Posted by admin on November 19, 2008
There are several ways to write a fantasy novel and most of them will work out just fine in the end. The real trick of course is then turning around and selling your novel. Assuming you have that little point covered, let’s discuss how to write a fantasy a novel.
The biggest ingredient is effort. I say that now so that it doesn’t get forgotten. Write every day. Be consistent. Put in the effort.
You’re ready to put in the effort – ok, here are a few other pointers.
- Tell a story. Don’t build a world. This is not a Dungeons and Dragons game you are about to run. Nobody is really that interested in the torrid details of your world. Yes those details are important, but not as important as the story. A story has a hero, an antagonist, a love interest – all those things that we enjoy reading about and watching in the movies.
- Show your story, don’t tell it. You have a love interest and a hero. Don’t say “and he fell in love with the princess.” That is kinda blah. Rather show his/her actions and words as they interact.
- Write your story. All too often I talk with would be novelists who don’t actually write anything. They tell me all about the world, the characters, the concepts, but on paper they have nothing more than a few notes. Not one word of dialogue, action, nothing.
- Keep writing your story. Yep, keep at it. Sure you may take a break now and again to go through your notes and revise your ideas, but KEEP WRITING THE STORY. Otherwise you’ll just end up with a pile of notes.
- Finish the story. It may sound a bit strange but it can be hard to just call the story done. Figure out where the climax is, tie up the loose ends that actually need tying up and finish it. Call it good. We don’t need to read about the hero’s sixteen grand children and their battles with the Dragons of Orgnark. Save that for another novel. Finish this one.
- Go back a re-write your story. You thought you were done didn’t you. Go back and cut out half of everything you have written. Hack it. Slash it. Get mean with that red pen. Then re-work it again. Go through the whole book, sentence by sentence and word by word.
- Take a break. Now is a good time to get away from it. Let your girlfriend read it. If you don’t have a girlfriend then now would be a good time to get one. Let it sit. Let it stew. Let people whose opinion is worth anything take a look at it and then listen to them.
- Revisit step 6. Be sure you have taken at least a couple of weeks off. Then go back and do step 6 all over again.
- Repeat steps 6 through 8 a couple of more times.
- Call it good. No it isn’t perfect. It isn’t the greatest thing you have ever done. You are still unhappy with it. You are still disappointed. You still want more. Too bad. It is done. You are finished with it. Accept that and go on to write the next novel.
If you were expecting something more directly fantasy related – tough. A story is a story is a story. The setting is less important than the story. If you haven’t figured out how to write a story then you should quit now. Learning how to write a fantasy novel is no different than learning to write any other story. Odds are that if you want to write a fantasy novel then you already understand how fantasy novels work and have a good idea of what to put into your world and charaters. The rest is just writing a good story.
Posted by admin on October 29, 2008
Writing poetry, especially for beginners can be a daunting task. Finding the right word may seem overwhelming, particularly when applying the constraints of common forms such as sonnet and haiku.
Free verse may seem like an easy way to begin, but more often than not free verse will result in a jumble of nonsense that conveys little or no meaning to those who read it. This is certainly not true of a more accomplished poet who understands the subtle nuances of both lexicon and meter. Often a masterful free verse poem will incorporate elements of various meters and forms which can only be achieved through a complete understanding of the more structured forms.
The beginning poet should choose a basic form, such as iambic pentameter and begin making couplets or quatrains that strive to maintain these basic forms. Haiku is an excellent way to begin. Focusing less on content will allow the poet to begin to master the art of finding the most appropriate word for the context. Much like learning to play a sport or to play an instrument, this basic skill will then allow the poet to bring full force to the content that the poet wants to truly portray.
It is fairly easy to get caught up focusing on a specific topic which results in attempts to force content over context. A great poem will balance contextual elements such as form and meter with the content. A poem about an upbeat, driven topic would do well to choose a poem that incorporates a quick meter and avoid laborious lexicon which can stop a line dead. A more dramatic, methodical poem may turn to a slower meter and incorporate longer words or a more advanced vocabulary. Either method could easily be incorporated into a free verse poem, and the mixture of methods is often what makes a free verse enjoyable.
Writing poetry is one of the most enjoyable past times I have ever known, but like any other hobby it requires a degree of effort and consistent application. Fighting in a ring or cage provides a degree of adrenaline which cannot be duplicated, but a very similar though distinct feeling can be acquired by putting together a string of words that brings a smile or tear to the face of a loved one.
Writing poetry and other works is truly a distinct experience that I recommend to anyone.
Posted by admin on October 23, 2008
I recently joined up with the Widgeteers! I’m pretty excited about it because it is drop dead simple, and it works in tandem very well with Entrecard. I can’t say it has dramatically increased the traffic to my site, but it is a great way to build brand recognition.
The way it works is pretty simple – display a widget on your site which displays advertisements other widgeteer’s ads from categories of your choosing. Each time an ad is displayed, for each page impression, you gain some credits towards displaying your own advertising.
Of course the widgeteers offer multiple levels of membership from free right on up to platinum status, but there is no obligation to join any of the pay per membership levels.
The beauty of the system is that – unlike Entrecard or other click based systems – there is really very little to do. Simply add the widget and then create your ads. The widgeteer system takes care of the rest.
