Setting Up the Rules of the World

Movie audiences -- and the readers of many novels, for that matter -- are cool with writers transporting them to new and different worlds -- worlds that are far-fetched and which would never exist in real life -- as long as there are rules to that world. The way to lose a viewer or a reader very quickly is by not properly setting up the rules of that new world. What I mean by this is that it's fine to ask a viewer or a reader to suspend his belief for the duration of a novel or movie. But there are rules in that world that must be adhered to -- just like we have rules in our current world. Newton discovered some of the basic laws of physics a long time ago. You can change those laws in a sci-fi world, but then you make create new ones. And once you set up those new rules, you need to stick to them. Set up the rules of the new world as soon as the main character crosses over the threshold, as Christopher Vogler calls it, but once you've set up those rules, you must not diverge from them. You cannot change the rules of the world whenever you like. Your main character can't just discover a new, magic way to get out of every situation he encounters. Even in fantasy worlds, there have to be obstacles. Yes, your main character might discover a new power midway through the story. But he must work to do so, or else your story will come off as unrealistic.

Even in stories that have nothing to do with fantasy, you must often set up the new rules of the world. I was reading a script yesterday where the main character was in a situation that was totally unrealistic. The main character had just boarded a plane in the U.S., which had originated in a foreign country. Crazy shit was happening on that plane. It immediately came to mind that the writer hadn't spent enough time setting up the rules of this new world, as the plane ride represented the crossing over of the threshold scene.

One way I thought that the writer could fix this was by first having individuals from the "old world" commenting on how weird the stuff that happened on that plane was. Then the writer needed to also have characters from the new world (the pilot, the stewardesses, the other passengers) explaining the new rules to the main character.

This scene then would function as the "we're not in Kansas anymore" scene. Here, the main character realizes that he has crossed over from one world to another, and that the powers he had in the old world don't work anymore. In this writer's case, his main character was a rich kid. But on this plane, and in the country the main character was now traveling to, his wealth and status were no longer going to serve him.

I thought it would be helpful for the writer to create a particular "friend" character who would then be on hand to explain the new rules to the main character. That "friend" character is typically the catalyst/mentor character (and is sometimes also the love interest). In this writer's case, the new rules of the world were that there actually weren't any rules; this new world was lawless. Nevertheless, I was sure that, as soon as the main character landed in the foreign country, the new rules of the lawless land were going to be established, and that would create even more drama.

Your “Pet the Dog” Scene

The late Blake Snyder called it “saving the cat.” Other screenwriting mavens just call it your “pet the dog” scene. But the fact of the matter is that, if you are going to ask your audience to come along with you on a one-hundred-and-ten-page journey, there had better be something dazzlingly likeable about your main character, who should be flawed, yes, but not irrevocably so.

Of course, in order to make their main characters likeable, many screenwriters do, in fact, do just that – make their main character pet a dog at the beginning of the film, which is perhaps why the Jack Nicolson character in As Good As It Gets was so notorious, as he actually threw a dog down the trash chute on page one.

Other ways to get us on board with a main character is to show them with some special power. Yes, your main character should do some things poorly (this is what will humanize her) – but is there something that she does really well, some incredible talent she also has, which will make her irresistible?

Besides functioning to create a main character who viewers will actually be interested in watching the whole film through, a special power can also work alongside a flaw to help your main character get out of trouble. This is often the case in action-adventure films. Say, the main character is great at martial arts, which helps him (or her) get out of trouble, even if this flaw might be what actually leads him into trouble in the first place.

Another way to play with a main character’s special power, is to actually make your main character’s flaw into their talent or gift. This is especially important to do at the end of the movie. Think of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Here, you have this character who is so superficial and appearance-oriented. But it was her obsession with beauty that actually provided her the edge to crack the legal case in the end of the film.

I have heard script consultant and author of The Coffee Break Screenwriter, Pilar Alessandra, call this “synthesis.” What this means is that the main character begins the movie with a flaw, they overcome that flaw over the course of the second act, the final battle occurring at the end of act three – but it is actually the evolution of that flaw into something good, something the main character can use, that makes them fully formed, complete.

To E-Publish or Not to E-Publish

Your Plot Thickens Writing Workshops will soon be adding a new department to the slew of classes and activities we already offer: Internet radio. Your Plot Thickens' radio program is entitled On Writing, and can be heard on our website http://www.yourplotthickens.com/ as well as archived on The Public Radio Exchange.


Our first radio interview will be with a self-published author named William H. Johnson, who wrote the epic adventure novel, The Dark Province. Of course, we will be querying Johnson about the plot line of his book. But we are also interested in why he decided to self-publish his novel instead of taking the traditional route, and, of course, because he did so, what are the benefits of self-publishing -- and what are the disadvantages.


The world has changed. Today, we live in a world where anyone can blog, anyone can produce a webseries and anyone can self-publish a book. So does this help the quality of what we are reading (or watching in independently produced web programs) -- or hurt it? Skeptics argue that blogs et al are bastardizing the craft of writing. I argue that no, self-publishing, etc., has only made publishing one's work a more democratic process, and less hampered by formula-addict entertainment executives, target-market strait-jacketing, and the general watering down of content in order to placate the advertiser. Sure, you also might have to sift through a lot of detritus to get to the gems, but don't we already have to do that on TV, at the movie theater and in the big-name newspapers?


Anyhow, I wanted to get the opinion of Linda Lavid, the author of many self-published (and traditionally published) books, among them which is her how-to-write primer, On Creative Writing, the proceeds of which Lavid is donating to a clean well-water project in Niger, Africa.


