.
The goal of any author should be to write stories that will leave an impact on readers, both emotionally and mentally. How well we do that depends not only on what happens in our plots but also on how our characters grow from beginning to end. If you’re just starting out as a writer or have been at it for years but aren’t seeing much progress in terms of personal growth for your main characters, ask yourself why that is. Are you trying too hard to follow formulaic story patterns or are you overly focused on events? If you keep telling yourself that there’s no actual difference between one protagonist and another, take some time to reflect on what truly makes them unique individuals. The answer might surprise you!
How to Create a Great Character Arc
While different writers approach characterization in various ways, there are two principal schools of thought: transformative arc vs. personal growth arc. Understanding each helps you better understand your options as a writer.
In a transformative arc, external factors drive change, such as loss or hardship. In The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, for example, Tom Joad finds himself transformed from an honest man to a cold-blooded killer when his family loses their farm because of financial hardships caused by bankers.
Through a personal growth arc, protagonists find their true identity through introspection. A great example is Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. Huck goes on an adventure that forces him to reevaluate what he knows of society and life. The friendship that ensues shows Huck that there’s more to life than just living for money; instead, it should be about finding yourself and living free.
There are four major steps to creating a solid character arc. Each step requires considering both sides of your story—good people becoming evil or vice versa—and reinforcing each step so that it builds on itself.
The Start
First, think about where your story starts: Who is your protagonist? What’s his or her life like? Figure out exactly what your start will be for your character; what does their life look like at its very best right now? To help yourself find ideas, try taking inventory of everything that makes up their current best life. Whatever you come up with, dig deep: don’t just list things off quickly or you might miss something important.
Once you’ve figured out what makes your character happy, look to see if there’s anything missing from their lives—and if there is, ask yourself why they feel that way. Maybe they struggle to cope with stress every day, even though other people seem fine when going through similar situations. Maybe they become prone to lying when given certain opportunities, even though it goes against all of their core values.
No matter why it happens once you discover a reason for them feeling unhappy, then you can connect those feelings to their past decisions. These pain points may be small or large, but once you realize what could have caused them, you should be able to develop your character further by asking questions about what led up to these events. Then explore any consequences stemming from choices made down the line. Sometimes characters who lie only ever tell white lies without realizing it because somewhere along the line somebody taught them that saying half-truths could save face in tough situations—so always ask why things happen too!
The Journey
What lesson is important to you? Their outlook on life may have changed, or they may have gained a better understanding of themselves. Or they might not even realize what they’ve learned until later. Consider a character who learns that all that glitters isn’t gold—that something valuable doesn’t mean it will last or be as valuable in another form. For example, your hero could lose everything they own in a fire but come out more optimistic because of it. Maybe their loss taught them how to appreciate what was important—family, friends, home. Maybe they lost all their stuff but realized what didn’t matter at all—an impressive car or designer clothes.
Whatever it is, keep it simple. Don’t worry about mapping out every single lesson learned by your character; that’s not important. In fact, sometimes learning a bit more slowly can be more interesting to watch (just ask Luke Skywalker). All that matters is that in your story they realize an important truth—or simply grow as a person—and then choose to carry that with them throughout whatever lies ahead for them. Remember, just because something doesn’t end up making sense within the plot doesn’t mean it won’t make sense within your character’s story arc. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. Consider both when writing and thinking about your characters’ journeys.
The Progress
Talk directly about how she changes because of her experiences; don’t rely on backstory alone! explain why change is necessary for your character. Include examples from his past that suggest just how important it is for him to learn these lessons. Decide how you’re going to illustrate that learning process through concrete plot points—what will happen in each chapter that will show readers exactly how much progress your character has made? Explain why change is necessary for your character. Include examples from his past that suggest just how important it is for him to learn these lessons. Make sure these events are appropriate for your reader’s experience.
You also want to make sure these events tie back into either of your story’s two major themes. The character arc doesn’t need to advance every step of the way; often, it may stall out temporarily before picking up again later on. But it should always move forward overall. If there is no movement, or if it advances but then falls backward, consider revising or deleting portions of your story. Having a complete character arc can be extremely difficult for some authors, so don’t worry if yours feels like an unfinished project when you work with an editor. Save all those other details (such as motivations) until after your draft, since they may force significant changes within your characters’ development arcs. Again, at least try to touch upon them with some general notes during revision!
The Big Picture
The character arc is simply a way of expressing a character’s change in attitude, values, or both during a story. The change can be slow or quick; characters don’t have to go from being good to bad, or vice versa. Sometimes they end up somewhere in between—still imperfect but striving for improvement. Through a well thought out arc, characters change over time thanks to events in their lives, ultimately revealing something about themselves. As an author, knowing how your story ends before you write will help you develop each of your characters more fully.
Since readers often relate to your main character—especially if she goes through an arc—knowing what she starts as and where she ends will help paint her realistically on the page… no matter where her journey takes her. This concept also applies when developing secondary (or even tertiary) characters: Knowing who they are at first will give you an idea of who they become as events unfold in your narrative, creating realistic outcomes based on their personalities as established early on.
In every work of fiction, there is a discernible pattern toward an overall dramatic resolution.
