From the Editor's Desk
Hi and
welcome once again to Fiction Factor! And, as always,
welcome to our new subscribers.
I've been receiving a lot more emails than usual in the
last month from writers feeling discouraged about
continuing with their dream of writing a novel. Many are
feeling the pressure of financial problems, some are
worried about the future of publishing and there are
others who simply don't feel enthused about their beloved
novel any more.
I sympathize with the concerns of these discouraged
writers, but it is possible to bring back your enthusiasm
for your writing and continue on stronger than ever
before.
Ask yourself why you wanted to write in the first place.
Was it for the love of the craft or the sheer joy of
creating a tale that might bring entertainment to another
person? Are you just driven to tell those stories that
keep coming to you? Some people simply lose focus and
become discouraged when they can't pin-point any real
progress in their goals.
We each have different reasons for doing what we do, just
as we all have different things in our lives that can
distract or discourage us from doing the things we want.
You might find that working on a piece of short fiction
that has nothing to do with your novel might tempt your
mind back into thinking about your novel again. You might
be the type who benefits from joining a writer's critique
group to build a little confidence in your writing
talents. Or maybe you're the type of writer who simply
needs to throw out all the rules, temporarily forget all
about a future-editor or publisher and just write because
you love it.
There is no simple answer that will suit everyone. We're
all motivated by different things and enthused by
different factors. The answer lies within your reason for
wanting to write in the first place.
We have a great issue for you this month, so let's get
straight into the writing stuff!
This issue Marg McAllister looks into the plotting
problem of episodic writing and Dr. Mark Clayson finds
ways to write short stories that sell.
It's time now to grab a beverage of choice, sit back, and
enjoy this issue of Fiction Factor!
Lee Masterson
Editor-in-Chief
http://www.fictionfactor.com
"A professional writer is an amateur who didn't
quit."
-- Richard Bach
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Plotting Problems - Episodic Writing
by
Marg McAlister
The rejection letter says: "Your story,
on the surface, appears to be well-told and has appealing
characters. However, the writing is episodic; the story
lacks direction."
You frown. Huh? The story lacks direction? How could it?
Your main character is on a quest; how much more of a
direction could you have than that?
Clearly, this editor doesn't know what she's talking
about. Oh well. It takes all types... you bundle up your
manuscript and send it out to the next publisher.
Six rejections later, you feel more than a bit miffed.
This is a good story; everyone in your writing group says
so. Your writing style is smooth and accomplished (even a
few editors have said that).
So why the heck do they keep rejecting it? It's something
to do with the plot; that much is clear. But what?
If you're lucky enough to get feedback, look for clues in
the comments that have been made. The moment you see the
word 'episodic', that is the biggest and best clue you
could have. Not all editors will use this term. They
might say things like 'what is the story question?' or
'the character has no clear-cut goal' or 'there is no
character growth'. All of these things can point to your
story being episodic.
1. What Does "Episodic" Mean?
If someone tells you that your story is 'episodic', they
mean that your story is a series of episodes, or events,
that are very loosely tied together. The
"events" crop up one after the other as a way
of entertaining the reader, but there is little character
growth between one episode and the next. Nor can we
easily see how one event grows out of the one before.
Some examples of how a story may be episodic:
(a) The "Little Tommy had never had such an exciting
day!" theme:
FIRST: A child starts out in a normal/boring situation.
Then something happens to change things. (A child might
find a doorway into a magic kingdom, go on a balloon
ride, go to stay on the grandparents' farm etc etc)
SECOND: The child sees a series of amazing sights/takes
part in various fun activities/experiences several
hair-raising incidents.
THIRD: The child says "What a lovely day I've had.
I'll keep this fairy land a secret, but I'll keep going
back to have more fun with my new friends!" (Or:
"Phew. I'm glad that's over. I'm so happy to be back
home!")
What's wrong with this? There is no plot. Just a bunch of
'stuff' that happens to fill in time.
(b) The "Fantasy Trap"
FIRST: The main character is drawn into a different world
or discovers that he/she is 'the chosen one'.
SECOND: This character is presented with a 'quest' to
prove his worthiness to take up the mantle of the Chosen
One. (He might have to free a character/being from
enchantment or imprisonment, OR to learn to use the magic
that is buried deep within, OR to right a great wrong etc
etc.)
