Living the Fictional Dream

My week has been balanced out writing-wise. I got two rejections (one from the market that had passed my story to round 2 **sighs**), but then yesterday I had a story accepted by Every Day Fiction. This will be my second with them, so I’m excited! I’ll post the link here when it comes out — I don’t know the date yet.

So, to continue on my topic from yesterday, plots or types of stories that I don’t like, I thought I would put together a few thoughts about plots that I do like. Everyone probably has these… those story premises that suck you in every time. Sometimes, I think of these as guilty pleasure stories, because I usually enjoy them even if the writing isn’t top notch.

One of these for me is the story where two people pretend to be a couple for some at least slightly nefarious purpose and then actually fall in love during the con. One example of that is the movie Drive Me Crazy, and it’s a teen movie, too, so it has that Y/A factor that I love. But this concept has been done all over the place — in books, TV shows, etc. — and I always love it! The thing is, though it’s a simple concept, there are millions of ways it can be done. Just because, boiled down, the premise is the same, each story is totally different.

Vampire and werewolf fiction is another one for me. I love the urban fantasy/supernatural feel to these creatures. I love that they are human and “other” at the same time. I like them with the traditional tropes (silver bullets, wooden stakes, no reflection), and I love it when writers give them their own twist (like the werewolves in Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld and the vampires in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight). I used to devour these any time I found them because they were rare. With the current urban fantasy explosion, there are a lot more to pick and choose from, which is great, because I can always find something new to read.

I also love it when two characters who seem to be diametrically opposed (by a point of view, by temperment, by class, by family, whatever) form a really strong relationship. Romantic relationships of this sort abound — think Veronica/Logan on Veronica Mars, the main couple in Pretty in Pink, or even Romeo and Juliet (though, I prefer the ones that end more happily!). But the relationship doesn’t always have to be a romance. A friendship that opposes these lines can be just as fascinating. In this story, it’s all about the depth of the relationship, the connections forged, the sacrifices made, and the ways the characters’ eyes are opened.

I’m also a sucker for a story about a scoundrel/rebel. A character who lives his/her life in shades of gray is inherently more interesting than a black-and-white hero. Give me the Han Solos (Star Wars), the Mals (Firefly), the Deans (Supernatural), the Sawyers (Lost), the Faiths (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), the Jos (Little Women), and the Dr. Horribles (Dr. Horrible, of course) any day! I like to see the struggle between right and wrong, and when they choose the right thing over the selfish thing, the reward is so much sweeter. These characters might think they have it easy, but in reality they struggle more than any of the more black-and-white versions.

If I thought for a while, I’m sure I’d come up with more tropes/stories/plots that I have a weakness for, but that’s probably a long enough list for now. What about y’all? What concepts have you buying the book/turning on the TV without knowing anything else about the end product?

Yesterday, I stumbled across the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead on the Sci-fi channel — the movie about survivors of the zombie apocalypse hiding out in a mall. Now, I enjoy a good scary movie. Loved Scream, love Supernatural (even when those creepy ghost stories give me the willies), even have been known to enjoy a slasher flick from time to time (the Halloween and Friday the 13th variety, not the new ones, like Saw, that are all about pain and torture with no good guy to win in the end — or so I’ve heard). But after watching DotD yesterday (really only the last half… starting when the zombie baby was born), I spent half the night having insomnia and thinking about the movie and the other half of the night dreaming about my own zombie apocolpyse (the strange thing was, I dreamed the same dream twice, and the second time, I knew I’d done this before, but even still I wasn’t able to save my friends from their zombie-fied doom!).

I think it was the depressing ending that did it to me. (Spoiler alert, in case you care!) If we’d ended with our four survivors on the boat, sailing away to a deserted island and some kind of meager life, I would probably have been OK, even after my favorite guy was bitten in the last reel and had to stay behind and shoot himself. At least some of our good guys would have gotten away, won the day (sort of). But the depressing clips during the credits of the boat runing out of gas, the engine catching on fire, and them fining coming up on an island — their last chance — to then find it infested by zombies, as well. Man… suckage! So… what was even the point of the movie, you know?

