I have a rather unusual one for you. I’m trying to write a romance story dealing with two completely different species. However one of the characters who is going to be part of the relationship is only about 13 years old. Her race essentially reaches maturity at six years old, though they still look physically young and only live for about 40 years. I can’t retcon this because I’ve written previous books dealing with this race. I’m concerned that people may find this story to be promoting pedophilia. Do you have any advice on what I should do or how to write the characters?
Thanks,
(Name omitted by request)
Hello Anonymous,
Oh jeez… I’m afraid you’ve got me at a bit of an impasse here. On one hand, I am a strong advocate for freedom of expression and to write whatever you want outside of threats and incitement, but I’m also a huge child welfare advocate. So this posses a bit of a problem for me. Let’s see…
I mean technically you can write whatever you want, that’s your freedom, but you’re going to want to be aware of some things…
If your book gets any level of notoriety, be prepared for some blow back. Fire Emblem Awakening got it with Nowi. There will be accusations of pedophilia and things like that. Like it or not, even if that’s not your intent, you will get some people being icked out by things like this.
I STRONGLY recommend you check into your local laws. Several states/countries have decency laws that could take issue with what you’re writing. I’m not a lawyer nor a law professor, but this is something you definitely want to be aware of.
All in all, its your story, so write what you want. Several series have tackled unorthodox relationships in the past, Kes from Star Trek Voyager for example. This is why I’ve said that you should just write what you want to read instead of worrying about what others want. Keep in mind, you wouldn’t be the first to write something like this. There are movies, video games, books, etc. that cover this topic as well.
So as long as you’re not breaking any laws, I’d say write your story, see how it comes out and then determine how you want to go forward with it. You’re going to get critics whether you like it or not, so just be ready for it.
I’m sorry if this isn’t very helpful, but this really goes along with what I’ve said all along; Write what you’d like to read and then let your audience decide if they enjoy it. That’s really the best way to write.
Readers, do you have any advice?
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
By now it should be plainly obvious to everyone how I feel about J.K. Rowling. However, in case you’re not, I’m no fan of hers. I find her writing to be somewhat simplistic, her characters extremely archetypal, and her plotlines to be the literary equivalent of swiss cheese. She also seems to go back and retcon details thus creating even more holes in her stores! What’s more than that, I dislike her on a more personal level. Regardless of anyone’s political or social beliefs, everyone should be able to recognize the rather over-the-top smugness of her twitter posts, including how she refuses to recant certain statements even after being proven wrong.
That being said, though I dislike her, I do respect her. She’s a fellow writer who came up with a thematic world that people of all ages, including my children, absolutely love. What’s more, she did it without any level of professional training and only tidbits of higher education. So I tip my hat to her in that respect.
Today though, I want to talk about the primary hero in most of her stories; Harry Potter. Though I am in the minority here, I will come out and say this… I am not a fan. So let’s get into the real meat and potatoes here. Why do I dislike him so much?
(PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS ALL OPINION, SO DON’T WORRY IF YOU DON’T AGREE WITH ME. IN FACT, LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS… EVEN IF YOU ARE COMPLETELY WRONG! 😉 )
So what’s wront with Harry Potter?
He’s unrelatable and unrealistic. Okay, before everyone gets mad, I know he’s a fantasy character and they’re not always realistic. However, this is a boy who supposedly comes from something resembling the real world and gets thrust into a land of magic. The best characters though are ones who are relatable and he simply isn’t. Consider for a moment… this is a boy who lives in a closet, is abused by his aunt and uncle on an emotional, if not physical, level. He has no parents, likely no friends, very little to call his own, and is lucky if he lives like a servant. Yet when he gets to school, though awkward, he is outgoing and seems to pick out a small group of friends very quickly.
In addition to that, it seems like almost every year he has to win everyone’s approval over and over again. In the first book, he’s the legend who survived. Living a normal life is likely off the books for him. In the next book, he has people thinking that he’s the heir of Slytherin attacking students. Then he’s a cheater who got himself into the tri-wizard tournament. Then he’s a liar… the list goes on and on. Yet he just shrugs it off each time. He doesn’t get mad, he doesn’t put up a fight, and he barely gets emotional.