THIRD: The character sets off on his quest. On the way he
is faced with one challenge after another (Menacing
Fantasy Creature #1, the Hypnotic Field of Flowers, the
Dreadful Sucking Swamp, the Shape-Changer, Menacing
Fantasy Creature #2, the Dark and Deadly Forest, the
Awful Abyss, the Mountain of Sorrows, Menacing Fantasy
Creature #3 and so on and so on...)
FOURTH: The character overcomes each obstacle in turn. He
finally frees the imprisoned Queen or finds the Sword of
Destiny or whatever. He saves the land from annihilation
or closes the door between two worlds and keeps evil at
bay for another 1000 years.
Yawn. Another cliched fantasy novel ends.
Now, before you indignantly start to point out the many
classic (and popular) fantasy novels that fit into the
above formula, let me point out why some books work and
some don't (even though they appear to have the same
'ingredients'). This applies to any genre.
You can read the rest of this article here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/guests/plottingproblems.html
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Clinic
Can you create a great character that editors
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you how too!
Did you know that starting with a name and a
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You can learn to bring all your characters to
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Weave Sub-Plots Into Your Novel
by Lee Masterson
How many times have
you started work on a great novel only to run out of
steam 50 pages into your work?
The story stalls, the idea goes flat, the characters seem
to stare back at you saying “What now, boss?”
In some cases it might be that you didn’t spend
enough time planning how your characters are going to get
from beginning to end and that red-hot plot you were so
excited about just fizzles out.
In other cases it might be that the idea wasn’t big
enough to fill out a novel or maybe you simply don’t
have enough conflict in your story so far and want to
liven things up a bit.
Weaving a second plot through your main storyline not
only helps you to uncover new facets of your characters
but can help raise conflict levels and create tension.
You also have the opportunity to create a new depth to
your original story, building layers of complexity that
can force your fictional world into three dimensions.
If you create a sub-plot that has absolutely nothing to
do with the main plot you’ll even force your reader
to keep turning pages just to see how they gel together.
Of course your reader already knows they will end up tied
together in a neat little bow by the end of the book
– otherwise there would be no reason for the new
plot thread – but the reader will want to know how
they end up intertwined and so will keep reading to find
out.
Your sub-plot doesn’t need to be a romantic thread
braided through the original story, although this is one
of the more common sub-plot tactics used in many novels.
You might decide to have your main secondary character
working with your protagonist openly, but secretly
harboring a desire to thwart the hero’s efforts at
every turn because he has other things on his agenda. You
might decide to introduce a completely new plot to your
novel that has nothing to do with the first and weave
these together.
No matter what you decide to add for your sub-plot or how
separate they are, it’s important that something
within the sub-plot contains a vital element that is
necessary to complete the main plot.
You can see
the rest of this article here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/articles/subplots.html
 How To Write Page-Turning
Scenes
Let Holly Lisle, author of more than 30
novels, teach you how to write page-turning
scenes that keep your readers up long past their
bedtimes.
You can create
characters and you can plot like a fiend - but if
you can't create page-turning scenes your book is
dead in the water.
Learn
how to set up great conflict and sustain suspense
that will keep readers on the edge of their seats
- and have editors begging for more!
Click here for more details: http://tinyurl.com/492sx5
|
 Create A Plot
Clinic
Have you ever lost interest in your story only 20
pages from the start and not know how to get it
going again?
Best Selling Author of more than 30 novels, Holly
Lisle, can show you exactly how to structure your
story for maximum effect. Learn to fix problem
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Jump Start your novel today: http://tinyurl.com/2z3ant
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Writing Short Stories
by Dr. Mark Clayson
Writing a short story need not be a
Herculean task. You don’t have to put 3000 words or
fill 800 pages to finish a short story. Just about
anybody can make a very good short story. Short stories
can also be as artistically remarkable and moving as a
novel, but you have to know the right formula to create a
short story that sizzles.
It All Begins In Your Mind
Every short story begins in the mind of the author. By
now, you should have read short stories that you like and
have carefully studied and paid attention to how your
authors developed and built their stories. You must have
pondered on probable setups and dialogues.
Inspiration may come to you easily enough although it is
more common that it will elude you. Thus, it is advisable
that if an idea hits you, take note of it immediately
before you forget it.
Telling Your Short Story
Determine the voice of the story. Who will tell the
story? Is it a first-person, a second-person or a
third-person story? Remember that when you choose the
first-person narrator, the story will be limited to what
he sees or feels. You will not be able to explore the
views, feelings, and thoughts of the rest of the
characters of the story.
