Tag: writing

  • The Nine Notes of a Well Sung Story

    The Nine Notes of a Well Sung Story

    Every song starts somewhere. We don’t think of it as ‘starting,’ unless we expect to sing the song. Birthday parties, concerts, even alone in our cars, we know the beginning of a song. We know, too, when it gets good, when the pitch changes, and when the singer hits that note. The one we probably shouldn’t keep attempting. If I focus on the moments behind the main plot points of my story, I can really make them sing. Here are the Nine Notes of a Well Sung Story.

    The Hook

    I know within a few seconds what kind of song I’m listening to. The instruments are all introduced; they set the mood; lyrics draw me in. The same is true of stories. In a few pages, I need to present a complete picture of the world that I have invited the reader in to. I need to set the stage and show the band. There will be one note in particular – the hook – that peaks the reader’s interest. If I don’t play it at the right time, they’ll never hear it and may not bother to listen to the rest of the song.

    Without a good hook, the story sounds more like a research report. Rather than the beginning to an adventure of discovery, the reader feels invited to leave the conversation altogether. There is no need to divulge all of your truths or spoil the ending you have planned, but here is where you tell the reader that the ending is worth the wait. The reader should feel a beckoning, a newfound purpose – to read the story, to hear the rest of the song. Once you have the reader’s ear, though, the work is just beginning.

    Crescendo

    “Let’s see where this goes.”

    My preference is escalation. It’s a good time to speed up the beat. Bring in a fresh voice and let it present a counter melody. Create a sense of urgency that makes the reader want to skip ahead to the chorus just to verify their lofty expectations. Hold them, though. Don’t let them get away. Here is where you define the story, the way ahead. Here is where the lyrics unfold like thick ribbons and wrap the listener in the weighted blanket of thought.

    You’ve introduced the band, now a familiar song plays. An old one, popular but from their earlier work. Nostalgia appears peppered through the crowd as whispered singing. The stragglers shuffle in, called by the siren sound of anticipation. They take their seats…

    The Minor Fall

    Following the first plot point, the story takes a turn. A new verse plays. Not a different one, but an entirely new one. Instruments the band has never used before take center. The drums fade out. This is no chorus. This is an affront to the song itself, a sudden refrain cutting through the predicted lyrics. The protagonist has had their world shaken.

    Here, lean into the somber melody that haunts the higher frequency just out of audible range. Don’t linger, but let the feeling stay awhile. Let it sink in like blotted ink and spread throughout the pages. If the hook and buildup were effective, the song still has its listeners. Listeners that are invested in every note. This change will, rather than shake them, draw them in more.

    Solo

    Sometimes a singer or instrument hits a note that vibrates more than just the air. Faces seem to wince in pleasure, heads tilt as if to let the results of that brief pleasure spill from a down-turned ear. Nearing the midpoint of your story, the protagonist will find their world forever changed. They will find that they are out of tune with the new world. This realization is sharp and cuts like an eclipsian contrast across the landscape.

    The audience has unknowingly fallen into the doldrums of a low melody made aware only thanks to a piercingly discordant twang that tilts their heads, makes them wince. More than anything, though, this realization note should resonate with the reader on a deeper level than the preceding prose. Humans live in cycles of wins and losses and those moments between them define us. Hit the note again. Then hit it again.

    The First Chorus

    It’s time for the audience to stop reacting. This song belongs to them. Where the realization leads into the midpoint of your story, this moment escorts the reader back out. The true power of the song is shining through. The reader is singing along. All the instruments have a say here. All the voices as well. There may be surprises later, but none that I haven’t at least hinted at by the end of this all important note. The story derives its title from this moment.

    These are the words that the audience will sing in the parking lot, in their cars, long after the show. The hero of the story, with a new understanding of the path ahead, can make the preparations needed to survive. In the meantime, they thrive. If there is a mountain that the protagonist intends to climb, the first chorus is the training montage.

    The Major Lift

    The only way to predict change is to enact it. Or, y’know, move past the midpoint of a good story. Change is as good for writers as it is protagonists. Here the hero reaches the peak that they so long prepared to ascend. Your reader should feel the elation surging through the pages. In terms of the perfect song, this is where the crowd is emotionally as one.

    Lighters dot the sunken canopy. More rush to join, like fireflies called to dance in moonlit glades, creating a star scattered reflection of the moment – the major lift. The rhythm here is steady, confident. A metered march where once uncertain ambling took center stage. There is a definite destination here, and the reader knows it. Keep your pace. They’ll likely move a couple of steps ahead of you…

    The Bridge

    Another abrupt change. Swayed by the euphoria of the previous note, the audience takes the reins prematurely. They belt out the first words of the chorus before seeing their error. That peak was only the beginning. A far larger mountain looms in the distance.

    You charlatan.

    Following the major lift, the third plot point shatters the protagonist. It should shatter the reader as well. Having been so invested in the singular goal of reaching the peak, learning it was merely a precursor can break anyone. This is the recovery phase. This is the bridge, a moment of change defined by tension that breaks up the expected exchange between chorus and verse. A time for the protagonist where reflection on how far they have come gets shadow stricken and diminished by the hulking figure of where they must now go. Through the bridge, they gather themselves and push forward.