As if most of that wasn’t enough, even when he has to watch the last member of his family die, even then, he can’t bring himself to inflict harm on the person who killed him. As Voldermort said, the cruciatus curse only works if you mean it.
Even in the end when Harry takes on Voldermort, he doesn’t kill him. The wand does the job for him, absolving him of a supposed murder that absolutely no one would have faulted him for. Harry could pretty much try out for the role of Jesus.
I’m sorry, I get that maybe he might be a little squemish, but his one and only outburst really wasn’t all that believable. In the end, he’s the archetype of a good guy character with little in the way of faults or flaws and really comes off as weak and/or unrealistic.
Anyway, that’s my opinion. Let me know what you think in the comments.
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
Yes I know, these guys again! Sorry, I love this song and about 4 or 5 from this album are showing up on my list now.
When to listen: Definitely brainstorming. Likely a song you listen to when your hero first takes up the sword to accept the journey he’s about to go on.
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
I don’t usually get involved in politics or social issues on here, save for the occasional effects it has on geek culture and for good reason. Most of us are looking for an escape from such issues. However, there has been a major trend recently where such issues have invaded nearly every facet of our existence, including unfortunately, our escapism. As such, it would appear that my participation in such topics is not optional, hence the title of this post.
In many previous advice posts, I have said that a writer should write stories that they want to read and enjoy, let the audience decide later if they want to read it. If the writer spends all of their time worrying about what their readers or viewers want to read/see, then the work will likely be a lot more lackluster and forced in many places. Not only that but no matter what you do, you will never be able to please everyone.
So let me start by posing the question; should fiction cover controversial issues? I think most people would agree that it absolutely should. However, there are some out there that disagree because covering such issues would be uncomfortable. Unfortunately, these people tend to rail against anything that lands outside their comfort zone like Christian purist from the 40s.
Now I think that the appropriateness of covering a controversial issue should be taken on a case by case basis, and even then will be in the eye of the beholder. When Mark Wahlberg put out a movie about the Boston Bombing, a lot of people thought it was in bad taste, especially because of the timing. Others thought that those people were being oversensitive. As someone who experienced the Boston Bombing first-hand in that I wasn’t far away from the area when it happened, I’m on the fence with this one. I’m no fan of Mark Wahlberg by any stretch and the fact that he’s become a local hero is disgraceful to Boston, IMO, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think this movie should have been made. Those that say otherwise are what I refer to as ‘moral guardians’. The fact is, no one has the right to tell a creator what they can and cannot create. The exceptions to this are, of course, deliberate slander, threats, and incitement of violence. Everything else resides in the purview of the creator’s morality. Creators should be able to tackle any topic they want in any way they want and then the audience can decide with their dollars if the creator went too far. Telling someone before-the-fact that they shouldn’t be able to experiment and try out something new or uncomfortable is counter-productive in the worlds of fiction and fantasy.
Pandering to Moral Guardians and/or Culture Warriors is never a good idea. For starters, because they’ll often go into writing, video games, and several other mediums that tackle controversial issues and instantly label them as bad without any context such as… actually reading or experiencing the full work. Like it or not, feminist frequency has done this on several occasions with their attacks on video games while bolstering really bad characters simply because of their appearances and genders.
Heavily criticized the abuse of women that were put in, as they called it, extremely violent situations. “The violence is particularly upsetting as it features the assault of women. Violent attacks on women, many times for perfunctory purposes, isn’t new. The Killing Joke saw the Joker torture Barbara Gordon in a statement that reinforced the notion that gender influences violence. The volatile imagery used in the trailer to underline the heinous acts being committed are familiar scenes to us. We’ve seen this play out in other TV shows or movies before, and in real life. 35 percent of women have experienced violence at the hands of another person in their lifetime, according to 2017 report from the United Nations.”
However, these are the same people that complained about the under-representation of female protagonists in these stories. The problem is that… you got what you wanted; more women in fiction. The problem is that fiction can in many cases be extremely violent and as such, the more you put women in the forefront of these stories, the more you’re going to expose them to these situations. It is not avoidable if they’re going to get the level of equality they want.
