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sebmojo posted:Threaten a character we care about. The horror that really stays with us is rooted an emotional state the reader (viewer/player/etc.) can identify with, particularly emotions that deal with the unknown/uncontrollable and operate outside rational thought. It externalizes the internal, throwing the character into a world that operates on emotional logic - frequently presenting itself as dream logic. Grief, of course, is the big one - look at the saying power of The Raven. Fear of change, too: Clive Barker's The Hellbound Heart is based on a sudden shift in the family dynamic. Or its opposite, The Metamorphosis comes out of a fear of entrapment, stagnation. (Despite his gift for nightmarish imagery, Kafka is usually associated with magical realism, horror's more socially accepted sibling.) Depression? Take your pick. The other approach, which we usually associate with HP Lovecraft, is to present the entire world (ie, that around the reader rather than that around the progatonist) as horrific and beyond our comprehension, usually through cypher characters. This can be hard to pull off, though, since it requires reader investment in discovery and worldbuilding (and atmosphere, lots of atmoshpere) rather than character-based plotting. And there are plenty of examples that combine the two approaches - this is one reason, I think, that horror translates so well to video games, where the player learns about their character alongside discovering the world. Silent Hill 2 is pretty much the ur-example here. When you're reading, think about what the protagonist is going through aside from the horrific events, and note how that determines the nature of the horror they experience. Why yes, this might have been the topic of my thesis.
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Jul 30, 2016 19:47
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MockingQuantum posted:I have what is likely a very stupid question about horror writing, but bear with me. I have a bunch of ideas for short horror stories, but none of them are intrinsically all that frightening/suspenseful/terrifying. Is it possible that I could craft them to be any or all of the above as I move through drafts and edit them, or is an unfrightening core idea never going to be very bone-chilling? I'm planning on writing all of my ideas anyway, since I'm pretty new to writing seriously and need the experience, but I kinda want to know what I should be shooting for. Consider writing them as stories that aren't horror stories.
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Aug 4, 2016 07:24
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Dr. Kloctopussy posted:Consider writing them as stories that aren't horror stories. Could you expand on this a bit more? I'm still new to the thread and not familiar with everyone's sense of humor, is this you being negative towards horror, or are you saying I shouldn't limit myself to writing within the confines of the genre?
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Aug 4, 2016 22:31
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The genre has no confines. Write what you want to write. Figure out what to call it later.
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Aug 5, 2016 00:02
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MockingQuantum posted:Could you expand on this a bit more? I'm still new to the thread and not familiar with everyone's sense of humor, is this you being negative towards horror, or are you saying I shouldn't limit myself to writing within the confines of the genre? I think she's saying that if your ideas aren't frightening then why/how are they horror stories? For example, I have this idea for a great action-thriller where a man and a women meet and fall in love, the night before he goes to war. They have a wonderful evening, but she loses his number and they fall out of touch. Years later he's a troubled war vet, trying to make a new life as a corrections officer in a small town. Her life has gone downhill too, and they meet again when she's visiting the father of her son, in jail for drugs charges. Together they learn to love life again, while also struggling with the emotional toll that their respective traumatic experiences have taken on their lives and the lives of those they touch. It's a modern day tale of love, loss and redemption set in an America where true human understanding is becoming harder and harder to come by... Now I just need to know where to put in the explosions, car-chases, and gunfights in order to write this action-thriller.
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Aug 5, 2016 03:40
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Besides scrivener, can somebody recommend an index card software for mac? I'll wait till nanowrimo for a discount if the only rec is scrivener. I've got around 1000 note cards I'd like to type and organize, some have lots of text some maybe only a line or two. Also a plus if the cards are searchable and I can group by keyword.
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Aug 18, 2016 20:58
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There's a free clone of scrivener, name escapes me though. It's probably what you're looking for.
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Aug 18, 2016 21:58
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ywriter, I think.
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Aug 19, 2016 00:30
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neongrey posted:ywriter, I think. But when it comes to writing the thing, it's a hell of a pain in the rear end. DJ BK posted:Besides scrivener, can somebody recommend an index card software for mac? I'll wait till nanowrimo for a discount if the only rec is scrivener. I've got around 1000 note cards I'd like to type and organize, some have lots of text some maybe only a line or two. Also a plus if the cards are searchable and I can group by keyword. magnificent7 fucked around with this message at 13:39 on Aug 19, 2016 |
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Aug 19, 2016 13:36
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After unsuccessfully querying a few more agents for that urban fantasy novel I was asking for help with earlier, I think I'm going to just self-publish it and start on a new project. At least it was good for a dry run? I know "debut novel" is usually like a third or fourth finished book for most authors.