When handled properly, it creates a unique tension between expectation and reality. When handled poorly, it comes across as artificial contrivance meant only to shock. Understanding the requirements of a logical and successful character arc allows you to use it effectively regardless of genre or style — mystery, romance, suspense thriller, comedy, science fiction … all genres benefit from understanding and applying one important aspect in storytelling: Change must occur if we want our stories to be taken seriously. Choosing wisely which changes belong within your plot is key to telling an engaging tale others will want to hear again and again. Through careful planning, you can avoid wasted effort.
-R.E.
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Why Short Stories Make Great Reads
Whether you’re penning the next piece of classic literature or writing just for fun, one thing that will help you immensely in your short story writing career is to have a good grasp on what defines short stories. There are some specific structural elements that you need to get right. How long should they be? How do they differ from novellas or novelettes? What makes them different from a novel? Are there any pitfalls in writing them? Let’s look at what makes up a short story, what makes them so appealing, and some tips on how to avoid some of the common pitfalls of short stories!
Short Story vs Novel vs Novella
What’s The Difference? A short story and a novel are both considered extensive works of fiction, but there is an important distinction between them. While novels can be upwards of 50,000 words or longer, short stories are less than 25,000 words. Novellas fall somewhere in between; they’re technically still considered long stories because they’re significantly longer than flash fiction (which usually comprises 500 words or fewer), but most people consider them novels. And while many readers like shorter stories and novellas just as much as novels, it isn’t surprising that some people regard them as inferior forms of writing.
The Cost of Knowledge
Why exactly is that? It has a lot to do with history. Historically, most people could never read fiction at home – until fairly recently in human history people could not afford books. Because writing was expensive and literacy rates low for much of literary history, poems and short stories were typically viewed by authors as more disposable forms of entertainment for those who could only occasionally enjoy literature at all. Novels were expensive even for royalty; these lengthy prose narratives focused on serious themes that educated elites could relate to, allowing them to escape into another world without shirking their social obligations. But times have changed! Nowadays we’ve got e-readers and audio-books galore! Many people now devour an entire series of fantasy novels during their lunch break every day!
Short Story Examples
Short stories are much harder to write than novels. They have all of a novel’s same requirements for character, plot, and setting, but because they are much shorter (in length and in page count), they cannot rely on description or lingering sense of place that an 800-page doorstop does. Instead, short stories rely on economy of language and abruptness—the ‘I woke up’ moment is not just expected, it’s demanded.
Read Elizabeth Bowen’s The Demon Lover or Eudora Welty’s Why I Live at Home to get a flavor for what short story writers do when everything needs to be there and nothing can be wasted. The best way to learn how to write good short stories is simply by reading them: Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard To Find; John Cheever’s The Country Husband; Raymond Carver’s Cathedral. Try searching online for lists of classic short stories; many websites exist solely to curate these anthologies. You might also want to consider reading any essays by editor Gordon Lish; he was famous both for his fiction and his creative editing style.
Tips on Writing Short Stories
Every great short story has three main things: exposition, rising action, and denouement. Exposition includes background information on characters, scene and setting. Rising action is when conflict occurs. Denouement is how it resolves. In almost every case, we present these elements in chronological order, but not always: You can have them occur out of order or all at once within different scenes. Each event builds tension until there’s a climax—the height of emotion in any story. Then, typically, there’s a denouement where everything comes together in resolution—the conclusion that ties up any loose ends left from earlier on in the narrative.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Inexperienced writers are often afraid to cut their work. This is understandable; after all, it’s hard to be objective about your own writing. But if you’re trying to write a short story and you can’t seem to get it down to size, that might mean that you need to trim some fat. It doesn’t matter how much you love a phrase or sentence—if it doesn’t contribute meaningfully to your story, delete it. Some people even recommend cutting whole paragraphs if they don’t move your plot forward (but be careful you don’t accidentally cut something valuable). The main thing is just getting started. You can always edit later when you have something on paper. Make sure you trust your instincts as an author and take chances with what works for your story. You’ll find your own style as you go along. What makes up a good short story? There isn’t one specific answer for what makes a great short story; in fact, there are dozens of schools of thought about what makes good fiction good. Keep in mind that different fiction appeals to different readers: some like high drama, others prefer more subtle storytelling. Your challenge will be to find out which types engage yours and why.
Use Dialogue to Develop Character Traits and Motivations
The best way to develop your characters is by letting them talk. That’s what makes dialogue so important. It not only reveals who your characters are, but also their motivations for doing what they do. Good dialogue won’t just move your story forward, it will help you flesh out your characters as well. The way your characters speak can also reveal things about their personalities and backgrounds. These things impact how your audience will see that character and that helps to develop their impressions of them. It’s one of those simple tips that is sometimes overlooked when writing. By using good dialogue in every scene, you ensure people get to know your characters better. This helps readers understand why they respond like they do in certain situations. Some writers find it difficult to write engaging dialogue. With some practice, you should be able to nail down wonderful conversations between your characters in no time at all.
Keep Things Moving
Be concise; don’t go into detail about actions—that will distract from what’s important, like thoughts and emotions. Instead of
John walked down Main Street.
try something like
John’s footsteps echoed down Main Street.
Don’t tell us how many steps he took, or that he was wearing shiny black boots: that information is trivial, and it slows us down as readers. And more than likely we can guess what he was wearing without being told.