    Second Chorus

    The chorus again. Harder now, and faster. Each movement is precise and practiced. Every note perfected during the first chorus gets put to good use here. The reader, the audience, you owe them this release. Let the world explode into a jubilant vibration of song. This is the confrontation – the moment where wins and losses are tangible, permanent.

    The audience can hear the desperation, the finality, the strain against going back ever again when forward promises an end to the pain. Drums thrum like a clash of swords over a lightning lit precipice. The weight of the moment is unrelenting. They know these words and they refuse to let go until they have had their say. When they are ready, they reach the last note as one with the band, holding it, extending the moment. Finally, it’s done. Everyone can breathe. The protagonist has won the day or lost everything.

    Coda

    The perfect song’s outro is the story’s resolution. This is your chance for a neat little bow, or teaser, if you’ve planned a sequel. This is the last note before the crowd shuffles towards the exits, happy to have experienced the music but sad to say goodbye. The curtains close, the lights go down, the hope for an encore fades into the night. The buzz is still in the air, though. Some will no doubt sing the song on the way home, tilting their heads at an imaginary twang.

    The end is only the beginning. Gently lower the reader from the heights of the story’s climax onto the soft cushion of closure. Recall the world that was once the normal, the hopes that the hero had to abandon and how they relate to their new circumstances. Escort the audience back around to the beginning of the song to make it easier for them to play it again. If you’ve hit all the right notes, hearing the song again is exactly what they will want to do.

    We know when the song ends. The same is true for stories. As we read them, we can feel the crescendo welling up to prepare for an epic climax. When they slow too much, we can feel the weight of them sag like sandbags against the side of a hot-air balloon. Whether you’re a pantser or a plotter, by following a structure, you can ensure that every note gets played right when you need the reader to hear it. When I write a story, I listen for nine specific notes. If they don’t ring out, I know it’s time for some changes. When I get it right, it’s music to my ears.

    -R.E.

  • The Black Hole on the Blank Page

    The Black Hole on the Blank Page

    If you have ever tried to write without starting from something tangible, you know it isn’t easy to do so. You might even spend more time deciding on what to write than actually writing it. So why do we keep saying never start with a blank page? There are many reasons. One of them is fear. Fear of judgment, fear of failure, fear of wasting time and energy, or the very human fear we are not good enough or won’t be able to produce anything worth reading. When this is the case, nothing gets done and the black hole keeps pulling us in deeper and deeper.

    The ‘Now’ of it All

    There is an idea that people have when they write that it needs to be perfect. But this isn’t true. It doesn’t need to be the best thing ever written. It just needs to start somewhere. Writers often stare at a blank page, paralyzed by their perfectionism. How can you go on with something when you know there are mistakes in the first sentence? But if you never start, then there will never be room for those mistakes to happen. You’ll always have that blank page staring back at you from your computer screen, no matter how many times you fire it up and try again.

    Worrying over the potential mistakes robs you of the opportunity to fix them. I like to tell myself that I have to get through the first writing so I can start the real writing. It is not possible to fix a sentence I haven’t written yet. So, I tell myself, I have to get through that first sentence. Once it’s written, there will be room to write another sentence. Once you’re past those first few sentences, then you can start worrying about cleaning up your writing. No cleaning allowed just yet though. For now, just focus on getting through that blank page and moving on from there. Once you have something on paper, then you can focus on making it better—but not before that point!

    Getting Started is Three-Quarters of the Battle

    A woodsman sees many trees, no doubt envisions them falling. He can hear the swing of the axe while sleeping. A woodsman smells the decay eating away at the trunk, predicts the fall of the leaves, knows well where the spring will bring fresh growth. A woodsman, however, is just a visitor to the park until he fells a tree. 

    The writer must learn to see before he writes. He needs to know how his story begins and ends before he even sets pen to paper or fingers on the keyboard. Writers have it especially hard when it comes time to get started. Just get something down on the page, get the bad writing out of the way so you can make room for good writing later on. 

    A blank page can be overwhelming and there’s nothing worse than staring at a computer screen not knowing what you want your characters’ next move to be. The blank page is an intimidating opponent that makes you feel like a small child faced with an exam they haven’t studied for yet. But don’t let it beat you! Fight back against this foe by giving yourself something to fix. Having a goal in mind will help you find words quicker instead of sitting around waiting for inspiration or working through writer’s block. When that goal is to fix the story you’ve laid out, the path becomes more clear.

    Just Write Something – Anything

    Even if it is just one sentence, it will get you moving in the right direction. If your blank page is overwhelming you, then start smaller and gradually build up from there. Maybe try brainstorming 10 sentences about an idea or thought. Or you could try summarizing what you want your audience to know about the topic. Your project doesn’t have to be perfect at first. Focus on getting started instead of thinking about what might happen later when you’re done writing. Break through the writer’s block. Don’t worry about how things turn out as long as they are on the page. Words are like magic. They have a way of making other words appear. Words that fit together and don’t. Words with meanings and without. It’s words, though, and that’s where we want to start. Those lead to long nights and knowing chuckles as you form sentences and paragraphs that you hadn’t yet considered. You couldn’t. Not while you were so hung up on that blank page, anyway.

