Learn Writing with Uncle Jim, Volume 1

James D. Macdonald said:

Good morning, all!

I hope everyone is having a happy Christmas.

The next part of your writing assignment is this:

While you now have a story with action, adventure, excitment (and a beginning, a middle, and an end), your story has one major problem: It's using a trademarked or copyrighted character. (Some of Sherlock Holmes is public domain now ... but not all, and the parts that come from stage plays and movies are very much not public domain.)

So ... the next part of your task is to file off the serial numbers. Take those trademarked/copyrighted characters and make them into original characters

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This is more of a challenge than I thought. Having to use someone elses writing style was easy compared to making the story sensible without reference. i.e. the word Frankenstein, automatically takes out all doubt as to what the story may be about. It is also easier to write ones own story/novel than to do this excercise.

Then I thought, every character has been created by the writer, whomever they may be.

For instance,

There are only so many senarios that one can use.

Secret agent/ 007
Detective/ P.I. Mike Hammer
Dectective/Granny Mrs. Marple

All of these characters have to do the same thing, solve a case.

Why do we think they are different?

I've just realized that it is not the plot of the story so much as the creation and depth of the character that draws people to one story or the other.

Some like Bond, some don't. Some like Agatha Christy, some don't

Still, they all solve mysteries, or problems.

So, why can't I use the tried and true senario when writing my own novels, and make the characters irresistable?

Just some thoughts I've tossed around while trying to rewrite the excercise.

It has helped me see several things that I hadn't before. I can see why you offered it, Jim. Thanks.

Lest I was unclear:

Leave Frankenstein in. Frankenstein is completely public domain, and this is unabashedly a derivative work.

Jessica Fletcher, however, is not public domain. While the busy-body amateur detective is not copyrighted, the name, and the specifics (a female mystery writer) is both under copyright and most likely trademarked.

The goal here is to remake the story so that while everyone will know (and part of the enjoyment will be) that this is a Frankenstein story -- no one should read it and say, "Oh, that's Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote."

Yes, it's tough, but it's not impossible. (The impossible we'll try a little later.)

James D. Macdonald said:

(The impossible we'll try a little later.)

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Already done. I do it all the time. I try to get things published.

caw.

I note that today, January 1, marks the first day of the submissions period for applications to Viable Paradise 2006.

Uncle Jim, I'm thinking of submitting a portion of a novel-in-revision. Would you speak to what sort of outline you'd like to see accompany the first 10,000 words of novel?

NicoleJLeBoeuf said:

Would you speak to what sort of outline you'd like to see accompany the first 10,000 words of novel?

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Make it brief.

A present-tense narration.

But brief.

James D. Macdonald said:

Make it brief.

A present-tense narration.

But brief.

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Brief. Roger that. Also, are we talking chapter-by-chapter outline ("Chapter One: [A couple sentences that sum up the plot elements of chapter one] Chapter Two: [Likewise]) or something less step-by-step?

Many many thanks!

If you're more comfortable doing chapter-by-chapter that's perfectly okay, but most times when I've written synopses or outlines they've been in the form of a narrative, ten pages or less.

Think about how you'd tell a friend all about a movie you'd seen last night and Really Liked.

Check out: this blog.

There are lots of synopses there; you can see what works and what doesn't.

Thanks. The reason I asked was, VP's application guidelines actually say "outline," not "synopsis," and I had not thus far been led to consider the two terms interchangeable. When I hear "outline" I think of the chapter-by-chapter format; when I hear "synopsis" I think of a summary with more of a narrative flow, like Uncle Jim's "telling your friend about a movie" example.

If I understand my terminology and Uncle Jim's answer correctly, it sounds like for VP's purposes either format--outline or synopsis--will do as long as the result is quick and to-the-point.

(HConn: thanks for the link!)

For some editors and agents, "outline" and "synopsis" are interchangeable and they mean "narrative summary." So the best thing to do is ask. Don't assume. Ask them precisely what they mean by "outline" -- is it a summary or a chapter-by-chapter outline.

NicoleJLeBoeuf said:

I note that today, January 1, marks the first day of the submissions period for applications to Viable Paradise 2006.

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I was thinking this too - hi Nicole!
So, umm ... if the novel isn't actually, completely, totally finished yet, (Maybe I didn't write every single tiny little syllable, no, but basically I wrote them, yeah. Klaatu barata *coughing fit*) can it still be used as a submission piece?
And what would one put for the word count if so, the current word count, or the expected word count?
-Barbara (apologising if this is hijacking the thread)

What we're looking for is 10,000 words (including the synopsis) that tell us whether you can write.