Simply put, there is no pleasing these people. No matter what you do or how much you try to cater to them, they will find something to complain or faux virtue signal about. There will always be something that they find offensive. They want fiction to tackle controversial topics and then get mad when it does.
Another example I want to tackle is an article by Eurogamer. This time dealing with the imminent release of a game that both I and my wife are really looking forward to; Detroit Become Human. This game looks like its going to be amazing! A narrative-driven story where the choices you make have major consequences on the plot, perma-deaths, etc. A creator’s dream!
Before reading on, I’d advise everyone to watch the most recent trailer for the game. NSFW just as a heads-up:
(I smell a movie starring Jennifer Lawrence if this game does well…)
So… as awesome as this is, of course there are going to be some detractors. Eurogamer does not disappoint me here:
I want to explore a couple of the questions:
“The concern I have is that it’s using something like domestic abuse and child abuse – which is a very real issue for unfortunately far too many people – and using it as window dressing rather than exploring the ramifications of those issues.”
Okay, one it’s a trailer. It doesn’t really give you a lot of time to explore the ramifications. Literally, it’s a three-minute taste of something that many writers would have trouble adequately explaining in a 500-page book. Trailers are meant to give you a sample of what you’re going to be experiencing. If something dealing with child abuse bothers you too much that you don’t think this is something you would enjoy, that’s fine. Don’t purchase the game. I have no issue with that, as a child rights advocate, I admit that this put me outside of my comfort zone.
That being said, right after that scene, there is one sentence in the video that makes me think this writer didn’t actually watch the trailer ‘Things could have been different.’ The trailer actually shows you how the decisions you make in the game can change the outcome of this situation for better or worse. The child doesn’t have to end up abused, you as the gamer have the opportunity to prevent it.
However, even if you didn’t… so what? Child abuse is a very real thing. As someone who has experienced it both first and second hand worked at a program for children taken out of their homes, etc. I can honestly say that what goes on in the trailer is not far from reality for too many children. It’s uncomfortable, but it is definitely not something that should be ignored. If fiction can help bring a light to the discussion on this topic, I applaud any attempt made to.
The other question the writer asked that irked me…
“Finally – I know I need to wrap up – is nothing off-limits as far as you’re concerned as a writer?”
I think David Cage answered this one perfectly. So I’ll add his response here: “Off-limits? What is off-limits is what goes beyond the values I believe in. There are things I’d never do. I’d never do a racist game, or a misogynist game. These are the limits. When you feel okay with the content and the meaning when you know you have nothing to be ashamed of because it’s fair and it tells the right story and because it’s moving. There are no limits.
There’s been these discussion in literature for years and years and years – one of the most famous poets was called Baudelaire, this guy was sued because he was talking about things he should be ashamed of. Today he’s one of the most famous poets in French literature. I think it’s normal that we have this conversation in games now. It’s part of the process.“
He is absolutely correct here. The only limits on creators should be those imposed by our own morals and values. The whims of the readers or critics should not be taken into account because it’s not their story. It’s our story that we put out there for them to enjoy. I’m not saying our readers and/or consumers aren’t important. Of course, they are and we want them to enjoy what we offer them. The problem is that our readers typically come from a diverse background and have different wants, desires, and expectations. You can’t pander to all of them and in choosing to pander to any, you run the risk of alienating the rest.
Even worse if you try to pander to the culture warrior or moral guardian crowd. This is something Marvel Comics has done and frankly… they’re hurting bad became of it as I’ve explored in many other topics. These people cannot be pleased and even if you can appease them for a short time, eventually you will put a pinkie toe out of line at which point they will eat you alive.
So while I’m sure to not get many brownie points for saying this… You cover child abuse, spousal abuse, murder, rape, prostitution, or bigotry. Tackle situations that will make some people cringe. Make people who are usually the moral right the bad guys! You put your companion character in a skimpy outfit while giving your own absurd muscle masses that even a WWE superstar would drool over. Fiction and fantasy are yours to enjoy, so make them good!
