How do you make the fantastic elements of your stories seem real?

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In an effort to get through my first draft, I put a few worldbuilding projects on the backburner. And I’m glad I did.

One of those projects was to develop a calendar. Now that I’m in the editing phase, it needs done now. Or else making fixes during later revisions will be a pain.

I first mentioned the madcap idea of creating my own calendar for Five Rings and went into detail with the actual days of the week here. Read the rest of this entry »

A huge element of style is the point-of-view a writer is most likely to write in. Is everybody clear on exactly what ‘3rd person limited’ is? If not, here’s a quick run-down of the POVs.

1st Person:

First person’s easy. Your second grade papers were most likely written in first-person.  And of course I’m writing in first person now. In a story, the writer assumes the main character’s (MC’s) viewpoint and writes only what s/he is thinking.

Avoid:
…making the main character psychic. The MC shouldn’t know what someone else is thinking, etc.

The advantage:
It’s immersive. The reader gets into the story by living in the main character’s head, experiencing exactly what s/he’s thinking and seeing.

The disadvantage:
If other characters split up and leave the MC, the writer might have the tough task of showing the reader what happened to those characters. It can be problematic. Should the writer have the characters catch up with the MC later and fill him in? Or  jump into another person’s head for awhile (This method can be used, but it’s jarring to the reader to adjust to a different character in first person)? Either way, it’s difficult to pull off.

2nd person:

Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to part 3!
IMO, style is a fascinating topic. As I write, share, and critique more, it’s just as neat to watch other writers’ styles develop as it is to notice the subtle changes in my own.

I’d love to share with you what writing methods I’ve found myself leaning towards over the past year:

1. I often drop the word ‘that’.

I decided that I would go.

becomes:

I decided I would go.

But not always. I try to play a mix-up game when I write—I don’t always follow a rule. For variety’s sake.

Read the rest of this entry »

As I’ve been writing scenes and posting wordcounts, I’ve gotten away from something important: How did I come up with this stuff, anyway?
After all, wasn’t the whole point of this blog to share the creative writing process?

“Where is your story supposed to start, really?” is one of the toughest questions to answer. Some people try to oversimplify the answer.

Holly Lisle is one of those people. “Beginnings are endings,” she says. She believes that beginnings always present the protagonists with problems they are ill-equipped to handle. The ending should be just like the beginning, only the protagonists should’ve learned over the course of the story how to properly deal with those exact same problems. If that’s not the case, she suggests you might’ve started at the wrong place. Makes sense, right?

But I don’t buy it. My favorite stories usually raise the stakes until the protagonists are faced with much more difficult problems than they could’ve ever imagined at the beginning. Characters change. Emotionally, mentally, and physically.

While they’re travelling, the world around them shouldn’t stay static, either. It changes and grows.

Imagine a story where a boy, who gets kicked around by a bully, stumbles through a portal in his school locker to a magical land where he learns how to fight and stand up for himself. Then, when he returns back to his world all ready to kick some butt, it turns out the bully slipped on soap in the shower and died. lol. Read the rest of this entry »

The location page got a hefty update. The characters page got a minor one (I’m going to update that more, soon). Since I came up with a lot of those names on-the-fly, feedback is most definitely welcome. Especially if anything I named there also happens to be the name of a rare foot disease, or whatever.

Anyway, the next scene is when I start to coordinate the groups of characters I’ve introduced.

There’s traditional Shiirati music as a backdrop; heavy rhythmic drum beats echoing through the city due to the festivites.

There’s Cauinn—along with nearly the entire population of the city—at the Feast of the Eight. She still has Cirellio’s lock of hair and is waiting patiently for him.

There’s the guards patrolling every city street.

There’s Cirellio sneaking through the city.   Read the rest of this entry »

(Yay! This is my 60th post. We’re also on the threshold of 5,000 hits. What a milestone on both counts. Thanks, all! ^_^)

Before I get too much further with writing scenes, I’d like to talk a little bit more about plot structure.

The plot is an unruly beast. There are many theories as to why a story works, or how to combine various elements to make the “ultimate plot combination”. The number of possible plot types is hotly debated, but it’s a growing list. We’re not talking about some sacred list that only adds a new plot once every 1000 years; Something like sixteen more have been added just within the last 100 years. So don’t listen to those old codgers that claim ‘everything under the sun has been done’, just like how inventors in the past always managed to invent new things, despite their stuffy compatriots claiming everything under the sun had already been invented. You CAN write something new.