Showing a character walking on her tiptoes because she’s nervous suggests fear or anxiety. It may not be obvious in every scene, but it’ll become apparent over time as you develop your characters further. Have fun! It’s not rocket science. If your story brings up an emotion in you, chances are good that other people will feel some version of that same feeling when they read your story, too.
Know Your Protagonist’s Motivation
What does he or she want and what stands in his or her way? Knowing that conflict up front can help you write an engaging story. If your protagonist doesn’t want something, it’s tough to make us as readers care about whether they get it. Want vs. need is an important distinction; don’t mistake one for another. A character wants something when it’s just a matter of desire: It might not be essential, but it could still become so if certain conditions are met.
A character needs something when he or she has to have it in order to survive or flourish—it is absolutely necessary for happiness (at least temporarily). In short stories, make sure your protagonist wants something desperately enough to risk everything for it; otherwise, we won’t care about their success (or failure) either way. Don’t forget about the antagonist, though—this could be a character that serves as a foil for your main character (s), or even just another facet of yourself!
Give the Reader More with Less
Short stories work best when they have peripheral action, as opposed to too much backstory or inner monologue. This approach adds intrigue and personality but doesn’t bog down readers with unnecessary detail. The reader needs sufficient information so that he can understand both motivation and conflict, but not so much that he loses interest in what is going on around him.
A short story must grab a reader’s attention immediately, for if it doesn’t, it won’t hold it for long enough to keep him reading through to its conclusion. In order to capture their attention from start to finish, an author should give his readers plenty of hooks, whether through an intriguing character or by placing them in unfamiliar surroundings that prompt questions within his mind—questions which he can only answer with time and perseverance on his part.
Mix Things Up
Varying sentence structure can also be helpful to keep your reader engaged throughout your narrative. For example, long sentences may pack a good punch in some sections, but in others make them shorter or change up their rhythm entirely for better effect. The best stories are those that take risks with their language; varying sentences not only gives you room for experimentation, but it keeps your writing from sounding stale or repetitive as well. Here’s an example:
John left work late. The streets were empty.
Although short and simple, it’s just plain dull because there’s no real variety in sentence structure here—each is exactly four words long. Even when used as part of larger sentences (such as dialogue), it’s easy for something like this to grow tiresome. By adding some changes in rhythm, you keep your reader engaged:
John left work late on a Thursday night. The streets were empty save for a stray dog or two trotting down an alleyway.
And so on.
With writing fiction, nothing is off limits; try out new verb tenses or word structures within each section and see what works best. It’s unlikely that you’ll stumble upon perfection on your first try. Use these experiments as learning experiences that will help refine your style even further as you write more stories down the road!
Conflict
Don’t forget to add in some conflict! Just like a novel, without conflict, there’s nothing for readers to latch onto as they read along with your protagonist as he/she goes about their daily lives! Your story needs conflict (internal or external) to be interesting—conflict adds drama and can turn an average plot into something truly special! The best part is that adding conflict doesn’t require you to spend hours outlining…instead, try pinpointing one area where your character is struggling. Are they looking for love? A job? Trying to fit in at work? Make sure you address at least one area where things aren’t going well. This could be anything from fighting with siblings to trying desperately not to get fired from work.
Be the Short Story teller
With all of that in mind, I’m certain that you will find a path through the story in your head that is short but satisfying. Remember to be careful and make it believable. A great place to look for examples and inspiration is at #shortstorywednesday on Twitter or any fiction section of an online bookstore. When done right, stories are so much more than just words arranged into sentences; they teach us things about ourselves, other people and sometimes even life itself. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a piece of paper (or screen) and tell your story!
-R.E.
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Self Care is Important for Writers
Writing can be incredibly rewarding, but it’s not simple work! A lot of writers end up dealing with a lot of stress and emotional instability in their personal lives and their writing lives. It’s important to take care of yourself, both physically and mentally, if you want to remain healthy and able to continue writing for the long haul! Self Care is as important to a writer as the desk they work from. Learn why and read about some helpful resources for maintaining your mental health.Here are some ways to keep yourself sane as a writer so that you can avoid burnout, anxiety, or other emotional problems related to your writing career.
Develop Good Habits
This should come as no surprise, but good habits make all of us feel better. And we already know that writers have enough to worry about—no need for you to worry about your health, too. Write at least three healthy habits and give yourself a week or two (depending on how bad things are) to incorporate them into your life.
Remember: if you don’t take care of yourself, you can’t do your best work. Setting up small, daily goals is one of many ways to improve your self-care habits. Here are some ideas: drink more water; walk around while you talk on the phone; meditate after breakfast. Make these changes one at a time, so they don’t seem like much extra work and before long, they will be part of who you are!
Eat Better
Give your body what it needs for optimum energy with healthy, nutrient-rich foods. Simple carbs and processed foods can leave you feeling lethargic and sluggish, making it hard to get into a creative groove. Eat plenty of vegetables and lean protein so you have plenty of energy for writing, taking care of yourself, or just playing with your kids. It also helps to eat mindfully. For every meal, make sure you’re not distracted by work or other obligations. Finally, slow down. Eating fast can lead to unhealthy weight gain over time due to increased calorie consumption.
