Here's something interesting. Amazon have announced their new program 'Kindle Worlds' which will enable writers to get a royalty from writing fanfic based on a number of properties that Amazon have acquired a licence to. At the moment, these properties are all Alloy Entertainment TV series.
Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries so far, with more to be announced.
Opinions are flying all over the internet about this program and just like when Amazon announced the Kindle Serials Program, there are writers on each side of the fence. Some are seeing this as the death of the spirit of fanfiction while others are pointing out the details of Amazon's terms and conditions and grabbing their pitchforks.
Here are my thoughts. And they are just my thoughts. Take them or leave them.
Kindle Worlds in a nutshell:
* you write a story that takes place in one of the worlds Amazon has licensed. Each world will have its own content guidelines.
* you upload your story for submission. The way I understand it, there will be something on your KDP dashboard that tells Amazon you are uploading a Kindle Worlds story. (a check box maybe?) Also, they say
"Using our Cover Creator, you will be able to design a cover for your Kindle Worlds story."
so I assume the current Cover Creator will be expanded to include covers with images from the shows. It isn't clear if you will have to use these covers or if you can still make your own original cover. However, this statement suggests that the writer is in control of the covers and blurbs:
We don't accept books that provide a poor customer experience. Examples include poorly formatted books and books with misleading titles, cover art, or product descriptions
* the story goes through a review process and is published if acceptable.
The Drawbacks:
* you agree to give Amazon all rights to your story for the term of copyright
* you can create original elements and you retain copyright for these elements but the actual terms mean that this is just lip service. And other authors within the program and the world creators (for example Alloy Entertainment) can use your elements.
* the royalty you earn as the writer is 35% of net revenue (20% if the story is less than 10k words long)
* Amazon set the price of the story
When programs like this come along, everyone seems to jump onto one bandwagon or another. Lines are drawn in the sand and man authors huff and bluster about how they would never take part in a program where the character they created for The Vampire Diaries could appear on the show without any compensation.
You need to look at these arguments and think about what they mean to you at the current stage of your writing career.
A lot of the readers of this blog are interested in writing serial fiction but have trouble getting started because of the world-building. Some writers want to write shorter fiction but feel they may have trouble getting an audience. Many indies are looking for a way to get their name out there in front of more readers.
The Kindle Worlds program could address some of these problems for some writers.
You might think, 'OK, I watch The Vampire Diaries, I'm familiar with the characters and I can think of some situations I could put them in that would be interesting for someone else to read about. I could write two or three 12,000 words stories. I may not make a fortune from them and I will be giving the rights to Amazon. But how deep is the pool of readers I'll be dipping my toes into? What other benefits might I get from this program? And if I don't get any benefits, what have I lost by trying? How long did it take me to write those couple of stories? What experience have I gained?'
You might think that. Or you might not.
It's another road to try if you so choose.
Good luck in everything you do.
Shunned by the Masses, Served by Kitten Minions. A Professional Writer's Retreat.
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Friday, 17 May 2013
Why Aren't I Trying To Sell You Stuff?
I get emails every now and then asking me why I don't use this blog to sell my books.
It's simple. This blog is for writers interested in writing episodic fiction. My own serials are published under another name. My pen name has a blog aimed at readers.
This blog is just to get across some (hopefully) useful advice.
When you set up your own blog about your books, be sure to aim it at your readers.
It's simple. This blog is for writers interested in writing episodic fiction. My own serials are published under another name. My pen name has a blog aimed at readers.
This blog is just to get across some (hopefully) useful advice.
When you set up your own blog about your books, be sure to aim it at your readers.
Platt, Wright and Truant...Three Crazy People With Some Good Advice
If you want to hear three authors talking about their take on writing and marketing serials, you could try the podcasts by Johnny B Truant, Sean Platt and Dave Wright over at:
http://selfpublishingpodcast.com/
Platt and Wright have been producing serials in exactly the way we've been discussing here...using a TV episodic format and "Seasons" to get their stories out there. Then Sean and Johnny went and wrote 'Unicorn Western', which is crazy and good at the same time.
