Writing Tip: Keeping Busy

For most beginning writers, the hardest challenge we have to face is making ourselves sit down and write. Life is distracting and we all know it. The trick is to sit at the computer or writing pad and just tell yourself "I'm just gonna write for a few minutes." Then, after you finish writing, hours have passed and you've completed a few scenes in your work in progress.

If not, then try picturing yourself surrounded by your family and friends, each of them telling you that your never going to make it as a writer, to get a real job, and adding all those doubts into your head. Now imagine you have a People Remote. The only button on it is the "mute" function. Simply aim it at each member and "mute" them. Then, put that remote down, and away from them, and keep writing.

The most important thing to remember while your writing is to just let it be junk. This is only a first draft. it doesn't have to be perfect on the first try. Remember back in high school writing essays. It needs to be like that, there needs to be a rough draft, a middle draft (which can take up most of your time) and your end product.

If that doesn't work for you, try plotting out a few scenes. By plotting, I mean an outline of what is to come. If you don't have a specific ending in mind, try outlining the ending. Does your main character win and is happy; win, isn't happy; lose, is happy; lose and isn't happy? Or is it the dreaded ambiguous ending?

Another ting to do is ask your main character(s) what it is he/she/they want. What is it they want most and what are they willing to do to get it? If you have a kid who wants to play the drums in the school band, he can't just do that. There needs to be tension (he gets in, but his parents can't afford to by the practice drums or sticks; the bully breaks the practice drum set or sticks). It needs to be something convincing yet realistic for your character. What obstacles is your character going to overcome? These are the important questions to ask when drafting a novel.

So get off the internet now and get writing!

Novelizations (Tie-In)

I recently was reading a novelization of 1984 film "The Last Starfighter" by Alan Dean Foster. The book contains different scenes from the movie and has a lot of POV switching. It got me wondering, though. Back in the 70's/80's, was omniscient POV a fad? Or was it reserved only for movie Tie-Ins?

Take, for example, ADF's previous two Tie-In works: Star Wars: A New Hope (formerly titled "from the Adventures of Luke Skywalker)(1) and Star Wars: Splinter of the Mind's Eye. Both have Alan's flair of POV shifts.

"One purpose, one thought, one obsession dominated that mind now. It burned in the brain of Darth Vader as he turned down another passageway in the broken fighter. There smoke was beginning to clear, though the sounds of faraway fighting still resounded through the hull. The battle here had ended and moved on.
   Only a robot was left to stir freely in the wake of the Dark Lord's passing. See-Threepio finally stepped clear of the last restraining cable. Somewhere behind him human screams could be heard from where relentless Imperial troops were mopping up the last remnants of a rebel resistance." (2)

"'Do you remember that day back on the station,' Vader mused, with deliberate patience, 'when the late Governor Tarkin and I interviewed you?' He placed a peculiar stress on the word "interviewed."
   Leia had both hands on opposite shoulders and was shivering as if from intense cold.
   'Yes,' Vader observed, perverse amusement in his voice, 'I see that you do. I am truly sorry I have nothing as elaborate to treat you to at this time. However,' he added, swinging his weapon lightly, 'one can do some interesting things with a saber, you know. I'll do my best to show you all of them if you'll cooperate by not passing out.'
   Leia's hands dropped to her sides. The fear did not leave her, but she forced it into the back alleys of her mind by sheer will. Running the few steps to Luke's side, she knelt and groped at his wrist. When she rose, she was holding the lightsaber carefully in one hand."(3)

I'm sure Linda Clare would say both of them need a break in the paragraphs. Not a new Paragraph, but

something like this. Where there is a space between the paragraphs to represent new POV.

Alan Dean Foster is not the only one who does this. In the novelization of "The Empire Strikes Back," writer Donald F. Glut switches POV often enough. The same goes for "Return of the Jedi" by James Kahn. Both use the omniscient POV to further the story without slowing down to continuously break a scene for a new POV.

Fast forward to the other Star Wars tie-ins. Specifically, The Han Solo Adventures written by Brian Daley and The Adventures of Lando Calrissian by L. Neil Smith. The difference is that Daley and Smith reserve them for action scenes, such as space battles or blaster fights.

So for the 70's and 80's omniscient POV was a way to keep it short, let the movie show it. But others, such as the 1991 novelization of the movie "Hook" by Terry Brooks also used the omniscient POV style. Brooks' other works (including the latter "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" novelization) don't use the omni-POV, head-jumping technique. Brooks used it for "Hook" because he was relating the story to us as he was told it. (4)

In the 1997/98 novelizations of the then popular game "Star Wars: Dark Forces" and its popular sequel "Star Wars: Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight" were novella-ized by William C. Deitz. Deitz, as far as I can tell with his original works, used omniscient POV style writing.

