Sixteen Rules?

[Marion]

I came across some ‘rules of fiction’ on a language log site at work – whilst looking up some bumph on Dan Brown.
I thought most of them were pretty good, if a little obscure in places, and I don’t agree with them all, but I thought I’d share them – and my thoughts on what they suggest to me – and see what other writers make of them and what they might change, remove or add to their personal rules.


1 Show, don’t tell
That seems to be the most important – allowing the reader to make their own analysis of the characters through their actions. Don’t tell them ‘Captain Scarlet is pompous’ – demonstrate it by his words and actions. [Sorry, Colonel Chris!]

2 Be readable; grasp the reader’s attention
Make sure you take your reader with you on the journey through your narrative. Be clear about what’s going on and never assume they’ll catch on if you don’t tell them – they can’t read your mind nor do they share the visions in your imagination.

3 Don’t explain.
Well, if you have to keep it short and sweet and never hold up the narrative for a lecture on the significance of something trivial.

4 Know your characters
I would probably put that as number one – for a fan fiction story anyway. The main characters are already there and have some established characteristics. Veering too far from the accepted norm will confuse your readers.

5 Drop the reader right in the middle of the action
When I first started I thought it de rigueur to write an explanation about the Scarlet Universe. After two stories I gave up – it was boring and pointless – and most readers will know it already! Now I try to write an opening sentence that sets a scene immediately.

6 You can do anything
Self explanatory – within the accepted scope of the Anderverse.

7 Write what you know
I have most difficulty with this one. I know nothing about military machines, but as we’re writing about the future I suppose we can ‘invent’ most of it. I tend to think it might mean ‘write about human nature as you know it’.

8 You can’t talk about fiction
Yes I can – I do it a lot with my fellow Scarletinis!

9 Be true to the characters and let the story flow from them
Another essential one – like number 4.

10 A RELIEVED sigh always brings trouble
I take that to mean: Never let things get too calm and comfortable - keep the action flowing; through dialogue and interpersonal relations as much as by conflict or action scenes.
What do you think?

11 Truth is stranger than fiction, so appeal to the sense of the absurd to gain credibility.
Writing about an indestructible man – you’re half way there already!

12 Never, ever let your readers be confused about the precise geographical location of your minor characters.
Don’t ever forget who is in a scene or leave them behind when the action moves on!

13 The narrator can’t die
Otherwise you have a sudden end to your story! Although, I suppose if your narrator is Captain Scarlet – he can continue when he recovers – but he’ll have missed the action for a while.

14 Create a believable universe out of nothing
Set the scene – create an atmosphere? And in the Anderverse- try to reconcile patently unlikely background details!

15 It is not real life, but it must somehow honestly represent something of real life.
Again – I think this comes back to know your characters and be true to them in what you write, coupled with making them sound/act like realistic people.

16 The voice may be yours but the characters are just characters
Keep things in perspective: don’t take yourself – or your story - too seriously, or any criticism too personally. Easier said than done, maybe… at least the latter point.


Anyone have any comments?

[Sage]

Good advice overall.

1. "You know I'm right, do as I say."
See it's canon

2. When it comes to exposition I tend to be quite concise as a writer. So will only really include what is vital for the story and otherwise allow the reader to use their own imagination. Is it really going to ruin the story if the reader thinks the curtains are orange but I see them as blue?

3. Especially not in the dialogue [yeah that's kinda canon too, but please]

5.
a) I have a habit of begining with dialogue, done well it's intriguing but still gets you into the situation.
b) I always assume the reader knows the basics, otherwise they wouldn't be [on a fansite] reading the stories in the first place. Then you can kick back and just tell the story. The characters and plot will shine through be enjoyable even for people who aren't familiar with the fandom [sign of a truly good fanfic]

6. Sacred as I hold the canon [because there really are only the bare vital essentials, and really that's the challenge/point of fanfic anyway] I'm pretty felxable with the fanon.
For everything that is apparently a 'crime against literature' someone has created an example that works. So yeah have a go.

7. And if you don't know, research.
We'll know where you did/n't, and those little touches are always nice. They can often spark off new ideas for the writer too.

10. Yeah, you want to keep the readers on their toes. Bit of a breather is a good thing, but keep the flow going.

11. But never forget that, unlike reality, fiction has to make sense.

13. I could explain, but it'd be major spoilers for a certain movie. Still it's true that you can't just take the narrator out of the action and maintain omniscience.

[Sage]

Additional suggestions
Many of these were inspired by 'fanficrants', which is educational in the spirit of how not to write fic.

