Got Any Cheese?

[Black Razor]

Hello everybody...I'm Dr. Nick! No, seriously. Hi everybody. I'm really happy I found this website. So many questions do I need to ask to help me in writing my first novel, and I have some questions.

First, I am not yet sure whether to categorize my story as 'cross genre', 'multi-genre', or 'genre bending'. Essentially, I am still not quite sure what exactly the story I am trying to tell is as its just kinda like something I feel inside of me is waiting to be told, but I dont know what....which leads me to my first question.

#1 - Is it normal for a writer to know he has a story inside of him/her to tell but not be quite sure what it is?

It just feels like its organically emerging within my mind. Like I started out originally creating a campaign world for a tabletop roleplaying game, but I couldnt find any players. I kept working with the world, and before I knew it, I had characters and bad guys, and an entire world of a story waiting to be told. At that point since I couldnt find players, I started to work turning it into a novel instead.

Now I am busy trying to flesh out character profiles and backgrounds, world details, and more. Which kinda leads to Q2....

#2 - Where do you get your inspiration from?

It seems to me that most of my inspiration comes from Movies, RPGs, and Video Games. I'm still struggling with an internal feeling that I am not being original because I have so many influences. Am I just cuckoo?

#3 - How much detail is too much detail?

I am aware that some of the magic of reading a book is that instead of being forced to accept the visuals put in front of you like watching a movie, your brain actually creates an image for you. Cool, but as a writer I really want people to picture what I intended the character to look like when they read my story. Am I wrong in that? I tend to describe my characters in detail, giving a very clear description of what they look like.

I am self publishing the first 250 copies and will have an accompanying website to which readers can go and see artwork I have commissioned to help me during the writing process which includes the original character concept art.

#4 - How can I create the same impact in my novel using words that you get when you watch a film?

Film and the written word are very different mediums, but they can have the same impact. I really want my story to excite people the same way seeing the action hero nearly miss a bullet does, or big explosions, etc.

..and on that note....

#5 - How do you emotionally manipulate the reader in the same way that music does for a film?

#6 - There are some romances in my novel, and I want them to be as steamy as a hot sex scene in a movie, but I dont want them to be cheesy harlequin-esque. Any suggestions as to how to make the sex scenes hot and steamy without turning the parts of the book into a romance novel?

#7 - How do you create an exciting and believable action scene, that has the same impact as a big choreographed fight scene in a movie?

...phew, big brain relief. Now, I realize it may seem like I like movies a lot, and I do. However, I dont want to make a movie. I want to write a fictional novel. So, please I hope nobody in reply says that it would be easier for me to just make a movie


I am truly grateful for the feedback I will receive. I would be most appreciative when possible for names of books I could read for examples, and for actual handbooks written to help writers.

Thank you once again.

~Black Razor

 

[SpaceShip]

Wow - that's a lot for a first post! Welcome to the Chronicles Black Razor. You will, no doubt, get a lot of feedback from members here on your questions, though maybe not one person will answer all of them (there are a few really brainy people here who could, so maybe they will). Hope to see you around the corridors.

 

[Black Razor]

What was I thinking using that bad Urkel joke as a title....I will be lucky if anybody ever replies.

 

[chrispenycate]

Hello everybody...I'm Dr. Nick! No, seriously. Hi everybody. I'm really happy I found this website. So many questions do I need to ask to help me in writing my first novel, and I have some questions.

First, I am not yet sure whether to categorize my story as 'cross genre', 'multi-genre', or 'genre bending'. Essentially, I am still not quite sure what exactly the story I am trying to tell is as its just kinda like something I feel inside of me is waiting to be told, but I dont know what....which leads me to my first question.

#1 - Is it normal for a writer to know he has a story inside of him/her to tell but not be quite sure what it is?

From what I can gather this is a fairly standard situation, that a good percentage discover a large percentage of their story in writing it.

#2 - Where do you get your inspiration from?

It seems to me that most of my inspiration comes from Movies, RPGs, and Video Games. I'm still struggling with an internal feeling that I am not being original because I have so many influences. Am I just cuckoo?

