Tropes are a funny thing. To some extent, knowing and expecting what’s going to happen next in a story – anticipating a particular structure and story elements – is why we’re drawn to specific genres and sub-genres…

There is a benefit to this kind of comfort reading. It lets us take solace in predictable stories in an unpredictable world. Humans strive to make sense of a senseless world. When we’re stressed, in particular, we tend to see patterns in events, white noise, and coincidences where, in fact, there are none. It’s a human thing. We are hungry for meaning. We want to believe that the hardships we endure are leading up to some greater purpose, and stories help us put those events into a narrative that makes sense; it gives us hope that we haven’t suffered for nothing.
-Kameron Hurley

This quote is from an article on SF Signal featuring authors talking about the use of tropes in fiction.

Overall consensus, tropes can be a double-edged sword. There are always good reasons to use tropes, they’re familiar to your audience, they help inform plot and character; but you should never only rely on tropes to engage and inform.

Specifically, Hurley mentions how authors can create a “poisonous narrative” when they rely on tropes that alienate segments of the society. There are tropes that need to be subverted or ignored in order to challenge the hegemonic norms and showcase areas of society that don’t necessarily get featured in fiction.

When you sit down to do the thing you want to do (for example, write if you want to be a writer), one of the first things that might happen is that you feel like vomiting or like the insides of you are trying to escape in every possible direction… I wish I could say that that feeling goes away completely after a while but I’m not sure that it does. You do become a little more tolerant of it and figure out how to fight against it better.

As always ze frank is the comforting voice of reason.

I started writing, that’s what changed everything. Judd Apatow…said to me ‘listen Jace, I’m going to be really honest with you. I know that you want to be a leading man…you’re like a really weird dude and the only way you’re going to make it is if you write your own material, cause they can’t take it away from you’. And there was something very empowering about that, because you don’t have to wait for permission to write.

Jason Segel, Interview on The Hour, Nov. 24, 2011

How to turn a high concept idea into an actual story

Every story begins with an idea. What’s amazing about science fiction stories is, they often start with a cool idea. Like a spin on space travel or robots that nobody’s ever thought of before. But how do you turn an idea into a story, with memorable characters and powerful moments? That’s often the hard part.

In this article, Charlie Jane Anders sets out the basic steps for turning a cool idea into a workable story. She outlines the importance of sketching out your basic plot, and taking a hard look at choosing your main character.

There is a basic checklist that Charlie Jane advises that you keep in mind while turning that concept into a real story:

…make sure your idea is fleshed out into a series of events, which include some twists and some rising action. Make sure you’re picking a main character who brings some juiceboxes to the party. And ensure they have their own agenda. And try to hang onto why this particular idea grabbed hold of you.

This checklist basically breaks down into three important rules:

  • Outline: Though you may be entranced with your idea, don’t forget the basics. Do the boring bits first and draft a story structure including important plot points; that way you have a guideline to follow when the plot gets messy.
  • Draft a main character: A main character is not necessarily the most powerful or thematically interesting character within the plot. Make sure that the character is fleshed out enough that they have their own agency within the plot. Don’t just make them reactive. 
  • Watch the horizon: Keep a copy of your core concept. Stories tend to evolve as they are written, keep a copy of what first inspired you: a one-liner, a flash prompt, an interesting graphic. Refer to the original concept so you can either see how your story has progressed or to use it to keep on track. 

On Hurdles and Being Your Own Obstacle

This is probably the worst type of motivational post. The type where it’s apparent that the writer is just as lost as the reader. But I’d like to believe that there are other people who are in similar states, who set up too many hurdles, who dig too deeply.

I am the biggest obstacle to my writing. This is nothing new.

I’ve been in an odd mood the last few weeks; it’s an entirely selfish mood, one where I navel-gaze and talk too much about how I should be writing. There are days or weeks when real life kicks in and I can’t write. Not only because I don’t have time, but because I know I wouldn’t be in the right headspace. Two things happen when I write: I become far too introspective and all I want to do is write.

I understand that these don’t seem like real problems, but for me it’s dangerous. I’ve always been competitive and I’ve always longed for immediacy in my projects—it’s difficult working on something that won’t be shown to friends for a couple of months, and may not be shown to the public for a year. In the future finishing a novel might be less (heh) novel, but at the moment it’s a terrifying and overwhelming concept.

Every writer wants validation. Something that proves that what they are doing is more than just words on a page. Acknowledgment that they are creating something and what they are creating is powerful.

There are times that writing becomes a grind. When it becomes a chore, I become spiteful that I need to write and then become spiteful when I don’t have time to write. These are passing moods, but still difficult to overcome.

I’m trying to channel my need for immediacy into writing short fiction, something that has never been my forté. I can plot out a novel or even a series—whether I ever write it is completely beside the point—but writing a complete story in 5,000 words is hard. Worse is that I become obsessive about things that haven’t happened yet—that could never happen. I worry about publishing, about whether the subject matter fits a specific magazine, about what the story’s genre is. I set up my own hurdles only to flee when I see just how many I’ve created.