    A Story Once in Motion

    It’s easy to get worked up about things. It starts small, of course, something you can shrug off. Over time, though, the little things snowball. One day, it all comes crashing down. It’s something I work at controlling. I also work at putting it to use. If you’re like me, snowballs roll downhill with great velocity. Sometimes it helps to just get something down on paper. It gets all that built-up energy moving.

    This can frustrate though, if your handwriting is difficult to read or if you’re accustomed to writing on a computer and want to use one. I find using a pen (and my troubling version of shorthand) allows me to write as fast as my mind moves while giving me a more present feeling regarding the page. It becomes something tangible. I can feel the dryness of the tightly bound fibers, smell the ink quickly drying. I can feel, too, the emptiness of the blank page. A blank page is as intimidating as it is open and exciting. There are no rules on how to fill it in, so anything goes. Just get that ball rolling. Scribble until the ink runs dry. Fill up pages in any way possible; sentences will eventually come out. Often, when they do, they bring more with them.

    You Don’t Know What You’ve Got Til It’s Done

    Don’t edit while you work. That latest sentence may seem like nonsense, but leave it for now. Later, it will probably hit the cutting floor. While you’re filling that blank page, though, don’t spare it the time, the thought. When the ball gets rolling, stay out of its way. Let it gain momentum and ride the slope all the way down.

    If you have any doubts about starting, just remember that you don’t know what you’re doing until you’ve done it. An outline only gets you so far. Planning the perfect story is a far cry from writing it and you’ll no doubt make changes as you progress with the meat of the work. There’s always room for improvement once you’ve written your first draft. That’s why we need to start somewhere, even if it feels like we might waste time by diving into the beginning without knowing how things are going to end. We can worry about the ending later.

    For now, let’s worry about getting done the first time. There’s nothing worse than starting and failing except for not starting, of course. Fail and fail often. The child who has fallen knows well how to stand again. Seeing for yourself that the pace grinds to a halt whenever you describe certain locations gives you something to work with. Likewise, seeing that your character is not growing or behaves erratically is easier when viewed over the breadth of a journey as opposed to the length of an outline.

    If You’ve Written 5 Pages, You’ve Got a Book

    Many creatives have trouble starting their work because they’re afraid of writing something bad. That’s okay. I used to be too. But if you write five pages, you’ve got a book. Give yourself permission to get the bad writing out of the way to make room for the good writing. And remember, it’s not about perfection, it’s about progress and improvement. It’s never too late or early to begin. Sometimes you just need those first five pages to break the ice so the rest comes easier. If you’ve written five pages, you have something to build on. You have something to critique. Something to share. Something worth showing others.

    Those five pages may not hold your main character or your theme or the perfect title. They will, however, hold the doorway to those things. The key is getting started and then continuing on from there. No one said it would be easy, and certainly no one said it would be fun all the time, either. Set deadlines for yourself, find accountability partners who will motivate you along the way, keep pushing forward – even if you know where the finish line is – and don’t give up when things seem hard.

    -R.E.

  • Bring On The Backstories!

    Bring On The Backstories!

    What makes a character seem real? Why do we empathize with some characters and not others? Backstory. Every character has one, even if we don’t know it (we’ll come back to this later). It’s what gives them depth and makes them relatable (or not). A well-rounded character needs a backstory. Why are they the way they are? To create a believable character, you need to answer these questions. You can use poetry and songwriting to explore your character’s past and help flesh them out. When writing backstories for my characters, I find it helpful to come up with three questions that might get me started with the answers I’m looking for. These include ‘What is their favorite memory?’ ‘What are their deepest hopes?’ and ‘What is their biggest fear?’.

    Write What You Know

    If you need inspiration, think back to your own life: where did you get the idea for your first job? What were some defining moments in school? How did certain relationships form or end? What were some of the other parts of life that contributed to making you who you are today? Remembering these things might help jog your creativity when trying to write the backstory of one of your characters. For example, you may find an interesting way to show how a character was rebellious as a child and how this impacted their decision-making later on in life. You could also make sure that any time something happens in the story, it’s always filtered through what your character would remember from his/her past.

    If you’re feeling stuck with this task, try thinking about why it is important to understand a character’s background. Knowing where they came from will give you insight into why they do what they do now. By understanding where they come from, readers are more invested in them. When people read stories with compelling characters and believable backstories, they often feel connected to them. These connections make for longer reading sessions because readers care more about what happens next!

    Foundations

    Backstory is the history and events that made your character who they are. It includes their experiences, their relationships, and the formative moments that shaped them into the person they are today. Without one, your characters will feel flat and two-dimensional. A well-developed backstory can make them feel real and relatable to your readers. Without a strong – or at least interesting – foundation, your characters will seem unsteady and crumble at the slightest inspection.

    A backstory helps ground readers in who your character is, what they care about, and where they come from. You can use this as an opportunity to let them grow as you’re writing. To show that someone who once was self-involved can now put themselves aside for others. Or maybe that someone who once had no experience with trauma has experienced something traumatic and can’t stop thinking about it. You can even show that someone who once only knew superficial relationships has found their person and knows what it means to have deep connections with people. The key is showing those changes rather than telling them outright. That starts with showing, not telling, the backstory. Not a simple task, but for a worthy character, it is an effort worth taking.