The whole thing got me thinking about stories that I just don’t like. And high on that list is stories that end badly. Now, I’m not saying that I always want a happy ending or a silver lining, because that’s not true. There are stories that really need to have an unhappy ending — such an ending is true to the story. Take Memento, for example. That is a really well done movie, and one that everyone should see, but a happy ending just wasn’t in the cards from the get-go. For me, it’s the total destruction, everything’s lost including the characters you spent the last two hours growing to care about, ending that gets me. When I watch a scary movie, I want there to be a ray of hope at the end. I want the bad guy to ultimately be defeated by the last survivor or the group of survivors to get away to fight another day.

Another type of story that is hard for me is a war story — a dramatization of a real war that we fought in our histories, like Saving Private Ryan and Pearl Harbor, to name a couple of recent ones that I actually watched. The invasion of Normandy sequence at the beginning of SPR tore me up inside when I watched it, as did the battle aftermath sequence in PH. I wasn’t a fan of the silly PH love triangle and all the rest of it, but that scene where the nurse has to sort through the bodies and mark the ones who have a chance of being helped in triage vs. the ones with no chance (condemning them to death), is so painful. The semi-blurry way it portrays the scene interspersed with images of clarity… I think that’s exactly how one would remember such a thing.

After a while, I realized that the reason I don’t like these movies is because they are too realistic. As in, humans actually did these things to each other — they killed each other at Normandy and at Pearl Harbor, and so many other times. The fact that one human can do that to another, no matter what the larger stakes are, crushes my soul a little bit. But, I do see the value of war movies, too — if we are going to be that cruel to other humans, we should remember that they are human just as we are.

And another thing that, as a consumer of stories, I can’t take sometimes is stories where people are intentionally cruel to each other emotionally. Now, this one is less of an issue than the other two, because sometimes these plot elements can be done in a way that I don’t mind as much, but, to really like the story, I have to have, again, some element of hope to counterbalance or some character that I can really root for. When all the characters are cruel to each other all of the time, there’s just not much for me to sink my teeth into. For example, the constant manipulations of Cruel Intentions/Dangerous Liasons are intriguing on one level, but also excruciatingly painful, so those movies are not on the top of my list. I had to give up watching Desperate Housewives midway into the first half of the first season because the bad stuff that they did to their families (at that point in the series anyway) so outweighed the good. My last straw was when one of the housewives took her mother-in-law, a recovering gambling addict, and intentionally left her within the grasp of a casino’s temptations for her own selfish gain.

Anyway, this entry is getting to be quite a ramblefest, so I should wind things up. I guess the whole reason for writing this today was that, after my troubled sleep last night, I was thinking about the kinds of stories that I like and the kinds that I just don’t. This kind of preference definitely affects one’s writing style, I think. You’re not going to see me writing a war story any time soon, and though sometimes my stories don’t end happily, they aren’t going to end it total destruction without some note of hope — those are things you can expect from me as a writer, because they are things that I want as a reader.

What about you guys out there? Are there any kinds of stories that just don’t work for you? Stories that you avoid from either a reading/watching or writing perspective?

It is day two of my writing group’s challenge to write a story every day. Thus far, I have written the two required stories. I’m not very enthused by either of them, but my cumulative word count for the two days is 7K and change. That’s some serious wordage!

The first story is the one that really got up there — it’s over 6K on its own. Sadly, it didn’t work out like I’d planned. It is a story set on the moon in a future time when mankind has self-sustaining colonies there. Every since I read about this contest sponsored by the National Space Society I’ve wanted to submit a story. It would be such a cool anthology to be included in. The readership would be way up there, for one thing, since it would be marketed to the whole NSS membership. And, for another thing, I’ve been a sci-fi geek from way back — I love stories about colonies in outer space, travelling in space, etc. You’d think the “Return to Luna” theme would be right up my alley.

The first thing I did when I heard about this anthology was research for world building. I read up on theories and ideas about lunar settlement, the moon’s geography, etc. I came up with what, in my opinion, is a good concept for what life on the moon could be like — there are some sci-fi contrivances, such as terraforming, but not too many. I wanted to keep it more realistic than, say, Star Trek with its replicators and warp engines. My lunar civiliation was multi-cultural, as well. It has five colonies, each one founded by one of the top runners in the space race right now — Japan, China, Russia, India, and the U.S.