I’m not someone who easily asks for help. I guess it’s a matter of pride, or maybe just a matter of fear, but to ask for help is like admitting defeat. I wish I could say this is something that only pertains to writing but…nope.

I’ve been stuck at the same chapter for the past two months; writing only a couple hundred words at a time. I’ve been hitting my head against the same part of the wall and I can admit that it’s getting me nowhere.

I decided to look for a new solution—one that I wouldn’t normally turn to. I can only tread water for so long, and I know that this is something that I don’t want to leave unfinished.  So I did something that every writer has been told not to do. I emailed the first unfinished draft of my work to a close friend. I’m not quite sure what I’m asking her to do, I didn’t even ask her to look at anything particular. I guess at the end of the day, I want her to read what I wrote, look at the chapter outlines and tell me that it’s okay.  

Along with emailing the novel, I also took the time to:

  • write a synopsis
  • layout the basic plot
  • plan out the ending; and,
  • list current problems

Writing out the basic plot of the novel was harder than I had anticipated. I had to write everything from an outsider’s perspective, since my friend knew almost nothing about my novel. I believe writing that email did a lot of good for me. I acknowledged and listed the problems of the novel were, and I outlined the final three chapters so my friend wouldn’t be left hanging. 

What this did was force me to organize my thoughts and, most importantly, list the things that were bothering me about my novel. I don’t know if this means that I’ll be able to force solutions to my problems but I do finally understand where this is all heading.

There are times that the best thing for me to do during these moods is read my own work. Some people would rather pluck out their eyes than reread their unfinished work, but I find it calming. Sometimes I hate what I write, but that’s not often. Mostly there is something that I appreciate, even if it’s just a sentence or two.

I’ve been rereading my novel. It’s still the first draft. Still unfinished, but it’s less unfinished than it was before. I enjoyed rereading it. I know where the problems are, and I’m waiting to tackle them once the first draft is actually done.

I am most proud of myself when I force myself to dig deep and produce better results. There is nothing better than pushing yourself and seeing results, whether it’s a faster lap time or a better daily word count. The problem is that you become familiar with always pushing forward and yielding big results. Sometimes there are no results; you push forward but just end up in circles.

The hardest challenges are the ones you create for yourself. Sometimes the only solution is to stop challenging yourself and admit that you need a hand to face the upcoming obstacles.

We turn to art because we want elucidation, yes, but also because we want reflection. We want to look at something and say, “Hey, I’ve felt like that” or “I know what that person is going through.” Driving all of art is that hunger to connect, that idea that the artist can say something that will express a piece of themselves but will also reach out and grab us, make us feel something or understand something or simply know ourselves a little better.
Todd VanDerWerff, AV Club Review of ‘Birnam Wood’, Slings & Arrows

Writing Truth: The Thing That Scares You the Most

“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” 

Ernest Hemingway

The writing that resonates the most with readers is the kind that taps into the human psyche. The kind where personal, and universal, unspoken truths are typed out for all to see. It doesn’t have to be a declarative statement, it can be as simple as the emotion conveyed in a setting or action.

Regardless of what genre you write in (whether your characters are the Sea-People of the Twelfth Moon or the Tudors) having an affecting element, something deeply personal and real, makes readers identify, emphasize and (at times) become complicit with what you’re writing.

In every good book that I’ve read there has been at least one true statement or moment that resonated with me. In every great book I read, the entire thing felt like it was lodged in my soul. There are books, movies and television shows that have stayed with me, even changed my perspective, because of their moments of truths.

As a novice writer, it’s the act of actually writing those most personal truths that terrifies the most. It’s the standard writer’s dilemma  how much of myself to I add to this work? How deep should the rabbit hole go?

I have many fears and truths. Some, I hope, are the same fears that most people share. Some are strange quirks that very few know about. But there are personal truths that I don’t know if I can write and place them in a reader’s hands.

It’s not that personal truths are terrifying. It’s that they are the ones with the power to hurt you the most. To write them down and put them concretely on a page, whether under a guise of a pseudonym or a side-character, is akin to shouting it from the rooftops. You tie yourself to this truth, wrapping yourself up in it, and wait to see if your audience responds in kind.

I do wonder when I write, if my readers can tell that I still am hiding a bit of myself and whether it affects their own reading experience. I wonder if that makes me a shallow writer, keeping me middling rather than achieving something great. I can write many true things, I don’t know if I can write my truth.

On Writing Heroes

No one is an unjust villain in his own mind. Even - perhaps even especially - those who are the worst of us. Some of the cruelest tyrants in history were motivated by noble ideals, or made choices that they would call ‘hard but necessary steps’ for the good of their nation. We’re all the hero of our own story. ~ Jim Butcher

It’s important to remember the quote above when you start outlining characters. Every character has flaws and positive attributes. At the most basic level, in every piece of work there is a hero and there is a villain. A heroic character is usually the main character, or the character that the audience is led to identify with the most. Creating a heroic character doesn’t mean that the character is a superhero or is orphaned royalty, the hero is just the protagonist of the story.

Heroes are generally broken down into two main subsets:

  • people of feeling (Byronic, romantic, tragic); and,
  • people of action (reluctant, chosen).