Just cuckoo? Doubtful (note, I'm not insisting you're not cuckoo, just not merely that)

#3 - How much detail is too much detail?

That depends not only on the particular book; it depends on the particular part of the particular book. A description which could clarify, intensify an experience in a slow part could slow the action to a crawl in an intensly physical part; a suspense-building description of your villain is inappropriate when he leaps into the room, fireballs blazing. On the other side, important characters that are just cyphers tend to weaken the emotional attachment (positive or otherwise)

I am self publishing the first 250 copies and will have an accompanying website to which readers can go and see artwork I have commissioned to help me during the writing process which includes the original character concept art.

#4 - How can I create the same impact in my novel using words that you get when you watch a film?

Film and the written word are very different mediums, but they can have the same impact. I really want my story to excite people the same way seeing the action hero nearly miss a bullet does, or big explosions, etc.

©The only suggestion I can give is “read more books, find out how other authors do it“ There's no magic formular; if there were, all books would use the same techniques, which is not even nearly the case. Film and the written word are very different media (the plural of medium, by the way; well, in critiques I'm allowed to correct peoples grammar) Print is a considerably cooler, slower medium than large sceen cinema; how many people read a novel in two hours?

#5 - How do you emotionally manipulate the reader in the same way that music does for a film?

You can't, so you have to manipulate them in other ways. Besides, the speed different people read books varies enormously - music is time linked (and producing music suitable for gaming, with an unspecified length, frequently waters it down intolerably

#6 - There are some romances in my novel, and I want them to be as steamy as a hot sex scene in a movie, but I dont want them to be cheesy harlequin-esque. Any suggestions as to how to make the sex scenes hot and steamy without turning the parts of the book into a romance novel?

you don't need to give all the mechanical details; one of the strengths of print is it's portrayal of the feelings of the participants, something film can only suggest. Eroticism is largely in the head anyway; the actual physical culmination can be indicated, rather than described blow by blow. Those of your audience who don't understand what you're talking about are probably young enough that you don't really want to explain the details anyway

#7 - How do you create an exciting and believable action scene, that has the same impact as a big choreographed fight scene in a movie?

Again, read what others have written, find some you like, try and work out how they do it. I'm not saying plagarise; but finding out how they did it, and adapting their techniques to your personal style is the most direct way of learning. Without reading, it would take a very exceptional person to develope a style from scratch which could rival techniques perfected over centuries.(if ever, Baen books tends towards military SFF, and has a “free library“ on their site at www.baen.com where you can download a range of authors totally free.

...phew, big brain relief. Now, I realize it may seem like I like movies a lot, and I do. However, I dont want to make a movie. I want to write a fictional novel. So, please I hope nobody in reply says that it would be easier for me to just make a movie


I am truly grateful for the feedback I will receive. I would be most appreciative when possible for names of books I could read for examples, and for actual handbooks written to help writers.

Thank you once again.

~Black Razor

maybe not one person will answer all of them (there are a few really brainy people here who could, so maybe they will).

Unfortunately, I'm not one of the brainy ones; my answer to everything seems to be "read more books, try and absorb winning formulae from authors who impress you" (and I tend to say similar things to aspiring musicians) There is no one, universal, winning technique, and something which will appeal to one will bore or confuse another.

There you are, no answers, only opinions. but welcome to this site anyway. Do feel free to ask specific questions; plenty of helpful people here

 

[The Pelagic Argosy]

3. I am a sucker for good detail, and it can be very hard to find the right level of detail and insert it into your story gracefully. If you're planning to describe each of your main characters from head to toe, I think that's a mistake. You just want to select the details that are important to your story and whatever is unique about each character.

You have three options here. 1) You can describe each character as he or she is introduced in paragraph form and get the physical descriptions out of the way. 2) You can slip details inobtrusively into the flow of the action. 3) You can do a little of both. I recommend two or three. A lot of readers won't have patience to read line after line of description, especially at the beginning of the story. And remember you still have to describe your settings, those battles you're planning, and those steamy sex scenes, so you'll need to budget your details.

