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Even More Tips for Aspiring Writers

Hi ho! I'm back atchya again with another issue of Writing Tips! This time, I want to go over some tips for writing specific types of stories, pitfalls to avoid, etc.

Story Series

Before you start, have an idea of where you are going with it. You don't need to write a whole outline, although if that's your thing, by all means do so, but know what you want to accomplish with the story. Nothing frustrates a reader more than a great series ending abruptly because the author ran out of story ideas.

You must be sure to keep consistency. If you are writing a long series, make sure key elements remain the same. Things like character names, locations, back stories, etc. You'd be surprised at how easy it is to miss little details in your own work as a series gests longer.

Make sure that you don't have developed characters vanishing from your story with no explanation. I don't mean transient characters, who are little more than a name and a face, but characters that you put some time into and perhaps even have written viewpoints of. If they are going to leave the story, make sure you give a conclusion to their character arc. Otherwise, you'll end up with a Chekhov's gun type scenario.

What the heck is Chekhov's gun you ask? No, it's not just some Russian guy's firearm. :P

Chekhov's gun is a literary term for the promises you make to your reader. The principle is fairly simple: if you point out that there's a rifle hanging on the wall, you'd better plan on firing it. That's just plain good story-telling. Otherwise, the thing you've drawn attention to becomes irrelevant, and turns into a plot hole. The key is to determine which elements are Chekhov's guns and which are not. Some things are just there for world-building purposes, to give your story flavour and depth.

For example, maybe you'll have a character say something like, "Hey, isn't this where the great so and so fought the battle of hootenanny?" That COULD be a Chekhov's gun, depending on the type of story you are telling, but it could just as easily be something to add some colour to your world, and draw your readers in further.

On the other hand, if you have a character say something like: "Gee, it sure is dark in here. Wish I had a flashlight." that is totally a Chekhov's gun. If nothing happens as a result of them stumbling around in the dark without a flashlight, why even bring it up? Granted, that is about as obvious an example as you'll ever see, but I hope it illustrates the point I'm trying to make.

Now, having said that, you also don't want to go overboard. If you explain EVERY little jot and dash, it is never going to feel a hundred percent satisfying to your reader. Your readers aren't stupid, and most will enjoy being left to figure a few things out for themselves. Leave hinted or open-ended answers to some of the less critical questions you raise, and involve your readers in the story. Just make sure you answer the things that are key to the plot.

The issue of Chekhov's gun isn't going to come up to much for short stand-alones, but for longer ones (novelette or novella length), the same principle applies. Fulfill the promises you make to your readers. Pull that trigger!

Don't forget to foreshadow! Sure, sometimes a story can be very well served by something coming out of left-field, but other times, you need to leave little hints as to where things are going. It helps build a sense of anticipation, and then, if you have something come out of left-field, it hits even harder and with more shock value.

Foreshadowing is NOT the same as a Chekhov's gun element, although it is closely related. What makes them different is that you can foreshadow one thing, and then pull out something that sends the story careering off in another direction, so long as there is a valid reason for it. The infamous red herring. For example, maybe the foreshadowing is a result of the characters being given misinformation. A Chekhov's gun on the other hand, is something that you MUST follow through on.

Be wary of the deus ex machina. Fans of 'Lost' are already well familiar with this. :D The phrase is a Latin term for: A god from the machine, in reference to Greek theatre, where a crane was used to lower gods onto the stage. In essence, this is a plot device where you basically explain something away by saying, "Oh, a god did it." In other words, be wary of painting yourself into a corner.

Now, this doesn't mean you should never chalk up the cause of a particular event to god/time travel/aliens/magic/Shamu the killer whale. But you have to plan for it, which turns it into a story element, rather than a contrived and random way out of a sticky situation.

Perspective: you're doing it wrong. Now, this final point is a bit more of a personal thing, so please, take it with a grain of salt. I find that longer series, or even just long stand-alones, tend to improve when you add multiple perspectives. I've already discussed how this works a bit in the previous volumes, but there's still a bit more to go over.

Exactly how you go about doing this, or even doing it at all, is really up to you. What do you feel fits the story? Perhaps you can have a whole chapter from another perspective, or just a small piece of one, or even just a couple paragraphs. It all depends on what you are looking for. Adding different perspectives is a great way to add more depth to your story, for lots of different reasons.

First off, the more you can describe a character through someone else, the better. It's more interesting to hear a character talk/think about another character than to just describe that character to your reader directly. Plus, it leads for so many other possibilities. For example, you can have what character A's impressions are of character B, and then show what's going on inside character B's head, to validate or contradict those impressions.

It also is helpful if you want to show what is happening somewhere else, and can lead to foreshadowing elements, if you have two characters who are eventually going to meet.

