EXERCISE: Warming UP! (450 words)

[mbarker]

 Original Posting March 16, 2018

Okay, let's consider tackling that six-weeks, six stories, from a slightly different slant! Suppose, as you look at it, that you would really rather tie everything together, instead of having six shooting stars? Well, in that case, maybe you could take something like... hum, how about this.

1. Setup (what's life like for our hero?)
2. The call and refusing the call (hey, there's something that needs doing? But not me, I'll let the cops, the government, somebody else take care of it!)
3. First doorway of no return (the pinch, the kick in the butt that sends the hero out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary?)
4. Complications, conflicts, try-fail cycles...
5. Second doorway of no return (another pinch, a twist, the decision that the hero makes that pushes us into...)
6. Climax

Or another of the beat sheets, plot points, or whatever? Blake Snyder's 15 beats?

1. Opening image
2. The theme
3. Set up
4. Catalyst
5. Debate
6. Break into act two
7. The B story
8. Fun and games
9. Midpoint
10. The bad guys
11. All is lost!
12. The dark night
13. Break into act three.
14. The finale.
15. The final image

Or maybe the Hero's Journey 12 points?
1. Ordinary world
2. Call to adventure
3. Refusal of the call
4. Meeting the mentor
5. Crossing the first threshold
6. Tests, allies, enemies
7. Approach to the inmost cave
8. Supreme ordeal
9. Reward (seizing the sword)
10. The road back
11. Resurrection
12. Return with elixir

Anyway, take some of these points, and scatter them across the six weeks? I'd probably suggest starting with the climax, and kind of working backwards, but tackle it your way! I mean, think about writing a scene each week, and calling it a short story (or actually using the short story framework as a way to structure your scenes?). So maybe the first week, you write the triumphant climax, when truth, love, and honor win again? Then drop back to the the scene where the hero faces their own inner demons, and realizes that they have to take on the bad guy, even if they think they are going to lose? And back up again, for some fun and action as the hero faces trials and tribulations? Then back up one more step, and tell us about the fateful day that the hero set out, in a mismatched set of armor with a rusty sword, all to find ... With the final week devoted to telling us just what kind of life our hero started out in, a pig farmer, a shepherd, a kangaroo rassler?

There you go. Yet another way to tackle six weeks, six stories. And I suspect you are chomping at the bit, with ideas scattered here and there? Good! So get on your marks, get ready....

WRITE!

EXERCISE: 6x6 Start!

[mbarker]

 Original Posting March 18, 2018

Okay! The simple form here is that we are going to write a story this week! Go, write, and post by or on Saturday, March 24! Any length, from the six word wonders through the 100 word aka drabbles or sometimes flash fiction up through the more common thousand words or multiples... and if you really get carried away, I suppose you could even turn in a novella or something. But... write that story!

Now, if you want to, you could try playing with dragons! That’s right, one of the six fantasy themes is dragons, and you could do something about dragons this week.

Or maybe... here, use these to spark some ideas?

Problem: When you've witnessed a crime
Genre: There and back again: into and out of the fantasy world
Scruple: A friend offers to hook you into pay-TV for $2. He says the risk of being detected is slight. Do you tune in?
RPG Plots: Bad guys: better late than never
A broken pencil in my briefcase

Nope? Well, let’s see...

How about a picture? I’d suggest taking a look around google for thematic apperception test. If you look at the images, available various places, I think you’ll find one of a young boy looking at a violin on a table in front of him. Or maybe one of the other pictures will catch your interest? Feel free to take a picture that catches your interest, and consider these points:

— what led up to the event shown
— what is happening at the moment
— what the characters are feeling and thinking
— what the outcome of the story is

Go! Write! And enjoy!

(That’s right. The starting gun has fired, and you are welcome to write! Go!)

EXERCISE: Dragon Writing Prompts?

[mbarker]

 Original Posting March 19, 2018

Who knew? I did a google search for "Dragon Writing Prompts" and found that a lot of people out there have done some writing prompts focusing on dragons. I really like these from http://www.litbridge.com/creative-writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts-about-dragons/ numbered prompts from the site, commentary from me!

1. Write a story about a monster that even dragons fear.

There you go. What kind of a monster scares the dragons?

2. Write a story where a main character is given a very rare Dragon egg to care for it is destined to hatch at any moment.

Watch out! Is it cracking? Is it shaking? And if it hatches, what should you do? Are dragons like ducklings, they will decide anything they see first must be momma? Or… Will they just snort fire at you?

3. Write a story where your main character has dragon-like qualities such as being able to breathe fire or collecting and protecting gold.

That's funny, he doesn't look like a dragon? Or does he? Well…

4. Write a story from the perspective of a dragon. Perhaps this Dragon only lives in a world where only dragons exist?

Why do those knights in shining armor keep giving me such a hard time?

5. Write a story where a human and a dragon fall in love.

Love conquers everything… Well, maybe?

6. Write a story about different dragons from varying cultures meeting each other. Try to research how different cultures perceive dragons to better give your dragons more realistic and culturally appropriate attitudes.

The dragons from the East, the dragons from the West, the dragons from the north, the dragons from the South… And when they get together, it's…

7. Write a story about a dragon who was born without wings, horns, or the ability to breathe fire.

The little dragon that could?

