Not long ago I had a conversation with a new author about what it means when a story is “episodic.” Maybe some of you might be wondering what it means too. Episodic is like TV shows. Sitcoms. Week to week the characters are the same but the situations are different. Old comedy shows epitomized episodic writing. The characterization even changed in order to “fit the bit” for that week. The show may not even even mentioned a problem that was introduced in last week’s show. But shows like Fraser and Friends, even Seinfeld smoothed that out by having continuing story lines and consistent characterization. Each show was different as if time passed and last week’s issue was over and done.The comedy bits were developed out of characterization rather than out […]
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Fairytale Code: Happily Ever After
At long last, I’m on the other wide of a rewrite deadline and I can conclude our fairytale code series. The ending is simple. Happy. A fairytale like story, a romance, a sisterhood, even a thriller has to end with some level of happiness and satisfaction. What do we really learn from fairytale endings? The boy gets the girl. The dragon is slayed. The castle is stormed. Evil is defeated. Good wins. Even in the most thrill driven stories, these elements must take place for a solid story ending and wrap up. Cinderella is the classic happy ending. In the Disney version, Cindy and Prince marry because “the shoe fit” and boy, let’s not go down that symbolic rabbit trail, but her dreams came true because she believed. In Snow […]
Read the RestCraft: The Golden Rule of Fiction
Still in a traveling frenzy… off to see my Grandma for her 99th birthday… so I asked author and writing coach Randy Ingermanson if I could share a post from his Advance Writing E-Zine. He said Yes and offers us a good take on characterization. Here’s Randy: About twenty years ago, I was accepted into a small mentoring group led by Sol Stein, a famous novelist, playwright, publisher, and writing teacher. It was a great group and I enjoyed hanging out with so many talented novelists. Sol had a recent book out, THE BEST REVENGE, and most of us in the group bought a copy. Sol, knowing that I’m a physicist, autographed mine as follows: “Physics = facts; Fiction = truth” I’ve often thought of that over the years. A […]
Read the RestFairytales: Someone Needs to Be Rescued
Fairytales: Someone Needs To Be Rescued A good story is about a journey. A great story is about a journey that leads to overcoming. Finding hope. True love. Destiny. Fairytales masterfully use the elements of despair and hopelessness to drive the hero and heroine toward change. All is dark in fairytale world, usually manipulated by some supernatural, evil force, to confine goodness. To constrain voices of truth and love. To kill and destroy. Hum… won’t that preach? But we don’t want to preach in stories. We want to show. Typically, but not always, the heroine is the character in the most trouble. The one who needs to be rescued. Though on occasion, the hero can be a bit of a rapscallion and get himself in trouble. Beauty and the Beast […]
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