    The backstory is a lot more than just learning how they got their scars or what made them a particular way. It goes beyond that and shows something about who they are as a person and how they see themselves in relation to others. At its most basic, show at least one major event in their past. A moment that impacted who they are now and influenced how they grew up. This can be trauma – like being kidnapped or witnessing a murder – or positive experiences, like winning an award for athleticism or helping someone when no one else would. Those brief moments change us into who we are today and influence our future decisions. They also create a sense of continuity between your current story and what came before. These moments can act as catalysts for future events, which help lead them towards who they become.

    Before the Hook

    The backstory should contain information and events that occur prior to the hook. That doesn’t mean they need to be read then. In terms of story structure, the hook will always come first. We should weave backstory throughout the entire story, offering insight during times of character growth. The more a reader gets a sense of who the protagonist is, where they came from, what they care about most in life, etc., the more empathy they’ll feel for them. We want readers to care about our characters because it makes them more real. Real people have history. You can’t really know someone without knowing their past. Empathy with the protagonist leads to empathy with other characters and a desire to find out how everyone ends up – which leads back to page one.

    A character’s history is all the stuff that happened before your story starts. It’s their life up to where your story begins. History is also a part of who a character is, but it doesn’t have to be made explicit in order for the reader to understand. The reader will know what type of person they are based on their interactions with other characters in your story. Sometimes, this will be enough, but there may be instances where including the character’s backstory adds more depth or intrigue to a plot line.

    Rounding Up

    A well-rounded character will feel real to your readers and make your story more engaging. Try asking yourself these questions about your characters: What is their name? Where do they live? What is their occupation? How do they spend time outside of work? Who are the people in their life that care about them the most? What were some things that happened in their childhood or adolescence that shaped them into who they are today? Do they have any hobbies or interests that consume their free time? Is there something significant in their past that makes them act how they do now? If so, how did it happen and why does it still matter to them? Even if you don’t use all this information when writing your story, it will help you create realistic dialogue for your characters and flesh out minor details that may not be important for the plot but add depth to their personalities. Asking these questions about your characters before you write will also save you a lot of editing later on because you’ll know exactly who they are.

    It’s not just an author trying to make us cry or scream, but using emotional connections as a means of storytelling. For example, by understanding a character like Darth Vader as a tragic figure, he becomes more human. It’s hard not to pity him when we understand his struggle with being born into such terrible circumstances and seeing everything he loved taken away from him. We’re able to see his journey through his anger-fueled actions and empathize with him. He became evil in order to survive in a world gone mad – it was all he knew how to do anymore. And even though we hate him now (and will never stop loving him for it) we still understand why he did those things: the pain inside drove him on relentlessly until he had nothing left but anger and a super cool voice.

    Settings

    Settings can be meaningful characters, too. In such cases, settings should also have meaningful backstories of their own. Otherwise, they become mere props in the story. A setting is more than just where the story takes place. It has a personality and uniqueness all its own. If you think about how this or that place came to be, you’ll discover additional aspects of it that will make your writing richer and more layered. The tree that your protagonist leans against for a moment’s respite may come back around as a symbol of peace later. Why not give it a history of providing others such relief? When was it planted, who else leans? What did they pray over while resting there? What stories did people tell one another when sitting beneath it together at sunset? How old is it now, and what do the leaves look like? There are so many possibilities! You never know what details might stick out in someone’s mind if they’re walking through your setting.

    Back it Up

    When you create a backstory, remember that it should be consistent with your other descriptions of the character: age, temperament, socio-economic status, etc., but unique enough so that it stands out and doesn’t feel like filler information. Creating believable character backstories can be challenging. If you do it correctly, you will reap its benefits when crafting your narrative.

    When you craft a worthy backstory, it’s like adding in backup dancers to flesh out a performance. You’ve already got the key players on stage, now add some surprise elements for interest. Just as we might see subtle gestures from background dancers (or ballerinas) that are not part of the choreography but add depth to the dance piece, a well thought out backstory for your protagonist helps bring them alive in our minds and evoke their humanity.

    -R.E.

  • Poetry, Songs, and Lore

    Poetry, Songs, and Lore

    Creating worlds and crafting stories can be an enjoyable and rewarding process. However, crafting your world down to the smallest detail can take time and energy, and sometimes it’s hard to figure out how everything fits together in your universe. This is where lore comes in. It’s a great way to add depth and weight to your world without taking too much of your precious writing time away from the story itself. World building is one of the most important parts of any story. It’s also one of the most daunting things to think about, especially if you’re new to the world-building game. This guide will give you everything you need to know about creating your own worlds through song and poetry and lore.

    What is Lore?

    Lore is the body of knowledge, myths, and stories that a culture or group has accumulated. It can create a sense of identity and belonging, as well as to teach lessons and impart values. In terms of world-building, lore can help add history and depth to your fictional world. For example, Tolkien’s Middle Earth mythos is rich in folklore and song lyrics that illustrate different aspects of his created world such as its creation mythologies, languages, magic systems, etc. Characters are often seen singing or reciting songs which offer an insight into their character while simultaneously enriching the story’s background.