"An officer appeared from behind a console, ran forward as if to intercept him. Kyle fired a carefully aimed shot. He caught little more than a glimpse of Odom's face as he fell, hoped the footage would look believable, and stepped over the half-conscious body.
   Odom watched his friend's boots walk away, wondered if he'd done the right thing, and knew that even though he hadn't fired a shot, his hands were red with blood. Lives had been taken, and lives would had been saved. How would the scales tip? Only time would tell. The thought brought comfort even as the pain from his wounds pulled him into darkness.
   Kyle circled the large U-shaped desk, found the switch where Odom had promised it would be, and flipped it on."(5)

"8t88 dragged his still-unwilling pet into an alcove. A durasteel door slammed down in front of him. Machinery whined as the turbolift carried him upward.
   Surprised by Kyle's move and more than a little intrigued, Yun moved forward. Kyle, who was still on his knees and at a disadvantage, pulled his lightsaber. Energy crackled and the smell of ozone filled the air as the Rebel managed to raise his weapon and block the Jedi's blow."(6)

Yes, Deitz did just do a POV shift in the middle of a paragraph. But that's not the only times Deitz has used it. He used it again in the novelization of "Halo".

The following starts in Master Chief SPARTAN-117's POV:
"The Chief stared for a moment and clenched his jaw. 'Perfectly, sir.'
   'Good. Now one more thing. I'm familiar with your record and I admire it. You are one helluva soldier. That said, you are also a freak, the last remaining subject in a terribly flawed experiment, and one which should never be repeated.'
   McKay watched the Master Chief's face. His hair was worn short, not as short as hers, but short. He had serious eyes, a firm mouth, and a strong jaw. His skin hadn't been exposed tot he sun in a long time and it was white, too white, like something that lived in the deep recesses of a cave. From what she had heard he had been a professional soldier since the age of six, which meant he was an expert at controlling what showed on his face, but she could see the words hit like bullets striking a target. Nothing overt, just a slight narrowing of the eyes, and a tightness around his mouth. She looked at Silva, but if the Major was aware of the changes, he didn't seem to care."(7)

It then goes back into the Master Chief's POV again. Unlike Linda, I don't see this as keeping the camera at a distance. I see it as a cinematic. We start off with the Master Chief, cut to Major Silva when he's talking, then cut to Lieutenant McKay for a bit, then back to the Master Chief.

Now, I know what your thinking. How could a game have a novelization of the game? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of playing the game?

No, it does not. The novelization shows you how to play it one way, and may be considered the official novelization or novellaization of the game(s) by their makers and the company that produces the games. For example, The Gears of Wars book series, the Halo novel series, Doctor Who/Torchwood novels, Star Wars Expanded Universe novels are not omniscient in any way.

So when in doubt about a particular passage being written in your book, and you have no idea which character sounds best, or its a rough outline/rough draft, don't write omniscient unless you can pull it off in a way that most people won't complain, just try and write the scene from all the characters being used in it, not characters that are just mentioned.

(1) published with George Lucas's name on the cover, but ghost written by Alan Dean Foster
(2) "Star Wars: A New Hope" page 8, paperback edition
(3) "Star Wars: Splinter of the Mind's Eye" page 278, paperback edition
(4) Terry Brooks mentioned it in the Hardcover edition of the novelization
(5) "Star Wars: Dark Forces: Soldier for the Empire" page 125, hardcover novella
(6) "Star Wars: Dark Forces: Rebel Agent" page 108, hardcover novella
(7) "Halo: The Flood" page 91, mass market paperback edition

Writing Tip for the Day: Characters

Many novels I read in Science Fiction/Fantasy have weak willed women characters.  There are a few by such authors as David Weber, Eric Nylund, Timothy Zahn, and Michael A. Stackpole who have amazingly strong female characters, even if they are not the main character. The current Star Wars novel series Fate of the Jedi have weak willed women characters. These are not female characters who are just made up for the role in the series or book. No. These are characters like Leia Solo and her daughter Jaina, just to name them. Troy Denning, the current headwriter for the series since 2006 has been performing character assassination. It just raises the question: hoe does one avoid weak-willed female (and male) characters?

• Write them as having heroic traits. Not every time does a woman need to be saved by the handsome man. Nor do they need to be angsty and need support from characters who reads flat. Make the female strong and independent to a point. She does not always need to win, but she should have courage and a strong backbone. For male characters, DO NOT always have them angsting or always there to save the day. Try having them as heroic, but not always winning.
• Character Assassination. If you write a character long enough in a novel or short story or novella, and have some one test read it, and they question certain actions about said character, chances are, you've assassinated the feel the character gave the reader when they got to know him. I find it easy to create 3D characters using the following format: Name______, Age_____, Occupation_______, Positive Traits_______, Negative Traits_______. It works for me and I never give the impression that I've assassinated any character of mine.

Remember, drama and angst may be loved by certain people, but most readers will not stand for it. Most readers love well rounded characters, and respect the author for having them too.