Anyway, I feel lucky to have stumbled upon what I feel is a cool trick to writing good plots. (If it’s widely known info, forgive me. It’s definitely not widely known at my on-line stomping grounds, nor is it mentioned in any of my ‘how-to’ reading materials.)

But before I talk about that, I want to reiterate something->
I’m sure you’ve all seen Syd Field’s three-act plot structure. But just in case you haven’t, here they are (in my own words): Read the rest of this entry »

Mysticism:
Roughly 80% of the people of Kassara are mystics. Nearly everyone goes through a catechism for the religion at an early age.
Mystics are expected to pray at shrines and keep ‘jigo jisho’, but probably only 30% of the followers actually do.
-The prayer shrines are abundant wherever there is civilization. They are pools of water with a shrine maiden present, who is an ‘awakened’ water elemental.
-Jigo jisho is a personal journal mystics keep of their spiritual progression.

Mystics believe in what cannot be seen; they are adherent that some things in life cannot be explained with empirical data alone. Mystics and scientists work together regularly to attempt to explain the true nature of Lura. The fact that apparitions are a commonality is definitely a huge factor contributing to why the religion has gained so many followers.

The ideology of the five rings is embraced by mystics. They believe in the ‘convergience’, which is the idea that all realities intersect at the third ring. They believe they cannot communicate with the Light of Creation directly (which they believe is a manifestation of the fifth ring), and must worship through intermediary gods and goddesses instead.

However, most mystics aren’t entirely convinced the awakened really have powers. It is easy to be skeptical since awakeneds are so rare, and some people are worried their religion is using parlour tricks to keep their followers in line.

None-the-less, the wards to keep evil spirits away seem to work. Read the rest of this entry »

To kick off world building month, I thought it would be best to introduce you to the planet itself.

Should planets really be named? An interesting debate. There’s one main reason I decided to name mine:
If you don’t name your planet, your fans will. For example, Robert Jordan didn’t name his world for Wheel of Time, so readers dubbed it Randland (’Rand’ is the name of the main character). That way, fans could more easily communicate when discussing the ins and outs of Jordan’s creation.
…I don’t think I want the Five Rings world to be referred to as ‘Cirellioland’, so I decided to name my world ‘Lura’.

Lura has a solar system and single, central, normal-sized star much like Earth’s called Sol. No one is sure how many planets there are within the solar system, but astrologists actively study the nearby celestial bodies and stars. (Of course, it’s hard to know much about the universe when even the lands within the surrounding oceans are unexplored.)

If I’m following my five rings system (which I am, of course :P), any planets that can sustain life should be between the second and third ring. Lura is just such a planet, so its elemental makeup is much like Earth’s. 
But there are a few key differences: Read the rest of this entry »

Pull up a chair. Have I got a grotesquely long-winded story for you….

Once upon a time, before this blog came into existence, I was experimenting with software that magically ‘helps’ you write your book.

When I first installed Dramatica Pro v4.0 on my computer, I was shocked to see “What is the title of your story?” as the very first question in the ‘linear StoryGuide’: “The step-by-step process to conceptualizing your story”.

There were no tools to help me brainstorm a possible title, no hints to help, and no tips to figuring it out. Just an old-fashioned blank line with a flashing cursor, awaiting me to enter something to proceed to step two.

After racking my brains for a good hour or two while rolling back and forth on my bed like a human steam-roller, I entered ‘Untitled’ and proceeded.

Step two left me confronted with another dastardly question: “Briefly describe what happens in “Untitled”, including the Beginning, Middle, and End.”.

Another flashing cursor. This time in a great big empty page-sized box. I think my brain was also blank with nothing but a flashing cursor at that point. Although maybe the word ‘error’ made an appearance or two.

One thing’s for sure: Dramatica Pro doesn’t pull its punches. I ran away with my tail between my legs that day. I simply wasn’t ready for it.

But let’s try it again:
“What’s the title of your story?” Read the rest of this entry »

Pull up a chair. Have I got a grotesquely long-winded story for you….

Once upon a time, before this blog came into existence, I was experimenting with software that magically ‘helps’ you write your book.

When I first installed Dramatica Pro v4.0 on my computer, I was shocked to see “What is the title of your story?” as the very first question in the ‘linear StoryGuide’: “The step-by-step process to conceptualizing your story”.

There were no tools to help me brainstorm a possible title, no hints to help, and no tips to figuring it out. Just an old-fashioned blank line with a flashing cursor, awaiting me to enter something to proceed to step two.