Then I started my first story. I wrote on it and wrote on it, then I stopped, and then I wrote some more. But it was never finished. It got longer and longer, but the plot didn’t come to fruition like I’d hoped. It just didn’t gel. So, I abandoned story one, and when my writing group’s contest began, I thought that maybe I could write another one instead. Use the same world, but different characters and a less ambitious plot.

When I started the story yesterday, it felt brilliant. I knew this was the concept that would work and get me into the NSS anthology. But, there is always that disconnect between the story you see in your head and the one you get down on paper. By the end of the day yesterday, I absolutely hated the second moon colonization story. It took all these rabbit trails, and I’m not sure that it goes far enough toward the joy and wonder of living life on the moon. The story is securely set on the moon. I tried to make the world believable, which I think it was, but the plot is a smaller, more emotional plot. While I think the lunar setting added interest, it isn’t integral to the plot like I wish it were. Plus, instead of the 2K I’d hoped for, it’s over 6K. Darn and blast!

I guess every writer has this trouble from time to time. You have a good idea or something inspires you, and the story either dies a quiet death or becomes a huge train wreck, and even throwing more work into it can’t save it.

I’m not quite sure that I’ve given up on the NSS anthology. I still have a few days left to either work on story two and fine tune it to something I’m happy with or to possibly write another one as one of my daily stories for this week. Who’s to know?

What you writers out there think? What do you do when you have a story that just won’t sort itself out, no matter how much you try? Are you quick to abandon them, or do you continue to fiddle with them time and time again?

I’m probably more of the latter, though it does depend on how much effort I’ve put into it. The more I’ve worked on stories, the harder it is for me to let them go.

A cliffhanger irritates me, be it on a TV show or in a book series. The idea behind them is to leave the public wanting more, to make it so they have to come back to the next chapter, the next novel, the next episode, or the next season.

And, I will admit, they work. I can’t tell you how many times I open up a book to read a little before bed, and, before I know it, it’s approaching midnight and I have blown through several chapters at one go. I want to keep going because there is no good place to stop. Every time I get to a section break or the end of a chapter, something dramatic happens, and I have to know what happens next, just like the dramatic happenings right before a commercial break on a TV show.

The worst ones, though, are the cliffhangers between seasons or book releases. Those are the killers, and the ones that I find the most unnecessary. I do understand that the same principle still applies. The writers want to leave the public wanting more, ensuring they will tune in next season/buy the next book in the series.

But it’s so cruel… At least when it’s a TV show, you’ve only got three or four months to wait (cable shows like Farscape aside). I just finished watching this season’s Supernatural, and since the show runners knew they were going to be renewed for next year, they left us with a doozy. That final shot of Dean was haunting, and I have no idea how they’re going to get him out of this one! It’s agony waiting until next fall!

But a book series is even worse! Publishing moves slowly… like a glacier, sometimes. It depends on the author and the publisher, too. Take P.C. Cast’s House of Night series. Crazy things happened to our heroine in the last book, and drama came crashing down hard. Now everything she used to be able to depend on is ripped asunder, evil threatens, and I’m left to wonder until maybe the fall. I’m not sure.

And then there is George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. The thing has the worst cliffhangers I’ve ever read, and the guy takes forever to finish a book. Multiple year-type forever! If the books weren’t so amazing, I wouldn’t even bother because it’s so frustrating, both waiting for him and waiting to find out if the characters in jeopardy at the end of the last one are going to get out of it OK (and with GRRM, you seriously never know!). The cliffhangers are even worse this time. Because of the length of the last novel, he cut it in half and each half addresses some of the characters. So the characters in jeopardy at the end of A Feast for Crows won’t even be seen again until the book after A Dance with Dragons!!!

I guess that my opinion on cliffhangers is that they are a tool in a writer’s arsenal, but they should be used judiciously. You should keep your readers/viewers in mind. If you’re not going to be able to continue your series, definitely don’t leave it in a cliffhanger. Heck, if you’re not 100% sure you’ll be able to continue (i.e., you don’t have the signed contract in hand), don’t leave it in a cliffhanger. And, you know what? If you’re going to be a year or more between installments, think about giving your readers a break!