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Aug 20, 2016 01:50
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change my name posted:After unsuccessfully querying a few more agents for that urban fantasy novel I was asking for help with earlier, I think I'm going to just self-publish it and start on a new project. At least it was good for a dry run? I know "debut novel" is usually like a third or fourth finished book for most authors. We need a :justpublish: version of  . This is what I did. I think eventually I'll manage a tradpub deal and go the hybrid route, but until then, I'm writing more books, more queries, and self-pubbing. Do your best and keep writing.Never not writing. Write good words, not bad, but write bad words if those are the words you got. e: I'm also still on goddamn tenterhooks with Angry Robot Books. I haven't received an R yet, but they're still working through their 2016 open subs pile. I'm in there somewhere.
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Aug 20, 2016 15:50
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On writing a comedic farce, if you've ever done it... Do you think up the craziest scenario and work backwards, or do you just stockpile insane moments and use as the moment presents itself? Thinking of crazy scenes in sitcoms like Frasier or Modern Family... their trip to vegas. How the hell do you sit down and write towards the moment the dog maid statue turns into gloria, the stripper kilted dancers bop into the other room, and Jay finally gets access to a higher floor as a result, only to discover there is yet one more floor. That kind of crap seems like a perfect impossible storm, but they pull it off consistently in that show. I want to write stories like that, but have no idea how they weave those unrelated arcs into one mind blowing all encompassing scene. EDIT: I just googled "FARCE" and maybe I'm using the wrong term. This site says this about that: "The basic purpose of a farcical comedy is to evoke laughter." I thought that was COMEDY. I'm talking about overlapping tales, all tying together... I've seen it in Breaking Bad, so maybe I'm using the wrong term. BOOM. Google always answers my questions. Frasier screenwriter blogs about HOW TO DO A FARCE. Thank you all for playing. magnificent7 fucked around with this message at 13:39 on Aug 24, 2016 |
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Aug 24, 2016 13:27
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RedTonic posted:We need a :justpublish: version of Well I did it (if anyone's interested they can check out the self-pub thread), and now I've started outlining my next book. Because it's about pop-culture obsessed dorks, each character description includes [Doesn't smell] and [Does smell] tags.
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Aug 25, 2016 18:37
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RedTonic posted:We need a :justpublish: version of buy it with your self pub millions
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Aug 25, 2016 19:20
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crabrock posted:buy it with your self pub millions that sounded snarkier than i intended, but i'm gonna let it ride
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Aug 25, 2016 19:32
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crabrock posted:that sounded snarkier than i intended, but i'm gonna let it ride Id buy it if someone made it. Can't buy myself gif making talent with my pubjillions  .
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Aug 26, 2016 02:12
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Aug 26, 2016 04:04
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How much do you guys think about genre when you're writing? Do you try to keep your story inside the trappings of a specific genre? Do you Just Write and try to apply a genre when finished?
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Aug 26, 2016 04:40
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I don't think much about genre when I'm writing. If I was approaching writing as a business (which is a valid way to approach it, don't get me wrong) then I might consciously try to categorize while I write. As is, I've never been too concerned with staying inside what people expect out of a genre. That can limit your possibility space, if you're beholden to a genre that doesn't want to include what you want to put into it.
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Aug 26, 2016 05:07
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HIJK posted:How much do you guys think about genre when you're writing? Do you try to keep your story inside the trappings of a specific genre? Do you Just Write and try to apply a genre when finished? What's your goal for the finished work?
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Aug 26, 2016 05:07
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HIJK posted:How much do you guys think about genre when you're writing? I don't.
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Aug 26, 2016 05:08
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May  soon be a thing.
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Aug 26, 2016 05:10
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RedTonic posted:May the anticipation is killing me
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Aug 26, 2016 05:18
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flerp posted:the anticipation is killing me  Does anyone have a handy link that explains the gloss technique? I need an alternative way to explain it to someone.
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Aug 26, 2016 05:27
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magical time to b alive imo
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Aug 26, 2016 05:46
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Aug 26, 2016 06:13
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i have no words but i must pub
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Aug 26, 2016 07:44
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RedTonic posted:May why does this post not show the but my quotes do  nvm its fixed now but it was v freaky flerp fucked around with this message at 19:23 on Aug 26, 2016 |
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Aug 26, 2016 08:04
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we need a fyad lite for writers imo
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Aug 26, 2016 14:52
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RedTonic posted:
TLDR maybe? Like, glossing over something? Or glossy fingernails.
