Tag Archives: fiction

YOU PROMISED!

DECIDING TO WRITE FULL-FANTASY OR HALF-FANTASY IN YOUR NOVEL

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Maybe one day we’ll get to the skill of the George R.R. Martin (the Tolkien of our day – in my opinion). Some will argue – as some typically do – but I truly think that GRRM has redesigned fantasy…although in some cases to a fault.

I know that sounds oxymoronic. But I’ll explain, though I must start by admitting that I did not get on the George Martin train until last year. **William covers his face as the stones start flying** I know, I know. How dare I claim to write fantasy without having first read the fantasy standard. My only rebuttal to that is: “I wasn’t ready…” Continue reading →

WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE HOPE IS GONE

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HOW TO CREATE THE UNEXPECTED HERO

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Looks like we’ll be sticking with the Mariah Carey song, “Hero.” There’s an amazing line that she uses in this song from so long ago: “When you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong. Then you’ll finally see the truth, that a hero lies in you.”

The unexpected hero is the one who would not under any circumstances ever want to be a hero or a heroine. She would say no to saving the world as emphatically as a fifth grader would say “No” to drugs.

These types of heroes are becoming more common in literature, because readers want to feel greater than ordinary, and let’s admit it, we writers want to feel the same way.

Continue reading →

WHEN EVIL IS VALIANT

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HOW TO CREATE A NOBLE VILLAIN

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A nobleman is a man of dignity and sophistication. He is a man who handles business with a professional approach. He is a man who is determined to succeed. Take this nobleman and give him the traits of a villain, and you have created the Valiant Villain.

A VV is the type of villain who has a strict moral code, and only under the rarest of circumstances does he break it. This is the kind of villain whose motives need to be explored. He deserves to be understood; he demands it even. Continue reading →

A MERE THOUGHT

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HOW TO CREATE A CONCEPTUAL VILLAIN

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The conceptual villain is a difficult antagonist to create. Why? Because the main is always fighting this metaphysical antagonist, but this villain cannot be seen. It is more felt than visualized. Even describing this kind of villain seems limited.

The most obvious conceptual villain is time. Time is often used to push the main forward through the mission. Movies where a bomb has been planted are good examples of the villain of time. Continue reading →

THE EVIL WITHIN

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HOW TO CREATE AN EVIL VILLAIN

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The most well-known villain type is the “evil for evil’s sake” bad guy. This villain has no motives for his evil. He wants to rule the world, and he wants to enslave all its inhabitants.

This type of antag is comical if you take him to his logical end because the question always arises, “What are you going to do if you do enslave the world?” That said, it doesn’t matter what’s next. The important thing is what’s happening right now.

The evil villain is seen most in epic fantasies since everyone knows that evil is bad. Of course we know of the Sith Lord, Darth Sideous from Star Wars. There’s Darken Rahl from The Sword of Truth. The list goes on with these scumbags. Continue reading →

VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE

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HOW TO CREATE A CIRCUMSTANTIAL VILLAIN

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Yesterday we talked about a Slippery Villain. Today we are going to look at the Circumstantial Villain. She’s the one who would not be a villain under most other situations, but it just so happens that the events that have taken place are the right conditions for her villainy to emerge.

This is the type of villain that we each embody in ourselves. Most of us are probably nice people who work hard to treat people as we want to be treated. But, under certain conditions, that niceness would go away, if only for a moment. Continue reading →

SLIPPERY WHEN WET

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HOW TO CREATE A SLIPPERY VILLAIN

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What type of villain are you creating? There are several types, and we are going to take a few days to explore these feats of villainy.

This post will be about the slippery villain. This villain is like a fish that you just can’t keep your hands on. He’s a villain by circumstance, and it only makes you hate him more. Continue reading →

MY 100TH BLOG POST!

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HOW TO INCLUDE WEATHER IN YOUR WRITING

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So this is my 100th blog post, and I’m pretty excited about it. There are not too many ways to celebrate through cyberspace, so I figured I’d just link back to my first blog: PLOT H LES.

That said, let’s get to it. One aspect of setting that’s often neglected is the weather. Though it is sufficient to write a one-word expression to describe the heat and then leave it alone, I prefer subtle reminders of how the weather is affecting the characters.

As writers, it’s important to remember that we are recreating or creating events. These events are impacted by the weather conditions that the character must endure or enjoy. Continue reading →

FROZEN

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HOW TO GET RID OF WRITER’S FREEZE

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We have all heard of writer’s block, but what is writer’s freeze? Let me begin by expressing the difference between the two. WB is the inability (assumed or not) to write due to a lack of ideas.

Writer’s freeze is different. It’s a term that I stumbled upon in my own writing as I’ve been hacking and slashing my way through this trilogy. WF is the condition where there are plenty of ideas. But here I am, writing this third book, and I am nervous about which ideas to choose. Continue reading →

CALCULATED RISKS

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HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE RISKS THAT YOU’RE TAKING

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In writing, why are these events considered risks? What really are we risking? I mentioned the consequences of taking a risk earlier, but I believe that I’d like to express this point more explicitly.

When decisions are made that are contrary to a character’s…character (CHARACTER CHARACTER), you risk the writer’s currency: credibility. Credibility to a writer is what we use to purchase the reader’s attention. And trust me, an avid reader will expect nothing less. Continue reading →