Knowing the type of hero that you intend to write will help inform the character’s:

  • agency (their ability to act, move in society, the amount of freedom they have);
  • motivation (their goals, quests, and back-story); and,
  • weaknesses (any major or tragic flaws, e.g. hubris)  .

As well, specific  character archetypes can influence plot and setting.

Typically, male heroes were defined by goals and action and female heroes were defined by their love interests. There is a laundry list of historical and systemic sexism in the literary industry to explain this, but that would take all day and many glasses of wine. Though the heroic archetypes of the past were based on male characterization and male virtues (like physical strength), there is no reason that these can’t (or shouldn’t ) apply to female protagonists as well.

As well, these characterizations are no longer cut and dry. Modern fiction tends to either subvert these archetypes, or create heroes who have elements from several major heroic archetypes. For example, Harry Potter is an excellent example of both an Unwilling Hero and a Chosen Hero.

1.  Reluctant

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A reluctant hero is one that rejects the call to adventure - either because it originally was not their goal or because they believe that they should not be deemed a ‘hero’. They are usually an ordinary person with that requires motivation to start the cycle of the hero. They could also be a person who begins the narrative more aligned with neutral or evil systems.

A reluctant hero is usually comprised of two sub-categories:

  • Anti-Hero
  • Unwilling Hero

Anti Heroes generally start out resisting any and all calls to adventure, their personality is more chaotic or neutral than most heroes. Their alliances and their moral reasoning is usually tinged with grey. They usually have some flaw (physical, mental, emotional)  that makes them stand apart from the general heroic archetype.

Unwilling Heroes also resist the call to adventure, and usually have to be forced into meeting their objectives. Often they rely on sidekicks to round out any skills  that they lack. Though they are generally characterized as ‘good’, there is often a streak of selfishness that arises from the fact that they really don’t want to be there.

The hero may refuse the adventure or deny the ability to move beyond the status quo. The heralded event may even be ignored – All of these constitute the ‘Refusal of the Call.’ The use of magical intervention is then needed to plunge the hero into the unknown. The reluctant hero requires supernatural forces to urge him on, while the willing adventurer gathers amulets (magical items) and advice from the protector as aid for the journey.

Joseph Campbell in The Hero With a Thousand Faces

Notable Reluctant Heroes include:

  • Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit)
  • Frodo Baggins (Lord of the Rings)
  • Neo (The Matrix)
  • Han Solo (Star Wars)
  • Katniss Everdeen (The Hunger Games)

 2.   Byronic

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Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know

- Lady Caroline Lamb, describing Lord Byron

Named after the literary examples from Lord Byron’s works. The Byronic hero holds many similarities with the Reluctant Hero, only they’re usually a little more dark and smoldery about it. They pout, glare, and laconically menace their way through the hero’s cycle.

Byronic Heroes are often defined not only by their actions but also by a (usually tumultuous) love affair (they’re sexy and they know it).  They exist to question and challenge society and usually possess a tragic flaw (one that leads to their untimely end). They’re more witty than comical, and can range from wildly extroverted (Don Juan style) to introverted (Heathcliff style).

There are further categories that are strongly related to the Byronic hero:

  • Anti-Hero
  • Romantic Hero
  • Tragic Hero

Very similar to the Byronic hero - however a Romantic Hero usually conforms to societal norms and expectations. If they posses a flaw, it one that is able to be overcome. A Romantic Hero is defined by their love interest and their goal is often the pursuit of a happy ending.

Tragic Heroes tend to have a rather depressing back-story that is matched with an equally depressing end. Most Greek myths are filled with tragic heroes whose lives become upturned in the pursuit of their goals.

The romantic ideal of the Byronic hero is often seen in Gothic literature. The moody and broody hero fits in perfectly with the uncanny nature of Gothic fiction. Vampires make the best Gothic heroes.

Notable Byronic Heroes include:

  • Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights)
  • Rochester (Jane Eyre)
  • Dorian Gray (The Portrait of Dorian Gray)
  • Lisbeth Salander (Girl with The Dragon Tattoo)
  • Catherine (the Elder) -  (Wuthering Heights)
  • Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess)

3.  Paragon

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The paragon is the ultimate hero. A hero whose goodness and kindness is what sets them apart and makes them exemplary. They are the best of their kind. If you play RPGs then you usually know exactly what a Paragon is. There are two subsets to this:

  • Christian Hero
  • Chosen Hero

The Christian Hero took hold in the Victorian era. It was meant to be an instructive hero to counteract the scandalously “effeminate” male characters. The Victorian era was a disciplined society where sexual roles and identities were regulated. The Christian hero was based on prevalent Christian virtues. It was a man with high social standings, was a “man of action” (someone willing to work), and who regularly contributed to worthwhile causes. 

A Chosen Hero is someone that was groomed to become the hero. Usually there is a mystical or mythological reason surrounding their existence. A chosen hero is someone who is gifted (often literally) with characteristics that allow them to pursue and obtain their goals. The quest, the plot, was designed for them.

Notable Chosen heroes:

  • Harry Potter
  • Aragorn
  • Ella (Ella Enchanted -the book)
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer
  • Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia)
  • Anakin Skywalker (Star Wars)