FAQ: Pedal Down on the Infohighway

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Original posting: Sat, 2 Jul 1994 18:35:02 JST

FAQ: Pedal Down on the Infohighway

I was rolling along at an easy 40 or 50 Kb per second, thinking about just what the old infohighway had coming up out there in the high-speed lanes--fractal environments dripping down and around your visor, jumpspeed datadumping at 100 Mb or better when the cybercops aren't monitoring, and those huddling melts of mixed infospace where human and AI rarely dare venture--daydreaming about a fast game or two of RPG, maybe a little IRC chatter.. when I caught a datalink reflection and flashed the place I really needed to scramble.

So I backed down, hit the blinker, ignored the tired cursing of the serious infotruckers swerving and dodging down the lines, and took a write. Slid down the lines, slower, slower, and there it was.

The infocrossing known as WRITERS. Coming from BITNET, the roadsigns said WRITERS@NDSUVM1.BITNET. Coming from internet, I know they say WRITERS@vm1.nodak.edu. even if I don't get out that way much. [psst- addresses long out of date!]

Backed it way down, and started looking for an empty slot to fill.

Can't go too fast here, the place is always jammed with words and strings and themes and conceptual gridlocks and dilemmas and all the rest of that runaway vegetation that springs up in the corners and gratings where writers hang out. Keeps your reflexes toned up just watching, and when you're trying to drive, it can be wild.

No matter what you think of the clutter, it's a good place to stop and check your map. I know some people always think their map is tuned into reality, but this is one of the finest places for finding out how far out of touch you've gotten. And it only stings for a while...

It's pretty scenic along this part of the road less taken. Whether you just sit by the side and watch for bumperstickers and traffic jams or go speeding down the passing lane honking your own horn, you'll find plenty to read. Watch for the inforunners breezing along, maybe a Sunday writer wobbling in and out of the traffic, and those serious truckers working their loads. Check out the talegating around here, too.

Say, why do all the infotruckers have MAC written across their foreheads?

This place has some of the best diners with gas to go and all the amenities around, too. 'Course they're all self-serve, so don't go abusing the help or you'll find yourself in a vicious circle. Just help yourself--and give other people a hand when you can, too.

And every bit of it is home-made originals--none of that prepackaged slop from the factory around here. Gives me a shiver sometimes, meeting all those real authors in the virtual like this. And when you serve up your goulash of words, they'll help you spice it to the taste of editors everywhere. Without complaining--too much.

If you're lost, there are backseat drivers who will happily tell you where to go, griping about the way you hold the handle or telling you to brake or speed up. There's a few old coots who hang around and try to show you how to tune up and burn words, though. Sometimes they make sense, sometimes nonsense, so just listen to what helps you, and ignore the rest.

Plenty of hitchhikers around looking for a short ride with you, or even a long one if you'll put up with them. It's all part of the traffic here on the strip, and after watching a while, you'll probably want to do a wheelie or two. Go ahead, just watch for the curves and don't crack up. If you end up in the gutter--you aren't the first.

If you happen to get lost in the interchanges, slow down and pull off for a while. Don't get overheated or take a chance on boiling over, it just isn't worth it. Then when you're ready to go again, signal and move on with the traffic.

There's a lot of construction along this way, and sometimes the road gets awful bumpy. Don't be afraid to point out some of the dips, but watch out for falling stones, wild lightning, and other infotrail hazards.

I always watch for oil slicks and heat mirages here after rain storms. The oil slicks make some of the most beautiful rainbows and sliding colors, and those dancing heat waves hide some of the best illusions of our times.

Watch for your own visions, the little reflections of your headlights or the major lights of our times, and let us know what kind of roadkills you find along the information highway. Heck, we'll even let you spin us a road never taken and guide the whole bunch write off the beaten track over the ruts and byways of your mind.

Fasten your seatbelt! Green light!

*rrrRRRRRRRRRRRRRR*
WRITERS CROSSING AHEAD!

Hey, let's do it in the road!
Come on, come on, just one for the road?
A little intro, a little poem, maybe a short story...
pretty soon you'll get your kicks on WRITERS 66 ...
lots of good intentions around, so this must be the road to...
well, I thought so.
Speed limit 9600 baud, eh?
Roll on little bits... read all about it on the infohighway!
Be reading you on the flipside--we goin' write-write!
-----------------------------------------------------------------

FAQ: Glimpses of A Writing Convention

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original Posting: Mon, 1 Aug 1994 18:35:02 JST

FAQ: Glimpses of A Writing Convention

"Yuiop!"

