Write On SC

What is Retroactive Continuity?

Retroactive continuity (often called retcon) is a storytelling device used in fiction when authors or creators deliberately change, add to, or contradict facts that were previously established in a story’s “official past.” In essence, the story’s “history” gets rewritten, sometimes subtly and sometimes quite dramatically. (Wikipedia)

According to one definition:

“Retroactive continuity is a literary device in which previously established information in a work of fiction is changed, ignored, or contradicted to suit the current story.” (TCK Publishing)

The motivations for retconning can vary:

In long-running franchises — comics, film series, TV shows — retcons are especially common because over time, multiple writers or creators may contribute, or earlier plot points simply don’t hold up to new storytelling ambitions. (FourWeekMBA)

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Crymsyn Hart is a multi-genre author from Horror, Urban Fantasy, and Romance. Her years of experience at Boston’s oldest psychic salon doing readings and her encounters with the supernatural have inspired many novels. She’s a lover of all things dark and goth. Vampires, grim reapers, and other paranormal creatures tend to end up in her books no matter how hard she tries to keep them away.

She currently resides in Charlotte, NC with her hubby and their dog. By day she is conquering the world of Commercial Insurance, but by night she listens to the voices in her head telling her which rabbit hole to go down to find the perfect plot bunny.

Visit her website at: http://www.crymsynhart.com

A child of the 80's, SL Harby grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons and classic video games. An only child, he was bitten early by the reading bug, cutting his teeth on the masters of modern fantasy. His days were spent inside the worlds created by Howard and Lieber, Moorcock and Tolkien.

A perpetual Jersey boy, SL Harby lives in northwestern New Jersey with his wife and muse, Jessica and their bad ass rescue dog, Tellulah.

Visit www.ReadSLHarby.com for fiction, reviews, creator interviews and more!

Nick Roberts is the award-winning author of Anathema, The Exorcist's House series, Mean Spirited, and several others. His works have been translated into multiple languages, becoming international bestsellers and garnering the attention of Hollywood. He’s a member of the Horror Writers Association, a doctoral graduate from Marshall University, and currently resides in South Carolina with his wife and three children.  He talks with Rex about his career. 

The last time we did this topic was way back in 2021 here’s the link to Episode 130. We think maybe we’ve learned something since then. Born out of the “be mean to your characters” necessity, “what could be meaner than making your characters make decisions, do something, take responsibility, and live with consequences of their actions?”

• According to this link by Meg LaTorre at Savvy Authors, “agency” means the character is more proactive than reactive in the story. The character does stuff instead of stuff just happening to him/her.
• To give characters agency, ensure they drive the plot through active choices and pursuit of clear, motivated goals, rather than passively reacting to events. This involves providing meaningful choices, showing consequences for their actions, creating internal and external conflicts that require decisive action, and allowing for character growth based on their decisions. (thanks, AI and this link)

How do you do it? Check out this link (summary below):

• Active, Not Passive: Your protagonist should be the driver of the plot, making decisions that shape the story, not just having things happen to them.
• Clear Goals: Give characters specific, achievable goals rooted in their desires and motivations.
• Strong Motivations: Explain why a character takes action, linking their choices to their values, beliefs, and internal struggles.
• Meaningful Choices: Present dilemmas where characters must make difficult decisions that reflect their personality.
• Consequences: Show the tangible positive and negative outcomes of their decisions, reinforcing their impact on the story.
• Conflict as a Catalyst: Use obstacles and conflicts to force characters to act and make choices.
• Show, Don't Tell: Reveal agency through actions and dialogue, not just narration of thoughts or feelings.
• Character Arc: Allow characters to change and develop as a result of their experiences and choices.
• Avoid Deus Ex Machina: Don't resolve conflicts randomly or through external forces beyond the character's control.

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Finding the right event, getting the vendor license, and packing all your stuff to go over there and sell is all part of the prep. The South Carolina Artisan license can be found at the SC Department of Revenue (link).

Some expected costs: Table ($50-200), vendor license (maybe), travel -- if you have an LLC, you can consider all of these business expenses.

Some preparation consideration: Table aesthetics - what will get people's attention? How can you display your logos and branding? What props will you use to lure people? Rex has foam boards of the book covers, Kasie has QR code displays. Rex has a foam baby eating a rat, it was a Halloween store buy. What giveaways will you have? We've used candy and we've used stickers. Match the stickers to the event. Book display stands are available at Amazon and the foam board displays will have theirs in the purchase price.

Some of the vendors we mentioned for giveaways: DiscountMugs.com, VistaPrint, 24HourWristBands.com

Tote bags - people walk around with the bags and advertise for you. This is a good onsite investment.

Book pricing can and should be related to the people at the event. Consider charging what you think the people will pay. All the authors charging the same thing may not sell anything. But when Rex charges what he thinks the people will pay, he undercuts the other authors. Volume is what matters here, he says, so the more books you can put out in the world the better.

How to present yourself at the table: look professional, a jacket and a nice shirt, something relevant for the event, put out a select number of books so that people can peruse them individually. Engage with people, talk to them, don't be nervous. Know something about the subject.