And those 10,000 words should be the first 10,000 words (not chapters 8, 14, and 35 ... even if 8, 14, and 35 are Really Neat).

And as an update (not yet on the web page) -- new instructors this year are James Patrick Kelly and Cory Doctorow.

I just met JPK at Philcon this year - very nice man.

In the event that SOME of you have not read it yet, here is a decent article on alpha/beta readers.

http://www.sff.net/people/beth-bernobich/Essays/AlphaBeta.htm

A brief off-topic interjection:

If anyone here is a politician, a working journalist, or knows a politician or working journalist, or would like to write some letters to politicians and working journalists ... there's an editor in New York who really needs your help.

Short version: The FDA has banned the one medicine that allows her to function normally.

Read the whole story here:

http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/007140.html

This is one of my fellow instructors at Viable Paradise we're talking about, and a good friend.

[ETA] Diane Duane comments on the story: http://outofambit.blogspot.com/2006_01_01_outofambit_archive.html#113630757285988535

Plots vs subplots vs details

Plot: amateur sleuth to solve murder
Subplot: in the process he struggles with his sense of purpose
Subplot: his sister and her new boyfriend, both of whom help solve the murder
Subplot: a woman from his past may help solve the murder
Subplot: an object from his past may help solve the murder
Subplot: his potential new love interest
Subplot: a family member of his potential new love interest is being held captive and may be the next victim

Wait, wait. Are these subplots or details? My head is spinning. How to I keep track of all this???

M.A.Gardener said:

Plot: amateur sleuth to solve murder
Subplot: in the process he struggles with his sense of purpose
Subplot: his sister and her new boyfriend, both of whom help solve the murder

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I think it's more like:

Plot: Amateur sleuth solves murder of owner of corner bagel shop

Details: shmeer was poisoned by baker, angry that the shop is no longer kosher.

Subplot: Sleuth's landlord tries to throw him out of his apartment for a petty reason

Details: The apartment is a third floor rent-controlled loft with a view of the Hudson River. Sleuth's fiance brought her cat when HER apartment was being painted, and HIS apartment is strictly no-pets, but landlord wants him out so he can rent to his brother-in-law instead and has seized on this reason.

Subplot: Sleuth spends so much time working on case his fiance wants to break up; he has to decide if this is good or bad.

Detail: Fiance has red hair, freckles and slight overbite. She's part Irish, part Italian and has a fiery temper.

Those are some good examples, Berry. Thanks.

For the details on the Fiancee subplot, I'd try something like "Fiance is ambivalent about the wedding, worried that if the Sleuth is obsessive now he'll be impossible to live with twenty years from now, and concerned that how he treated the idea of keeping her cat for a few days (unenthusiastic) shows how he'll treat their kids in years to come."

That could work. Now we just need to give the sleuth some endearing hobbies and we have a cozy mystery/romance.

He knits.

You want to write it? (Ideas are the easy part. The writing, now, that's tough.)

At two pages a day (500 words in manuscript format) you'll have a novel in six months.

I give you permission to write badly, so long as you write.

James D. Macdonald said:

I give you permission to write badly, so long as you write.

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Alright, that does it! No more stewing about in my subplots quandry. I'm going to write badly!

James D. Macdonald said:

He knits.

You want to write it? (Ideas are the easy part. The writing, now, that's tough.)

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Well, I have several other projects queued up, like the space opera and the thriller about the hitman with a heart of gold who agrees to help two kids get revenge on the guy who killed their father ... only HE did it...


You are SO right; ideas are easy.

Happy Twelfth Night!

Those of you who are playing along at home now have a manuscript for a Frankenstein Mystery Short Story, one that doesn't contain any trademarked/copyrighted characters.

Your next assignment is to get your usual group of beta readers and have them read and comment on your story. Don't tell them anything about this story other than "Here, please scribble all over this" or words to that effect. No mention of the background of the story, why you're writing it, or what you expect from it. If you don't have a usual group of beta readers, get some.

Between now and 05FEB06, you are required to find the addresses of five paying markets that might possibly publish the story you've written. Print publications are definitely preferred.

The next part of the assignment comes on 05FEB06.

assignment.

Okay, U.J.

Ken

Can I ask questions about submissions to Viable Paradise here?