Fiction Writing Advice and Discussion: Read. Write. Crit. Repeat.

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > Fiction Writing Advice and Discussion: Read. Write. Crit. Repeat.

Flyerant: Jun 4, 2021; to ride eternal, shiny and chrome

THUNDERDOME LOSER 2024

Chairchucker posted:

Another possibility if you're keen on writing and getting feedback on your writing is Thunderdome.

https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3989882

The current week is going to wrap up soon, but there will be another prompt once that's done.

I get more out of a dedicated writers group, with the same audience, that I meet in person, than any online group.

The thing with meeting in person is you can discuss the critiques. Also if the members are consistent, you can pick up on what the critiquer likes and dislikes, as well as the style they appreciate. This lets you dissassemble and understand their critique a lot better.

TD has a constant changing list of judges, which makes it hard to disassemble critique you get.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2022 20:08

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# ¿ May 9, 2024 22:16

Flyerant: Jun 4, 2021; to ride eternal, shiny and chrome

THUNDERDOME LOSER 2024

Fumblemouse posted:

You're not going to find their eyes in their cleavage, bud.

Hah! I didn't think anyone could make a geographic pun about cleavage.

# ¿ Mar 15, 2024 16:40

Flyerant: Jun 4, 2021; to ride eternal, shiny and chrome

THUNDERDOME LOSER 2024

I'm kind of stumped on a start of a story I am working on. I really dislike the whole "SOMETHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN" starts, but find myself written in a corner, relying on that same trope as a "hook" for my story.

I find myself kind of stuck. I tried moving the story earlier, but find that its a false start. If I start the story later, I find myself in the middle of a large accusation scene, with the dynamic between the protagonist and the side character lost as we dive straight into drama and serious allegations/choices.

How much patience do you think short-story magazine readers have? If I start off a great character dynamic, is that enough of a hook to get the reader to read on?

# ¿ Mar 19, 2024 02:27

Flyerant: Jun 4, 2021; to ride eternal, shiny and chrome

THUNDERDOME LOSER 2024

Cephas posted:

Without knowing your story, I would say, can you conceptualize your "starting off a great character dynamic" as a scene or vignette with a clear narrative arc? (Are they physically doing something?)

Maybe think about it in musical terms--a sonata or concerto has a certain number of movements. The first movement may not directly, obviously share a theme or continuing melody with the second movement. But the composer feels like there is something about the connections or contrast between the two movements that is important. Both movements are enhanced by being part of the same larger piece; there are emotional reverberations, if nothing else (though in reality, there are probably shared motifs, or underlying rhythms, or key changes that connect the movements).

So like, if it's just a scene of two characters sitting in a diner shooting the poo poo, for the sake of showing the reader what these two people's personalities are like, that's maybe less than ideal. But if the scene functions somehow as a contrasting episode, as complementary to the climactic scene, then it will feel important, even necessary. Because the goal is ultimately for every element of the story to feel somehow necessary, like it would be wrong to remove it.

Oh , I actually posted the story here: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=4056660. Looking for feedback and will do one last good think before submitting.

I'll think about the music metaphor. Right now I would say I have a tune at the start, which repeats in the middle, and turns into a dark reprisal at the end.

Waffle! posted:

Instead of implying something bad is going to happen, jump right into the thick of it. Maybe start with the judge's gavel pounding the sound block. What heinous crime did the accused commit? Are they really guilty? Was their lawyer corrupt, or just bad at his job? Your characters can still have their argument, but maybe it's in a dirty holding cell (before or after) surrounded by screaming inmates, or in a rocky police van as they're being transported to/from court. Maybe they can see protest signs through the window of the van or from their cell.

Fight Club starts with talking, but introduces the Narrator with a gun in his mouth. You can have your conversations, just make them interesting.

I imagine magazine article readers have a much shorter attention span than book readers, so you have to grab them immediately.

My issue with jumping right into the thick of it, is its characters you know nothing about, and don't care about, making a big decision. I don't want to jump to the big decision, and then have to backtrack giving backstory and details.

All good advice though! Gonna step back and do some thinking.

# ¿ Mar 19, 2024 21:26

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > Fiction Writing Advice and Discussion: Read. Write. Crit. Repeat.