Hello friends!
We are currently undergoing renovations, as I couldn't take myself seriously with the freebie theme. I was going to say "anymore," but I don't really take myself that seriously anyway, so it would be redundant. I've been here off and on for about 15 months and I'd like to focus on my writing more. I may not take me too seriously, but that doesn't mean I can't start to develop a polished presence for my words.
I am making the changes myself, so there will be fewer new posts as I work towards first implementing a cohesive (and hopefully much more attractive) overall theme and then go back and make necessary changes to some of the posts from the last year. When I was in the early stages and not sure I'd be sticking around it was okay to rip off photos from the recesses of the Internet. Not so much if I would like to become a responsible online citizen.
Sourcing appropriate Creative Commons images and polishing my PhotoShop skills is taking a bit longer than I'd hoped and/or anticipated, but will pay off in the long run as I will (hopefully) end up with a nicer place for me to call an online home.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
xlxii - Day 23 - How long does it usually take you to complete an entire story?
I've found that, on average, my process can be summarized in five stages: concept, outline, first draft, first re-write, final version. Some of these stages I've already outlined elsewhere, but I'll include them (in brief) for ease of reading.
In the conceptual stage, ideas float around in my subconscious colliding with each other until they create a spark. I'll take note of these momentary flashes of inspiration, and then leave them to float around some more. The ideas that stick together develop a sort of gravitational pull that result in further ideas being pulled in. This process can take months.
Once a concept has enough substance to it, I'll actively develop an outline. The outline commits the main actors and plot points to paper, and it's this step that I would consider the official start of the writing process. The outline takes a couple weeks to complete, regardless of the length of the story. The initial writing is usually a matter of an hour or two, but I like to give myself time to contemplate the events of the story for a while and let them settle properly.
The first draft takes the outline and creates the structure of the story, and in my mind represents the start of proper writing. Here we take the point form of the outline and transform it into proper prose. At this stage I try to set out the main scenes in a way that makes sense.
The first rewrite addresses gaps in the main plot and fleshes out subplots and secondary characters. The aim is to have a fully formed story by the end of this process. It's not pretty but all the pieces are there and they work.
The second (and usually the final full) rewrite addresses language. Once the bigger picture is in place, the magnifying glass comes out and I look at the construction of individual sentences and paragraphs. I'm no poet by any stretch but I like to tune the cadence of the words, to make sure they fit well, or well enough, within the rhythm and pace I'd like to set for the scene.
Being able to summarize the process in such simple terms doesn't mean the process is anything but painstaking (or sometimes even painful). Though the first draft is usually cranked out in one pass, the first and second rewrites can involve retooling the same few paragraphs a dozen times or more.
Yes, but how long does it take? I can manage about 500 "words worth reading" per hour when I'm on top of my regimen. If I write every day it minimizes the amount of chaff that I need to blow out before the useful if not necessarily usable words start to flow. That means a short story in about two weeks and - if I thought I could stay sane (someone please ask my wife not to give me that look) - a novel in about 9 months.
Realistically, though, I would double both estimates as I like being married.
In the conceptual stage, ideas float around in my subconscious colliding with each other until they create a spark. I'll take note of these momentary flashes of inspiration, and then leave them to float around some more. The ideas that stick together develop a sort of gravitational pull that result in further ideas being pulled in. This process can take months.
Once a concept has enough substance to it, I'll actively develop an outline. The outline commits the main actors and plot points to paper, and it's this step that I would consider the official start of the writing process. The outline takes a couple weeks to complete, regardless of the length of the story. The initial writing is usually a matter of an hour or two, but I like to give myself time to contemplate the events of the story for a while and let them settle properly.
The first draft takes the outline and creates the structure of the story, and in my mind represents the start of proper writing. Here we take the point form of the outline and transform it into proper prose. At this stage I try to set out the main scenes in a way that makes sense.
The first rewrite addresses gaps in the main plot and fleshes out subplots and secondary characters. The aim is to have a fully formed story by the end of this process. It's not pretty but all the pieces are there and they work.