In addition, attempting to write the opposite gender perspective is rarely a bad idea. Why? Because you've immediately doubled your audience. Obviously, I'm not saying that women only like to read about women, and men only like to read about men, but by having different gender perspectives, you can branch out, and try to build more connections with your readers. The more a character is like your reader, the more connected they will feel to them, and the more they will care about the story.

Just remember to have proper separation whenever you switch viewpoints, as I discussed in volume two.

Having said all that, keep in mind that it really depends on what fits the story. Sometimes, a story is well served by having a single viewpoint with lots of internal struggle. I guess it really comes down to what your conflict is. If it's a big, epic, sweeping conflict, multiple viewpoints are DEFINITELY the way to go. If it's a smaller, personal, emotional battle, perhaps keeping it at a single viewpoint is better.

One final note on perspective: having your viewpoints switch during a sex scene can serve you VERY well. It allows you to describe the sensations and emotions from another angle, and once again, will help you build that connection that draws in your readers. Again, just make sure that it flows, and doesn't flip-flop randomly.

Fan Fiction

A goodly portion of stories online fall into this category. Now, there's a couple definitions, but I'm looking at specific fan fiction, not the general sense of "furry fan fiction". A lot of people will shudder involuntarily at the very mention of the phrase, and that is not entirely unjustified, as a lot of fan fiction is indeed terrible. But never fear! For there is hope!

When you are writing fan fiction, you are working with an established universe and/or characters. At times, there may even be crossover elements, characters from one universe migrating into another. While poorly written fan fiction is like gouging your eyes out with a lemon wrapped golden brick, when done well, it can be a very fun and enjoyable read for fans of whatever original universe the story is coming from. Sometimes, a skilled writer can even manage to bridge the gap and draw in people who DON'T have interest in the original universe/characters.

There are a few things that you need to keep in mind, in order to have the latter type of fan fiction, rather than the former.

First, make sure that you don't totally destroy the existing characters. There is artistic license of course, but most of your fans aren't going to react to kindly if you take a beloved character and make them do something completely inconsistent with their established persona, e.g., writing a story about Luke Skywalker going on a killing spree. How much leeway you have really depends on the character you are writing about.

Remember, you are writing inside a universe that your reader is likely already familiar with. Don't feel the need to over-explain your references. You don't have to world-build, that's already been done.

Feel free to make references to the original content, just don't feel the need to shoehorn them in. Otherwise, your story just turns into one big in-joke. Unless of course, that is what you are going for.

Make sure you get those references correct! Names of characters, places etc. MUST be intact. If they aren't, you risk two things: Irritating or confusing the fans of the original series, and potentially having world-breaking mixups. All the info will be readily available through the power of the almighty Google, you just have to go out and confirm it.

Finally, don't forget to give credit where credit is due. If you are writing inside a universe that you did not create, make sure you state this at least once. Especially if it's something obscure.

Genre Consistency

Particular genres are going to be approached in particular ways. Where does your story fall? Is it Sci-fi? Fantasy? Horror? Romance? Somewhere in between? Where is it set? When is it set? All these things play a big factor in your story.

One of the biggest issues you'll find is dialog, particularly with far future sci-fi or medieval fantasy. With far future stuff, you can easily get away with using ordinary, contemporary speech, but you may want to at least consider having a few phrases or speech patterns that reflect the different time period. Don't feel like you have to though. It is not an easy thing to do, and sometimes can be irritating when it is not done well.

If it's a period piece, or fantasy, you will likely want very proper, formal speech. Again, not easy to do, but it really lends the feel of a different time to your story. Also, characters of different station in that time period will likely talk differently, a way to reflect the changes in the social structure of the world.

World building really matters for sci-fi and fantasy, as the scope of these genres tends to be more sweeping. Try to come up with different things that fit the universe. What technology do they have? Magic? Has their history been peaceful or war torn? Who lives in this universe? Multiple races?

Showing or at least implying interaction between different cultures can lend your story a lot of depth and scope. Just remember that, if the cultures are vastly different, the people aren't going to talk and think exactly the same. The way they approach a problem might be different, as will their slang and customs.

World building is a sticky business, but one of the biggest things to remember is to avoid sounding like an encyclopaedia. This goes back to breaking the fourth wall. When you are explaining something, have it thorough things such as dialog or thoughts. Like the quote I had earlier, about the great so and so. Sometimes, you can simply have a character read a history book, to find some piece of information they do not know. Just don't do it too often.

You can add bits of spice by referencing little things. A television show or book that is famous in this universe perhaps. A historical figure. A game that the characters enjoy playing. All of these are just little things that help make your world feel real.

Hopefully, these tips inspire you to really dig down and pull out those hidden story-telling gems. Everyone has them, you just have to let 'em out! Let your creativity shine! Ooh! Sparkly!

Of course, as always, the most important tip is this one here. Have fun!