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
While I usually do some writing advice that often surrounds the Holidays, I couldn’t really find anything in the usual writer request mailbox. So instead, I thought I’d offer my top 10 favorite horror movies of all time list. Keep in mind, I’m not saying that these are the scariest movies, but they are horror films that I thoroughly enjoy. So be prepared to disagree with me on whether these are actually scary… even if you are completely wrong.
10. Let Me In
I honestly debated even putting this one on the list. Because despite being on my top-5 favorite movies of all times list, this… really isn’t that scary. I saw that because it’s really a love story first and a horror movie second. It has it’s fair share of jump scares, but that’s really not where the meat of the movie is. Oh and before anyone goes nuts, yes I am aware that it is a remake, and yes I’m fully aware that most people consider the original the superior film, but I consider them completely separate as the original source material is barely recognizable here. So it has it’s moments, but if you’re looking for a deeper scare, this isn’t the movie for you.
9. Paranormal Activity
This movie… okay most of it I find to be kind of slow and not all that scary. However by the time you get to the end, you realize that it was all building up to one single solitary scene:
Oh God… this scene had chills flowing down my back after the screaming stopped. All you hear is slow footsteps on the stares and all you can do is wonder what’s coming up to reveal itself. In this case, it’s not what you see… its what you don’t see that is the most freaky. In the end, this movie turned out to be incredibly well done.
8. The Unborn
Yes… there’s nothing scarier than trying to sit through a horror movie on Netflix that no one has head about, hoping that its good. However this one is actually very well done and extremely enjoyable. The Holocaust backstory and Jewish mysticism actually helped make this one good. I’m also a huge fan of Gary Oldman.
7. Evil Dead (2013)
I’ll be honest, I don’t really consider the original one a horror movie. It was WAY too campy for that. This one however delivers the gore, blood, and demonology. There really isn’t anything else to really say about it. It is the original… on steroids.
6. Pulse (US Version)
Want to kick your electronics addiction? This movie will do it. It’s got unseen scares, jump scares, a dark story, and all kinds of effects that just add to the darkness of the plot. This movie had me going from beginning to end and really keeps you on the edge of your seat. It basically tells the story of how the dead have found a way back into our world… through the internet and wireless communication. How the right code was cracked that allowed communication between the two worlds and now humanity is forced to either live behind closed doors in red-taped rooms, or head to dead zones where the dead can’t go.
5. Drag Me to Hell.
Not going to lie, I found this movie quite silly at first. However as it went on, the movie became darker and darker… only to become silly again when the monster possessed a goat. However yet again… this movie was saved by a very dark twist of an ending…
4. The Last Exorcism
This is pretty much the opposite of the other movies, while the suspense, build up, and scary scenes were great, I want to know what happened to the born-again exorcist who marched out towards the bonfire right at the end. The sequel doesn’t do anything to help answer any of these questions.
3. The Exorcist 3
In my opinion, the only true sequel to the original Exorcist is this movie right here. It follows the story of the detective from the first movie and even has a major reveal about Father Karras from the first film. It can be silly at times, however it also has a really good twist and an amazing performance from Brad Douriff.
2. The Exorcist
Yeah it’s not really a horror movie list without this one at the top. This is still considered by most to be the scariest movie out there. It is said that people went running from the theaters back when this was first released. Not helping matters was when the church confirmed that yes, things like this can happen.
Whether or not you find it scary, it’s still a dark story that can give even the most desensitized minds pause.
1. The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Yeah I think everyone is seeing a pattern by this point. I love exorcism movies. I admit that this one had me freaked out when I saw it and you might be surprised by what scenes. The exorcism didn’t really bother me, nor did the scenes where Emily is shown being possessed. What freaked me out were the two scenes with Dr. Cartright. I can’t find clips for these scenes, but essentially he appears at a low point in the trial offering his help. The entire time the camera is on him, he is glancing off into the sky or behind the lawyer that he’s talking to. It’s never revealed what’s scaring him, but the most chilly lines in the movie were uttered at this point.
Dr. Cartright: That girl was not schizophrenic, she was not narcoleptic, or any combination of the two… I’ve seen people with those afflictions, they can be horrible of course… but they don’t scare me…
Erin: But what you saw there… did?
Dr. Cartright: God… if I’d known, I never would have been there!