The cry starts small, then bounces and grows as they rally, and finally roars, echoing from storefronts and mountainsides, spacecraft and kneeling benches, and other curious locales.

The writers are in town.

And out of town.

And all around the town, wherever keyboard taps cyberspace into terminal networked delirium.

"Qwerty!"

Respond those who feel the earth move, the air flow, the water roll, and the fires glowing.

The muses muse, rationales bemuse, and sparkling wits amuse.

There is a party going on.

And Coven Mint of the party, by the party, and for the party, shall knot poor ice from dessert. Strange knots they be!

Words sluice, punctuation taps and scratches, and messages fly in the wilds of the list.

Oh say can you read, in the massed confusing messages, that our star is still shining, that lights our writing madness? Those broad metaphors and silly japes, through the parries and frustrations, give proof everyday, that writers like to write...

The cheers and jeers of the crowd may seem a bit hard to follow as the poetic brigade lays out its demands, the tale tellers recount their popularity polls, essayists pan for fool's gold and other precious flakes in the midst, and all the folderol fiddles wheee and far. But wait a bit, ask what you will, and lay your best out for the committee of the whole to ponder.

You may be surprised at the response.

For here there be writers. And in that jungle of words, burning bright, who will bind that fearful symmetry of writers and readers, the clawing need to communicate, to turn inner turmoil into measured prose and poem, ringing with the meat and blood of our humanity, burning in the night as a beacon for you...

And when you can, or when you must, put yourself in that arena with a dash of trust--lions and tygers and bears there may appear, but pussycats and teddy bears oft hide behind loud roars and raised claws. The verdict and judgment is--when all the sport is read and done--for life.

Welcome to the writers' convention! Our platform is a soapbox waiting for you to rise to the occasion, our smoke-filled backrooms are open for your breath of fresh air to sweep away the smog, and your word is always good here (even when fictional, faked, rhymed, or otherwise prepared for impersonation--we like characters!).

Have fun!

Have a cigar? How about kissing a few babies?

Hear ye, hear ye, the dishonorable Judge Crit is now reading submissions--get yours in soon.

And don't forget, every convention needs pros, amateurs, filksingers, balloons, razzle-dazzle peddlers and hawkers in the sales rooms, but mostly, quite especially, they need...

You.

So support your WRITERS convention.

Write!

FAQ: A Sandcastle for 400 or so

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original Posting: Thu, 1 Sep 1994 18:35:02 JST

FAQ: A Sandcastle for 400 or so

Hope you enjoy Labor Day!

tink
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Can I borrow your bucket for a minute?"

The white sand shimmers under the sunshine here in cyberspace. It's a little bit damp, just perfect for building sandcastles. Or for laying back and enjoying the bright, warm sun. Or for digging moats, covering toes, or running, running, running down the endless summer of our discontent.

Matter of fact, it's just perfect for whatever project you have in words.

Of course, sometimes your neighbors will have something to say about the shape, the form, the content, the slope of your wall, the holes you forgot to fill, or something else. Sometimes anything else.

But oh, what a wonder when the castles rise!

Sometimes the towers seem to reach to the sky, with a princess silhouetted against the moonlight, giants and ogres stolidly crunching along, and heroes and heroines too few. Sometimes there is just a sandy puddle, with a few cryptic marks around the edges where a prehistoric relic dragged itself momentarily into the air, then vanished again into the safe salty depths.

Most of the time, there is traffic, heavy and light, skidding and throwing plumes of sand this way and that, as the keyboards click and the terminals sweat.

The picnic crowd likes to toss dill pickles, ham, and other little treats around while we're working on those major and minor touches of literary delight. Don't worry, they'll pay attention when your castle goes up, but the snacks in the middle do help keep the fingers working and the brain going during those long, hot afternoons.

Even the occasional fireworks and sprays of foam help make the sandbox a place for everyone.

Just try to keep the sand out of your eyes.

If you visit this sandbox from BITNET, the address is WRITERS@NDSUVM1.BITNET. If you're visiting from the internet, the address is WRITERS@vm1.nodak.edu. [addresses well out of date]

But either way, the sandbox waits for your architectural touch, so grab a shovel, pack your bucket, and start building your dreams.