After racking my brains for a good hour or two while rolling back and forth on my bed like a human steam-roller, I entered ‘Untitled’ and proceeded.

Step two left me confronted with another dastardly question: “Briefly describe what happens in “Untitled”, including the Beginning, Middle, and End.”.

Another flashing cursor. This time in a great big empty page-sized box. I think my brain was also blank with nothing but a flashing cursor at that point. Although maybe the word ‘error’ made an appearance or two.

One thing’s for sure: Dramatica Pro doesn’t pull its punches. I ran away with my tail between my legs that day. I simply wasn’t ready for it.

But let’s try it again:
“What’s the title of your story?” Read the rest of this entry »

Pull up a chair. Have I got a grotesquely long-winded story for you….

Once upon a time, before this blog came into existence, I was experimenting with software that magically ‘helps’ you write your book.

When I first installed Dramatica Pro v4.0 on my computer, I was shocked to see “What is the title of your story?” as the very first question in the ‘linear StoryGuide’: “The step-by-step process to conceptualizing your story”.

There were no tools to help me brainstorm a possible title, no hints to help, and no tips to figuring it out. Just an old-fashioned blank line with a flashing cursor, awaiting me to enter something to proceed to step two.

After racking my brains for a good hour or two while rolling back and forth on my bed like a human steam-roller, I entered ‘Untitled’ and proceeded.

Step two left me confronted with another dastardly question: “Briefly describe what happens in “Untitled”, including the Beginning, Middle, and End.”.

Another flashing cursor. This time in a great big empty page-sized box. I think my brain was also blank with nothing but a flashing cursor at that point. Although maybe the word ‘error’ made an appearance or two.

One thing’s for sure: Dramatica Pro doesn’t pull its punches. I ran away with my tail between my legs that day. I simply wasn’t ready for it.

But let’s try it again:
“What’s the title of your story?” Read the rest of this entry »

Pull up a chair. Have I got a grotesquely long-winded story for you….

Once upon a time, before this blog came into existence, I was experimenting with software that magically ‘helps’ you write your book.

When I first installed Dramatica Pro v4.0 on my computer, I was shocked to see “What is the title of your story?” as the very first question in the ‘linear StoryGuide’: “The step-by-step process to conceptualizing your story”.

There were no tools to help me brainstorm a possible title, no hints to help, and no tips to figuring it out. Just an old-fashioned blank line with a flashing cursor, awaiting me to enter something to proceed to step two.

After racking my brains for a good hour or two while rolling back and forth on my bed like a human steam-roller, I entered ‘Untitled’ and proceeded.

Step two left me confronted with another dastardly question: “Briefly describe what happens in “Untitled”, including the Beginning, Middle, and End.”.

Another flashing cursor. This time in a great big empty page-sized box. I think my brain was also blank with nothing but a flashing cursor at that point. Although maybe the word ‘error’ made an appearance or two.

One thing’s for sure: Dramatica Pro doesn’t pull its punches. I ran away with my tail between my legs that day. I simply wasn’t ready for it.

But let’s try it again:
“What’s the title of your story?” Read the rest of this entry »

Pull up a chair. Have I got a grotesquely long-winded story for you….

Once upon a time, before this blog came into existence, I was experimenting with software that magically ‘helps’ you write your book.

When I first installed Dramatica Pro v4.0 on my computer, I was shocked to see “What is the title of your story?” as the very first question in the ‘linear StoryGuide’: “The step-by-step process to conceptualizing your story”.

There were no tools to help me brainstorm a possible title, no hints to help, and no tips to figuring it out. Just an old-fashioned blank line with a flashing cursor, awaiting me to enter something to proceed to step two.

After racking my brains for a good hour or two while rolling back and forth on my bed like a human steam-roller, I entered ‘Untitled’ and proceeded.

Step two left me confronted with another dastardly question: “Briefly describe what happens in “Untitled”, including the Beginning, Middle, and End.”.

Another flashing cursor. This time in a great big empty page-sized box. I think my brain was also blank with nothing but a flashing cursor at that point. Although maybe the word ‘error’ made an appearance or two.

One thing’s for sure: Dramatica Pro doesn’t pull its punches. I ran away with my tail between my legs that day. I simply wasn’t ready for it.

But let’s try it again:
“What’s the title of your story?” Read the rest of this entry »

The fifth ring is the final destination of any set of energy.