There's always been a link on this blog to Sean and Dave's 'Creative Inkwell' and now I'll add the podcast link too. It's like listening to three crazy people at times but there are some great nuggets of information in there too and the guys are definitely entertaining.
I know a lot of you come to this blog because you are either writing or interested in writing serials. I think you'll enjoy the SelfPublishingPodcast.
As for their fiction, I think White Space is an excellent place to start:
http://www.amazon.com/WhiteSpace-Season-Episodes-sci-fi-ebook/dp/B008ASB4GI/
Although "Yesterday's Gone" seems to be their most popular:
http://www.amazon.com/Yesterdays-Gone-Season-One-ebook/dp/B005REXCKE/
If you want to learn more about this approach to fiction, Platt & Wright's books are a great place to start. Then approach the podcast (with caution).
:)
http://selfpublishingpodcast.com/
Platt and Wright have been producing serials in exactly the way we've been discussing here...using a TV episodic format and "Seasons" to get their stories out there. Then Sean and Johnny went and wrote 'Unicorn Western', which is crazy and good at the same time.
There's always been a link on this blog to Sean and Dave's 'Creative Inkwell' and now I'll add the podcast link too. It's like listening to three crazy people at times but there are some great nuggets of information in there too and the guys are definitely entertaining.
I know a lot of you come to this blog because you are either writing or interested in writing serials. I think you'll enjoy the SelfPublishingPodcast.
As for their fiction, I think White Space is an excellent place to start:
http://www.amazon.com/WhiteSpace-Season-Episodes-sci-fi-ebook/dp/B008ASB4GI/
Although "Yesterday's Gone" seems to be their most popular:
http://www.amazon.com/Yesterdays-Gone-Season-One-ebook/dp/B005REXCKE/
If you want to learn more about this approach to fiction, Platt & Wright's books are a great place to start. Then approach the podcast (with caution).
:)
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
Developing An Idea
Ideas. They are everywhere. The problem that most writers face isn't a lack of ideas...it's having too many ideas and knowing which ones to develop into a project.
Here are a few ways to collect and develop ideas.
Collecting Ideas
One thing that every writer should have on hand at all times is a notebook or a device to make quick notes. The thing about your subconscious is that it will throw ideas into your brain at the strangest of times. You could be on the subway going to work, stuck in traffic, or even doing the dishes and that mysterious area of your mind where ideas percolate will suddenly say, 'Hey, here's an idea...' You need to be ready for those moments and have some way to record whatever flashes into your head.
A notebook is ideal, especially if it's small enough to fit in your pocket/purse and has a small pen or pencil attached to it. (There's nothing worse than having an idea and a notebook but no pen)
I use an Android app on my phone called "Smart Note". It's easy to get my phone out of my pocket and type in a few words or a sentence. The notes are there ready to be retrieved when needed. There's an app called "Evernote" that works the same way.
Voice recorders are useful in your car but less so in public if you're self-conscious about speaking notes while surrounded by shoppers at the mall. Most smart phones come with a voice recorder app.
You really should take note of your ideas as they occur. Don't say to yourself, 'I'll remember that and write it down later.' There's a good chance you will forget it.
Developing Ideas
If you write it, it will come. If you're the type of writer who works from the subconscious, letting that magical part of your mind do its stuff while you type, you might want to just take the idea on a "test drive" and see if you like it. Just as you would road test a car before you bought it, you can road test an idea before you invest too much time in it.
How? Just write it out. Start the story/novella/novel you have in mind and see if the idea excites you. Does it make you want to write on? Would it make a reader want to read on? Your idea has now become more than just an idea...it has become something real. Something you can tweak and play with.
If you plan it out, it will grow. You know how a story works. You know the required elements to make it something readers will want to read. So write out your idea and ask youself if it has those elements.
Is it interesting? Will readers be hooked?
