Plot Device

Being a Better Writer: Plot Armor

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Welcome back, writers! It’s Monday and you know what that means! It’s time for Being a Better Writer! And we’ve got a pretty fun topic to go over today.

Though if I’m honest, this was a last-minute addition to the topic list. It was only in the last week or two that I penciled it in at the bottom of list #23 (I do them all out of order) after seeing a discussion about it online and in a pique of curiosity searching Unusual Things to realize that in over ten years of posts, I’d never done a BaBW post on the subject!

Upon realizing that, the topic became slightly more urgent inside my head, and well, here we are.

Now I know I said most of the time these posts on the new schedule (Hello, Friday Patreon Supporters!) wouldn’t have any news tied to them, but if you missed the post last Thursday, Axtara – Magic and Mayhem‘s draft is in the finale, and I’m understandably keen to get back to it and wrap up her newest adventure. But this is news worth putting in the heading here: Axtara 2‘s time has almost come. The goal is to get this new adventure out in time for Christmas.

Yes, this does mean I’ll likely start dropping more tidbits on the site in the future. And I’ll be looking for a cover artist in the coming weeks. This adventure is going to be … Well, it’s in the title: Magic and Mayhem does inspire a bit of both, doesn’t it? Place your bets now on exactly what’s going to go down with a title like that!

All right, moving on and toward the crux of today’s BaBW post, let’s talk about Plot Armor. Hit that jump!

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Being a Better Writer: Character Drive and Motivation

Max Being a Better Writer , , , , ,

Hello again writers! It’s Monday, and that means we’re back with more Being a Better Writer! Today’s topic is simple and straightforward enough, as you probably guessed by seeing the title, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a useful reminder for those of you who already have a grasp on it. And if it’s something you’ve put thought into before or you’re a new writer who has spent time wondering about it, then well today is your lucky day.

Now, before we dive into things, I do want to remind everyone that Being a Better Writer currently has a Topic Call open at this link. If there’s a writing topic you would like to see covered in a future installment of Being a Better Writer, then hit that link really quick and leave a comment! Topic List #23 will be populated soon enough, but it’s always preferable to have some direct requests from readers in the pipeline!

And with that, I’m going to forgo any other news related items (it’s all stuff like “progress continues on Axtara – Magic and Mayhem” and “Axtara and the UNSEC Trilogy continue to battle for first place in sales”) and just dive right into our topic of discussion today. Which, as you can see from the title above, is character drive and motivation.

Okay, now look: I know a number of you are looking at this and thinking “Do I really need a post on that?” And you’re probably not wrong. For some, character drive and motivation comes easy, and isn’t hard to pin down.

But not everyone has the same experience. There are writers out there, sometimes young, sometimes not, who struggle with giving their characters motivation. I’ve read stories from writers, in fact, who when asked about the motivation for their character, answered with what was, effectively, “Well, their motivation is to be there. The plot is happening, and they’re stuck in it.” Which isn’t really an answer, not really, inasmuch as is a cry for help on the part of their character. If the only motivation your character has is “exist, and the story will drag you along” well … That’s not really a motivation. That’s more a sensation of apathy being towed by a plot.

To be fair, however, if our aim is a plot-drive story where the characters are of secondary importance, this will absolutely be the kind of character drive your story ends up with. Because the characters aren’t really that important by contrast to the plot of said book, and will get towed along whatever direction the book wants to go.

Which is a topic we’ve discussed before here on BaBW, but so long ago I couldn’t even find the article with a search. Another day, then. But this concept of a story being driven by events of the plot rather than the characters isn’t new. Sands, I spent time on a few Sci-Fi subreddits (and a few fantasy) and one of the quiet debates that has sprung up on one of them recently began with the observation that many of the most recommended Sci-Fi works on the sub had little to no character at all, the characters serving as empty mouthpieces to move a plot forward regardless of the logic of their own involvement.

This begat a quiet debate, with many arguing that the best Sci-Fi stories didn’t and shouldn’t have developed characters or character-driven plots because “Sci-Fi is all about the ideas, not the characters.”

Personally, I disagree, and if you’ve read Colony or any of my other Sci-Fi works, you know that. I believe character and story can go hand in hand. But not everyone does. Which, I believe. may be why some young writers struggle with character motivation. Even if they want to include it, if a wide span of their reading by some unfortunate coincidence those stories that do not value or place emphasis on character motivation, it can be hard to see how to make it work, or even ways to slide it into the concept they have in mind. Or perhaps even if they want to see it in their story, they’re laboring under the belief that a story shouldn’t have characters with motivation and drive pushing things forward.

Yikes, this preamble is getting massive. Hit the jump before too much of our article is on the front page, and let’s talk more about the act of character motivation.