The second (and usually the final full) rewrite addresses language. Once the bigger picture is in place, the magnifying glass comes out and I look at the construction of individual sentences and paragraphs. I'm no poet by any stretch but I like to tune the cadence of the words, to make sure they fit well, or well enough, within the rhythm and pace I'd like to set for the scene.
Being able to summarize the process in such simple terms doesn't mean the process is anything but painstaking (or sometimes even painful). Though the first draft is usually cranked out in one pass, the first and second rewrites can involve retooling the same few paragraphs a dozen times or more.
Yes, but how long does it take? I can manage about 500 "words worth reading" per hour when I'm on top of my regimen. If I write every day it minimizes the amount of chaff that I need to blow out before the useful if not necessarily usable words start to flow. That means a short story in about two weeks and - if I thought I could stay sane (someone please ask my wife not to give me that look) - a novel in about 9 months.
Realistically, though, I would double both estimates as I like being married.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
xlxi - Day 22 - Tell us about one scene between your characters that you've never written
Admittedly, I'm not sure where this one is intended to go.
I can think of two ways to interpret it. One is to assume an implied "yet", that is to say, a scene I intend to write but haven't got around to writing. The other is in more of a cutting room floor sort of way...the scene spent some time in development but never formed enough to make it into the first draft.
I've got to answer to the first interpretation, because, frankly I'm not known - well, at all really - for anyone to be interested in reading about the scenes I didn't feel were worthy of making an initial draft. Perhaps sometime, if I ever get lucky enough to have a tenth (our more) anniversary edition of one of my works, I can include that kind of stuff. For the time being, though, I'm not nearly that pretentious.
That means I get to tell you about a scene I've thought about but haven't put into words yet. Fortunately I have a few of those handy thanks to outlines for sequels to the two books I'm working on. The trick is for me to find a scene that might be interesting without giving too much away.
In my fantasy novel there's a boy. Of course there's a boy. This boy even becomes godlike in power, and the story is essentially about his rise from humble origins to dizzying heights of power. In my defense, he's not the main character (an homage to The Malloreon), and the story isn't as much about him as it is about the things that happen to those around him.
As an aside, I like to think of the main character as the love child of Aragorn and Indiana Jones.
The thing about the kid is that he's blind, and not an orphan, but an outcast, nonetheless. The protagonist ends up becoming the kid's protector, and the wizened elder in their entourage teaches the youngling the ways of magic. Naturally, the elder senses a great deal of latent ability. He has it in his mind that the kid, through the power of magic, might one day regain his sight or be gifted with some kind of mystical facsimile thereof.
The scene I'm envisioning is of the two together, perhaps with the protagonist (I'll have to think about the potential symbolism of humanity in its three stages of life), perhaps not. The youngster has come a long way in developing his abilities and has known for some time that his mentor's wish cannot come true. Hopefully the scene has a good emotional impact, with the mentor accepting that his vision (no pun intended) is not possible and the child coming to realize his own unique strengths.
I can think of two ways to interpret it. One is to assume an implied "yet", that is to say, a scene I intend to write but haven't got around to writing. The other is in more of a cutting room floor sort of way...the scene spent some time in development but never formed enough to make it into the first draft.
I've got to answer to the first interpretation, because, frankly I'm not known - well, at all really - for anyone to be interested in reading about the scenes I didn't feel were worthy of making an initial draft. Perhaps sometime, if I ever get lucky enough to have a tenth (our more) anniversary edition of one of my works, I can include that kind of stuff. For the time being, though, I'm not nearly that pretentious.
That means I get to tell you about a scene I've thought about but haven't put into words yet. Fortunately I have a few of those handy thanks to outlines for sequels to the two books I'm working on. The trick is for me to find a scene that might be interesting without giving too much away.
In my fantasy novel there's a boy. Of course there's a boy. This boy even becomes godlike in power, and the story is essentially about his rise from humble origins to dizzying heights of power. In my defense, he's not the main character (an homage to The Malloreon), and the story isn't as much about him as it is about the things that happen to those around him.