Does it have conflict?
Is the resolution of that conflict something that will interest readers and keep them reading?
DRAMATIC TENSION Your idea must have dramatic tension. That means it must keep a reader guessing as to what happens next. And it must be interesting so that the reader wants to know how your story will end. They must be interested enough to stay with you to the climax and see how it all turns out. The best way to grab a reader’s interest is to introduce a character they care about and give that character a problem. The reader will want to know if the character will manage to overcome the problem. By the time the first problem is overcome, you have introduced a second, bigger, problem...creating even more reader interest.
TESTING AN IDEA FOR DRAMATIC TENSION To create dramatic conflict, and these problems that readers will want to read about, the initial idea must have conflict. It is the conflict that makes your story interesting. Let’s look at a simple example:
a) An Idea With No Conflict Sally goes to visit her grandmother. She needs to borrow a thousand dollars so she can pay a deposit on a new house she is going to rent. She knows her grandmother will lend her the money no problem. Sally arrives and granny gives her the thousand dollars.
b) An Idea With Conflict Sally goes to visit her grandmother. She needs to borrow a thousand dollars so she can pay a deposit on a new house she is going to rent. However, Sally is moving into the house with her boyfriend, Jake, and her grandma doesn’t approve of him at all. Sally isn’t sure how to broach the subject or how her granny will react. When she does tell her grandma the truth, she is told that she can only borrow the money if she dumps Jake first. How can Sally move in with her boyfriend if she can’t afford the deposit on the house?
The first idea has no dramatic tension and a reader would soon get bored reading a description of how Sally borrows the money with no problem or conflict. By simply adding a tiny bit of conflict (the fact that Grandma hates Jake), we have injected our idea with the tension it needs. Notice how the second example finishes with a question: “How can Sally move in with her boyfriend if she can’t afford the deposit on the house?” this is the question the reader will be asking herself in her mind and will make her turn the pages to find out the answer. So long as you have made Sally and Jake sympathetic characters, you will grab the reader with this problem.
Here’s another simple example:
a) Idea With No Conflict Simon gets home late one night. His parents are already in bed. Creeping up the stairs quietly, he goes to bed and falls asleep without waking anyone.
b) Idea With Conflict Simon gets home late one night. His parents have vanished without any message. He finds blood splatters on the living room carpet. Where are his parents? Has someone taken them?
Again, the example with conflict puts a question into the reader’s mind. He will read on to discover the fate of Simon’s parents. Notice that in this example, the conflict didn’t come from a particular person but from an event. Outside occurrences can cause conflict for your characters. Think about a farmer who is stuck in a barn while a tornado rips through his farm. His child is in the farmhouse a mile away. Can he get to her to protect her? Conflict.
As mentioned earlier, ideas are everywhere. You shouldn't have a lack of idea. You just need to know how to inject the necessary conflict to change them into an intriguing piece of fiction.
A simple formula to remember:
CHARACTER + PROBLEM = CONFLICT
CONFLICT = READER INTEREST
Could that idea be developed into a novel? Here's a simple way to test it:
THE NOVEL IDEA TEST
Does the idea have tension? (As discussed above. Are there enough obstacles and conflict in the story)
Is it sustainable over a novel length? (Does enough happen to make the story interesting for thousands of words ?)
Is it interesting? (Would YOU read a story on this subject?)
Has it been done before? (You can have a new slant on something that has been done before, but beware of plagiarism. So, you might be writing about a girl going to school and falling in love with a vampire, but don’t write Twilight)
Once you have an idea, make sure it is one you like and will be able to spend all that time writing. There’s no point trying to write a book if the basic idea doesn’t appeal to you. Forget about what’s “hot” at the moment; your book will be around for a long time. Write the story that cries out to be written. If it interests you, if it is something that you would read, then chances are other people will want to read it too.
Good luck!
Here are a few ways to collect and develop ideas.