Everything in Moderation
Don’t be afraid to indulge now and then; sometimes that chocolate chip cookie really hits the spot. Just make sure you monitor your portions and stay within a reasonable limit most of the time. And if all else fails? Move! Physical activity is absolutely necessary for brain health besides keeping excess pounds at bay. Keep in mind that food is fuel—your body will run best when it has quality fuel (both in terms of quantity and quality). It’s important to take good care of yourself even if you don’t feel like doing much else! You want all your energy focused on writing!
Do whatever helps you achieve optimal productivity without compromising your health too much–and see a doctor if something gets worse instead of better! Besides aiding your health, seeing a doctor could prevent serious future problems from developing.
Exercise
It’s no secret that regular exercise is good for you, but how much exercise do you need? If you want to write regularly and consistently, it’s best if you try to get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (or 20 minutes of intense-intensity exercise) every day. The key with exercising is variety—do lots of different things! And don’t forget about strength training: You need it too.
Staying physically fit will also improve your posture. That can help prevent or ease back pain when typing for long periods of time. Workout routines should include exercises for your legs, abdomen, lower back and upper body; consider doing stretches before each workout.
Breathing exercises are also beneficial. They help reduce stress and strengthen respiratory muscles by filling lungs with more oxygen than normal breathing allows. Regular exercise helps combat disease and makes recovery easier after an illness has set in. Also helps relieve stress, which directly relates to anxiety and depression. These are among many issues writers face frequently during their career. Exercise releases endorphins which make us feel happy; they become naturally triggered by vigorous movement such as fast running or even jumping up and down while playing sports like tennis or soccer.
Have a Routine
When you’re writing every day, it’s important to have some sort of routine. Some writers enjoy working during specific hours of the day. Many need absolute silence, while others prefer lots of background noise. Maybe you work better outside or perhaps sitting in your pajamas works best for you. There are no hard and fast rules—maybe one day it takes five minutes and another day it takes ten hours. If you don’t stick with a routine that works for you, things will probably go haywire. That said, there’s no reason routines shouldn’t change over time—there’s nothing wrong with trying something new! Just evaluate whether something works before going all-in on it.
Build in Writing Breaks
Every day, take some time to do something unrelated to writing that you enjoy. For many people, it’s walking or stretching after sitting still for hours on end. If those things don’t appeal to you, play a quick game of pool or go work out at your local gym. It may surprise you how little time it takes before you feel rejuvenated enough to keep working on your project with new enthusiasm. One essential aspect of surviving as a writer is balancing non-writing activities with your work life. Planning daily writing sessions can lead to writer’s block and burnout.
Instead, schedule your writing breaks into each day and make sure they actually happen. Spend five minutes of every hour doing something unrelated to writing (besides eating or drinking). Give yourself space from your work and you’ll increase your focus when it’s time for focused work. If you find yourself tempted to do non-writing activities during these breaks—go ahead! Walk around and stretch. Get some water. Breathe in nature. Just be sure not to get lost on YouTube or Twitter. For many writers, limiting screen time helps reduce distractions while they’re trying to get words down on paper.
Keep a Journal
Keeping a journal is also an excellent way to get through that writer’s block. The very act of putting thoughts on paper will often spark ideas for story ideas, characters, and plot twists—plus it keeps you practicing your writing skills. By switching off between working on projects and keeping a journal, you can keep yourself sane while still accomplishing work. You might even surprise yourself with some unexpected insights that come during journaling.
There will be periods when you need to sit still and think, such as during an airplane flight. Take advantage of them by journaling about how your story is going so far and what could happen next. The more you write when you don’t need to, even if it’s just one page per week, will help keep ideas flowing and stop the creative block from taking hold!
Don’t Compare Yourself
It’s easy to compare yourself to others who seem more successful. But what seems like failing is often just part of an upward trajectory. A writer who has only published one book isn’t less successful than a writer with multiple books under her belt; she’s simply behind on her career path, and there’s no shame in that. If you feel defeated by someone else’s success, stop and remember that you are where you need to be right now. All of your experiences (even those without obvious value) will bring you where you need to go in due time.
It’s easy to get sucked into comparing yourself to other writers. You see someone with a book deal or six-figure advance and want to know how you could get there—but making comparisons just makes things worse. Don’t compare your rough draft to other people’s finished novels; instead, focus on how far you’ve come. And always remember that everyone has their own journey—and every person’s path is different! Don’t compare yours to anyone else’s. Instead, focus on personal growth over time and celebrate your successes along the way. Remember: Imitation doesn’t make for better writing; it only reinforces bad habits that will keep you from ever becoming successful!
Join a Writers Group
Whether you’re just starting out or have been in it for years, writing can be one of the most isolating professions. People don’t always understand what you do—and why you love it so much—and that can make dealing with rejection and criticism especially hard. But support networks can come in many forms, and some writers find that regular meet-ups with other writers are an essential part of keeping themselves sane.
There are several ways to find or start a group that meets up locally. You might also consider joining your local branch of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) where there are groups dedicated to different writing, such as young adult fiction, middle grade fiction or picture books. While these groups don’t focus on critiquing each others’ work (though they certainly will if desired), they provide mutual support and encouragement.