    There’s no secret to great lore, but there are definitely some things you can do to make sure your world-building is as strong as it can be. For starters, focus on creating a detailed history and backstory for your world. Think about the major events that have shaped it, and the people and cultures that inhabit it. Then, start writing poems and songs that help tell the story of your world. Not only will this add depth and richness to your world-building, but it will also give you a creative outlet to explore your world in new ways. You’ll likely research parts of your world that you may not have had time or thought to before, which means more detail and work added into your stories. And if nothing else, poetry and songwriting provide an excellent opportunity to get yourself invested in what you’re building! To really make it feel like home, try using a language native to your characters in both verse and prose. It might take a little extra effort at first, but the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel after using their language fluently will totally be worth it.

    Poetry

    Poetry is an art form that uses language to evoke emotion, create imagery, and tell a story. We can write it in any form or style, making it a versatile tool for world builders. Poetry can enhance existing stories without taking away from the plot line. Adding poems increases reader interest because readers want to know more about these people who were given this gift of words. The most important thing is that if you decide to include poetry in your novel or story — make sure it fits with the rest of your work!

    First person narrative

    A poem from the perspective of one of your characters will bring life to them and their feelings about their situation. You can also have them write poems about other characters, places, moments in time, etc.

    Reminiscence

    Poems about the past provide insight into why the character is where they are now. They’re great for revealing backstory. Try including poems as part of ritual ceremonies, songs sung by bards, and so on. Alternatively, you could have characters writing a poem before setting out on an adventure to get motivated.

    Political Messages

    Whether written by someone at court or by rebels plotting against their rulers, we can convey political messages through poetic verse. These often try to sway people’s opinions using metaphors and analogies while using double meanings when applicable.

    Exposition

    Poems that reveal information about the world’s mythology, religion, politics, etc. If someone has been exiled or punished by another faction within your society, this is a great way to show how they feel about themselves and their own worthlessness, as well as how society views them.

    Ballads

    Ballads were traditionally sung by bards, minstrels, or troubadours, and often used to tell tales of love, loss, or heroism. They can be one-stanza poems telling a moral lesson, or long epic poems with many stories woven together into the tale. Traditionally, they are lyrical poems with refrain lines sung in a narrative manner, usually in several parts. They may also be dance songs and instrumental pieces played on an instrument. Ballads are a great opportunity for world builders because they add depth to your world by giving it lore and history.

    Make it Sing

    Songs carry information, history, and tradition. They have always been a part of human culture. From Homer’s epics to Shakespeare’s sonnets, folk tunes passed down over generations, Viking sagas carved into runes on rock faces, the Great American Songbook made popular by Sinatra, Cole Porter and Gershwin – all contain important elements about who we are as a species. As human beings, we respond viscerally to music, which allows us to enjoy it and share it with others. Music is primal. Its melody and rhythm affect our very being on every level of our being. It has the power to soothe us when things get tough or excite us when times are good.

    Music stirs deep feelings within us, as well as memories. Memories of our own lives and memories of those around us we’ve shared in our past. When building a fictional world, try incorporating music to help create emotion and mood. Think about what kind of instruments might be found there and what sorts of styles would most likely to be popular. Is there any sort of prohibition against certain types of instruments? What does this prohibition mean for people living in this society? If there is no prohibition against any sort of instrument, then you’ll need to think about where these instruments come from – do they trade them with other societies? Do they make them themselves?

    Lore is Universal

    Rich lore helps create a fully realized world that readers can get lost in. Examples of great works with extensive lore include Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicles and Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastard series. These are both fantasy novels which require extensive world-building—but it still holds true for any genre or medium. Horror, in particular, springs to mind. Often children’s songs or nursery rhymes can also provide a wealth of information about the culture they come from, such as traditional stories and legends, myths and beliefs, historical events, customs and traditions. With the right care, they can be rather creepy, too. Writers have seen brilliant success with incorporating folklore into their books. These authors relied on their research to build a believable world and understand how certain mythologies impact society—or even shape its values.

    Characters Make the World

    Lore, poetry, and songwriting can help you build a richer history for your world. By creating songs and poems, you can add weight and depth to your world-building. More than that, it can add depth to your characters. A well-woven tapestry of lore can drape characters in the dignity of heritage and the nobility of heroism. In this way, lore not only creates the backdrop for fantasy worlds, it also creates an opportunity to explore deeper themes like heroism and legacy by adding nuance to the lives of characters overlooked in other types of storytelling.

    These techniques aren’t just for sci-fi and epic fantasy. We can use them in every genre, from historical fiction to romance! And if you’re stuck on how to create great dialogue, lyrics are the perfect way to breathe life into both character and scene. If your protagonist is in danger, then what better way to show her courage than through verse? If she’s lost love, then what better way is there to express her sorrows than through lyrical prose? You don’t need high-brow lyrics or eloquent verse—you need words that get at the heart of your story. Sometimes even writing something short can inspire because words don’t have boundaries—especially with telling stories.

    World-building is a lot like baking in that way. A wealth of ingredients is available. You need to choose them wisely and add them in the correct order. When you’re done with all the measurements, it’s time for some hard work—some oven time. Just as baking takes patience and dedication, world-building takes time too. There’s no instant gratification here! If you’re not careful or don’t do your homework, it will show when your world is ready to be tasted by readers. The best thing about adding weight and depth through lore is that once it’s baked into your world, it becomes an important part of what defines its culture and landscape. Give the reader a world to get lost in – its past, present, and future.