As an aside, I like to think of the main character as the love child of Aragorn and Indiana Jones.
The thing about the kid is that he's blind, and not an orphan, but an outcast, nonetheless. The protagonist ends up becoming the kid's protector, and the wizened elder in their entourage teaches the youngling the ways of magic. Naturally, the elder senses a great deal of latent ability. He has it in his mind that the kid, through the power of magic, might one day regain his sight or be gifted with some kind of mystical facsimile thereof.
The scene I'm envisioning is of the two together, perhaps with the protagonist (I'll have to think about the potential symbolism of humanity in its three stages of life), perhaps not. The youngster has come a long way in developing his abilities and has known for some time that his mentor's wish cannot come true. Hopefully the scene has a good emotional impact, with the mentor accepting that his vision (no pun intended) is not possible and the child coming to realize his own unique strengths.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
xlx - Day 21 - Do any of your characters have children? How well do you write them?
I'm starting to think, as I make my way through this meme, that you could probably estimate the type of week I'm going to have based on the Sass Quotient (SQ) of my answer to each week's topic.
This week is a perfect example. I'm very much inclined (approx. 80%) to just say, "yes, because everyone is someone else's kid," and, "hopefully, because if everyone's a 'child' to someone else, an inability to write them would be problematic given my desire to write books and stuff." Though it might be funny it's not that helpful - not that my straight answer will be once I get around to actually giving it to you, either.
I'm sure someone, given the urge and the necessary tools to measure the tone of my language, could predict to a relative degree of accuracy when I will tire of having to politely try to disembark from my train and decide to allow the laws of physics to do their thing. To wit: "An object in motion tends to stay in motion," and perhaps more importantly, "I'm a lot bigger than you are." Or, if you prefer: "I'm getting off now. You can get out of my way or you can come with me."
A strong understanding of the physical sciences is essential in writing believable speculative fiction!
Please forgive the tangent.
At any rate, if my answers don't seem that useful on the surface, upon reflection there is a kernel of truth. I tend to see characters as existing along a continuum. I don't know if this is due to the years of playing (C)RPGs, but I have a very mathematical way of visualizing traits. Kids are just characters with terrible strength and wisdom scores. They're shorter, sure, but anyone who's been around kids knows they have their own personalities and interests, and are really like adults with (occasionally) less refined vocabularies and social skills.
The kernel of truth, then, is that to think of characters solely as kids doesn't focus the lens enough. Much like my answer about culture, a character's age can serve as a starting point but needs to be refined with a much finer view lest one's characterization remain stiff and uninspired.
As for a "serious" response, my answers would have to be, "Yes, a handful," and "Hopefully my second year Childhood Psychological Development courses paid off, we'll have to see."
Hmm, maybe that was the smart alec response after all. Interesting.
This week is a perfect example. I'm very much inclined (approx. 80%) to just say, "yes, because everyone is someone else's kid," and, "hopefully, because if everyone's a 'child' to someone else, an inability to write them would be problematic given my desire to write books and stuff." Though it might be funny it's not that helpful - not that my straight answer will be once I get around to actually giving it to you, either.
I'm sure someone, given the urge and the necessary tools to measure the tone of my language, could predict to a relative degree of accuracy when I will tire of having to politely try to disembark from my train and decide to allow the laws of physics to do their thing. To wit: "An object in motion tends to stay in motion," and perhaps more importantly, "I'm a lot bigger than you are." Or, if you prefer: "I'm getting off now. You can get out of my way or you can come with me."
A strong understanding of the physical sciences is essential in writing believable speculative fiction!
Please forgive the tangent.
At any rate, if my answers don't seem that useful on the surface, upon reflection there is a kernel of truth. I tend to see characters as existing along a continuum. I don't know if this is due to the years of playing (C)RPGs, but I have a very mathematical way of visualizing traits. Kids are just characters with terrible strength and wisdom scores. They're shorter, sure, but anyone who's been around kids knows they have their own personalities and interests, and are really like adults with (occasionally) less refined vocabularies and social skills.