Collecting Ideas
One thing that every writer should have on hand at all times is a notebook or a device to make quick notes. The thing about your subconscious is that it will throw ideas into your brain at the strangest of times. You could be on the subway going to work, stuck in traffic, or even doing the dishes and that mysterious area of your mind where ideas percolate will suddenly say, 'Hey, here's an idea...' You need to be ready for those moments and have some way to record whatever flashes into your head.
A notebook is ideal, especially if it's small enough to fit in your pocket/purse and has a small pen or pencil attached to it. (There's nothing worse than having an idea and a notebook but no pen)
I use an Android app on my phone called "Smart Note". It's easy to get my phone out of my pocket and type in a few words or a sentence. The notes are there ready to be retrieved when needed. There's an app called "Evernote" that works the same way.
Voice recorders are useful in your car but less so in public if you're self-conscious about speaking notes while surrounded by shoppers at the mall. Most smart phones come with a voice recorder app.
You really should take note of your ideas as they occur. Don't say to yourself, 'I'll remember that and write it down later.' There's a good chance you will forget it.
Developing Ideas
If you write it, it will come. If you're the type of writer who works from the subconscious, letting that magical part of your mind do its stuff while you type, you might want to just take the idea on a "test drive" and see if you like it. Just as you would road test a car before you bought it, you can road test an idea before you invest too much time in it.
How? Just write it out. Start the story/novella/novel you have in mind and see if the idea excites you. Does it make you want to write on? Would it make a reader want to read on? Your idea has now become more than just an idea...it has become something real. Something you can tweak and play with.
If you plan it out, it will grow. You know how a story works. You know the required elements to make it something readers will want to read. So write out your idea and ask youself if it has those elements.
Is it interesting? Will readers be hooked?
Does it have conflict?
Is the resolution of that conflict something that will interest readers and keep them reading?
DRAMATIC TENSION Your idea must have dramatic tension. That means it must keep a reader guessing as to what happens next. And it must be interesting so that the reader wants to know how your story will end. They must be interested enough to stay with you to the climax and see how it all turns out. The best way to grab a reader’s interest is to introduce a character they care about and give that character a problem. The reader will want to know if the character will manage to overcome the problem. By the time the first problem is overcome, you have introduced a second, bigger, problem...creating even more reader interest.
TESTING AN IDEA FOR DRAMATIC TENSION To create dramatic conflict, and these problems that readers will want to read about, the initial idea must have conflict. It is the conflict that makes your story interesting. Let’s look at a simple example:
a) An Idea With No Conflict Sally goes to visit her grandmother. She needs to borrow a thousand dollars so she can pay a deposit on a new house she is going to rent. She knows her grandmother will lend her the money no problem. Sally arrives and granny gives her the thousand dollars.
b) An Idea With Conflict Sally goes to visit her grandmother. She needs to borrow a thousand dollars so she can pay a deposit on a new house she is going to rent. However, Sally is moving into the house with her boyfriend, Jake, and her grandma doesn’t approve of him at all. Sally isn’t sure how to broach the subject or how her granny will react. When she does tell her grandma the truth, she is told that she can only borrow the money if she dumps Jake first. How can Sally move in with her boyfriend if she can’t afford the deposit on the house?
The first idea has no dramatic tension and a reader would soon get bored reading a description of how Sally borrows the money with no problem or conflict. By simply adding a tiny bit of conflict (the fact that Grandma hates Jake), we have injected our idea with the tension it needs. Notice how the second example finishes with a question: “How can Sally move in with her boyfriend if she can’t afford the deposit on the house?” this is the question the reader will be asking herself in her mind and will make her turn the pages to find out the answer. So long as you have made Sally and Jake sympathetic characters, you will grab the reader with this problem.
Here’s another simple example:
a) Idea With No Conflict Simon gets home late one night. His parents are already in bed. Creeping up the stairs quietly, he goes to bed and falls asleep without waking anyone.
b) Idea With Conflict Simon gets home late one night. His parents have vanished without any message. He finds blood splatters on the living room carpet. Where are his parents? Has someone taken them?