Just the way he says it and the fact that this meeting is before the reveal of the exorcism, makes this movie for me.
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
I was wondering. You’ve posted a lot about writing and how to make a good story. You’ve also mentioned that you have a tough time reading other people’s stories, hence why you wrote your own. I was just wondering, what is your favorite story?
Best,
Cheri
Hi Cheri,
Thanks for following my work! I’ll admit that my library read books has increased exponentially since the advent of audible. I’m admittedly a much faster writer than I am a reader… if that even makes sense.
To answer your question though, my absolute favorite story is a fairly old novella that I’d read in High School for summer reading credit.
Strange Highways by Dean Koontz.
I’ll admit that the man’s writing has gone… in rather odd directions recently and the religious undertones are far more glaring, but this was back during some of his best writing. This book, which thanks to a Christmas present from my wife I now own a signed limited first edition of, is actually a collection of short stories. The first story in the book is the novella for which the collection is titled: Strange Highways.
I’m rarely on the edge of my seat when it comes to a book, so it should come as a rather big surprise when I say that this book had me on the edge more than any movie I’ve ever seen.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
The novella is about an alcoholic loser of a writer named Joey Shannon. He returns to his hometown, which is a former coal town that has become a ghost town as it is slowly emptied of people by the federal government when thousands of acres of burning coal beneath it threatened to collapse and turn everyone to cinders.
Joey inexplicably finds himself at a crossroad from many years earlier. He can be redeemed from his alcoholism if he takes the tougher road and manages to save Celeste Baker from murder by his psychopathic brother, P.J.
Joey is thrust back in time again and again in replays of the same scene when he fails to stop his brother before the power to believe gives him the needed strength.
The book has gotten mixed reviews, but manages to maintain a 3.8 rating on Goodreads. There is quite a lot that you have to take for granted in the book and I’ll be the first to admit, that it’s far from perfect, but I’ve read it five times and am on my sixth read as we speak. I love this book, especially the ending and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes thrillers dealing with the dark side of religion, but has a greatly satisfying ending.
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
I wanted to ask you about chapters. I’m heavily into the re-write of mine. I’ve been putting a lot more detail which means some of my chapters have become a lot bigger. In your view what’s the maximum word count for a chapter? Is it okay to have a 3k or even 5k one if it works?
There really is no right or wrong answer here. My chapters often range from 1100 to 6700 words. As long as you’re in the same place, in the same character’s perspective, there is no reason to end a chapter. Chapter breaks for me are most appropriate for the passage of time (say a few minutes/hours), during a major perspective change (a character POV who isn’t in the same vicinity), or a change of scenery. Even just walking into another room can justify a chapter change.
Well say I’m writing a story that is completely linear, stays with one character’s perspective, and remains in the same room the entire time?
Sigh… okay, in this increasingly hypothetical situation, I’d say that a chapter break would need to happen when the character’s attention is drawn to something new or… something changes in the room.
As I said above, there is no exact science. How or when you decide to end a chapter will be dictated more by your own style of writing and inclination than it will any written rule or any advice I could give you. I try to look at a chapter as its own individual thought, problem, or scene.
There are many out there who would say that the length of a chapter should be more decided by the length of a book. (a 55,000 word book should have 5,000 word chapters), in other words, split up the book into 10 chapters, each one containing a tenth of the total word count. I don’t subscribe to this as I find it far too rigid.
In the end, it’s really up to you. If you feel like a chapter is starting to drone on, then find a place where the attention is broken or the scene changes in someway and insert a chapter break. It’s more of a judgement call than anything else.
So, sorry that I can’t give you a definitive answer, but honestly that’s because there isn’t really one. I do hope that this helps in some way.
Readers, what do you think? Are there certain chapter structures that you live by when writing? Let Eric know in the comments .
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
My friend refers to this as ‘cheese metal’ and I can really see why. Though he also said that music like this always brings a smile to his face and makes him feel good. Again, he’s right, and that’s why I listen to it.
When to Listen: I’d say that this would be the song to play when you’re writing the aftermath to the final fight. Everything is clear and you’re seeing the world as it is now that whatever blight was upon it is now gone.