The kernel of truth, then, is that to think of characters solely as kids doesn't focus the lens enough. Much like my answer about culture, a character's age can serve as a starting point but needs to be refined with a much finer view lest one's characterization remain stiff and uninspired.
As for a "serious" response, my answers would have to be, "Yes, a handful," and "Hopefully my second year Childhood Psychological Development courses paid off, we'll have to see."
Hmm, maybe that was the smart alec response after all. Interesting.
Monday, January 2, 2012
xlix - Day 20 - What are your favorite character interactions to write?
I'm not sure what this question means. The concept of a "character interaction" seems simple enough but are we talking about things like fights or interactions between specific characters or even specific interactions?
I have no idea.
In the most general sense I like to write pretty much all character interactions. I think I'd be barking up the wrong tree if I didn't. Then again, there is a Tolkien like approach to writing speculative fiction that places a premium on the descriptive facet of narrative. I'm not sure that kind of writing, which tends to be very wordy, really works outside the realm of fantasy these days. Anyway, even if the relationships between my characters aren't always going to be the driving force behind all my stories, they still play a primary role in bringing them to life. It doesn't really matter what kind of interaction it is - positive or negative - if it helps propel the story, I'll be happy writing it.
Which isn't to say I'm good at all of it. Anything straight forward I can usually manage, but I haven't become comfortable with "cloak and dagger" conversations yet, ones where one or more of the participants have an ulterior motive. Like Iago in Macbeth. For that matter, and I suppose it's the same for most novice writers, it's a lot of work to write characters whose personalities are quite different from mine. As an example, one of my characters has a way of infuriating those he speaks to through seemingly innocuous offhand comments. Trying to write a conversation that works on two independent levels takes a bit of doing.
But, really, and I can't say this enough, I really like all of it.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
xlviii - Day 19 - Favorite minor that decided to shove himself into the spotlight
Ah, an easy one. Though watch as I answer in my typically sideways fashion.
I'd never had this happen until recently. My guess is it's because of the way I fashion stories. Imagine, if you will, a paleontologist uncovering the fossilized remains of a gigantic dinosaur.
First to appear from the earth are the largest bones, which give us the most fundamental details about the creature. What is the overall shape? How did the body support itself? How did it move around?
The protagonist is the head, and as they teach you in martial arts the body always moves with the head. The protagonist's arc - their interaction with the antagonist - is represented by the shape of the dinosaur's backbone. Can this structure support the weight of the other systems necessary to bring the piece to life?
At this stage, I am attempting to answer the most important facets of "Who?", "What?", "When?", and "Why?"
Then we get more detailed glimpses as we uncover the smaller and smaller bones. Was it predator or prey? Whether herbivore or carnivore, can we ascertain its favoured diet? How did it protect itself? Here, I situate the protagonist and antagonist in their world. In my analogy the proportions of the bones can hint at lung capacity, mobility, specifics of the diet. In my stories I am now placing the characters in their physical settings, and populating these places with the actors that will come to play a role in the narrative.
I attempt to wrap up the "Who?", and "Why?" at this stage, sketch out the salient points of "When?" and "Where?", and fill out just a bit more of the last two, "What?" and "How?"
Finally, if we're lucky, we get into the smallest details, hopefully ones specific to this very creature we're uncovering. What can we deduce about its life and death?
When I'm writing, the entirety of the first stage and a good chunk of the second take place before I'll even draw up an outline. With the outline done, my first draft occupies half of the second and half of the third stages. Subsequent drafts further refine, adding or adjusting additional layers of detail. Rewrites are by far the most time-intensive work, but by the end of the first draft I've typically got 60%-80% of the story in place.
So, all of that to say that the reason it hasn't happened to me before is that in every story I've written but one, I'd already charted a course for all but the most insignificant/character-as-scenery characters before setting pen to paper.
