Brother Allen's Ten Rules to Good Fiction

1.) GOOD FICTION IS ABOUT DESIRE. Desire adds tension to the story. If you're struggling with you characters desire simply follow this formula.

Once upon a time there was a __________ and what (they) wanted more than anything in the entire world was _________.

A good character is someone who WANTS.

Class example of a BAD desire.

Once upon a time there was a lame squirrel and the thing he wanted more than anything else in the world was to climb up his tree.

This alone does not make a story, thus we have rule 2.

2.) GOOD FICTION IS ABOUT TROUBLE. Simply add this sentence to the formula.

But there was a problem. They couldn't have what they wanted because_____.

Class example of a now good desire.

Once upon a time there was a completely whole and healthy squirrel and the thing he wanted more than anything else in the world was to climb up his tree. But there was a problem. A big fat squirrel lived in that tree and he would eat anything that came near it. Dogs, mailmen, cats you name it, but especially other squirrels. Cannibal Squirrels! (And just then another teacher walks in and wanted to know what was going on. Classic, had to be there.)

3.) GOOD FICTION IS CAREFULLY STRUCTURE. If you haven't seen this formula before you've obviously never had to take an English class. All stories follow a basic structure.

Picture a triangle reading these words left to right while climbing and then descending the triangle. Conflict, Exposition, Rising Action, Crisis Action/Climax(peak, one final choice), Falling Action (very short), Resolution.

"Good literature doesn't happen to characters, but because of characters." - Brother Josh Allen

At this point we talked a little bit about character chance vs character choice and how the best stories are less about fate and more about characters taking responsibility for what happens to them. All good fiction has a balance of chance (opportunity) and choice (reaction).

Example of an all chance: Worm Boy story. Guy with a miserable life is sitting in a bar drinking, a girl walks in, most beautiful girl he's ever seen, straight from his dreams, she sits down next to him and starts talking to him. He doesn't even say hello, watches her walk out of the bar, now curses his crummy life. NEVER WRITE A WORM BOY STORY, IT'S A STORY ABOUT SOMEONE WHO DOES NOTHING. THEREFORE, IT ISN'T A STORY AT ALL.

4.) GOOD FICTION EARNS IT'S CLIMAX'S. Usually because the characters final choice causes the climax. The character created their destiny, it isn't thrust upon them. Even if the bad guy is the one causing all the trouble the character must be the one to decide if he/she is going to do something about it.

Avoid Deus Ex Machina, or the God out of the machine who fixes everything. It makes a very unsatisfying end to otherwise thrilling story.

5.) GOOD FICTION DEMONSTRATES REBIRTH. In other words the character changes or grows into a new character in someway.

Example: Flynn Rider from the Disney movie Tangled. (Which PS, was a princess movie made for dads. The story is totally more about Flynn Riders growth, not the princess. He becomes Eugene Fitsherbert.)

6.) GOOD FICTION BELONGS TO ONE OF THE CHARACTERS. The whole story revolves around them and gives a focal point for the action/tension/story to take place.

7.) GOOD FICTION PRESENTS AT LEAST ONE ROUND CHARACTER. Meaning a character that doesn't exactly fit into a High School drama or stereotype. Someone who has more facets and angles than you'd expect.

For Example: Southern man in the country sitting on his front porch with a gun across his lap and a dog at his feet. When he speaks, he had a very clear British Accent. Suddenly he becomes a lot more interesting, yes?

8.) GOOD FICTION PRESENTS AT LEAST ONE DYNAMIC CHARACTER. Meaning a character who is flexible and changes through the story. Somehow he has to grow either positively or negatively. He's not a worm boy who walks out of the bar as the same guy who walked in. Something has to change, some tiny thing has to change. Or the climax becomes meaningless, pointless, unimportant because the experience had no effect on the characters soul.

9.) GOOD LITERATURE COMMUNICATES THROUGH CONCRETE IMAGES, NOT ABSTRACTIONS. The classic rule of "SHOW, DON'T TELL." A child will put his world into his mouth, so the audience needs to put the characters world into their mouth. In any powerful moment you need at least three senses on the page.

Example: "I will do everything I can to fight this ruling."
vs "I will fall like an ocean on that court." - Arthur Miller "The Crucible"

10.) GOOD FICTION AVOIDS CLICHES. Duh, cliche's are boring because we know how the story ends. Remember the squirrel who wanted to climb his tree vs the squirrel who couldn't get into his tree because of the cannibal squirrel? Cliches are the deja vu's of the literary world. And because of that they kind of kick your reader out the story your trying to write and back into the real world where they remember where they've read that sentence before. It's much better to be new than ordinary.

Example: Once upon a time there was a college freshman girl and what she wanted more than anything else in the entire world was....