Again, the example with conflict puts a question into the reader’s mind. He will read on to discover the fate of Simon’s parents. Notice that in this example, the conflict didn’t come from a particular person but from an event. Outside occurrences can cause conflict for your characters. Think about a farmer who is stuck in a barn while a tornado rips through his farm. His child is in the farmhouse a mile away. Can he get to her to protect her? Conflict.
As mentioned earlier, ideas are everywhere. You shouldn't have a lack of idea. You just need to know how to inject the necessary conflict to change them into an intriguing piece of fiction.
A simple formula to remember:
CHARACTER + PROBLEM = CONFLICT
CONFLICT = READER INTEREST
Could that idea be developed into a novel? Here's a simple way to test it:
THE NOVEL IDEA TEST
Does the idea have tension? (As discussed above. Are there enough obstacles and conflict in the story)
Is it sustainable over a novel length? (Does enough happen to make the story interesting for thousands of words ?)
Is it interesting? (Would YOU read a story on this subject?)
Has it been done before? (You can have a new slant on something that has been done before, but beware of plagiarism. So, you might be writing about a girl going to school and falling in love with a vampire, but don’t write Twilight)
Once you have an idea, make sure it is one you like and will be able to spend all that time writing. There’s no point trying to write a book if the basic idea doesn’t appeal to you. Forget about what’s “hot” at the moment; your book will be around for a long time. Write the story that cries out to be written. If it interests you, if it is something that you would read, then chances are other people will want to read it too.
Good luck!
Saturday, 23 March 2013
Createspace Experiment
I decided to try an experiment with putting a shorter piece through Createspace to get print copies. I used my Zombie Plague Survivors stories ('Plague Z and Flesh Storm'), which are bundled together into one volume.
Each story is 10,000 words long so the resulting Createspace book is 20,000 words. (64 pages)
I'm pleased with the results. It's a nice little printed book that costs less than five dollars.
Each story is 10,000 words long so the resulting Createspace book is 20,000 words. (64 pages)
I'm pleased with the results. It's a nice little printed book that costs less than five dollars.
Monday, 11 February 2013
Warehouse 13 and the Illusory Arc
OK, I've come up with a term to describe a series that has very little actual arc but gives the illusion of an arc by having continuity and development of characters in standalone episodes. I call it the Illusory Arc and I recently watched a show that uses this technique.
I give you...Warehouse 13 Season One.
Here's a summary of the season:
1. Pilot.
We are introduced to Pete and Myka and Artie and the story sets up the situation of the warehouse and what missions Pete and Myka will have to go on.
2. Resonance
Banks are being robbed by thieves using a unique sound device. The warehouse computers are being hacked.
3. Magnestism
The people living in a small town are going crazy. Pete and Myke find the artefact that is causing the behaviour and destroy it. the hacker is still trying to hack into the warehouse computers.
4. Claudia
The hacker, a girl named Claudia, kidnaps Artie. He helps her and she joins he warehouse team.
5. Elements
A thief is using a Native American cloak to move through walls.
6. Burnout
An artefact attaches itself to people's spines and makes them electrical conductors.
7. Implosion
A sword that makes its user invisible is used by an old enemy of Artie's...Macpherson. Macpherson escapes at the end of the episode and this is the start of what will be Season One's short plot arc.
8. Duped.
A case in Las Vegas concerning a poker chip artefact. Note that the Macpherson arc is left alone.
9. Regrets
A case in a prison.
10. Breakdown
Artie is taken before the Regents to explain his handling of the Macpherson case. (only now do we get back to the Macpherson matter). Pete, Myka and Claudia almost destroy the warehouse by accident.
11. Nevermore
Myka's father receives an artefact and the team have to help him. The ending of this episode ties into the Macpherson arc.
12. Macpherson
The Macpherson arcs is dealt with and the story ends on a cliffhanger.