As far as the more minor cliffhangers between chapters go, I can see why they are so popular today. In this world where TV, movies, video games, etc., take more of the public’s time and attention away from reading, you have to build that excitement and make them unable to put the book down in favor of something else. If the reader puts the book down, they might never come back again. So, I do understand them for pacing, and it can make a very exciting read at a breathless pace.

Personally, I prefer a mixture of dramatic moments and restful ones, but I fear I am in the minority on that one.

We’re going into summer now… time to cool my heels until the next round of television comes back to relieve me from my post-season-finale-cliffhanger madness. Maybe a few of my favorite book series will come out with new installments to pass the time until fall? Or perhaps I’ll have to find some new ones…

I will say, though, that there are more important things than cliffhangers. They may irritate me (whether or not I understand the purpose, they still irritate me), but there are more important concerns. For me, if I love the characters, the universe, and the story, if the book or show sucks me into that vivid fictional dream and won’t let me go, then I’ll be back. Cliffhanger or no cliffhanger. And if it doesn’t, that’s when I walk away.

A working story (short story, novel, or even a movie) has so many components to juggle. There is the beginning hook, of course; an element that gets more than its fair share of attention. After all, you have to have a first line, a first paragraph that kicks butt to draw in the ever-fickle reader.

And it’s true. I’m a very forgiving reader (maybe it’s the writer in me?), but there are occasions where I’ve put the story/book down. For the most part, I finish what I start out of sheer perversity (if I bother to start, I want to know what happens), but there have been occasions that I’ve put down the book or clicked the back button because I was so unmoved that I just didn’t care either way.

With all the pressure on the hook, it can be hard to get started. Only once did a story hook come to me fully formed. Usually, they are the result of much tweaking. I think of that line by Alex in the movie Alex & Emma, “Call me Ishmael. It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. God created the Heavens and the Earth. Can you see why I can’t begin? The giants that have gone before me!”

And then there is the catalyst to consider, followed by that difficult part where you’re walking a tightrope toward the end, balancing between too little information (a confused reader) and too much (a bored reader). And then the climax, which had better be satisfying.

But what about the ending? Sometimes, by the ending, it seems like the focus has been lost. The climax has climaxed, the characters are living happily ever after (or not), and it’s time to get out of there.

The movie 27 Dresses is a good example (if you haven’t seen it and don’t like spoilers, you might want to skip the rest of this entry). I really liked this movie — the characters are great, their emotions are very real and well-founded, and you spend the whole movie just hoping that Jane and Kevin will wake up and realize that they are perfect for each other. Every time Tess pulls another stunt or says something that hurts Jane just a little more, you want her to get her comeuppance. And boy, does she! Even the character of the “other guy,” is a nice guy you can sympathize with (even if he didn’t see the awesomeness of Jane, he was kind, a great boss, and concerned about the environment). The movie gets you into their story, and keeps you going through classic moments (like the bridesmaid’s dress fashion show and the “Benny and the Jets” song and dance), up until the rehearsal dinner showdown.

And then there’s the end. I like that the 27 brides are all there, but the rest of it… ug… so corny. And not in a good way, even for a romantic comedy. I wanted them to get married under the tree in the field where they had the car wreck. I wanted a shot at the reception of them leading the crowd in a rendition of “Benny and the Jets.” I wanted something that left me will happy memories of the couple as the credits rolled. Instead, I got a rather insipid wedding scene which ended with the stellar exchange, “Is it everything you hoped for? No… it’s better.” I really, really like this movie, but that last impression of cheese and cliche is almost enough to ruin it.

That’s something writers need to think about when they craft their stories. The hook draws the reader into the story, and the characters, the plot, the catalyst, the pacing, and the climax keep them there. But the ending… that’s the writer’s chance to make a last impression, something the reader takes with them, something the reader will associate with that writer. If the last impression is good, maybe the reader will be moved to check out the writer’s blog or website to find links to more stories. If the last impression isn’t, chances are, readers might not forget about the writer, but they most likely will not follow up or become fans.

And, really, in today’s market, a group of loyal readers is important. Those are the people who will buy all your books (instead of borrowing them or getting them at Half Price) and read all your stories. Those are the people who will stay with you. Last impressions count!