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Aug 26, 2016 15:29
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RedTonic posted:What's your goal for the finished work? To sell, of course! But in terms of content, my goal with my current project is a mystery that's creepy and frightening and some paranormal stuff. Djeser posted:I don't think much about genre when I'm writing. If I was approaching writing as a business (which is a valid way to approach it, don't get me wrong) then I might consciously try to categorize while I write. As is, I've never been too concerned with staying inside what people expect out of a genre. That can limit your possibility space, if you're beholden to a genre that doesn't want to include what you want to put into it. Considering the onset of the self publishing age, I doubt genre matters that much, people search for what they like!
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Aug 27, 2016 01:11
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HIJK posted:To sell, of course! But in terms of content, my goal with my current project is a mystery that's creepy and frightening and some paranormal stuff. If you're trying to self-pub, knowing your genre and hitting the right notes matter. quote:Considering the onset of the self publishing age, I doubt genre matters that much, people search for what they like! This is not my experience so far. Genre defiance might work better with journals and mags, but it's a harder sell on self-pub and querying trad-pub. At least I'm finding that to be the case, ymmv.  anyway
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Aug 27, 2016 01:53
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RedTonic posted:If you're trying to self-pub, knowing your genre and hitting the right notes matter. Something I'll have to think about a lot. But I'll have to write something first in order to worry about it haha
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Aug 27, 2016 02:38
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I think genre matters. Magazines tend to have a very specific type of snowflake in mind. Being in entirely the wrong class of story makes it easy for them to cull your submission on a first pass.
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Aug 27, 2016 03:48
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thats more if your specifically aiming for one type of market. theres enough markets out there that if youre looking to sell your piece, youll find a place that fits.
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Aug 27, 2016 04:17
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For novels genre is 100% important no matter what kind of publishing you're doing.
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Aug 27, 2016 14:41
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flerp posted:thats more if your specifically aiming for one type of market. theres enough markets out there that if youre looking to sell your piece, youll find a place that fits. there's like a dozen professional-paying markets active per genre per year (bit more for SF, less for horror), and each generally has an accept rate under 1%. I think you're being optimistic.
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Aug 27, 2016 16:14
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Typical path to becoming a financially successful self-publisher: 1. Ignore stuff like genre expectations, writing to market, etc. because you've got it all figured out. 2. Bang your head against the wall for a few releases/years and get bummed out that your books only move a couple hundred freebies and maybe like $50 in sales. 3. Realize that most successful self-publishers--sellout bastards, the whole lot of 'em--have several things in common; stuff like paying attention to genre expectations, writing to market, etc. 4. Resign yourself to not being a special snowflake, and to more closely following the proven, mainstream path to self-publishing success. 5. Profit  Newcomers to self-publishing, feel free to save yourself a whole lot of time and stress by jumping straight to Step 4. edit: I imagine this advice would be also be applicable when writing/submitting to trad pub Trustworthy fucked around with this message at 16:28 on Aug 27, 2016 |
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Aug 27, 2016 16:20
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In any circumstance, you're going to want to make sure you reach the expected audience, especially if you plan on building from genre conventions. How many of us have seen the poor bastard bring a genre piece into a general fiction workshop and the response be "Hold on... they're in space?!" before they can even get to what they're personally doing with it. If the reader is ready for them, you can have hyperdrive or time travel or elves built into your setting and move quickly into your story. In general fiction, the addition of just one of those would be the entire story. Of course, it's easy to make familiarity a prerequisite. When I've glanced at my mother's stupid paranormal romance mysteries, the reader is expected to already be intimately familiar with all the concepts and terminology from book one, page one. Great if you're only interested in that market (and can stand out among everyone else vying for attention for the same audience) but completely self-defeating if you want to move beyond that.
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Aug 27, 2016 16:26
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Trustworthy posted:4. Resign yourself to not being a special snowflake, and to more closely following the proven, mainstream path to self-publishing success. Okay I know what your point is here but this is kind of the worst possible way to make it. No one's gonna take your advice when you use the words "special snowflake"in them. You can still write what you like, even at the cost of the almighty dollar. The only thing is, it may not be very good, and you have to eventually resign yourself to that. If you do the legwork and no one's interested then, uh, time to take a hard look in the mirror. (Also hilariously, there's a genre for books without genres: literary fiction)
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Aug 27, 2016 16:46
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