I think many writers would recommend that you pour out all the details you can imagine in an early draft (get it out of your system). In subsequent drafts you can look critically at what you need and what you don't need and start cutting.

Also, I think your website idea is pretty cool, but don't rely on it to do your work for you.

6. As someone who used to read and write erotica compulsively, I have some advice here too. When writing sex scenes, you want to think "cerebral," not "anatomical." You want to focus on your characters motivations. What has led them into this sexual situation and what do they want to get out of it? (Pure lust is not enough.) The sex scene must advance the plot of the story or it will be, by definition, gratuitous.

Focus on what your characters are feeling emotionally. Use physical descriptions very, very sparingly. Here, I think you can be vague and let your readers imaginations take over. We're all adults. We've done this ourselves.

A question often comes up about writing sex scenes: do you use clinical anatomical terms, or do you come up with cheesy 'Harlequine-esque' euphamisms? I believe you can avoid this conundrum altogether if you are suficiently vague. Just say "He entered her." We all know what that means. If you're wracking your brain for a synomym for "penis" or "vagina" that doesn't make you wince, you're caught in the anatomical trap.

I recommend the book "The Joy of Writing Sex" by Elizabeth Benedict.

 

[Black Razor]

Well, you certainly did give me an answer I needed to hear, as I was already internally struggling with the fact that I need to read for inspiration and observe technique.

With that said....any good recommendations for?

#1. Steamy romance scenes that arent cheesy
#2. Heavy action scences, with lots of hand to hand not just blasters, etc?
#3. Any work which tries to explain magic via science?
#4. Work which include alternate earths?
#5. Conspiracy theory fantasy & scifi?

I already have figured out I need to read China Mielville's Perdido Street Station, Dune, and A Wrinkle In Time. Anyone have suggestions?

 

[dwndrgn]

I won't be much help with most of this but as a reader I can give you this advice to your question about manipulating emotions with music - what music does is evoke emotions. Pounding beats forces our hearts to beat faster and get excited and suchlike. In order to do this with written words, I've read a lot of books that do what you are looking for well. Basically, they create an 'atmosphere' with words - using language and scenes that evoke our emotions. Here's a simplistic example to show what I mean:

He walked into the room and saw a dead man on the floor.
-Dull, boring. Says what happens but doesn't really do anything for the reader.

His frantic steps took him to the door. Ajar, it showed a room, lit dimly by a flickering fire. Heart thumping in his chest, he slowly pushes the door open. As it widens, he can feel the heat of the fire - adding to his anxious sweat. There, blood creating new patterns on the Persian rug, lay her destroyed body.

Ok, I'm not a writer (and don't play one on tv) so it isn't great literature. But, you see the difference those few additional words made. Words that made you feel the anxiety (or could have if it had been written better). But you get the idea. Descriptive words, used sparingly, can do just as much as a well-done soundtrack.

 

[Black Razor]

...what music does is evoke emotions. Pounding beats forces our hearts to beat faster and get excited and suchlike. In order to do this with written words, I've read a lot of books that do what you are looking for well. Basically, they create an 'atmosphere' with words - using language and scenes that evoke our emotions. Here's a simplistic example to show what I mean:

He walked into the room and saw a dead man on the floor.
-Dull, boring. Says what happens but doesn't really do anything for the reader.

His frantic steps took him to the door. Ajar, it showed a room, lit dimly by a flickering fire. Heart thumping in his chest, he slowly pushes the door open. As it widens, he can feel the heat of the fire - adding to his anxious sweat. There, blood creating new patterns on the Persian rug, lay her destroyed body.

Ok, I'm not a writer (and don't play one on tv) so it isn't great literature. But, you see the difference those few additional words made. Words that made you feel the anxiety (or could have if it had been written better). But you get the idea. Descriptive words, used sparingly, can do just as much as a well-done soundtrack.

Well said, ol chum. Well said.

