Posts Tagged ‘Fiction’
On Richness
Filed Under: My Writing, Writing Process, creativity
Lately, I’ve been trying to identify where my writing really differs from the stuff that’s great, great writing. There are a hell of a lot of places, but I’ve fixated for a while now on this concept of richness.
The stories that *really* blow me away exude information and confidence. They are full of a richness of detail that is boggling. Telling details show up in nearly every sentence. The entire story works to convince you of this place, these characters, these events.
A great example of a story with amazing richness was David Moles’ “Finnisterra.” I think China Mieville’s novels demonstrate it pretty well too. I see it in many of the stories I have read by Gord Sellar as well. Basically, I see richness as one of the defining qualities of award-winning writing.
The rich telling details are rarely fabricated whole cloth. They’re believable because they draw from some real world knowledge. David uses multiple languages and cultures effortlessly because he knows them intimately. China writes about cities because he dwells in them completely. London is not so different from his fantastical cities. And Gord is so immersed in Korean culture it can’t help but ooze onto the page in a totally engaging way.
I struggle with richness in particular because I’m not sure there’s any way to learn richness other than to immerse yourself in a subject like they do. I think the reason many new writers work fall flat for me is because the only thing they are immersing themselves in is writing and SF/F. The mark of someone who really wants to get out there seems to be someone who takes passion for something else and really drives that home in a story.
There may be veins of richness to tap into from my life, but I’m not sure. It leaves me wishing I could pack up and do some foreign travel for six months all while reading travelogues and history books. I feel like I just don’t have enough packed into my brain that isn’t about computers and web design that can be used to enrich my work.
So that’s the next big thing I’m working on in improving my writing. What’s yours?
What Is a Podcastable Story?
Filed Under: Podcast, SF Podcasting, Writing Advice
Greg Van Eekhout asks:
Thoughts on what kinds of stories translate well to podcasts and what kinds don’t?
First of all, full disclaimer. I am the managing editor at Escape Pod, the science fiction audio podcast. I’ve been doing this job for about 3 or 4 months now, and I am by no means an expert on to topic. I can only comment as to my personal tastes here. I reserve the right to change my opinion as I learn more about my job and what seems to work.
I can talk much more easily about what does not work well in podcasts. Here are a few things:
- Typographic weirdness, of the sort you would see in The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
- Fiction that plays with formatting in some way–fake news report, branching dialogue, and so on. This would be great if we produced audio dramas, but Escape Pod approaches production in a very straighforward narrative fashion. I’d love to do more radio-drama style readings, and we have one coming up that was recorded live by Steve Eley at a convention. But the production that goes into a regular episode is difficult enough.
- Stories that have a lot of very short scenes and lots of jumping around in time.
The last one is the one I’m least certain about, but I find that stories that go back and forth in time can be a bit more confusing in audio format. On the page, it seems easier to organize the events into a chronological order, but when listening to a story, it is harder to do this. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it’s definitely something I pay attention to.
Okay, so what works particularly well? Here are some general ideas:
- A strong, unique perspective or voice. It’s my experience that some of the most popular EP episodes have been from a very unique character, such as a bomb dog or the AI that resides in a soldier’s helmet. These stories are often in first person perspective. That’s not to say that I find first person better than third person. First person coupled with a really unique and orginal voice stands out very well. Like it does in regular fiction.
- All the other, usual things that make a story good.
Other than the few things I think don’t work that are specific to the audio format, I use basically the same criteria for selecting a story in audio that I would for selecting in print. I have some restrictions unique to Escape Pod, such as length. I can’t tell you how many times I remember what I think would be a great story fo rthe podcast, only to look it up and find out that it was a novella. It’s something I’d like to see us do more of in the future, but I’d want to pay more for them and possibly serialize them over the course of two or more episodes. It’s something I think about a little when I have time.
If you listen to podcast fiction, what do you think? What kinds of stories really work well for you in audio? Try to focus on the things you think work particularly well, and cite specific examples if you like. This will make up for my rather underdeveloped list. If you have something critical to say about a particular podcast story, share it on the forums over at the ‘cast or send it to our feedback email, as a favor to me, please.
Postmortem: What the hell was #futureJer?
Filed Under: Featured Resource, My Writing, Recommended Media
My 3 month long experiment in 140 character fiction posts ended on Sunday. You can read my serial fiction #futureJer on the Thaumatrope website here. The premise was pretty simple: I attempted to imagine my life 2 years into the future if our economy doesn’t get any better. It’s fairly grim, but has a touch of hope to it too. The cast were barely fictional versions of my family and friends, and it takes place in rural Kansas.
The Genesis of a Twitter Serial
Back before I was actually laid off, but knew the threat was looming, I was experiencing a lot of anxiety. On a whim, I decided to imagine how bad things could get to externalize my fears, and I started twittering this in the form of #futureJer. Within a couple of days, Nathan Lilly, the editor of Thaumatrope, direct messaged me and offered to pay me to do what I was already doing, at pro rates no less. It was an easy decision to make.
Postmortem
I never had any intention of telling a story when I started out doing this, but once I was offered money, I had to give it an arc. I introduced the elements of the pregnancy and the growing violence to develop the drama. I was happiest about the project when I was simply imagining our lives as essentially subsistence farmer/hunters. I find something deeply compelling about a life without work, where you simply grow your own food, maintain your own home, and enjoy life. I think we’re hardwired more for the hunter/gatherer or farmer life more than we are for working in offices.
The tone probably got even darker when I was actually laid off at the end of January. I sat down a few days later and wrote the entire month of February in an afternoon, plotting out the remainder. I suspect the final bit felt slightly more cohesive than the bits that led up to it.
Overall, it was an interesting experiment in writing on the fly, and hopefully I didn’t screw it up too much. Also, I hope it doesn’t turn from fiction to reality, because I don’t actually know how to build or repair wind turbines or castrate bulls, although I’m willing to learn if someone wants to teach me!
First Story of 2009: Engines of Survival, by Larissa Kelly
Filed Under: Short Story
At least, the first one I have read. My goal is to read at least one a week now that I am writing again. My thinking is
Strange Horizons Fiction: Engines of Survival, by Larissa Kelly.
It’s always the little things in the future that are the hardest to adjust to. You’ll be walking in the park after making your delivery, taking amused note of the robot nannies and the teenagers racing in their jet harnesses, soaking in the expected novelty of the scene. And then all at once, you realize that the young man on the path ahead isn’t walking a small dog, as you had originally thought, but a raccoon.
Cryptic capsule review: like an accidental brush of an attractive stranger’s hand across your own in a crowded space.
Speaking of short fiction, I miss Nick Mamatas over at Clarkesworld. Damn you Viz!