Writers groups offer members opportunities to network through sharing contacts, events and social media. Other communities like Mastodon’s WritersCoffeeClub also offer online communities in which people share ideas and critique works online rather than face-to-face. And for those who prefer more tactile interactions, workshops run by publishers often offer lots of useful advice from published authors about how to stay motivated, write more consistently and engage readers from a wide range of genres.
De-clutter Your Workspace and Mindset
Clutter can stress us out, take up our attention, and force us to postpone things in order to make way for something else. De-cluttering your physical environment and your mind will help you find peace of mind and get more done—especially if you’re prone to procrastination. The first step is knowing where to start: use some sort of productivity app or plain old pen and paper to break down your projects into manageable chunks.
Get started by letting go of what doesn’t matter right now, mentally (and physically) decluttering whatever space that project takes up in your life/minds, then setting realistic goals for each small task along with deadlines to keep yourself on track. Procrastinators are often perfectionists; focus instead on getting stuff done rather than being perfect at it. Prioritize tasks by writing them down, putting them into lists or with colors/labels/etc., so that you can quickly see what needs doing next (as opposed to having an anxiety attack about it). Similarly, keeping yourself organized helps manage stress and feel accomplished!
Prioritize Health
The benefits of self-care are many, but there’s one in particular that appeals to me: it can positively impact my creative output. If I’m feeling mentally and physically healthy, I’ll be able to produce higher quality content consistently. When we release stress, we have more space for creativity. It is worth it for me—and you—to devote time and energy to caring for ourselves each day.
-R.E.
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How Great Adaptations Can Make the Heart Sing
What happens when Hollywood decides to adapt one of your favorite books? There are several reasons why they might do this, and some of them can be positive. Hollywood isn’t just in the business of making money; they’re also in the business of artistry and storytelling, and they have the opportunity to take your beloved story and turn it into something new but just as compelling—maybe even more so. Read on to learn how movie adaptations can still be successful despite their differences from the original work.
When going to the movies, it’s important to keep in mind that movies are not novels and vice versa. Each form of art has its own set of strengths and weaknesses, and the same story told in two different forms will have its own unique twist. When adapting books into movies or television shows, there are plenty of liberties that need to be taken in order to translate each medium’s storytelling style onto the other one as effectively as possible.
When you read a book, your imagination can bring the story to life in ways the author never even imagined, and that’s one of the best parts of reading. Movie and television adaptations of books are often criticized for not being true to the source material, but this doesn’t have to be the case if you take advantage of everything a new storyteller has to offer. Here are three reasons why adaptations can still be successful.
Adaptations and Readers Imaginations
When readers pick up a beloved book, they are creating an image of what everything looks like in their head. To them, it is their own story. When movies or television series based on novels come out and have to change details, it can be hard for readers to accept that their vision of the characters and events doesn’t match up with what is shown on screen. However, different adaptations are simply a new form of artistry. Writers from movie studios or production companies do not have to follow every detail that was written in a novel but instead retell stories through someone else’s eyes—the director. Readers understand there might be some differences, even if they don’t agree with them.
Adaptations allow people who never read books to experience these adventures and share in these great stories while still keeping elements close enough to please readers who fall deeply in love with novels. The key is understanding that film interpretations aren’t trying to replace how readers imagined things; rather, they are trying to show everyone how other storytellers interpret their works and present it through a medium that adds more capabilities than just words on a page. Whether you choose a movie adaptation or stick exclusively to reading novels, keep an open mind when watching films because both tell very similar yet uniquely different versions of our favorite stories!
When I read the description of a character my mind builds an image of that person based not only on the description provided by the author, but my own personal experience as well. If I say I’ve dropped a deck of cards and they all fell face down what cards do you see? What about the surface I dropped them on? I didn’t specify table or floor. Did you add one or the other? Both?
The whole point of adapting novels for movies is because people want to see something other than words on a page or an e-reader screen (that I would argue has much better resolution these days than your average cinema screen). They want to see story translated into pictures, sound and feeling. In order for readers to understand how well or not-so-well that translation went over, they need to be able to envision something in their heads before either watching or reading a movie. They need to accept, as well, that what they envision will not be displayed on the screen.
A Different Telling Of a Story
It’s very common for media adaptations to change certain details or leave out some parts of stories that they are adapting. Some of these changes are needed because translating a written story into a film or television show is complicated. For example, some mediums just don’t have time to include every scene from a book or piece of writing. While reading, you have time to imagine what happens between action scenes, but in a movie you have at most a few hours to tell a story and each second counts.
An adaptation may also leave things out because they don’t fit with the cinematic or directorial vision for the telling of that story. In any case, it doesn’t necessarily mean that an adaptation will fail as long as it follows one key rule: Don’t try to be something else than what it was intended to be.
Movies like Harry Potter do not need to follow their books chapter by chapter word by word in order to still feel authentic and true, even if they diverge somewhat from the original story (we don’t get many Quidditch matches on screen). Instead filmmakers can treat such stories as opportunities to explore new artistry and deliver another version of a beloved tale – for people who couldn’t get enough of one version but are looking for something different in another rendering.