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Heather has been with us before. She visited back on Episode 261: Edit Like a Pro. Here are some details about Heather: Heather Harris-Bergevin is an author whose business, Barrow Editing, is based in Columbia, South Carolina. She, her three children, two cats, and a happy pitbull spend most of their time fighting entropy. Her own poetry books are published with By Common Consent Press, and she has an upcoming children’s picture book with Lucky Rabbit Press, based in Columbia, SC.

We always talk about how to promote your book and this week I attended (as a speaker) the Business Boot Camp for the Women in Publishing Summit team where all we talked about was authorprenuership. But there’s more to this literary life than just self-promotion. There’s a give-back element that we call literary citizenship and if you can learn to enjoy it, you can really profit from it.

Five years ago, we talked about this as taking the easy way out by doing anything but writing. In 2021, we touched on the topic as it related to Paying Your Writerly Dues. And last week in our quest for inspiration, we suggested some of these activities to channel your creative vibes. 

This time we’re taking a list from the Executive Director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center, Jonathan Haupt, who presented on the topic at last week’s Joy of Writing conference for the SCWA. We’re going to expound upon each of these topics on the air. No segments today, just working the list:

1. Join a writers’ group
2. Go to a writers’ conference
3. Be a loyal customer to your local indy bookstore
4. Write reviews for your favorite indy bookstores
5. Attend author talks and book signings
6. Send than you letters, notes, and messages to authors
7. Like, comment, share, subscribe to authors’ digital content
8. Post reviews for books you enjoy
9. Go to book festivals
10. Be the “in conversation with” host
11. Be a library patron, better yet, a Friend of the Liberary
12. Support literary journals and magazines
13. Be a literacy volunteer at your local schools
14. Donate books to the Little Free Liberaries
15. Join the Authors Guild
16. Join a book club
17. Join Authors Against Book Bands
18. Advocate for the rights to read and write freely
19. Chronicle the times in which you live
20. Support the arts and your fellow creatives
21. Be a literary tourist
22. Read.

Read more on the blog

We always talk about how to promote your book and this week I attended (as a speaker) the Business Boot Camp for the Women in Publishing Summit team where all we talked about was authorprenuership. But there’s more to this literary life than just self-promotion. There’s a give-back element that we call literary citizenship and if you can learn to enjoy it, you can really profit from it.

Five years ago, we talked about this as taking the easy way out by doing anything but writing. In 2021, we touched on the topic as it related to Paying Your Writerly Dues. And last week in our quest for inspiration, we suggested some of these activities to channel your creative vibes. 

This time we’re taking a list from the Executive Director of the Pat Conroy Literary Center, Jonathan Haupt, who presented on the topic at last week’s Joy of Writing conference for the SCWA. We’re going to expound upon each of these topics on the air. No segments today, just working the list:

1. Join a writers’ group
2. Go to a writers’ conference
3. Be a loyal customer to your local indy bookstore
4. Write reviews for your favorite indy bookstores
5. Attend author talks and book signings
6. Send than you letters, notes, and messages to authors
7. Like, comment, share, subscribe to authors’ digital content
8. Post reviews for books you enjoy
9. Go to book festivals
10. Be the “in conversation with” host
11. Be a library patron, better yet, a Friend of the Liberary
12. Support literary journals and magazines
13. Be a literacy volunteer at your local schools
14. Donate books to the Little Free Liberaries
15. Join the Authors Guild
16. Join a book club
17. Join Authors Against Book Bands
18. Advocate for the rights to read and write freely
19. Chronicle the times in which you live
20. Support the arts and your fellow creatives
21. Be a literary tourist
22. Read.

Read more on the blog

We’re in the dog days of summer which can lead to a slow, reluctance to turn to the screen or the page and get new stories generated. Why do we feel this?

What can we do about it?

This writer offered a few tips and tricks:

• Read, read and read again – other writers can gently or violently shake something free in us
• Surround yourself with other writers – group, conferences, readings, book stores, go where the writers are
• Be open to conversation – you might avoid too much socializing when you’re focused, but right now you need conversation, so seek it out
• Spend time elsewhere – travel or retreat, get into a new space to shake yourself out of mundaneity

Our AI answers also suggest immersing yourself in the world. But being intentional about it is what matters. Don’t just move through the world, observe and record what you’re seeing and let those observations light the fuse to new stories.

Segment 2

Let’s talk about creativity as an inspiration. Do you watch other stories? Veer into nonfiction books? See concerts or artwork? 

Some image or phrase might inspire you to write the backstory or the what-happened-next. Sometimes movies can have a side character that makes you want to write what that character might be doing otherwise.

Can you be spontaneously inspired? What are the results of such experiences? Novels? Short stories?

Segment 3

Planned writing exercises? Yes, please. Some prompts might start a new story or inspire a character or longer work.

I like a writing prompt exercise but sometimes others’ prompts are dumb. Where do you get writing prompts?

Google AI. For real. Just ask it for writing prompts for adult writers. Otherwise you’ll get a bunch of elementary school prompts like “how was your summer vacation?”

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