I've seen the act of writing fiction compared to recollecting past events, and it's an apt description for my process. My characters don't often surprise me because I already know what they've done.
None of this actually answers the question, though, so let me tell you about the time it did happen.
In my second novel there is a character that serves as cannon fodder for the antagonist, and dies by the end of the first chapter. His scenes serve to build tension and showcase what the bad guy can do, but he was just a throwaway. Upon further reflection, I'm starting to think that following his story beyond his unlucky encounter might serve as an interesting counterpoint to some of the other threads I follow through the narrative.
I'd never had this happen until recently. My guess is it's because of the way I fashion stories. Imagine, if you will, a paleontologist uncovering the fossilized remains of a gigantic dinosaur.
First to appear from the earth are the largest bones, which give us the most fundamental details about the creature. What is the overall shape? How did the body support itself? How did it move around?
The protagonist is the head, and as they teach you in martial arts the body always moves with the head. The protagonist's arc - their interaction with the antagonist - is represented by the shape of the dinosaur's backbone. Can this structure support the weight of the other systems necessary to bring the piece to life?
At this stage, I am attempting to answer the most important facets of "Who?", "What?", "When?", and "Why?"
Then we get more detailed glimpses as we uncover the smaller and smaller bones. Was it predator or prey? Whether herbivore or carnivore, can we ascertain its favoured diet? How did it protect itself? Here, I situate the protagonist and antagonist in their world. In my analogy the proportions of the bones can hint at lung capacity, mobility, specifics of the diet. In my stories I am now placing the characters in their physical settings, and populating these places with the actors that will come to play a role in the narrative.
I attempt to wrap up the "Who?", and "Why?" at this stage, sketch out the salient points of "When?" and "Where?", and fill out just a bit more of the last two, "What?" and "How?"
Finally, if we're lucky, we get into the smallest details, hopefully ones specific to this very creature we're uncovering. What can we deduce about its life and death?
When I'm writing, the entirety of the first stage and a good chunk of the second take place before I'll even draw up an outline. With the outline done, my first draft occupies half of the second and half of the third stages. Subsequent drafts further refine, adding or adjusting additional layers of detail. Rewrites are by far the most time-intensive work, but by the end of the first draft I've typically got 60%-80% of the story in place.
So, all of that to say that the reason it hasn't happened to me before is that in every story I've written but one, I'd already charted a course for all but the most insignificant/character-as-scenery characters before setting pen to paper.
I've seen the act of writing fiction compared to recollecting past events, and it's an apt description for my process. My characters don't often surprise me because I already know what they've done.
None of this actually answers the question, though, so let me tell you about the time it did happen.
In my second novel there is a character that serves as cannon fodder for the antagonist, and dies by the end of the first chapter. His scenes serve to build tension and showcase what the bad guy can do, but he was just a throwaway. Upon further reflection, I'm starting to think that following his story beyond his unlucky encounter might serve as an interesting counterpoint to some of the other threads I follow through the narrative.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
xlvii - Day 18 - Favorite Antagonist
Today I bring you a three part answer because no single one of these characters fulfills the spirit of this week's topic.
My favorite antagonist (that I've written) is Ira Mastema.
I discuss him here(http://thestoriesofix.blogspot.com/2011/07/xl-day-11-who-is-your-favoriteleast.html), so I won't tread that ground again. I don't feel I can offer him as an answer alone because I haven't written enough of him to claim him as a fully-formed character.
My favourite antagonist (from a novel someone else wrote) is Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.
His cunning and ruthlessness are traits I always strive to imbue in my arch-nemeses. In my opinion raw intellect will find a way to win most battles - and what's scarier than a bad guy with an agenda and the means to make it happen. By the midpoint of Dune, Baron Harkonnen had destroyed the main character's house and assassinated his father. There's no doubt he'll get his eventually, but this is clearly not a villain to be taken lightly.