When I view an adaptation, I appreciate the subtle (and sometimes aggressive) changes to characters, timelines, and scenes. While many people look for an exact replica of the prose, I tend to feel somewhat underwhelmed but the experience. It’s like going to a concert and having the record played to you song for song, note for note. Sure it sounds great on paper or even better on recording, but there’s nothing like hearing someone play that guitar live; they might not be able to play every single note in tune but their passion and energy brings something new to that same set of notes.
Sure, it might be slightly different than what was intended on paper, but in most cases those differences make for a better interpretation of the material. If we can start treating adaptations with respect instead of looking at them as cash-grabs from greedy corporations that only want our money then maybe we’ll get better adaptations more often – because then those companies will take risks and create new artistry instead of trying so hard to be exactly what has come before them.
Adaptations and Artistry in Film
Understand that there are two kinds of adaptations: faithful and inspired. Faithful adaptations attempt to take a straight path from page to screen without any deviations in tone or characterizations. Inspired ones reshape characters and situations to fit them into new genres. Neither one is necessarily better, although audiences do tend to favor one over another depending on personal preference.
Film is a different art form than writing, but it can still be used to explore new ideas. In film and television, you can see how scenes may have been imagined differently by each storyteller. For example, Lord of The Rings is based on a book by J.R.R Tolkien, but Peter Jackson created his own stories and storytelling with his version of that world. Each filmmaker brings their own artistic style to each movie they make and explores their storytelling with films that are theirs alone. It’s possible for movies or shows based on books to be just as successful even if they don’t stay true to every detail in the original novel; films can create new ways for readers to imagine stories in ways they never could through words alone.
This doesn’t mean adaptations shouldn’t use details from the source material — these details should inspire new directions in artistry so filmmakers can succeed at making great work no matter what medium they choose. What’s important about an adaptation is not sticking to every detail exactly, but finding a new way to tell an old story in order to provide inspiration for readers and other writers alike. The best retellings change things up while capturing all the things readers love about their favorite works of fiction.
A good adaptation will draw inspiration from its source material, but stand apart as something unique that fans won’t want to miss out on. Just because a film isn’t 100% faithful to its original source material doesn’t mean it won’t please its audience just as much—or more—than those who prefer absolute faithfulness above anything else.
-R.E.
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How To Know If You’re A Plotter Or A Pantser
Plotters and pantsers are two very different types of writers, and they approach the writing process in very different ways. Plotters like to have every detail planned out before they start writing, while pantsers prefer to dive right into their stories without any sort of outline or planning.
Plotters vs pantsers is a debate that’s been around almost as long as writing has existed. Is your style more pantser than plotter? Or vice versa? Or is it somewhere in between? Wherever you fall on that spectrum, there’s no denying: A little planning goes a long way towards helping you craft a work you can be proud of—and one that readers will love to read. But which approach works best? The answer depends on your personality and your creative process, but we’ll give you some insight into each approach to help you decide which one is right for you.
Plotters
Plotters outline every detail of their story before they begin writing. They are never surprised by where their story takes them and can usually describe exactly how a book will end from day one. Plotters may use elaborate spreadsheets, detailed character information, and chapter outlines for each book in a series. When plotting out a project, plotters think about questions like: What is my overall goal for each book? What needs to happen first? What details need to be worked out right now? How can I anticipate possible story concerns down the road? How can I plan ahead to address these issues effectively? Where do things get really hairy later on?
Plotters may not have all of these answers at once, but as they write their books and get feedback from editors, beta readers, and critique partners (to name a few), plot holes or inconsistencies become obvious. Plotting doesn’t work for everyone—some people love it while others hate it—but those who don’t mind it enjoy more success getting published and earning higher advances than those who try to figure everything out as they go along.
The Plot Thickens
Plotters tend to write stories that feel more complete because there’s little unexpected left-turns in any given chapter or scene. This is important when pitching ideas and if you’re trying to win over an editor. If you know your characters inside and out, you’ll also be able to play with possibilities within your world much more easily. Plotters typically take longer to publish because they’re doing a lot of extra thinking before getting started on actual writing time. Their process feels slower, but what matters most is consistency and deadlines met. These writers also worry less during edits because they’ve already done so much prep-work. There’s less guesswork involved.
The downside of plotting is that many writers find outlining too restrictive, dull, and unimaginative; some authors even dislike being hemmed in by rigid plans for their characters’ actions instead of letting those choices evolve organically based on what makes sense under certain circumstances and how their characters would actually behave. The best way to know if plotting works for you is to try it! Create an outline—either mental or physical—and see if you find yourself looking forward to turning your big idea into pages upon pages of unforgettable prose.
If you don’t see much joy in planning your novel before you write it, then perhaps you’re better off following another path when it comes time to actually draft your story . . . so let’s talk pantsers!
Pantsers
The Pantsers are people who write without any preconceived idea about how their book will turn out. They start writing and let the story unfold as they go along. In some ways, writing a book is like solving a mystery, you don’t know what’s going to happen until you do it. The first thing they do is sit down and start writing!
Sometimes an outline can help, but more often than not that can be restricting for these writers. Whatever comes next has to flow from what has been written so far. Letting something happen naturally is sometimes difficult for an editor who likes things planned out beforehand! Many pantsers feel that pantsing gives them a ‘naturally flowing’ piece that feels much more authentic than something done by someone who plans everything beforehand.