Cliche
- To get married
- To be invited to that party
- To impress parents
- To get a 4.0

These are Better
- To drive alone across the country
- To be free of her religious teachers advances
- To cut down the tree that endlessly scratches at her window at night

Remember

"Your mind goes to the laziest place first." - Brother Josh Allen.

SO FIGHT IT!

His advice. Write ten obvious things down so that by the eleventh thing you are no longer writing cliches.

Coming up, more notes from Creative Writing 318.

Playing Catch Up

K, so I decided that I seriously need to stop making excuses about not writing on my blog during school. I mean honestly, what other time of year do I write more? Or learn more about my craft? Do not all writing books suggest that writing at least ten minutes everyday will help any writer improve their craft? Is not a blog the epitome of puke on a page (a.k.a. practice writing)?

That's what I thought.

But you can't really blame me for being a little scatter brained. It's hard enough for me to concentrate on homework, much less blog time when I'm at school. I can barely concentrate on story writing to the point where it actually get's written down somewhere.

Once school is over my self diagnosed ADD gets even worse.

For example, today I made several goals which include but are not limited too: writing, sewing, knitting, shopping, cross-stitching, painting, drawing, hiking, planning, making workout flash cards, getting a job, cleaning the house-basement-kitchen-yard(not necessarily in that order), read, practice martial arts katas, study scriptures-anatomy-athletics-creative-writing-and-other-random-topics-that-I-find-interesting, calling my sister about her kids (glad I didn't get to that one since she's now past her due date and ready to shoot the next person who asks her about when her babies are coming out), study up on all kinds of folklore for the rewrite of Midnight Manor, and complete my 1500 piece new puzzle for the second time this year. It took me two months to finish it the first time and that was with help.

See, I'm full of plans and have time for little else. Most of the beginning of the list happened because I went to the fabric stores with my mother today. I'm hoping that it'll wear off in about a week or so.

Note to self, look up that cute blouse dress in that one sewing magazine and make a miniature for doll to see how it really looks.

In the mean time I've invented this.

The Creative Writers Guide to Combat ADD

1. Make a plan that includes writing. I drew up a schedule that includes a list of hours and what I plan on doing when. I have a whole hour set aside for just writing in the morning. It really makes the rest of my day.

2. Make sure the time you pick will involve no other distractions, set an alarm and let yourself drift into writers mode that feels so much like a cat-nap.

3. Play music. I find that music keeps my (Didn't I have something that needed to get done) thoughts preoccupied and otherwise sets the mood for a scene I'm writing.

4. Close the door. No distractions means no distractions. Face a white wall if you have too. Focus.

Coming Soon

Creative Writing lessons I've learned this year from one of the best Professors I know.

Writing Advise

One of the advice tips in "The Art of War for Writers" is to practice, practice, practice. Practice writing all time, every single day, especially practice writing things you don't feel presured to make "publish perfect."

That was part of the reason why I started this blog. And now that it is a personal blog that is mostly safe from the world (nothing online is truly 'safe')I think I'll use this as my base of operations. I'm a better type-writer than pen-writer anyway.

Lately, a story has been floating around in my brain. It's based in series that I love so I can't ever really write it, but I could still use it for practice.

Probably another time though, since it is late and I'm really tired.

Midnight Manor update. The third revision is done and set out to some trusted friends for review. A little nervous, but I've riding this horse before. He's stubborn and hard to stay on, but enjoyable once you get used to him. Another writing tip book that I'm reading suggested that I join everything from writing clubs, to coffee shops that allow for novices to read their work out loud. I already have support groups in my Creative Writing classes, my job, and my brother-in-law (bless his heart.) Group sessions, I can understand, writing support persons, I can understand even more, but reading out loud to strangers in coffee shops?

Scary.

This same book also suggest that maybe three revisions isn't good enough. But as someone who has finished novels in the past, I know that if I keep working on a story it will just keep morphing into new story after story and the revisions, additions, and cuts will never end. At some point, someone has to say stop. Print. Send. This is what my peer review is for, to see if my book is ready for that kind of attention.

Even if its not I think I'm going to try it. Just to get the rejection letter and feel like I'm at least trying to enter the writing realm. Seriously, some of these help books are making me more nervous than I already am. I'm a bit of a worry wart as it is.

What happens, happens. That's all I can say about it.

Back to the Basics

I may be back in school and I may be taking one of the most time consuming classes of my life (Human Anatomy and Physiology) but that doesn't mean that I don't have time for the occasional spark of inspiration every now and then. One of my English classes "Themes in Literature" has already proven to be an experience. At first I hated it. The lines in which my thinking for the class so far differed from my science class that the body and soul rebelled from the whip lash. And yet I trusted my teacher and when it came time to do his assignments I let go...and that's when the class became worth it. It became more of a learning process rather than a swallow and regurgitate session.

