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Re: Canine Obedience Society Reboot and Writing Thoughts
2 years ago
General
Yaaaaalll. I had a tiny $2 beer on an empty stomach and am now sufficiently buzzed. Pro money-saving tip.
I've been working on distilling down the elements of story and applying it to make better stories. I found something interesting by reading through my old work. Simply put, a strong story is one where I can easily answer the following:
- WHO: who is the person driving the story forward with their decisions?
- WHAT: what does this person want?
- WHY: why can't they get it?
So far I'm finding this to be a really powerful framework, especially shorter stories. A novel-length work you can nurture the WHAT and WHY over time. Short fiction, you really need to iceberg this shit. Have it all figured out before you write the first word. More on this in a later journal.
As to my main point: if you were invested in the old COS, the new one will be better! Chapter 3 will converge on The Room. It will be a full rewrite for chapters 1-2 and a partial rewrite for 3-4-5. I think I worked out the kinks in the story and found very strong motivations for each main character. Do check it out. You can leave your thoughts on each individual chapter, or here, whichever is your preference.
I've been working on distilling down the elements of story and applying it to make better stories. I found something interesting by reading through my old work. Simply put, a strong story is one where I can easily answer the following:
- WHO: who is the person driving the story forward with their decisions?
- WHAT: what does this person want?
- WHY: why can't they get it?
So far I'm finding this to be a really powerful framework, especially shorter stories. A novel-length work you can nurture the WHAT and WHY over time. Short fiction, you really need to iceberg this shit. Have it all figured out before you write the first word. More on this in a later journal.
As to my main point: if you were invested in the old COS, the new one will be better! Chapter 3 will converge on The Room. It will be a full rewrite for chapters 1-2 and a partial rewrite for 3-4-5. I think I worked out the kinks in the story and found very strong motivations for each main character. Do check it out. You can leave your thoughts on each individual chapter, or here, whichever is your preference.
if there is no WHO, then there is nobody driving the events of a story. A story where stuff just happens is not a story, merely a news bulletin
if there is no WHAT, then there is no goal, and thus no motion. A story where there's no forward momentum is just a sketch, a vignette
if there is no WHY (not), then there is no resistance, and thus no suspense. A story with no suspense is not very interesting :3
hope you find value in it!