By The Seat of Your Pants
Writers need to have faith in themselves and trust in their own abilities, allowing those inner voices (inner muse?) lead the way. Otherwise, where would we all be with reading such interesting books? We wouldn’t have come across such great tales if writers hadn’t taken risks on their stories and letting them grow organically into compelling plots!
Pantsers can run on instinct and come up with characters, motivations, and events as they go along. These writers follow wherever inspiration takes them through each word, yet con’s include rushing through storylines and coming up with issues later in progression due to lack of planning properly at first. The pantsing method allows for great flexibility; however, that comes at a cost. Consistency within your plot may be difficult to achieve if you write by seat of your pants.
It also takes quite a bit longer for first drafts since you’re constantly revising your material until it feels right. When readers find flaws in your story (i.e., major plot holes), it might be more difficult than usual to fix said problems because you won’t have a detailed outline upon which you can rely.
No Wrong Way to Write
There’s no wrong answer. Many writers even prefer moving between the two in their process. My method, for instance, starts with pantsing in a simplified program – one that eliminates distractions. I work through about thirty percent of the story, letting it form organically.
In that stage, the story is a ball of wet clay, and I am rolling it around in my hands, feeling it, letting it take strange shapes. Eventually the clay begins to resemble something recognizable and that’s when I move it into a structure-based program.
Here is where the plotting starts in earnest. Where previously, I had been noting potential patterns, now I am pairing them as two ends of a curve. Using narrative tools like character arcs, crisis points, turning points, core questions and themes to pair with those curves.
I try to come up with 3-5 pairs at any given time. It might be: someone’s secret comes out; they reach an all-time low; but then has a breakthrough moment as someone important opens up their heart to them again; everyone (including themselves) sees real growth from that point on… Another pair might be: Someone wants something (rescue); They do everything possible to obtain it (chase); But it never appears no matter how much they chase after it.
Do What Feels Right
By using both methods I allow the story to develop organically. If, at some point later in the plotting, I decide to deviate I am comfortable doing so knowing that I will return to form once the idea has been given room to grow, to breathe. Instead of working with a single outline, trying to force every idea into place before writing a word—an approach I find leads inevitably to writer’s block—I prefer a tool that allows me to take on board new ideas and let them evolve as my book does.
That’s what works for me and my own process for creating stories; it may not work for everyone else but why not give it a try? Figure out what works best for you! It doesn’t matter if you are just starting out as an author or an experienced writer: we all have different ways of approaching our craft and these are two proven approaches. Try them out and see how they suit your style. Take a look at our list of 10 Great Books We Love About Writing for more inspiration on finding your writing style.
We’ve all heard it said that every writer is a little bit of both. That adage couldn’t be truer. Each and every one of us has our own unique style and process for creating stories. There is no right way to write a book. So, if you haven’t already, I encourage you to try both plotting and pantsing out loud with friends, family members, colleagues – whoever will listen! Find out what works best for you then run with it. Your favorite author may swear by pantsing, but that doesn’t mean you have to follow in their footsteps.
Don’t Be Afraid to Change
Most writers start out as one type and become another, often within a matter of months. Be open-minded and willing to experiment, regardless of which writing style you choose. Whether you’re a planner or a seer, remember that once you have written your first draft, there’s no such thing as too much planning. (But don’t plan so much that you stop writing!) It takes time to figure out what works best for you, but in order to do that, you need practice.
Regardless of what type of writer you are now or hope to be later on, write! The more you write and learn about yourself as a writer and reader—and how they go together—the better off everyone will be. And if neither method is working for you right now, try practicing both! (See what I did there?) As we all know: Practice makes perfect. So get busy…writing!
-R.E.
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How Research Empowers Your Writing
Coffee Talk:
When you are writing fiction, thorough research can add realism to your narrative, heighten the sense of mystery in your story, and even help you to avoid clichés in your work. However, it’s important to remember that too much research can also get in the way of your storytelling and make it difficult for your readers to immerse themselves in the world you created. Use this guide on the power of research in writing fiction to learn how to get the most out of your research without wasting too much time getting bogged down in details you don’t need.
Research Can Save Your Story
An aspiring author might ask How can I incorporate research into my fiction? As part of their creative process, authors are faced with determining where information on a subject will be found. The general rule is that an author’s imagination is his primary research tool, but it’s also important to note that proper research can add realism to a narrative. Care should be taken, however, to avoid over researching and subsequently over describing when you are trying to relay the information on a subject. As writer Stephen King said,
‘The story begins in the Writer’s imagination but ends in the readers.’
The very best way to flesh out your story is by using your own vivid language so that you can paint a detailed picture for your reader’s mind. Always keep in mind why you are telling your story. Readers don’t want pages upon pages of descriptive paragraphs about how an object looks or feels. Instead they want you to get straight into narrating what happens next without stopping for dialogue or description. Why were they on vacation? Where did they go? Who was with them? Why did they suddenly snap at their husband or wife when he mentioned how hungry he was while they were driving to dinner? It all matters because every detail of every sentence adds character development and more depth to your narrative.
That depth must be properly managed with believable volume.
