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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