Josh, Scott, and Chuck sit down to talk about the rules of writing and how they aren't so "absolute" as they may seem.

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Debunking the Rules of Writing

Josh, Scott, and Chuck sit down to talk about the rules of writing and how they aren't so "absolute" as they may seem.

Hosts: Josh Hayes, Scott Moon, C. Steven Manley

[00:00] Opening remarks—Dragon Award Nominations are open!

[05:05] Weekly update, Tiger King Edition

Josh: Into the final act of Enemy of Valor (Valor #3). Word streaking! Anthology Battle Luna reveal

Chuck: Plugging away at  Dark Disciples (Jack Dark #2) and Brace Cordova #3. Committed to short story for Weird Tales’ Galactic Murder Clowns 3. Word of the Day: Homage.

Scott: Finished Invasion Day and outlined the next book. Hit 70k words in book 2 of Thirteen Mercenaries for June release. Pitching KSM coffee.

[16:36] Sponsor: Devon C. Ford and Nathan Hystad’s Salvation (Rise Book 2)

[19:32] Main Event: Debunking the Rules of Writing!

-Pacing, action, and characterization are very important in military science fiction, but ‘show, don’t tell’ is strong in this genre.

-Show, don’t tell is a big mantra, but there’s a lot of telling in different genres.

-Is ‘show, don’t tell’ a generational or publishing market shift?

-Start with telling in drafting a novel, but working backward into showing if you can.

-The POV can lead to a lot of telling because you’re inside the head of a character.

Example: Legionnaire (Galaxy’s Edge Book 1) by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole

Counter-example: the shift from third person limited to omniscient and then back.

Example: Memory Man by David Baldacci

-In mystery, telling is big because the reader is trying to get all the clues to solve.

-‘Thou Shalt Not Bore the Reader’

-You have to tell more when you’re in a single POV because you don’t have the advantage of POV shift or a wider character lens. It’s known to the character so the reader can access what the character knows.

-Breaking up Exposition with Action? Don’t follow a predictable rhythm and it doesn’t have to repeat (i.e. not always a battle).

-Zero in on exposition as to how it relates to the narrative right now.

-Small amounts of stage direction can add motion to the exposition without adding action.

-Being kept in the dark? ‘Resist the Urge to Explain’

-Don’t put unnecessary facts into a novel you’ll lose track of.

-Setting exposition can give a setting character

Example: Michael Connolly’s Harry Bosch series

-Adding research details from the real world (which doesn’t necessarily work in SFF unless you world build to give it history and feel)

-Chekhov’s Gun Axiom

-Deep historical feel can give a reader an immersive experience and connection

Example: GRRM’s A Song of Ice and Fire series

-Historical fiction is very rich in this way.

Example: Marc Alan Edelheit’s Chronicles of An Imperial Legionary Officer series

-Some authors do very well in over-description

Example: Tom Clancy, Ken Follet

-Cinematic description works

Example: Michael Fuchs

-How deep do you go when you explain a character? It’s big in military science fiction.

Example: Scott Moon’s Pig Dog

-Headhopping within a scene. Does that work?

-Inferring vs. headhopping

-‘Thou Shalt Not Confuse the Reader’

Example: Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne series

Example : Frank Herbert’s Dune Chronicles series

-Have to know how to hold the third person omniscient while holding information from the reader

Example: Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series

-You want to convey what you want to reader to feel what the character feels or believes

-#1 important rule is your story. Write the best one.

-Know the rules of your genre and read in your genre

[59:13] Closing remarks

Coffee and Concepts

Writer’s Journey

Storytelling

 

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