As we know, less is more and something as small as over-describing a room or a house can spoil an entire story if not handled appropriately. Equally, omitting details that add texture to characters and settings can leave the story feeling hollow. The proper research can literally save your story. If you are creating a character’s vehicle, you need to learn exactly how that vehicle operates. What are its features? What does it do when you push that button? How does it work when you turn on that knob? These kinds of questions will also lead you down avenues where you discover new ways for your character to interact with his car even in stressful situations which could lead to exceptional writing opportunities for these characters. As well writing styles evolve constantly so do rules for language use, better nuances added in descriptions enrich stories while time spent doing things well adds authenticity people crave from fiction they read today.
Why is Research Important?
When you write fiction, you want to give your readers as much authenticity as possible. To do that, you must do your research. Reading about how something is done and why it’s done a certain way will help you understand how to write about those activities and processes. For example, let’s say that one of your characters is a lawyer. Your character goes into court and presents his case. If you don’t know anything about what a lawyer does, it’ll be difficult for you to describe the courtroom scene accurately. But if you take time to learn about courtroom protocol and presentation tactics, then writing such a scene becomes easier because there won’t be any gaps or inaccuracies in your description. Through doing your own research, then honing that information into a story, you can create novels that are more authentic and realistic for readers—and achieve great success with them! Storytelling has been around since humans began telling tales around firesides.
What Does Research Entail?
Researching a story entails finding material to draw from. This may include government documents, records, interviews with real people or even simply referencing books or articles on similar topics. Once you have collected your information, organize it into relevant points that will be most useful to you as an author. Too much research can detract from your ability to tell a story quickly and accurately. Be aware of over-researching by outlining what you know about your subject matter before beginning research so that you don’t waste time gathering material that isn’t pertinent to your book’s plotline. The most important thing is choosing facts wisely; don’t overwhelm readers with unnecessary facts and figures, but make sure they know exactly what they need to know about their character or setting at any given moment during the narrative.
When I’m writing about a specific model of boat, I learn as much as possible about that boat. The dimensions, the history – both manufacturing and sales – the reputation, the main competitors. I want to know what famous person loved it and who hated it. I need to know what color it never came in and what nickname it got from professional boat racers when it was introduced. When I’m writing about the boat, I need to know all of this to inform my image of the boat. The reader, however, just needs to know enough about the boat to inform the story.
Tips For Using Research Wisely
Good writers know when they’ve gotten as much as they can out of research and it’s time to start writing. A story is not a resource. It is something that must be carefully distilled, and if you’re focusing too much on your resources, you’re going to end up with a data dump rather than a story. The goal isn’t to cram in all available information about how something works or looks or behaves; instead, you need to find what’s essential and eliminate what isn’t. Carefully select your sources, use them well and wisely—and let them serve your story!
The nuances that you uncover while researching are just as important as the more obvious facts.
Do you have a sense of just how much detail you’re putting into your story? Are you spending more time describing settings and actions than advancing your plot? Are there sections where nothing much is happening, but you feel like you need to explain things instead of trusting your readers to infer for themselves? Is your character’s speech stiffer than it needs to be because you’ve found an online slang dictionary? If so, back up and take another look at what you’re doing. Just because it’s on Wikipedia doesn’t mean it belongs in your book.Too Much of a Good Thing
Over-researching your story can be as much a problem as not researching enough. If you’re enjoying yourself too much digging up interesting tidbits, you can easily lose sight of your story’s ultimate purpose—telling an entertaining tale. Too many details will weigh down your prose and distract readers from what is actually happening. Use research to improve your writing, but don’t let it take over completely. Once you’ve collected all your information, close out those extra tabs; they won’t help you when your editor starts asking pointed questions about why each character speaks with a British accent. The key to weaving together fact and fiction is knowing when to stop researching so that you’re left with just enough detail for realism without overdoing it or exhausting yourself. That said, if something doesn’t sound right or makes no sense, don’t ignore it! Go back through everything again until everything aligns perfectly with each other.
When you over-research, your writing style might suffer. You may find yourself spending too much time discussing minutiae rather than putting forth actionable prose for your reader. With either problem, you will lose your audience. Stay away from these pitfalls by remembering that less is more when researching your work.
The Pitfalls of a Poorly Researched Story
When you don’t take time to properly research your story, it has a tendency to read like fiction. Readers will catch on if they can spot inaccuracies in your characters or setting. They might not be sure exactly what is off, but they’ll notice that something isn’t right. Experts in certain fields won’t be too excited with inaccurate depictions of their daily lives. As fiction writers, we give from our imaginations, but those imaginations must be fed useful facts in order to properly function. A poorly researched story can come across as nothing more than nonsense without the proper underlying facts. Every good lie is based in truth. If there are no truths woven into your fictional world, then everything falls apart and becomes just that: fiction. Not just bad writing but writing that could seriously harm your professional reputation as an author.
If you’ve put little effort into researching a topic, readers may start to wonder why any other aspect of your story deserves attention and consideration. If you go so far as to deliberately hide inconsistencies and mistakes for fear of ruining an otherwise engaging narrative or misleading readers about actual conditions…well, good luck convincing anyone of anything else again. Write at all costs? Not so much…not if that cost is one’s integrity as an artist and human being committed to telling honestly rendered stories informed by some semblance of reality.
-R.E.