We're all waiting to see that castle rise here.

"Sure! Can I help?"

Always room for another sandcastle here.

One that only you can write.

So start digging.


And from the earth arose a great shining castle, hulking in the eldritch light, with stained glass windows glowing...

From the water, strange mists and sleek swimming beasts arose and danced in curling spouts, leaping upward from wavetops, skidding toward the land in the surf and spume...

From the air, cool breezes, hot dry Chinooks, and transparent figures of clearest invisible form blew through...

And from the fire, the sand grew into glass bubbles, domes, great shimmering webs reaching into hearts and minds...

As keyboards and terminals joined in the sandbox...

of the writers.

See you there!
------------------------------------------------------------------------

TECH: Make A Scene #19: Epiphany Scenes

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Chapter 19 Epiphany Scenes

Working our way through Make a Scene by Jordan Rosenfeld. In the depths of part three, scene types, having looked at first scenes, suspense scenes, dramatic scenes, contemplative scenes, dialogue scenes, action scenes, and flashback scenes, it's now time for an epiphany.

"An epiphany is a moment when awareness or a sharp insight dawns suddenly on your protagonist as a result of events and interactions that have driven him to this moment."

I think of this as the realization. The character suddenly realizes something. This may have a cost to it -- sudden change hurts. They can also be positive turning points, though, when in the midst of despair and darkness, the character sees a ray of hope. Epiphanies are great opportunities for characters to transform themselves.

The epiphany:

• has a cost or renews the character or both
• epiphanies should be driven by plot events and information, not completely unexpected
• the protagonist should gain surprising new insight or break through their own resistance and denial
• epiphanies usually force the protagonist to make choices or changes

Drama, suspense, and sometimes contemplative scenes often lead to epiphanies. Don't overdo them -- people don't have insights every time they turn around.

Rosenfeld suggests the following types of epiphanies. For each one you need to know and show your readers who the character is before the epiphany, what leads them to the change, and what kind of a change happens.

• Removing the Blinders: a character decides to learn what the truth is.
• Realizing a Suppressed Desire: a character makes a major change in their life.
• Accepting Limitations of Oneself or Another: realizing that some things can't be changed
• Claiming Identity: accepting something essential about oneself
• Rude Awakenings: circumstances or people force a character to change the

Opening the epiphany. The key to opening an epiphany is to quickly show the character in conflict, under pressure, unstable. The reader should know as quickly as possible and that change is coming. Epiphany openings often show:

• the protagonist afraid or anxious about the future
• the protagonist under pressure or stress
• the protagonist taking unusual actions or behaving oddly
• the protagonist expressing feelings of conflict about a given event or relationship
• symbolic details of setting or images that hint at an epiphany to come

Pushing the character into epiphany. Once you start the scene, you need to raise the stakes so that the character realizes that important point. Stress, pressure, tension -- you need to push the character into realization. Some common methods of leverage include:

• threat of loss: motivation for awareness -- open your eyes before it's too late
• incontrovertible evidence: hard evidence can sometimes make people pay attention
• injury to a loved one: I did that?
• danger: death or bodily harm can make people face the truth

The moment of epiphany normally belongs right near the end of the scene. Let the character and the reader have a moment to think about what just happened. There are going to be emotional consequences, choices to be made, and debts to pay -- but you can do that in the next scene or scenes. You don't have to do it immediately, and there are advantages to pausing.

Rosenfeld's checklist for epiphany scenes:

1. does the epiphany cause the protagonist to change?
2. does the scene start with the character anxious about the future or under stress?
3. does the scene put pressure and up the ante for the protagonist to make the realization?
4. does the scene end soon after the epiphany, leaving the readers enough to chew on?
5. does the epiphany change the protagonist's outlook and direction in ways that are demonstrated in future scenes?

Two more kinds of scenes ahead, climactic scenes and the final scene. And then there are a few other scene considerations.

So that's Rosenfeld talking about scenes where the character has a major realization -- an epiphany.

An assignment? I think perhaps the first part is to take a novel or story that you like and look for a scene with an epiphany. These are often the turning point scenes, where a character understands just what they have been doing to themselves and others. It is easy to let these scenes slip into melodramatic interior monologues, drenched in pathos. But you want to find a good epiphany scene, one that you like, and then take it apart. How did the writer lay the foundations at the beginning of the scene? How did they put the pressure on the character in the scene that leads up to them finally understanding? How do they portray that moment of insight, that realization that the only person responsible for all of their problems is themselves? And what happens to close out the scene?