Still, I'm hesitant to hold him up as my sole choice because he's not my character and, perhaps more importantly this time, because I think there are a few elements of his characterization that, and it pains me to write this about the author of my favorite book, strike me as downright lazy. He's a red-headed homosexual pedophile with an eastern european name. It's like Herbert drew up a cliched list of "horrible 1960s character flaws" and built an otherwise well executed character into it.
My favourite antagonist (from any print media) is Magneto, from the X-Men series of comics.
He has a lot of the upside of a Baron Harkonnen without many of the telegraphed characteristics. With fifty-ish years of comic book backstory, things are bound to go off the rails, but at his best, he's been written as an extremely compelling character on an almost-but-not-quite noble crusade. I also hesitate to include him as a single response due to his not being my character, and that he's not written in the traditional sense
My favorite antagonist (that I've written) is Ira Mastema.
I discuss him here(http://thestoriesofix.blogspot.com/2011/07/xl-day-11-who-is-your-favoriteleast.html), so I won't tread that ground again. I don't feel I can offer him as an answer alone because I haven't written enough of him to claim him as a fully-formed character.
My favourite antagonist (from a novel someone else wrote) is Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.
His cunning and ruthlessness are traits I always strive to imbue in my arch-nemeses. In my opinion raw intellect will find a way to win most battles - and what's scarier than a bad guy with an agenda and the means to make it happen. By the midpoint of Dune, Baron Harkonnen had destroyed the main character's house and assassinated his father. There's no doubt he'll get his eventually, but this is clearly not a villain to be taken lightly.
Still, I'm hesitant to hold him up as my sole choice because he's not my character and, perhaps more importantly this time, because I think there are a few elements of his characterization that, and it pains me to write this about the author of my favorite book, strike me as downright lazy. He's a red-headed homosexual pedophile with an eastern european name. It's like Herbert drew up a cliched list of "horrible 1960s character flaws" and built an otherwise well executed character into it.
My favourite antagonist (from any print media) is Magneto, from the X-Men series of comics.
He has a lot of the upside of a Baron Harkonnen without many of the telegraphed characteristics. With fifty-ish years of comic book backstory, things are bound to go off the rails, but at his best, he's been written as an extremely compelling character on an almost-but-not-quite noble crusade. I also hesitate to include him as a single response due to his not being my character, and that he's not written in the traditional sense
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
xlvi - Day 17 - Favorite Protagonist
Ok, so I did curse myself. It turns out actually having the baby (noting a previous post's caveat about being relegated to spectator status for the genuinely difficult bits, on account of my sex) is a lot more work than I imagined. I've been quite busy.
It's my daughter's two-month birthday today and things are apparently supposed to ease up from now on. There are undoubtedly parts of my life that will never be the same, but I'm holding out hope there are meals and full nights' worth of sleep in my future.
In the meantime I'm rediscovering my ability to string together more than a sentence or two, so it's looking like high time to reassemble the wagon.
Day 17 - Favorite Protagonist
Henry Dorsett Case.
Is that cheating? The "question" isn't specific. I didn't write him. I doubt he'll ever figure in anything I do. Of any character I've read or written, though, he's the one that drew me in the most.
It goes without saying that because I started reading for fun when I was a kid, that I wasn't the most refined reader. So, it didn't hurt that a lot of the stories I read in junior and early high school made liberal use of the "kid of modest origins becomes nigh-invulnerable" trope, but I can't say I identified with the protagonists.
As I made my way through high school that would change. Dune, being another boy-becomes-god story, served as a bridge to science fiction. The first character I developped a rapport with was Paul Atreides, even though the only thing we had in common was our age and general physical appearance.
It wasn't until after my introduction to the depression that would become my lifelong companion that I really clicked with a character. That character, you'd be right to guess, is Case. The broader strokes of his storyline resonated with me at a time that I felt I'd lost something, and that feeling stuck with me.
It's my daughter's two-month birthday today and things are apparently supposed to ease up from now on. There are undoubtedly parts of my life that will never be the same, but I'm holding out hope there are meals and full nights' worth of sleep in my future.