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Being a Better Writer: Nintendo’s Rule of Three

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Welcome back, writers! It’s the first Being a Better Writer article post LTUE! So, in fact, maybe that should also be “Welcome, new writers,” because there may be a number of you checking out Unusual Things for the first time post-convention.

Now, if you are new and looking at that title wondering “What? I know Nintendo. That’s video games. What does that have to do with writing?” you’re probably one of a few. And it’s a fair question. But as prior followers of the site will attest, knowledge of writing and application can come from some very unique and unexpected sources. So there are often titles that may make one wonder “How on Earth could that have anything to do with writing?” that then go hard into the details and end up a pleasant—and educational—surprise.

So, don’t fret that you’ve arrived on the wrong site just because of the word “Nintendo” up above. You’re in the right place, and today we’re talking writing.

Well, as soon as we get through the usual allotment of site news. Most of it’s what you would expect: LTUE happened this last weekend, and it was an absolute blast. You can check out the write-ups for more details, but the short of it is that I had a great time, appeared on some fantastic panels, rubbed shoulders with some great folks and fellow writers, and sold out on Axtara before the third day had even hit noon.

Yeah, she’s really soaring. Shadow of an Empire paperbacks were selling as well, but in an inverse of last year, this time it was Axtara‘s turn to fly for the sky.

Anyway, LTUE is an awesome and fantastic experience that as always, I recommend wholeheartedly. I ran into several first-time attendees, and they were amazed and excited by the breadth and depth of knowledge on display at the con.

Okay, enough about LTUE. Some of you are probably tired of it or rolling your eyes. It’s awesome, this last weekend was great, and after a nice Sunday spent recharging via sleep and decompressing via some relaxation, I am so pumped to finish up this Jacob Rocke novel and get to work on Axtara – Magic and Mayhem.

But first. we’ve got today’s Being a Better Writer to discuss. So, without further ado, let’s get to it, and talk about Nintendo’s Rule of Three, and how you can apply it to your plotting to make a better story.

Weird, I know. But trust me. This is cool. Hit the jump.

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Being a Better Writer: Delivering a Villain and Making Them Truly Scary

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Hello readers, and welcome to another installment of Being a Better Writer. Today’s installment is one that I’ve been waiting on for a while, as it’s been near the very bottom of Topic List #19. In fact, it is the second to last post from this list! There’s only one more to go after this, and then Topic List #20.

Which is why if you’ve got a writing topic you want to see a future BaBW discuss, now is your chance to get it on the list! Hit up the Topic Call post and leave your suggestion in the comments there to get your interest covered by a future Being a Better Writer!

As for other news … I don’t believe there’s anything that I didn’t already post about in last week’s news update, so we can dive right into today’s post!

So this one has been on my mind for a while. Months, actually, since it was put on the list. I usually leave a little space for last-minute additions, and this was one of them that I grabbed after seeing a writing thread where a bunch of readers were discussing how the villains of a piece had fallen flat.

Now, as a quick aside, I do want to remind us all that there is a difference between an antagonist and a villain. Just as there is a difference between a hero and a protagonist. Someone that is acting in opposition to a protagonist is not automatically a villain. They are an antagonist. Merely being opposed to a primary character is not an automatic trait of villainy. In fact, even the definitions of these two terms note the difference. An antagonist is one who opposes the protagonist of a story and acts as an obstacle, but that is the limit. A villain on the other hand, is a character who’s evil motivations are integral to the plot.

And yes, the definition does include the term “evil” there. A villain may have ambiguous reasons (for example, Thanos), but there is no doubt that what they are doing is wrong in some awful fashion, and their aims are more than just being an obstacle to the protagonist.

In other words, it’s like the old logic puzzle or play we all encountered in grade-school: Some antagonists are villains, and some villains are antagonists, but not all antagonists are villains, and not all villains are antagonists.

If that was a little confusing, just look at it this way: A villain can exist in a story and not be an antagonist (in fact, there are plenty of stories where a villain exists, but doesn’t play against a protagonist, or may even assist them temporarily), and an antagonist can exist but not be a villain. The two terms are independent of one another.

Now, if we want to talk about antagonists and how to use them, perhaps we can put that on a future list. But now that we’ve noted the difference between the two, lets get back to our core focus today with villains, and how we make them scary. Hit the jump!

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Being a Better Writer: The Chosen One

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Greetings and salutations, readers! We’re back with another Monday installment of Being a Better Writer! Which by now is so regular it’s almost not worth making the fanfare over, but hey, if there’s one positive thing I can bring to the world on a Monday, it’s at least being upbeat with how my posts start out. You know, aside from the inevitable beneficial knowledge all these posts provide.

So, what are we talking about today? Chosen ones, actually, a topic I felt was fitting for today’s dual status as a holiday (if you’re reading this post another day, February 14th was Valentine’s Day), if in an amusing way.