Obviously this will not turn a ramshackle website into a success overnight – nor will it bring an unaccountable boost in traffic instantaneously, but it is a dead easy way to get free exposure.
If you decide to try it out, let me know what you think.
Posted by admin on October 22, 2008
Writing is a lonely art, very often a solitary effort carried out in hidden corners of the world. A person gathers his or her thoughts and begins to put them down, alone where the judging eyes of others cannot confirm the internal criticisms. At the end there is a manuscript. A piece of paper or electrons that hold a bit of triumph – evidence of the author’s worth.
Now, perhaps, if the nerves can handle it this child of thought is borne to others. Given away and they can make it their own, but only if it has worth to them. Others can accept it, reject it, or try to change it. They can toss it out to the daggers of public scrutiny. If it is good it will hold up. If it is good it will be accepted, cannonized, monetized, or simply printed.
To the the author the manuscript will always have worth. Always that moment when it first appeared in thought, that special solitary time remains with the author. That moment is what drives the author to write again. That moment drives the author to continue to create in the vain hope of connecting that moment with another.
The work is both about communicating with another (the best authors consider their audience), as well as about enjoying the moment of creative inspiration. In the end, writing is still a lonely art.
Posted by admin on October 17, 2008
Whether writing online or off, short stories rely on a few basics in order to be successful. While plot may be essential for most stories, for many stories there are no real twists or turns to follow and there may not be much in the way of action or adventure.
For these stories, and for all stories, the crucial elements are the characters and their interactions with each other.
A common mistake made by many new writers is to fail to fully develop all of the characters in the story. All too often the lead character or perhaps the lead and his supporting character are the only developed characters in the story. The remaining characters come across as paper figures. Their dialogue is flat and full of cliche phrases. They often do little to move the story forward and their interactions with the protagonists feel awkward and stilted.
Much of this can be avoided by taking time to understand their place within the story world. If these characters are to become interesting to the reader then they must first be interesting, at least on a basic level, to the author. Only then can the author place them appropriately into the story and have them interact in an interesting way with the main characters.
When writing for the online audience, often authors feel rushed because stories tend to be shorter. Any audience, on the internet or in a magazine, however, requires the same level of depth and suspension of disbelief. It pays to take the time to truly develop characters to give the story the necessary level of depth.
One technique for doing this is to simply write a quick paragraph about the character in question. From that little idea the author will quickly come to understand how the character will fit into the story – if at all.
For example, the protagonist may be passing a bellhop in a hotel lobby. The bellhop may have a bit of crucial information to give to the protagonist. How their interaction comes about will decide whether the bellhop comes across as a plot device or if he comes alive as an interesting addition to the story.
The author may write a quick paragraph about the bellhop:
A thin, greasy figure who was awarded this position because his brother-in-law conceded to his sister’s demands. He does not like vegetarians in general, and often complains about having to cater to the demands of the hotel guests. He prefers to wear a pair of yellow sneakers despite company policy and uniform procedures. He smokes excessively and has a rough voice.
From these few sentences the author now understands how to approach the scene, and can introduce the bellhop appropriately into the story. As the story progresses, the bellhop will have a logical place within the story world that will grow organically out of his naturally established place.
Posted by admin on October 15, 2008
Cold as ice and bound for hell
the dogs pounded a thrashing knell
of death beyond the moonlight clean,
while I with mine began to scream.
The fate of men wrought clear with blood
came howling down like devil’s love
to drown the hopes and mysteries
bound within my poetry.
Copyright 2008 Kelly David Tolman
I hope you got a laugh from this. I find the frustration of writing so annoying that sometimes I just have to find the humor somewhere.
Posted by admin on October 8, 2008
Writing poetry is one of those activities that is so deeply personal that more often than not nobody really knows about our passion for poetry until we manage to overcome some of our deepest personal fears.
The beauty of the experience of receiving your first negative criticism is that although the process is painful it is also thoroughly cathartic and wonderful. Each step along the road provides another growht opportunity and another insight into self.
If you are a poet or a writer of any calibre, I encourage you to take the plunge and publish your work. These days getting your work in front of people is relatively easy. If you don’t wish to trouble yourself about making a blog, or running a web site, I would be happy to host your work here. Just check out the submissions page and off we go.
I try not to think of Darnuth Keep as a magazine so much as a collaborative online experience where readers and writers can enjoy the experience of sharing.
Posted by admin on October 5, 2008
I love to write as all of you know. I love the way words work together to make messages that can reach out and affect people. Blogging is a great way to do that.
In order for blogging to really be effective, and in order to reach the widest possible audience with my writing I have to promote this blog. One great way to do that is to participate in excellent contests.
One such contest is giving away 20,000 Entrecard credits.
The contest runs through the end of October, and I think it is a great way to help promote the blogging community in general. If you are interested, then hop on over and see what they are all about.
Now I don’t know that I’m going to win, but it sure would help if I did. To those of you out there who are unfamiliar with Entrecard and the wonderful things that they do, well I suggest you stop on by. For those of you who already use their service, hop over and check out the contest.
For those of you who enjoy blogging and writing. Thanks for your support!