    -R.E.

  • A Tale of Three Genres

    A Tale of Three Genres

    Sci-fi, fantasy, and sci-fantasy are three of the most popular genres out there in books, movies, and video games. But what makes them different? And what makes them similar? Are they all just sci-fi with different names, or do they each have distinct differences? There are plenty of stories that mix and mingle the elements of these categories in interesting ways, but to make it simple, let’s look at these three genres individually. Whether you’re looking to write your first sci-fi book or you’re a seasoned fantasy author who’s never heard of sci-fantasy before, this guide will help you understand the differences between sci-fi, fantasy, and sci-fantasy.

    The History

    We widely accept that the first true science fiction novel was Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, published in 1818. We can find some elements of science fiction in earlier works, but none that so concisely define and introduce the form. As for fantasy, the roots of the genre are a bit more difficult to trace. Some say it began with oral storytelling traditions, while others point to works like The Epic of Gilgamesh or One Thousand and One Nights. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that fantasy took shape as a genre with works like George MacDonald’s The Princess and the Goblin and Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

    We usually root science fiction stories in reality but extrapolate a future out of current trends. Fantasy stories often involve magic, different worlds, and supernatural creatures. And finally, sci-fantasy involves elements from both genres (i.e., wizards fighting robots). The definition of what makes a story either sci-fi, fantasy, or sci-fantasy depends on who you ask. For some people, it’s when the story takes place in an imaginary world. For others, it is the level of scientific accuracy. Still, for others, it may have something to do with whether there are spaceships involved. Let’s inspect.

    Sci-Fi

    Science fiction is a genre of speculative fiction that typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts, such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universes, and extraterrestrial life. It has been called the literature of ideas, and often explores the potential consequences of scientific, social, and technological innovations. Sometimes, science fiction can be as a type of thought experiment in which one uses contemporary scientific knowledge to predict possible future events or developments. The genre has many subgenres. Books that combine elements of sci-fi and horror are classified as sci-horror, while those combining elements of sci-fi and suspense may be called thrillers. These categories sometimes overlap, as with Stephen King’s novel Firestarter.

    Authors sometimes use the term to describe stories written about things that have not yet happened but might happen in the future. For example, H. G. Wells’ War of the Worlds is an early work of British science fiction. Its opening lines are:

    No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man’s.

    The story starts off with an astronomical event occurring on Mars before describing a series of increasingly shocking events on Earth, culminating in what seems to be an invasion by Martians. However, given that Wells never saw himself as writing anything other than pure fantasy, we could accurately describe it as fantastic fiction with only fictional elements within it.

    Fantasy

    Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that typically deals with imaginative and supernatural concepts, such as magic, dragons, and elves. It often has a medieval or otherworldly setting, although it can also take place in the modern day. In most cases, the goal of a fantasy story is to allow readers to escape from their own world and experience something new. Themes vary depending on the author’s style, but common ones include justice vs. injustice, man’s inhumanity to man, conflict between humans and non-humans, tolerance for those who differ from oneself, and survival in extreme circumstances. There are three general types of fantasy stories: high fantasy, which involves worlds like Middle Earth; urban fantasy, which usually takes place in present-day society; and low fantasy, which deals with adventures against fantastical creatures like unicorns.

    Some books containing elements of fantasy can contain heavy realism. Examples of these include Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire and Catherynne M. Valente’s The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. These titles are rooted firmly in modern society rather than opting for more fantastical places like Middle Earth or Narnia. They focus less on topics like wizards and spells, instead concentrating on human struggles. They fall into the category of Low Fantasy. In contrast, George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series contains many traditional elements of high fantasy. Characters wield swords made of Valyrian steel and have names like Daenerys Targaryen and Jaime Lannister. I would not categorize this series as Low Fantasy because its setting is closer to medieval times. Also, unlike Interview With the Vampire and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, this series is primarily about action and fighting. Finally, regarding thematic content, A Song of Ice and Fire deals heavily with death—which ties into the man’s inhumanity to man theme.

    The similarities between science fiction and fantasy largely depend on what elements the author incorporates into their work. In both genres there is an emphasis on adventure with fantastic elements such as spaceships or time travel, but unlike science fiction there isn’t much research involved because of its make-believe nature. Instead, writers create their own universes with magical beings and universes. Although some people think that sci-fi and fantasy are interchangeable terms, they aren’t actually the same thing at all. With science fiction, there is heavy reliance on scientific principles, while in fantasy, these principles don’t exist at all. For example, whereas one may predict when the sun will rise based on factual information collected by scientific means, wizards don’t need to do any calculations when casting spells!

    Sci-Fantasy

    A genre that has risen in popularity in recent years, sci-fantasy is a blend of science fiction and fantasy. It’s a story that takes place in a world that is not our own, but which contains elements of both science and magic. Often, it includes elements of both genres, such as magic and futuristic technology. Besides an otherworldly element, sci-fantasy also has a focus on world-building. In a sci-fantasy story, the world is just as important as the characters. Unlike science fiction, sci-fantasy relies more heavily on tropes, like dragons or fairies, for their story to be believable. Unlike traditional fantasy stories which can take place anywhere from modern day Earth to fictional kingdoms far away from home, sci-fantasies are typically set in an alternate reality or in another galaxy entirely, one that may include spaceships or robots alongside medieval weaponry like swords and sorcery spells!