8. Write a story about a knight who tries to find and slay a dragon that nobody has ever seen.

Or perhaps the knight who says they killed the dragon that nobody knew?

9. Write a story about a scientist who decides to create a dragon.

Dr. Frankenstein? Meet Dr. Dragonstein... And his pet!

10. Write a story about a character who breeds dragons to the point where he creates tiny dragons to be used as pets in children's homes. However, something goes wrong.

I'll bet someone fed them after midnight!

Just read through those prompts. Don't you feel a little bit of that old creative juice swirling around in the backbrain?

Here, these are intended for younger writers, but... I think they work pretty well for older writers, too! https://www.abcteach.com/free/w/writingprompts_dragons_primary.pdf

Write!

TECH: The Six Magical Elements of Fantasy Fiction (moldy oldie)

[mbarker]

 Original Posting March 20, 2018

Writer's Digest, January 1991, had an article by Matthew J. Costello, on pages 30, 31, 33, and 34, all about the six magical elements of fantasy fiction. The subtitle was "How to create the fantastic worlds that thrill readers and editors with their magic – and their realism."

Matthew starts out talking about a four book series where he was asked to write one of the books. About a planet where the dominant intelligent life form was cats. 12 page bible explaining the habits and social structure, but the story was something he had to provide. But he was happy to do it because "with a few special twists that I'll explain, a good fantasy novel comes from the same wellspring of all good fiction."

First, understand what fantasy is not. It's not science fiction. Science fiction is plausible fiction dealing with the real universe. Laws of physics need to be obeyed. Fantasy is free of those bounds. Magic, impossible creatures, "anything goes in fantasy, as long as the world you're writing about follows these key rules."

1. Use reality. That's right, reality is what readers know. Use it to make your fantastic visions believable. Matthew describes a scene from his book, which has the hero who is a little bit furry, and herdbeasts. Everything else feels very ordinary and recognizable! Then he explains that your details need to be realistic. "These realistic details create an atmosphere of belief – a mood of acceptance that supports your fantasy world." Lots of realistic details brings a sense of reality for the fantastic creations.

2. Be consistent. "You might think that anything goes in fantasy. Talking cats, sea serpents, magic potions, you name it." However, with the creative freedom, the author also promises to be internally consistent. You can make an incredible universe, but don't be self-contradictory. If there's magic, define it carefully and the limits. Make your decisions, then keep them consistent.

3. Research your world. Wait a minute, fantasy, nonexistent creatures? How do I research those? Well, look for the analogs, the similar things in reality. Jane Yolen, writing about dragons, researched large birds, hollow bones, and various wing structures. Understand the reality, and where your fantasy differs.

4. Create realistic characters. They may have fur, they may have scales, they may be very different, but "your characters need to touch readers." Make sure that your readers can relate to the characters. "Follow the rules that hold for all well-drawn characters." Know what motivates them, and make their motivations real and credible. Think about their histories. Think about their flaws. Their back story shapes their personalities. Sometimes you may have to work out a really complete biography, with the important events.

5. Provide tension. Readers may love the world and the characters, but they read for a story with suspense. From the beginning, make the readers feel the tension. Look for conflicts and problems. Make it interesting!

6. Tell your tale. Many writers try to write to the market. Tell the story you believe in, not what you think the market wants. Copycat is almost always boring. Yes, you need to know what's on the racks, and you need to know the classics. "Your reading will give you an idea of the range and the scope of fantasy, and the clichés to avoid." Then… Start with an idea of the type of world you want to write about in the characters. Play with possibilities. Brainstorm situations. Take the clichés and rework them into something fresh. Explore the mythos that other people have not seen yet! Do your research, build your world, develop characters that your readers relate to. Make a multilevel plot with plenty of suspense. Write your story!

Oh, yeah. Page 32 has a one page piece about magic by Piers Anthony. I'll summarize that another day!

So, you want to practice? I guess the key thing here would be to write a fantasy story. Look for the touches of reality, be consistent, do your research, make the characters real, provide tension, and make it your story. Once upon a time…

Write!

EXERCISE: Fantasy Genres?

[mbarker]

 Original Posting March 21, 2018

All right. Let’s say that you are still looking for an idea? I mean, you know you want to write a short story, about a likable character facing opposition and conflict, and through his or her own efforts, attempting to achieve a worthwhile goal, right? But somehow...

Okay, take a look at these. This is one list of the big six areas of fantasy. Maybe one of them will make your kettle boil?

1. There and back again. The key here is starting in our mundane world, then going into the fantasy world, and back again. Quest, heroic journey, all those...
2. Beyond the fields we know. Pure fantasy, a world unlike anything mundane, and what happens there.
3. Unicorns in the garden. Whoa! The fantasy world is creeping into mundania? Yes, you too might have an urban fantasy, or some dash of magic in the world...
4. That old black magic. Aha! Magic is the key.
5. Bambi’s children. Werebeasts or just plain animals, often as the main characters.
6. Once and Future Kings. Everybody loves royalty!

Those don’t quite do it? Well, take a look over here.

https://thoughtsonfantasy.com/2015/12/07/17-common-fantasy-sub-genres/

A much more extensive breakdown, with a description, and common elements, for each and every one! Take a look, you may find just the right idea sitting there waiting for you.

Oh, and of course...

Write!