A Short Story is Short
Long stories have a tendency to drag on and on. Keep your
story short, therefore, especially if you’re new to
the field. A short story may encompass a single momentous
occasion in the life of your character or it can span a
single day or just about an hour. Limit the length of
your story. The shorter it is, the more interesting it
can be.
Plot and Characterization are Important
Short stories are usually composed of three sections
– a situation, a problem for your protagonist, and a
resolution to the problem. These three parts must have a
single theme. Unity and coherence of thought is
important. In a short story, you must be careful not to
add on elements that are not required and that will
become just so much white noise that will detract from
what you are trying to say and relate.
You can read the rest of this article here: http://short.fictionfactor.com/articles/shortstories.html
(this
link will take you to Short-Fiction Factor)
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~ "Words are, of course, the most powerful drug
used by mankind." -- Rudyard Kipling ~
Writing Courses
You can see the full list
of available courses here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/courses.html
Fantasy
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Paying Market Listings
You can find the complete
Market Index here: http://www.fictionfactor.com/markets.html
Happy Market Hunting!
(Disclaimer: Mention of a market/ contest in Fiction
Factor is not necessarily an endorsement. Check all
guidelines in full before submitting)
Ravenous Romance
http://www.ravenousromance.com
Ravenous Romance are seeking new voices for their erotic
romance publishing lines. They are currently accepting
submissions for both short stories and novel length works
across various sub-genres. Please read guidelines in full
before submitting.
Submission Guidelines: http://www.ravenousromance.com/submission.html
Catastrophia Anthology
http://news.pspublishing.co.uk/2008/09/09/catastrophia-anthology-call-for-submissions/
Catasrophia will be a collection of short stories based
around the theme of catastophes, disasters and
post-apocalyptic fiction up to 6,000 words. Payment is
£0.03p per word (approx 6c per word US) to a maximum of
£100 ($200). No reprints.
Deadline: 31st May 2009
Submission Guidelines: http://news.pspublishing.co.uk/2008/09/09/catastrophia-anthology-call-for-submissions/
Nenonymous Nine: Cern Zoo
http://weirdmonger.blog-city.com/cerne_zoo__guidelines.htm
The Nemonymous editor requires a story judged suitable by
its author for inclusion in the projected Cern Zoo book,
planned to be published in June 2009. Ideally, this story
should be specially written for ‘Cern Zoo’.
'Cern Zoo' (alternatively 'Cerne Zoo') simply means what
it means to you.
Submissions should be between 500 and 14,000 words. Lump
sum payment in UK pounds to author upon publication:
£0.01 a word up to a maximum of £100 (by Paypal).
(approx 2 cents per word US up to a maximum of $200)
Deadline is 31st March 2009
Submission Guidelines: http://weirdmonger.blog-city.com/cerne_zoo__guidelines.htm
Quantum Genre on the Planet of the Arts
http://www.crossingchaos.com/submissions2
seeks submissions of short stories, flash fiction, film
and book interpretations for a new print anthology:
Quantum Genre on the Planet of Arts. Basically, the
Quantum Genre is not theme-based but style-based. In
other words, Quantum Works are not about quantum theory
but quantum representation of characters and their
worlds. The style is
distinguished by a high degree of obscurity of both the
narrative and characters which are subject to mutability
and ambiguity.
Stories should be less than 3000 words. Payment is 4
cents per word. Deadline is 1st May 2009
Submission Guidelines: http://www.crossingchaos.com/submissions2
Shine Anthology
http://shineanthology.wordpress.com/category/guidelines/
SHINE is an anthology of optimistic near-future SF,
published by Solaris Books. Stories should be under
10,000 words and should be set up to 50 years into the
future. Payment is 5 cents per word on publication.
Please read guidelines before submitting.
Submission Guidelines: http://shineanthology.wordpress.com/category/guidelines/
Silly Western Anthology
http://residentialaliens.blogspot.com/2008/10/silly-western-antho-call-for.html
CyberAliens Press are looking for short stories from
500 to 3500 words in length, as well as poems, jokes,
puns, limericks, artwork, and general silliness. All
submissions must express one of the following themes:
+ American Wild West
+ Steampunk
+ Prairie Romance
or some mixture of the above.
Submission Guidelines: http://residentialaliens.blogspot.com/2008/10/silly-western-antho-call-for.html
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