    The themes explored in these stories are usually those of science vs. nature, or technology vs. magic. Characters in these stories often have to choose between two worlds, or two ways of life. As a result, they often see both sides of the argument. A character raised in a technologically advanced society may find themselves drawn towards magic because it represents something pure and untouched by modernity. This is not always the case. When writing sci-fantasy, you need to pay attention to detail so readers know what kind of world your characters inhabit.

    There’s also an important distinction between this genre and sci-fi/fantasy cross over books such as Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy (which includes elements of sci-fi, fantasy, horror). In sci-fantasy novels, the setting is not just one or the other but a combination of both. There might be fantastical creatures living alongside humans on Earth in an imagined future. Writers like Gene Wolfe, Margaret Atwood, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., and John Wyndham all explore this idea in their work. That said, this isn’t really a subgenre so much as a theme. Some authors write stories that straddle the line between genres. J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings falls into this category – its epic scale and exploration of themes about good vs evil make it fit more than one category at once.

    What Will You Write?

    Sci-fi, fantasy, and sci-fantasy each have an intellectual component, while literary fiction is more emotional. Unlike literary fiction, their plotlines often have twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end. Because of the lack of grounding in real life, the plots are usually less complicated than other genres. That doesn’t mean that some modern authors haven’t taken great care to make them feel plausible. That’s what makes sci-fi, fantasy, and sci-fantasy so fascinating to explore. As you delve into each genre, there will be plenty of overlap—but you’ll also find nuances that set them apart.

    If you choose to stay within a certain genre, know that some elements may stray. It’s up to you and your editing team to go back and change to fit the theme. It may also be beneficial to leave yourself open to wherever the story takes you. Once written, the story can be defined and then honed. In sci-fi, there must be science fiction. If they’re not, they could technically fall under another umbrella. To qualify as fantasy, it needs to include something fantastical happening beyond human understanding (e.g., magical powers). Sci-fantasy incorporates both science fiction and fantasy. Whatever you have when you finish, be sure it’s something your readers will love.

    -R.E.

  • The End is Only the Beginning

    The End is Only the Beginning

    When you’re writing your novel, story, or screenplay, the end of your story may seem like an eternity away. It might even seem like the easiest part of the process to ignore, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Your ending doesn’t have to be epic or grandiose; it just needs to wrap up your plot and characters in such a way that readers feel fulfilled by their time spent with your story world and characters, as well as eager to get back into that world through future books/stories in your series.

    If you truly want to show off your skills, you need to craft a great ending, one that ties up any loose ends and brings closure to the story. This can be difficult if you haven’t planned and left yourself room to add an ending chapter or epilogue. Here are some tips on how to write a satisfying ending that will leave your readers wanting more… and maybe even clamoring for another book from you!

    Planning For an End

    It’s important to know how you want your story to end before you write. This will give you a goal to work towards and help keep you from getting stuck along the way. Once you have an ending in mind, start planning for it by planting clues and foreshadowing throughout your story. This will make the ending feel earned and satisfying for both you and your readers. Finally, don’t be afraid to change your plans as you go. Sometimes the best endings are the ones we didn’t see coming.

    With this in mind, when you’re halfway through your story, try to step back and ask yourself if there’s another way it could turn out that would be more interesting or surprising. If so, take a stab at rewriting the final few chapters with this new information. And always remember – not every story needs to end happily ever after!

    It can be hard knowing when enough is enough though, which is why it helps to spend some time thinking about what kind of ending you want so that you’ll know when you’ve found it!

    Knowing When Your Story is Over

    It’s difficult to know when your story is truly over. You may have reached the end of your plot, but there are still loose ends that need to be tied up. Or you may feel you could keep going, but you’re not sure if you have anything else to say.

    Here are a few tips for knowing when your story is over:

    • 1) The character arc is complete (e.g., they’ve learned their lesson and changed).
    • 2) The external conflict has been resolved.
    • 3) There’s an important event in the character’s life (e.g., death, birth, marriage), and it feels right to end it there.
    • 4) If something happened which means that life will never be the same – sometimes called a crisis point – and it feels right to leave things where they are now.

    When you realize your story is done, be proud of yourself! Finishing a book or blog post requires commitment and hard work. Now is the time to go back through and make sure everything lines up with your original vision. Make any necessary changes to make it clear what needs to happen next, or what you want readers to take away from the story. And finally, write that last sentence! Be brave and bold as you craft an ending that feels fitting for your characters. Good luck with bringing it home!

    There’s More Than One Way to Finish

    It’s helpful to consider all the ways your story could end before you decide on the perfect one. What would be the most satisfying for your readers? The most unexpected? The one that ties up all the loose ends? Once you’ve considered all of your options, you can choose the ending that feels right for your story.

    If you are writing a romance novel, maybe an unlikely couple gets together in the end, and they live happily ever after. Or maybe there’s only love between two people, but it’s not romantic love and they stay friends forever. Here, it might be better to have them live their separate lives with fond memories of each other rather than get together at the last minute.