Love your
Nobody is so good that their work can't be improved by having someone else look it over. Concrit is a writer's best friend in the whole wide world.

Write what you would want to read
Well obviously you'll have to read it over in the editing process, but it's important to take a step back sometimes. For example if the summary of your fic was for someone's story would it inspire you to read it?

Keep your authors notes short
By short I mean there should be no need to use the scroll button, it definetly should not be an entire freaking page long! [there's a story here like that]
That only really applies if they come before the story itself. If they're tacked on the end of the story, then it doesn't matter so much because the reader is already sated with the ficcy goodness and can skip the notes if they like.
Oh and never put notes in the story itself, very distracting and often pointless.

Your reader is not a moron
They are at least literate, live on the same planet and have watched the same show as you. So there is no need to explain every detail, such as what 'asap' stands for [from same story as absurdly long note]. If it's not obvious from the context then they can go look it up. Would rather do that than be patronised.

Characters can just say things
As opposed to 'exclaim', 'retort', 'declare' etc every time they open their mouths. Yes I love my thesarus too but honestly 'said' is a perfectly decent harmless word. Less is more with that kind of emphasis.


To be continued, no doubt

[chrisbishop]

Characters can just say things
As opposed to 'exclaim', 'retort', 'declare' etc every time they open their mouths.

... Unless they ONLY 'say' every line or every other line.

To which point it quickly becomes tedious.

Know your characters
... absolutely applies to the description given by Marion, but also applies for quotation - especially when there is more than two characters speaking in the same scene. It is important to know who is talking when reading an exchange.

"Who are you working for?"
"Try to figure out yourself."
"Listen, chum, don't play that game with us, you might regret it!"
"Yes, you don't know who you're dealing with!"

That would sound much better this way:

"Who are you working for?" Scarlet asked.
"Try to figure out yourself," the other man answered.
"Listen, chum," Captain Ochre said, "don't play that game with us, you might regret it!"
"Yes, you don't know who you're dealing with," Magenta added.

Of course, in a chat between two characters, it's not always necessary, after one or two lines... except to describe the tone of voice. For example, if it's clear that Scarlet is alone with the suspect:

"Who are you working for?" Scarlet asked.
"Try to figure out yourself."
"Listen, chum, don't play that game with us, you might regret it!"
"I do know who I'm dealing with," the man retorted with a cold tone.

[Sage]

Very true
It can hard to get the balance right, but those examples illustrate it very well.
Unatributed dialogue [more than a couple of lines, and/or if it's not obvious who's speaking] is a pet peeve of mine. Would like to just sit back and enjoy the dialogue, not breaking my brain trying to work out who said what.

[shaqui]

I'd add 'edit, par it down and keep it short and sweet' myself. Too much fan fiction I've read is usually long and over indulgent. Some of the best writers get over a maximum of concept - be it ideas, characterisation or plot - with a sparce, concise style.

[chrisbishop]

'edit, par it down and keep it short and sweet'

I should point out that there's more than one style of writing, Shaqui.

SHORT STORIES have to be short, concise AND precise. NEVER scarce, in fear of appearing minimal. A short story should have one plot and aim at one conclusion.

NOVELS are longer - many more pages, and/or chapters - and must present details, without however sounding repetitive, arduous - and tedious. Subplots are not obligatory, but when there, should help to make the story advance, not drag it down.

[Doc Denim]

Shaqui wrote:

Too much fan fiction I've read is usually long and over indulgent.

Hmmm. Gee, I always thought the whole point of fan-fic WAS to be self-Indulgent....I think this advice is way too late for me!

Doc-the-incorrigibly-detail-oriented-scribbler-Denim

[shaqui]

'edit, par it down and keep it short and sweet'

NOVELS are longer - many more pages, and/or chapters - and must present details, without however sounding repetitive, arduous - and tedious. Subplots are not obligatory, but when there, should help to make the story advance, not drag it down.

I am aware of the difference Chris but I've read some novel-ish length stories where I'm several chapters in and there's no sign of action, simply 'insightful' characterisation and technical exposition. Quantity doesn't always equal quality. Some have been so full of exposition and back history, even at shorter lengths, that it seems the writer almost forgot about an actual story, while another made so many assumptions that as a 'fan' I'd know every nuance of other fan fiction and 'gap-filling' that I was completely lost!

It's a fine line, as are most creative skills, but I would still go for broad strokes and concise writing, even if I were working on something longer.