So Warehouse 13 is purely 'Monster Of The Week' right up to episode 7, and that story isn't picked up again until episode 10 to round off the season. Yet the season overall has a feeling of continuity because of the developing relationships (the "B" stories) between Myka, Pete, Artie, Claudia and Leena.
The illusory arc gives everything a feeling of synergy until the actual arc (which is really only three stories out of the twelve) occurs.
I give you...Warehouse 13 Season One.
Here's a summary of the season:
1. Pilot.
We are introduced to Pete and Myka and Artie and the story sets up the situation of the warehouse and what missions Pete and Myka will have to go on.
2. Resonance
Banks are being robbed by thieves using a unique sound device. The warehouse computers are being hacked.
3. Magnestism
The people living in a small town are going crazy. Pete and Myke find the artefact that is causing the behaviour and destroy it. the hacker is still trying to hack into the warehouse computers.
4. Claudia
The hacker, a girl named Claudia, kidnaps Artie. He helps her and she joins he warehouse team.
5. Elements
A thief is using a Native American cloak to move through walls.
6. Burnout
An artefact attaches itself to people's spines and makes them electrical conductors.
7. Implosion
A sword that makes its user invisible is used by an old enemy of Artie's...Macpherson. Macpherson escapes at the end of the episode and this is the start of what will be Season One's short plot arc.
8. Duped.
A case in Las Vegas concerning a poker chip artefact. Note that the Macpherson arc is left alone.
9. Regrets
A case in a prison.
10. Breakdown
Artie is taken before the Regents to explain his handling of the Macpherson case. (only now do we get back to the Macpherson matter). Pete, Myka and Claudia almost destroy the warehouse by accident.
11. Nevermore
Myka's father receives an artefact and the team have to help him. The ending of this episode ties into the Macpherson arc.
12. Macpherson
The Macpherson arcs is dealt with and the story ends on a cliffhanger.
So Warehouse 13 is purely 'Monster Of The Week' right up to episode 7, and that story isn't picked up again until episode 10 to round off the season. Yet the season overall has a feeling of continuity because of the developing relationships (the "B" stories) between Myka, Pete, Artie, Claudia and Leena.
The illusory arc gives everything a feeling of synergy until the actual arc (which is really only three stories out of the twelve) occurs.
Saturday, 12 January 2013
No Arc? No Problem!
A number of writers have been telling me they have a problem coming up with a series arc. You don't need to have a 'big bad' in your series.
If you are writing about a team of investigators or law enforcement or even vampire hunters, you could simply write a string of stories in which every story is a 'case of the week' or 'monster of the week' story with no connection to the other stories in the series other than the fact that the same characters are used in each story.
There are a couple of advantages to this approach. First of all, you get the same advantage as with any series...using the same characters in every story saves you the time needed to think up new main protagonists.
The other advantage is a big one. Even though you haven't got an overreaching series arc, just using the same characters for the stories gives the whole a sense of continuity.
So if all these "A Arcs" and "B Stories" are too much for you to handle, why not take a little time to create a team of characters, give them a job to do, and write a series of stories of them undertaking that job.
Just as overall arc series work on TV, so do what I like to call unconnected 'case stories' series.
CSI, Bones, etc.
If you are writing about a team of investigators or law enforcement or even vampire hunters, you could simply write a string of stories in which every story is a 'case of the week' or 'monster of the week' story with no connection to the other stories in the series other than the fact that the same characters are used in each story.
There are a couple of advantages to this approach. First of all, you get the same advantage as with any series...using the same characters in every story saves you the time needed to think up new main protagonists.
The other advantage is a big one. Even though you haven't got an overreaching series arc, just using the same characters for the stories gives the whole a sense of continuity.
So if all these "A Arcs" and "B Stories" are too much for you to handle, why not take a little time to create a team of characters, give them a job to do, and write a series of stories of them undertaking that job.
Just as overall arc series work on TV, so do what I like to call unconnected 'case stories' series.
CSI, Bones, etc.
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