"Write what you know." It's always been good advice, and everybody likes talking about their own interests. But what do I know that anybody else would want to know about? Video games? Too small an audience, and too likely to just end up as bad fanfiction. Work? Well, maybe some short stories about the eccentricities of thrift store clients and employees, but I want something I can make into a full story, or even a series. Philosophy and ethics? Plenty to write on, but tricky to mesh with a story that anybody would actually want to read. Sure, I may love talking about the moral debates revolving around globalization, but I suspect very few people who were not already philosophy majors would want to read a book about it. Or a thin, vehicular plot for my own views on the subject, for that matter. Living and growing up in Northern California? Not something about which I would like to write an entire story, but perhaps a good setting.
Anyway, this is all just filler. Ideas to throw around mostly for reactions. More importantly, with the help you have all given me in the last posts, I think I've got it something. A plot, that is. And a singular character to make it
tick. Both are still in the rough draft stage of course, but for the
moment they're the top of the list. It took a while, and one heck of a
lot of deleted and altered .doc files, but I think I might have
scratched up a winner. It'll include just about everything I've written about in the first paragraph, and a fair bit more.
Now, the questions to ask everybody. And please, PLEASE give me an answer to these if you can. I suspect these will be the most important I ask for some time, at least until I can start posting bits of the actual story.
This story will likely deal with at least one major moral issue that is of great importance to the world right now. With this in mind, do you think it would be too distracting or constrictive to write from the first person? Or do you think the thought process and mental exercising that the first person allows will help set up the problem and the relevant points-of-view enough to overcome it?
Do you think it is justified to use graphic descriptions of violence to reinforce a plot point? Do these scenes tend to draw you in to the action more, or just turn you away from it entirely? If such scenes would not be necessary, but arguably improved or broadened the impact of actions the characters take or the situations they find themselves in, would it be better to leave the violence in, or find a 'cleaner' way to work around it?
What about (less graphic, but still clear) depictions of sex?
Lastly, this will probably be a realistic work set in the modern day, with entirely fictional characters. Would it better to:
Take a location that already exists and modify it only very slightly?
Create a new location based on a place that already exists, such that people who live there could probably figure it out?
Or, create a new location entirely?
I'll likely have a few more questions next time, and, Lord willing, an introduction draft to give you. Wish me perseverance, y'all!
(Let's see if it lets me comment this time.)
ReplyDeleteI say that there's no clear-cut answer for the graphic depictions of sex or violence. They're appropriate if the scene and context call for them. They're awkward if they clash with the tone or message. I don't think we have enough information yet to say how that'll play out.
And I say, if you're writing with realistic characters in the modern day, there's a lot to be said for using existing places. A little "local flavor" can do a lot if used appropriately. I wouldn't just pick a locale you know unless you've got an idea how that area in particular fits with the themes of your story. If you're using a place your readers are likely to know, you have to deal with both how the place is normally perceived and how you intend to portray it. (It's easy to play up Los Angeles into either a dystopian wasteland or a suburban everywhere, for example, but you'll highlight different aspects of the place depending on which one you're going for.)
To answer your first point which didn't actually contain a question, but I feel like the direct Ender's Game sequels (Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, etc) and the Dune sequels (Dune Messiah and Children of Dune) both do an excellent job of essentially conveying their author's philosophical ideas in a story that was still enjoyable to read. So I think it can definitely be done, but ya it will never be as wide as of appeal as, say, a Dan Brown novel.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of 1st person or not... I think the narrative style is less important that how the ideas are expressed. Are you trying to have the character expose on his personal thoughts? Or will the first person be a means by which the narrator "discovers" the message you're trying to convey? What kind of narrator is it; a professor is going to be explaining things far differently than a 12 year old. I think it can be done very well in either a 1st person or 3rd person, and the other factors matter more.
In terms of violence, I know for me personally if it's used to underscore a point it's effective, mostly because at this point I'm pretty immune to over the top violence, and reading about violent acts (in general) isn't as disturbing as seeing them on a screen. I'd add the caveat that it has to be done "tastefully" and to effect, but I can't see you doing otherwise. I'm trying to think of a scene of violence that really affected me, but none are currently coming to mind outside of war novels... if I think of something I'll come back and add a comment.
Sex scenes can also work really well, graphic or not. Two examples that spring to mind are A Song of Ice and Fire (as notorious as it is, I think GRRM uses it to great effect) and Neil Gaiman works, especially American Gods and the short stories (especially Keepsakes & Treasures, and Tastings, both of which I'd encourage you to check out if you're looking for samples) because Gaiman in my mind has a fantastic ability to use sex scenes to great effect. So ya, it's probably harder to do, but it can definitely be done.
I think all three of the locations have a lot of merit. Personally I suspect options 1 or 2 would probably result in a stronger story if only because youd have to spend less time brainstorming about ideas, you're less likely to worry about continuity errors, etc, but given your GM background you'd probably also be fine with an entirely new idea. If nothing else, going with option a and going with the Claremont Colleges could result in (in my mind) a very interesting story.
In any case, I look forward to seeing drafts and let me know if there's any other way I can help :-D
I think it's really hard to answer stuff about the use of sex and violence in plot before we know the issue actually being worked. Inner-city crime? Violence can totally be a thing. Farm subsidies? Not so much.
ReplyDeleteIn particular, if there are any scenes where folks are arguing over the issue in question, make sure the arguments of character(s) on the "wrong" side can pass one of those Political Turing Tests. (Like, give the bare argument to somebody who disagrees with your conclusions, and see if they can spot instantly which side you belong to. Alternatively, find a smart friend that disagrees with you and tell THEM to write the other side of the conversation.)
Honestly, I kinda like the idea of just making up a place that's kinda-like someplace you've already been. That way, you can make up new specific locations as the plot demands!
As far as first-person vs. third person goes, I'm gonna weigh in on the third-person side; it feels like having a more "objective" viewpoint would really help you get your message across, AND it would open the door for you to having POV segments for characters with other viewpoints, exposing why their different life experiences have led them to their respective conclusions about how the world works. (I guess you can do this in first person too, but it feels more jarring that way.)
Plus, I suspect that issue novels written in the first person could, if you're not careful, become the narrator ranting to the reader about why, say, vertical integration is absolutely vital in a bear market. Bad news.
GODSPEED!