[chrisbishop]

I will agree that there's a fine line - and that's the reason why the writer have to follow some basic rules - most of them listed above - in order to write a fine story. Especially if this writer intends to make it a long one!

I think this is the whole point of the present thread.

[chrisbishop]

While browsing the net in seach of other lists such as the one posted by Marion at the start of this thread - in order to check which 'rules' did come back the most often - I found this, which is also very interesting:


Bad Fanfic! No Biscuit! Common Errors

Read, and tell us what you think (either you agree or not!)

[shaqui]

I found this, which is also very interesting:

Bad Fanfic! No Biscuit! Common Errors

Read, and tell us what you think (either you agree or not!)

Well besides the 'common sense' rules (spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc.) I'm inclined to say 'plot' can actually be a variable in some SF stories (Scarlet included), especially if related to 'style'. That doesn't mean it shouldn't have a beginning, middle and end but that they don't necessarily have to happen in that order! (As a Red Dwarf fan might note, 'ah, I think we've just discovered the middle of this conversation!') SF/Fantasy at its best is about bending some rules (the only genre which welcomes it too) and doing it well enough the reader doesn't always notice.

At least it has the definition of a Mary Sue... even I've had MS-type characters without realising, but it wasn't wish fulfilment. At least I don't think it was...

Sex. Huh? Probably follows on from the MS/fan groupie thing... if you can't meet/shag your fave character in real life, do in a fantasy story. Yeah... right... Word that springs to mind is... eewwww. I know female Trekkers were renowned for this, and worked their fantasies about Kirk/Spock/McCoy into homoerotic stuff (did the phenomenon start here?) to get round, ahem, gender issues. I guess the testosterone-orientated Anderson series lay themselves (no pun intended) open to this too. It's the first time I've seen a story rule checklist that should have an X or 18 rating. I hope it's the last. (I also found the term 'PWP' amusing, and wondered if this phenomena had risen with the advent of Personal Web Pages... )

I suppose I tend to place the Anderson series in the SF and action category (and would write it accordingly), whereas - perhaps - the mainly female orientated FF writers on this board view them as potential pseudo-romances, and are writing for other potential pseudo-romanticists.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A632062

http://slashsluts.populli.net/article7.html

http://www.robinhobb.com/rant.html

[Marion]

Shaqui wrote: I suppose I tend to place the Anderson series in the SF and action category (and would write it accordingly), whereas - perhaps - the mainly female orientated FF writers on this board view them as potential pseudo-romances, and are writing for other potential pseudo-romanticists.

Yep, I think a fair few of them are.
Just out of interest the latest bit of 'profound' reader development wisdom within UK public libraries is that men and women do not read - or want to read - the same kind of fiction. Men, in fact, do not really want to read fiction at all - but will sometimes read a little bit.
This is taken further with advice about creating 'a men's shed' in an area of the library - with car repair manuals, magazines about men's interests, (or what the largely female staff imagine men's interests to be ) newspapers (an acceptable form of fiction, it seems) and graphic novels. NO ROMANTIC LITERATURE WHATSOEVER, is to be placed anywhere within eyesight of this ghetto.
To me it smacks of M&S's old habit of putting menswear at the front of the shop to save the average British male the horror of walking past women's cardis -or - WORSE - underwear!

CS is a broad church - and does have many female fans - long may it continue to be so. I wouldn't have it any other way!

[chrisbishop]

I suppose I tend to place the Anderson series in the SF and action category (and would write it accordingly), whereas - perhaps - the mainly female orientated FF writers on this board view them as potential pseudo-romances, and are writing for other potential pseudo-romanticists.

Fanfic is supposed to be self-indulgent for the author. It goes with the Write what you would want to read rule - although I will admit that this one should not go overboard. You do not want to go too much outside of the established universe. You want to expande on it, but keep inside of it.

If the story is within the parameters of the series, and is GOOD, then I see no reason why NOT to publish it on this site.

If I refer to stats (and I know stats can lie, but I'm taking them as a general guide of comparison), the fanfic section - action AND action/romance all tossed into it (I prefer to regard the stories as action/romance instead of only romance) - is one of the most visited on the site.

[MMK]

11 Truth is stranger than fiction, so appeal to the sense of the absurd to gain credibility.
Writing about an indestructible man - you're half way there already!


13 The narrator can't die
Otherwise you have a sudden end to your story! Although, I suppose if your narrator is Captain Scarlet - he can continue when he recovers - but he'll have missed the action for a while.

I agree with number 11 but IF Scarlet Is the narrator and he dies, the others would probably fill him in on the action he's missed (like in Chiller )