So opines Lavid on e-publishing in general:

E-readers are proliferating due to cost and ease of use. Now e-publishing is a full-fledged operation that expands not only the types of e-files, but where e-books can be distributed and sold. In other words, I no longer have to have my electronic files on my website but can upload them to sites/stores where they are distributed globally. And the cost is free! A writer can manually upload books to places like Apple (must have a Mac) or Amazon's Kindle or Barnes and Noble's Nook. Each site has specs for how to format the native file. There's also a site, Smashwords, that takes one document and converts it into multiple formats for various e-readers then also distributes the e-book. Again the cost is free. Distribution charges are made after an e-book is sold. E-publishing is paperless and there is none of the expense of making and distributing a paper/hard-back book. This translates to more money in royalties, over three times more. E-publishing is easy, free, quick and a great way to get your work published. Of course, you still have to put out a great product and market it aggressively.
 

E-Publishing According to Author Linda Lavid, Part 1

We’re back with Linda Lavid again, author of On Creative Writing, a how-to writing guide, among other novels and short stories. Lavid is a pro in the field of e-publishing; so we at Your Plot Thickens decided to quarry her knowledge with an interview about the subject.

On Creative Writing, which is available in e-book form, is actually the first half of Lavid’s print book (and e-book) Composition: A Fiction Writer's Guide for the 21st Century. Composition has two parts: part one deals with writing fiction and part two, with self-publishing.

“I extrapolated On Creative Writing for marketing purposes," explains Lavid, "and placed it as a free PDF/TXT download from my website and several other free e-book websites. In the past three years, it was downloaded 50,000 times. I received e-mails from all over world thanking me for passing along some practical advice in regards to writing stories. Placing On Creative Writing, as a free download drew a lot of traffic to my site. The cost was free, and I did sell other books because of it."

This in part answers my other question -- why Lavid titled her blog, Confessions of a Shameless Promoter. I found this so ironic as, in my opinion, writers are some of the worst networkers out there. Writers tend to be introverted, self-critical folks (takes one to know one), who have difficulty in social situations. Hey, I’m not saying all writers are like that, but, let’s face it, many of the best writers I know are eccentric and aren’t exactly people persons.

But as Linda Lavid has demonstrated, it’s important to network to get known. I mean, you do want people to actually read your book, right? And if you think the marketing team of your publishing company is going to do all the work for you, you’re sadly mistaken. They will dedicate about a month of their time to sending out press releases and getting you interviews. After that, you’re on your own. And if you've decided to take the self-publishing route... You'd better learn to network!

Lavid explains that, though her blog's title is Confessions of a Shameless Promoter, the subtitle is: Tips on Selling Books and Artwork from a Reluctant Promoter Turned Shameless. "The operative word being reluctant", says Lavid.

It's rare to find a writer who's willing to go out there and market. After all, what we do is solitary. And I was quite reluctant in the beginning. Selling locally (bookstores, markets, fair, groups) helped me immensely in building my marketing style. Turns out I love talking to people and giving presentations. Who knew? These skills were then easily translated to the Internet...social networking, blogging etc. The key to marketing is figuring out how to make it enjoyable, then doing it relentlessly.

In part two of this interview, we will discuss more issues regarding e-publishing.

A Great Blog Entry About the Hazard of Rewrites by Mark O'Bannon

Rewriting - How Many Times? This is a great blog entry about getting the structure of your story right the first time...

Author Linda Lavid Donates Proceeds from E-Book to the Niger Well Water Project

Meet Linda Lavid, the author of no less than eight books that cross the genre divide.

I came across this author on Linkedin. Above all, I was interested in how she was donating the proceeds from every copy sold of her e-book, On Creative Writing, to a clean-water project in Niger, Africa.

Why Linda decided to do this? 

The lack of clean water dramatically affects the quality of life in Niger, Africa. It's been curious how serendipitous events got me to pair the selling of my book to building wells in Niger.

First, I read an article about a local couple [in Western NY], who came back from a trip to Africa. It sounded interesting so I contacted them to speak at a local community group meeting. I didn't know anything about Rotarians or the problems in Niger. When they came and spoke, I was deeply moved. The story could have ended there, but then last month I had record-breaking e-books sales. And I began thinking...what if I sell On Creative Writing and donate every cent to the Niger Water Well Project? (A well only costs $400.) And I dove in.

In the past week, I've made arrangements to donate the money to the local Rotarian Chapter earmarked specifically to the Niger Water Well Project, created an e-book of On Creative Writing with full distribution through Smashwords, and set up a website. I already sold one copy!

Learn more about The Niger Well Project here: http://confessionsofashamelesspromoter.blogspot.com/2011/04/niger-water-well-project.html

To purchase Linda Lavid's e-book, On Creative Writing, go to: http://www.lindalavid.com/#creative_writing_freeebook. All proceeds go the Niger Well Water Project.

You'll Like On Creative Writing if you:

are interested in writing fiction

like to hone creative writing craft

want to get unstuck 

have trouble with writer's block

don't understand why you lose interest

feel you have little talent

don't know where your story is going

need some editing help

Advantages and Disadvantages of E-Publishing

An interesting writer's blog I came across... Linda Lavid discusses the pros and cons of e-publishing. Confessions of a Shameless Promoter: Advantages and Disadvantages of E-Publishing: "A digression into E-Publishing, a recent topic of mine. In the past month (March 2011), an unusual event occurred...I didn't sell one prin..."