Creating fire? Going to Hell? First ring.
Traversing a continent? Going to Purgatory? Second ring.
Crossing an ocean? Being alive? Third ring.
Flying? Projecting to the Astral plane? Fourth ring.
Launching into space? Going to Heaven? Fifth ring.

So the fifth ring represents our ideals; those destinations which we most hope to reach someday. Read the rest of this entry »

Elementally speaking, the fourth ring is simply ‘the atmosphere’, which is easy enough to visualize: the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and ionosphere. It is also our state of mind, our intellect, our subconscious, our instincts, and the scales that balance good and evil.

But metaphysically speaking, there’s a lot more to it. Read the rest of this entry »

The third ring is our physical reality. It is also the classical element of water; what makes up the oceans, lakes, rain, and reservoirs—the water cycle. It is what living organisms are made of. It is the soul.

While it may seem destructive due to phenomenon like floods, lava flows, monsoons, corrosion, and landslides, it is ultimately an element of purity. It sustains life and transports sediments and seeds. It is a natural lubricant, helping rocks go deep beneath the earth into extreme temperatures to melt down and, ultimately, come back as new, larger rocks. It is the basis of all natural cycles, including the ones within the cells of our body that take very little energy and multiply it into larger amounts of energy.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’d describe the second ring as an energy drawn from within the world. It is the energy surging through the mountains and flora that surround us. It is the Anima Mundi - ’soul of the world’. Some people get this mixed up with the Etheric plane, as the energies are very similar, but the Anima Mundi is more like what writers talk about when they speak of ‘Gaia/Gaea’, which is usually portrayed as an energy that flows within every living thing around us. If you can picture the world as a living womb with a heartbeat and a consciousness able to defend herself—as Mother Earth—or ‘Prithvi’—then you are on the right track. Read the rest of this entry »

The Fire Lizard and the Great Oak Tree

The great oak tree had far outgrown its brethren by coercing the forest animals, one by one, to trust it into climbing within the safe confines of its branches. Once it had earned their trust, it would violently shake them free so they would fall to their death and nourish its roots.

One night, a fire lizard had lost his way from the desert and wandered deep into the forest. The cunning oak saw the strange creature’s desperate need for help and convinced him to rest in the shelter of its foliage before attempting such a long journey back to the desert. Warily, he accepted the invitation.

After the lizard was fast asleep, the great oak shook its branches and greedily watched him plunge to his death. Satisfied, it went to sleep and had dreams of becoming the tallest tree in the forest.

But the deadly toxins within the fire lizard’s blood slowly seeped into the ground. Sudden stabbing pains startled the tree awake. The poison crept up the side of the helpless oak, mercilessly seizing and coiling around its body before finally dragging it to the ground. There, the great oak unwillingly perished. And there, it fed its brethren’s roots for ages to come.

This is a fable I wrote in the spirit of the energies of the 1st ring. And it also happens to be one of my ‘world fables’, which is a side-project I’m working on.

It is said that the lesson you learn from this story reveals your true nature. :)
So, what lesson did you learn? (please share!) Read the rest of this entry »

A little bit about mystics …

After the Day of Discord, many people, for the first time, began to ’see what otherwise could not be seen’. Supernatural sightings were far more common, and people who could manipulate energies gravitated to each other, forming groups and, eventually, schools.

Rarity: At the time of the book’s beginning, roughly 1 in 100 people can become a mystic and tap into the energies of the Five Rings. Well, anyone can, somewhat, but mystics excel at it far greater than a typical person. But far less than 1% of the population use magicks. This is because many people are skeptic of what is possible with the energies: There are many false mystics in the world, and most that can use the energies can only do subtle tricks.
Fire mystics, for instance, can only make something warm or hot with their touch. It would take a lot of energy and an unusual amount of patience to actually set something on fire.

How they identify each other: When a mystic is in the vicinity of another potential user, they often make eye contact, or otherwise take notice of each other and feel an odd kinship and familiarity that complete strangers should never feel. This is because the elements and rings themselves are co-dependant, and so the energies that pass between users are very comforting.

The cost of being a mystic: When a potential user progresses past ‘Neophyte’ and begins learning, they are considered ‘awakened’. But before that can happen, they must be warned that being awakened is a double-edged sword. While using energies is empowering, once awakened, the user will never be the same, and opens themselves to the potential of being attacked by demons and evil spirits. Being awakened draws much interest from the spirit world, and the user must immediately learn how to protect themselves from such attacks. Read the rest of this entry »