The second part is to put together an epiphany scene for your own writing. What does the character need to learn? How will the character break through their own lack of understanding and resistance and take that look? Now, structure the whole scene, from the initial moments of uneasiness through the growing pressures to the moment of understanding, when the world suddenly becomes clear.

Write?
write!

TECH: Make A Scene #20: Climactic Scenes

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Chapter 20: Climactic Scenes

It must be time for another thrilling chapter from Make a Scene by Jordan Rosenfeld. Are you ready?

"The climax is the high point of all the action and drama in your narrative -- where the events that began with the significant situation come to a roiling, intense head." The events in the climax are the hammer for character change, and set up the ending of the story. The climactic scene is the most intense, dramatic, powerful scene. Normally there is only one. And once the climax is over, there shouldn't be much left to tie up and finish. This is really where the whole story comes together.

Successful climactic scenes include:

• opposing forces collide. The protagonist and antagonist meet and clash.
• the climactic event directly related to the significant situation
•  a central conflict. The protagonist confronts something or someone, and changes or is changed
• the stakes should be as high as possible -- life and death, relationships destroyed, kingdoms won or lost
• a swift pace, but some room for emotional content

The climax is a point of no return. There's no turning back, the characters and the plot are changed permanently by what happens in the climactic struggle.

Setting up the climax. A climactic scene usually doesn't surprise the reader. It's often a relief, because finally the growing tension and suspense, the emotional drama, all of the threads are going to feed into the collision. Consequences, stress, conflicts -- this is where they are all headed, and readers expect that a climactic scene will tie things up.

So the climactic scene needs to open showing the reader that action and drama are about to unfold. Normally the scene before ends with suspense, tension, and a foreshadowing of conflict about to break out.

The climactic event. Openings of climactic scenes usually get quickly to the action. Climactic scenes build quickly and steadily, like action scenes. Don't get stuck in exposition -- make the climactic scene march right along, with specific actions, dialogue, setting details that build atmosphere, and emotional content.

"The goal of the climactic event is to bring significant situation and the resulting plot consequences to a head so that there's some kind of transformation in your protagonist's life or struggle. The climax is the moment where the protagonist is tested, tried, and permanently altered by whatever happens."

Post climactic event. When you finish the climactic scene, there's not much left to do. Don't add new plot information or create suspense. You may need to sort through what happened and show how the protagonist has changed, but you want to do this quickly.

Rosenfeld's checklist for climactic scenes:

1. Does your climactic scene use as many elements as possible to build a well-rounded, complex event: action, dialogue, setting details, emotional content, dramatic tension?
2. Is there one climactic scene for each protagonist? the fewer the better.
3. Is the climax event directly related to the significant situation?
4. Does the climax change your protagonist permanently in some way? Is it a point of no return?
5. Are the stakes high in the climax?
6. Is the climactic scene at the high point of the action and drama? Are the scenes that follow slower, more reflective, and less action?

That's what Rosenfeld has to say about the climactic scene. So this is the one scene in the plot that all the threads are aimed at, where the protagonist faces the real test, problem, conflict -- and either makes or breaks?

We're getting close to the end of the list of scenes. But in the meantime, consider taking a novel that you really enjoyed, and analyzing the climactic scene. How was it set up? Sometimes the foreshadowing for a climactic scene seems to thread all the way through the novel, with various bits and pieces pointing towards the inevitable meeting. But check the scene just before, and look at what was done to hint that here it comes! And then take the scene itself apart. How much lead in does it have, and what happens to the pace in the scene? Think of the old mysteries -- when the guy in the big chair starts laying out the pieces, he rattles and thumps and makes everyone jump, but it goes pretty darn fast. And there are twists and turns as he explains that while everyone thought the butler did it, in reality -- the maid did it, wearing the butler's shoes! And then look at where the climax sits in the whole story, and what comes afterwards.

Then consider the climax for your story. Is it really a peak for the story? How can you make sure that the reader knows it is coming, how do you push them into it and drag them remorselessly through it, and how do you avoid spending too much time afterwards tying up all those odds and ends?

'saright? Write!

"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand." Lewis Thomas