 

[chrispenycate]

I don't know if you're the sort of person who can enjoy reading books off a computer screen (a lot of people here, mainly including me, aren't) but just in case you are, here are some suggestions from the aformentioned free library

Redliners, (what to do with old soldiers) With the Lightnings (space war) and Paying the Piper (futuristic Tank warfare David Drake. On Basilisk Station and Crusade by David Weber, Freehold (future revolution, some sex) by Michael Z. Williamson A Hymn Before Battle (future infantry, suits) by John Ringo.

Another thing to concentrate on is rhythm; prose has a rhythm, just as poetry does, as music does. Normally, while you're reading, you don't notice it, but authors frequently, by instinct or calculation, build a sort of “music“ in the natural rhythm of the text, intensifying the sensation. Try looking out for this when you find passages you like from other authors, and see how you can slow the rhythm for descriptive passages, and accelerate it to amplify action.

By "alternate Earths" do you mean alternate history lines (as in "the guns of the south" by Harry Turtledove, where the confederate states won the American civil war) or totally parallel universes, where there has never been intereaction (I cite "homonid" by ooh, Sawyer, is it?)

Have you read the "Illuminatus" trilogy (long time ago, two authors, one was, I believe a Robert Wilson ; the conspiracy (well, none too serious, I'll admit)

Magic via science? Like "the magic went away" by Larry Niven? Or psionics? Or even some fantasy where the magic is sufficiently explained that you know what it can and can't do, and reliably? Or even something like James Blish's "the Devil's day" (I'll Google that one and see if my memory's still functioning)?

 

[jenna]

A question often comes up about writing sex scenes: do you use clinical anatomical terms, or do you come up with cheesy 'Harlequine-esque' euphamisms? I believe you can avoid this conundrum altogether if you are suficiently vague. Just say "He entered her." We all know what that means. If you're wracking your brain for a synomym for "penis" or "vagina" that doesn't make you wince, you're caught in the anatomical trap.

I totally agree. For the love of god, don't use words like "his stiff rod" or other similar cringe-worthy euphamisms. That's enough to make me put a book down and never pick it up again!
I find sex scenes tricky. I have a few in my book, and I have really had to work on them to keep them on the fine line between smutty and lovey-dovey. (And it's especially hard when writing from the POV of the opposite sex.)

 

[Black Razor]

I don't know if you're the sort of person who can enjoy reading books off a computer screen...

I am, but its mainly because I'm a computer guy by trade. I feel comfortable sitting at a computer screen for hours on hours on hours on end.

...and I have to ask this. Here goes all proper english.

DUDE! Your like a scifi writing god. How do you know all this? Granted having lived over 60+ years you could have read a ton of novels....but still. You seem to know an butt-ton (please dont make fun of me for using that) of stuff about writing science fiction and fantasy. Care to enlighten me. Also, I may just have to make you my editor.

Thanks.

~BR

 

[chrispenycate]

Thank you, but if I were in any way a deity, wouldn't I be writing it, rather than reading it?
For alternate worlds, add to the previous list (and you thought we were going to help you write, rather than take up all your time in reading) something from the Jack L. Chalker "GOD Inc." series (The Labyrinth of Dreams,The Shadow Dancers , The Maze in the Mirror) (and it's not merely that he also wrote the " Wonderland Gambit" trilogy, either.

Yes, I've read a lot of books. Yes, I remember a lot about them; but even so, to answer a question like yours I go scuttling round the net, grabbing for details. My old memory's not what it used to be (if I remember correctly, it used to be my sex drive)

I've got a friend, my age (well, five months younger) who takes his laptop to bed with him for a few hours reading; I just can't seem to make the jump (though I'm searching for the unholy grail of the more-than-just-adequate E-book reader; E-ink is showing encouraging signs.

If I were to lose my present job (which I love) I'd be much better adapted as a researcher than an editor; or perhaps a sub-editor, for grammar and punctuation, but an editor? Where,if you're any good, you have to upset at least two thirds of your contacts? I'd go for dark lord of the galaxy first.