But, really quick, before I get into that, I do have some news to share. Well, more of a reminder. This week is LTUE! That’s right, Life, The Universe, and Everything, the Fantasy and Sci-Fi writing convention, is happening Thursday through Saturday, 17-19th. I really hope you can make it, because it is always a blast.

Speaking of which, if you can make it (and I really hope you can), here’s a quick list and breakdown of what panels I’ll be on this year!

Thursday:

  • 3 PM – A Space Opera Starter Kit
  • 4 PM – No Mirrors: Character Description in First Person
  • 7 PM – My Genre Wish List

Friday:

  • 7 PM – Book Signing!

Saturday:

  • 5 PM – Science Fiction Faux Pas
  • 7 PM – Fanfiction: Having Fun

Of course, I’ll be around during the rest of the con as well, attending other panels, chatting, and of course signing books. Oh, and handing out some awesome bookmarks! Take a look at this:

I know it’s not the best picture, but that on the left? That is a full stack of awesome Axtara bookmarks which I’ll be giving out at the con. They’re pretty cute, and double-sided, the front saying “Banking shouldn’t be a drag …” and the back offering “Bank with Axtara – Banking and Finance Instead!” Yup, like those bank ads you’d see.

I feel Axtara would approve.

Okay, and with that, that’s all the news we’re going to talk about today. No more LTUE or Axtara talk. Let’s talk instead about that giant title above. Let’s talk about “The Chosen One” trope.

I actually picked this topic largely because I’ve heard it discussed in multiple places recently as a very negative thing. Sort of a—and by sort of I mean this is almost a direct quote—”all chosen one stories are bad” concept.

I’m not joking. I’ve seen a lot of “unrest” over the concept lately, from people automatically attacking any story they assume has a “chosen one” in it, to even declaring it a lone conceit of “European” or even “white” stories—something that’s laughable if you know anything about mythology from, oh, any culture out there in the world.

But this negativity, often aggressive and dismissive, is why I wanted to talk about the trope. Because here’s the thing: It’s an ancient trope. You can find examples of it in the mythology of every culture across the world. It is, in writing terms, as old, if not older, than dirt. The idea of a “chosen one,” be they small or large, has been with mankind since stories were first told.

So then … what’s with the sudden animosity toward it?

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Being a Better Writer: Character Fridging

Max Being a Better Writer , , , ,

Welcome back readers! It’s another Monday and that means it’s time for another installment of Being a Better Writer! We’ve got an interesting (and surprisingly volatile) topic for you today, one that very likely may prove quite useful to you, but first, before we get that, two quick news reminders.

First: Life, The Universe, and Everything 2022 is next week! That’s right! It’s nearly here! February 17th-19th! The schedules are up, the panelists and guests are ready, and my last “to-do” item is to go pick up some new Colony and Axtara cards as well as some bookmarks to hand out! It’s almost here, and I hope to see you there! Again, the website is here, and you can look at the full panel schedule and see all the various topics before heading in yourself!

Second: This week emails will be going out to long-time Alpha Readers about the first Starforge Alpha Read. That’s right, it’s happening at last. So if you’re a prior Alpha Reader, keep an eye on your inbox for something with Starforge in the title. It’s coming!

Third: A loose apology, as I realize that this may force some of you to choose between LTUE shenanigans and Alpha Reading Starforge. Sometimes timing works out like that. But those of you who were unable to make it LTUE this year will have a fun alternative.

Okay, that’s the news, so let’s get moving onto today’s post and topic. Which is … Well, this is an interesting one.

“Character Fridging” is a trope I’ve heard of before (after all, if you’re going to write and write a lot, you’re going to hear of a lot of tropes), but it’s also one that’s taken on a fairly negative connotation in pop culture recently. In fact, the reason I put this trope on the list was because of two online locations I frequent using the term as a “dirty phrase” to describe why no one should ever read/watch particular shows. Someone would bring a new show or book up, and someone would immediately ask if it “fridged” anyone, and then go off on a small rant, everyone else digitally nodding, about how awful fridging was and how ‘no good story fridges a character.’

This of course, with a large spoonful of ‘only women can be fridged’ which should be the second bit that raises alarm bells about what was circulating here.

Now look, I’m not saying that there aren’t people that are wary of this trope without reason. Sands, it gets it’s modern name from an infamous scene in a comic series where the protagonist found his new girlfriend had been, literally, fridged.

The problem, however, and why I chose to do a post on the subject, is because the idea itself has become a monster that, like I was seeing in online circles, was less than helpful for anyone who might have been peeking in. Driven in part by the fact that a lot of these people talking so much about fridging didn’t really know what it was, and were keen to throw the term at anything that felt vaguely applicable and then condemn said work for its imagined “sin.”

So then, what is character fridging, actually? What’s it do? How did it become a thing? What’s the goal or purpose. Most importantly, how can we avoid or use it in our work … and should we?

You know the drill. Hit the jump, and let’s get talking.

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