In the meantime I'm rediscovering my ability to string together more than a sentence or two, so it's looking like high time to reassemble the wagon.
Day 17 - Favorite Protagonist
Henry Dorsett Case.
Is that cheating? The "question" isn't specific. I didn't write him. I doubt he'll ever figure in anything I do. Of any character I've read or written, though, he's the one that drew me in the most.
It goes without saying that because I started reading for fun when I was a kid, that I wasn't the most refined reader. So, it didn't hurt that a lot of the stories I read in junior and early high school made liberal use of the "kid of modest origins becomes nigh-invulnerable" trope, but I can't say I identified with the protagonists.
As I made my way through high school that would change. Dune, being another boy-becomes-god story, served as a bridge to science fiction. The first character I developped a rapport with was Paul Atreides, even though the only thing we had in common was our age and general physical appearance.
It wasn't until after my introduction to the depression that would become my lifelong companion that I really clicked with a character. That character, you'd be right to guess, is Case. The broader strokes of his storyline resonated with me at a time that I felt I'd lost something, and that feeling stuck with me.
Monday, August 22, 2011
xlv - Day 16 - Do you write romantic relationships? Are you good with those? Do you write sex scenes?
There may come a day when I stop dissecting these questions, but today is not that day. Once again, I feel as if the direction my imaginary interviewer has taken is contrary to the one I'd be taking myself. For today's batch of questions I can't help but think "romantic relationships" is intended to be viewed through the lens of Hollywood or Harlequin bodice-rippers. I don't write romantic relationships in this context. There was a time at the height of my "woe is me, I can't get a girlfriend" phase (i.e. high school) that I may have veered off into adjoining territory, but I've never seriously tried to write that kind of romance.
Romance hasn't figured in the short stories I've written since I decided to take writing seriously. It doesn't factor into the shorts I like to read, so naturally it doesn't in the ones I produce. I don't think that's likely to change, but one of the magazines I'm trying to get into seems to print a high enough volume of stories with gratuitous hookups. If once I've got a dozen stories under my belt I still haven't got a publication credit to my name, I may see what happens if I try to follow that formula.
My longer stories, on the other hand, will have a place for romantic relationships. I use the future tense because I intend to have a romantic element to the overall story arcs in both my novels, but haven't written it yet. In my fantasy novel I have the seeds of a love triangle that I intend to use to influence the events in the second novel and onwards. The currently unfinished draft of my second novel (a supernatural mystery/thriller) will have a romance based on betrayal. Because neither are on paper our official answers to questions 1 and 2 are "not yet" and "we'll see".
I'm going to ignore question 3. Why? Because my mom currently amounts to a significant percentage of my readership. Because I haven't found a workshop yet. And because I don't have an editor to advise me on the pros and cons of showing my characters getting it on. Until these three things change, I'm gonna have to plead the fifth.
Romance hasn't figured in the short stories I've written since I decided to take writing seriously. It doesn't factor into the shorts I like to read, so naturally it doesn't in the ones I produce. I don't think that's likely to change, but one of the magazines I'm trying to get into seems to print a high enough volume of stories with gratuitous hookups. If once I've got a dozen stories under my belt I still haven't got a publication credit to my name, I may see what happens if I try to follow that formula.
My longer stories, on the other hand, will have a place for romantic relationships. I use the future tense because I intend to have a romantic element to the overall story arcs in both my novels, but haven't written it yet. In my fantasy novel I have the seeds of a love triangle that I intend to use to influence the events in the second novel and onwards. The currently unfinished draft of my second novel (a supernatural mystery/thriller) will have a romance based on betrayal. Because neither are on paper our official answers to questions 1 and 2 are "not yet" and "we'll see".
I'm going to ignore question 3. Why? Because my mom currently amounts to a significant percentage of my readership. Because I haven't found a workshop yet. And because I don't have an editor to advise me on the pros and cons of showing my characters getting it on. Until these three things change, I'm gonna have to plead the fifth.
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