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
Let’s face it, we’re all fed up with sequels and prequels, right? Once a story is over, there’s nothing wrong with declaring a happily ever after and leaving it at that. Once a story is concluded, the heroes have been through enough, and it’s time to move on to bigger and better things so they can live out their days in peace.
So why then do the stories keep getting rehashed? Why do we continuously invade their lives with forced plots that thrust characters back into hard situations that make the entire world less believable and even in some cases, damage the first story? Why did the orphanage from the first Blues Brothers wind up closing? Why did the Gates family get thrust into another historical mystery? Why is Disney following up on literal happily ever afters?
Well… there’s a couple of reasons for this… First, sequels are safe. Even if they’re many years out of date. Both literary and visual media companies want followup stories because if an audience liked the first story, they’ll pay to see/read the next one in a line… no matter how poorly done it is. Some because they love the characters and want to revisit their world, others just to see how badly it all get’s messed up.
Unfortunately, they’re right in this line of thinking. New titles and original movies that aren’t based on anything are often hard sells by comparison. If you write a story that is completely your own, not based on any modern/historical events, based in an established world, etc. You’re going to have a hard time. The same can be said about movies. I spoke in another post about the criticism that Hollywood is out of ideas. I don’t agree. Hollywood produces original movies all the time. The problem is that they’re usually given a smaller budget, little to no advertising, and go relatively un-celebrated. So next time you go to the movies. Take a look at the sign and check out one of the movies you don’t recognize and haven’t heard of. Usually, those will be your original stories.
So at some point through presequelitis, we’ve all got to come to terms with the fact that followup stories/movies are never going away. We can complain and moan all we want, there will always be an audience for them. Like it or not, there will always be an audience for movies such as Ghostbusters Answer the Call. These are not going to go away and I don’t think they should…
HEAR ME OUT!
There are right and wrong ways to do sequels and prequels. First, prequels need someone to keep an eye on continuity. If your prequel is going to poke major potholes in the better followup, then it may be time to abandon said story. The worst thing you can do is damage established norms, because that’s how you lose your audience.
Sequels are a little different. If you’ve written a story and given the idea that all loose ends are tied up and everything is finished, going back and forcing those characters into a whole new story that came out of nowhere causes a lot of problems. Not the least of these are 1. you’re beating on characters that have already taken their bumps. This can come off at mean spirited. 2. You’re straining suspension of disbelief. Suddenly bringing in a new adversary/obstacle that is somehow connected to the original story, but literally no one knew about, and/or mentioned up until now can be tough to follow.
So how can we make sequels work? Well for starters, if you intend to write a sequel to your story, don’t tie up all the loose ends. Leave something for the sequel to grab onto. In other words, spread your story out over a couple of novels. There’s no rule that says everything has to be crammed into one story.
Now let’s say that you’ve finished your story. Let’s say every loose end is completely tied up and your story has been published. People love it and are either screaming for a sequel or you’ve come up with a new plot point that you’d like to explore in that setting. This is where you have to be VERY careful. This is where you run the risk of writing a forced sequel, because its here that suddenly you have to explain where this new plot point comes from and why no one noticed it up until now. It’s a very sloppy way of doing things, and honestly is very transparent.
That said, the best way to go about doing something like this is to turn your story into a series of stories all set in the same world, but with different main characters. In essence, turn it into an anthology series. You can create a whole new set of characters and maybe even grab one or two supporting/minor characters from your previous story to take center stage. You can still have the characters from the first book come in and make appearances, reacting to the situation as you see fit. However they would really need to stay in the background.
The best thing about doing it this way is that you can literally do anything you want as long as you obey the rules you’ve already put in place for the world you created. The story prior to, during, or after the original. When I wrote damnation, it takes place during and after the events of Divinity and does so in a way that does not affect the original story other than bringing more dynamics to the original plot points. In essence, the happenings of Damnation actually expand and emphasize what goes on in Divinity.
Followup stories aren’t going away, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be good!
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
Note:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
I just had a quick question. I finished reading the Magnifica series and was wondering if you planned on going any further with it? I know the series is a couple of years old at this point, but I liked it and was wondering if we’d see these characters again.