    Either way, make sure that your readers are the focus. What would be the most satisfying for your readers? Once you’ve considered all of your options, you can choose the ending that feels right for your story.

    Showing, Not Telling

    Sometimes ‘Happily Ever After’ is just not informative enough. If you’ve crafted engaging characters, your readers may feel that there is something missing from the story. Giving closure is important, even in an ongoing series. Closure, though, doesn’t have to mean a finite conclusion to the overall story arc. Sometimes it simply means the reader has been given satisfaction.

    The best way to end your story is to show, not tell. By this, we mean you should avoid simply summarizing what happened in the story. Instead, try to include a scene that shows the overall theme or moral of the story. This will leave readers with a lasting impression and will make them more likely to remember your story. It also allows you to weave any other important messages about life into the ending.

    An example might be Alice (character) realizes something destined her for greatness, but she doesn’t know how or when her great destiny will be fulfilled. Her dad tells her it’ll come eventually, because it always does. Here, her dad can represent all fathers who encourage their children to believe in themselves and keep trying until they find their success.

    This kind of ending leaves readers feeling satisfied as they walk away from the book, knowing that their struggles were worth it in the end! A satisfying ending could look like this:

    Alice looked up at her father. His words rang true. He was right-the hard work was worth it. She would conquer heights never reached by anyone else. And she could - no, she would - keep climbing.

    Epilogue or Sequel?

    You’ve spent hours, days, weeks, months, maybe even years writing your story. You’ve poured your heart and soul into it, and now it’s time to bring it to a close. But how? Do you go for the classic epilogue, or do you opt for a sequel?

    Here are some things to consider when making your decision:

    • 1) Is there anything else left unsaid that needs to be addressed?
    • 2) Is there any loose ends that need tying up?
    • 3) Will you be able to return to this world later if needed (perhaps in another novel)?
    • 4) If you do not intend to continue this series in the future, an epilogue might work best as a satisfying ending.
    • 5) If you plan on continuing this series with future books, a sequel might be more appropriate as it will allow readers to revisit their favorite characters and continue their journey with them.
    • 6) Remember that whatever option you choose should leave readers feeling satisfied with what they have read; while they may wish for more of your work, they should not feel dissatisfied by what they read.

    It can be difficult deciding which path to take. Some people lean towards an epilogue because it leaves something unresolved and open-ended, but then others say that a sequel leaves the reader yearning for more closure. In the end, there is no right answer.

    It comes down to what you think would satisfy your readers most based on where you want your story to go from here. It doesn’t matter whether you choose one path over another. Just give yourself enough space between installments so that fans can keep coming back!

    One Part of a Series? Remind the Readers

    If your story is part of a series, it’s important to remind readers that this is just one part of the story. By doing so, you can leave them wanting more and looking forward to the next installment.

    Here are some tips for how to do just that:

    • 1) Create anticipation by ending on a cliffhanger or suspenseful moment.
    • 2) End with an unanswered question or thought-provoking situation.
    • 3) Let readers know that there will be another book in the series (i.e., Stay tuned for Book Two).
    • 4) Mention what they can expect in the next book in the series
    • 5) Provide hints about what to expect in the next book.
    • 6) Leave a teaser at the end of the current chapter
    • 7) Introduce something new at the end of each chapter to keep readers interested.
    • 8) Keep the reader guessing until the very end.
    • 9) Hide information and surprises until near the climax of your story.
    • 10) If your character has questions, use these as hooks to continue on to the next book.
    • 11) Avoid leaving your readers feeling confused or disoriented. Make sure you clearly understand where to go from here.
    • 12) Do not give away all the plot twists beforehand.

    While it’s unnecessary to show every detail that you intend to address in your story, it’s helpful for readers if you give them an overview of what they can expect. This will ensure that they are invested in your story and looking forward to reading more.

    Trust Your Instincts

    Follow your gut—if something feels off, it probably is. The same goes for your story. If you’re not sure how to end it, trust your instincts. Chances are, you already know the answer. You just need to get there in the right way. One way is by giving readers a hint about what’s going on and bringing it all together at the end of your story.

    It might tempt you to go for an overly dramatic ending or one that’s too tidy but can feel unsatisfying if you haven’t laid enough groundwork beforehand. Consider what might happen after this scene has concluded-is there any unfinished business? Will these characters have an epiphany or change their minds? Keep in mind that they may not immediately have an epiphany or make changes. Sometimes they need time to process everything before they make their final decision (or the author needs more time!).

    If your protagonist doesn’t ultimately get what he or she wants, then maybe it’s because life doesn’t always work out as we want it to. But don’t worry! There are other ways to write satisfying endings without giving away the big reveal. One is by revealing some part of the protagonist’s backstory earlier in the story, which ends up being integral to why he/she does what he/she does at the end. Another way is by explaining why things happened or didn’t happen during the story. Readers crave closure, so tying up loose ends can also satisfy them.

    A Satisfying Ending is Within Reach

    No matter how you choose to end your story, know that a satisfying finale is within reach. Lean into the research and story crafting that brought you this far. Embrace what has made your work unique. Use your words for the good of your reader’s heart (and their sanity). Make sure your ending does not undo all the hard work you have done in getting here. There are many ways to wrap up a story satisfactorily. It just takes some time and creativity on your part!

    -R.E.