Thanks,
John
Hi John,
I’d love to revisit Magnifica at some point and not for not trying. Believe it or not, I’ve actually got an indirect sequel, a prequel, and a side-story partially written. The problem is that all three went nowhere fast and really strained my suspension of disbelief as each story became too incredible. Magnifica was supposed to blend reality with a fantasy world in a way that was at least somewhat feasible. I wanted people to recognize areas and the world they live in, while being able to enjoy fantasy creatures.
So far, the closest I’ve been able to come is the Magnifica prequel dealing with the previous generation. It does fill in a lot of the blanks, but I’ve had rather consistent problems both with continuity and believability. So I wouldn’t be surprised if another book in the Magnifica series does make its way to the shelves, but it may be a while.
Thanks for the letter and glad you enjoyed Magnifica!
Best,
Jim
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
If you have read my books, PLEASE log into Amazon and post a review. I really love to hear everyone’s thoughts and constructive criticisms. Reviews help get my book attention and word of mouth is everything in this business!
I’ve been reading a lot of your advice posts, as well as some of your literature. First I want to say thank you for being so willing to address questions and hand out writing advice. I’ve found it very helpful. However one of your posts, I have to admit irked me a little. In it, you mentioned that people should be able to write characters of other ethnicities and creeds. Frankly, I don’t see how that is possible if you’re not from that culture or haven’t experienced it firsthand. By attempting to do so, you run the risk of appropriation and possibly making an unintentionally offensive character. I was hoping you could clarify your point about that a little further, as I don’t think simple research is sufficient to be able to accurately represent someone else.
Thanks,
Melinda
Hi Melinda,
A few things here… first of all, I don’t subscribe to the idea of cultural appropriation and I never have. To me, this is the antithesis of everything the United States, if not most western nations, stands for. Our country functions under the principle that we are a melting pot and that cultures are embraced and aspects are assimilated into our own. In other words, if you like something from another culture, you can adapt it into your own. I have several antiques and curiosities around my house from Norse, Asian, and South American origin, though I do not share their heritage. In the same spirit, I, as a man of Irish heritage, have seen Asians and Latinos in my own neighborhood singing Irish drinking songs, dressing like stereotypical Irishmen, and dancing (surprisingly well) Irish jigs on St. Patty’s day. Not only am I not offended, I both enjoy and appreciate it. I think this is the attitude we should have towards such things. The idea of appropriation and how it’s been applied is an institutional barrier against the freedoms that the west enjoys, and creating such institutional barriers isn’t a positive.
That being said, it is important to get it right. In my post, not only did I say research, but also attempt to experience the culture where possible, or at the very least, speak to some people who are a good representation of it. At no point did I say that simple research, such as opening a book, would be adequate.
I don’t agree with the idea that if you’re not part of or have experienced a culture, you can’t write about it. If that were the case, all I’d be writing about are white men. There would be no women or any ethnic minorities in my writing. So let’s consider that for a moment. Let’s say I were to subscribe to the idea that… let’s say only a person of color can adequately represent a person of color. Okay, so I write stories strictly about white men… then someone comes along and accuses me of not being inclusive and diverse in my writing. What would be my defense?
In essence, you can’t really have it both ways. Either someone can, if they put the effort in, adequately represent someone of another walk of life, or writing is going to quickly become segregated. There is an inherent danger in that thought process. One, because its completely unrealistic, and two because then it opens up doors to many other problems.
So I will restated what I said before. If you want to write characters of a different culture, race, creed, just be careful. Make sure you have enough knowledge of that group of people to proceed. Don’t assume, and don’t stereotype. Just write them as people, equal with anyone else. The cultural differences shouldn’t be the determining factor of the character, if anything, it should be an influence at most. Anything more than that and you run the risk of just creating a character archetype for a certain group of people which can come off as offensive.
Anyway, thanks for the email and the thought-provoking question!
Readers, what do you think? Can someone of one race/gender/culture effectively write another or should that remain their domain?
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
When to Listen: I’ve really been adding this band’s songs to my list as they come out. Each one has its own feel to it. I’d say that this is a final fight song if anything.
Readers,
Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.
I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.
Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:
James Harringtons Creative Work 