Lately, my creative buzz has been going like crazy and I came up with this poem in just under five minutes. I call it "Congress" but I think the end result is open to multiple interpretations.


Empty mouths go up and down
Meanwhile, the hidden snake goes round
good men's feet and binds them fast
cowards faces turn to ash.
Round and round it turns
men watch as standards burn.
Throttling slowly, only death awaits
for those who do not beware the snake.

If good men struggle the coils will choke
to silence them beneath black cloaks
All the while fires appear
in the eyes of men the cowards fear.
Gleefully the snake winds tight
Waiting to make the lethal bite.

Ancient stewards struggle in graves
but no longer are they the ones who save
Only babes in dream like sleeps
can stop the venom within the keep.
For truth alone shines in their eyes
reflected from angels in the sky
who shout warning to those below
who do not fear the scriptures woe
"Fear God," it says, and not the snake.
For God alone can your life make
and take it again, should ye falter
from the Father's Holy Alter.

A Study in English Folklore

Midnight Manor takes place in a world where monsters and legends exist as part of our world but separated by secrecy. So far I've gotten by using basic generic monsters and a few hodge-podge creations of my own from stuff I already knew, but learning more legend and lore wouldn't hurt anything either. I've already thought of a good line, "You know those old wives tales? Those are our history books." And if that's true and since the main bad guy is a creature of legend and history I should have a good idea of other legends and history of the area I'm trying to represent.

So my focus lately has been English, Scottish, Irish, and Greek folklore and legends. But mostly Scottish since that's where the Academy is. I think it would be good to bring in more history and legends into the book to add texture to the culture of the monsters.

So far I've only been able to study English, but they have some really good ones. I'll share my favorite for today. I got it from "English Folktales" edited by Dan Keding and Amy Douglas who went all over England and composed these old oral stories into a book. This is my retelling of one of those stories.

The Old Woman Who Lived in a Vinegar Bottle

Once upon a time there was an old woman who lived in a vinegar bottle. One day a fairy heard the woman bemoaning her lot in the world so she took pity and granted the woman her wish to have a cottage. The woman, so glad to have her own cottage, forgot to thank the fairy.

The fairy liked to travel and every now and then would stop by to see how the old woman was doing. However; every time the fairy came back it was only to hear the old woman complain about how she still didn't have enough and how happy she would be if only she had a little bit more. The fairy kept granting the thankless woman her wishes to have more and more property and even noble titles until finally she was the queen of a whole country. But it still wasn't enough!

The woman, now so full of pride and entitlement, couldn't see why she should have to look up to or answer to anybody, even other countries. After all her country was so small, why shouldn't it be the biggest country in the world? So the next time the fairy came by and the woman whined that she'd be happy only if she became the empress of the world. The fairy, finally fed up with the old woman’s ungrateful attitude, stuck the woman back into her vinegar bottle where she belonged.

A very good story. I highly recommend getting in touch with the storytellers roots in the old oral traditions. They hold the answers to why we human believe many things and act in many ways. Haven't you ever wondered where the phrase "Knock on wood" came from? You should look it up. Then you'll know why we do it whenever anyone doesn't want to be jinxed.

Timing is key

So I'm having a really really hard time FINDING time before I go back to school to finish everything I want to. I still have books from the library I need to review and return, a manuscript to finish rewriting, and oodles of packing to do by Saturday when I go back to good old BYU.

Midnight Manor Update. I've finished going over my hard copy print outs. It needs some new funny scenes here and there to help balance it out and a bit of rewording here and there and I need to completely redo the ending, but other than that it's going along great. I have my characters established and a good idea of what I want the finished product to feel like. I need to get to know my characters a little better. But that's a project I could easily save for when I'm at school and have an odd free evening or two.

The books I'm using for research now include many mythological books and some philosophical ones, Confucius, Socrates, and Plato hello, and one fun book that I finished yesterday called, "The Desert of Souls," by Howard Andrew Jones. Very excellently crafted book and reminiscent of the the Arabian Nights. (Another book I need to finish.) I loved the story, there was intrigue, forbidden romance, sorcerous powers, and best of all a heavy dose of action/swashbuckling adventure. My favorite kind of book. Another serious with many of the same qualities is the Obsidian Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey. Also highly recommended, but if your of a more sensitive nature you probably should skip the demon parts. Trust me, you don't miss any crucial plot points there, just a lot of sensual and disturbing images you don't want to revisit. But hey, they're demons, what did you expect?

One thing that struck me about the "Desert" book was the simplicity of the language and the setting descriptions. It made me think that maybe I have TOO MUCH in Midnight Manor as far as words go. That's actually on my to do list once I am positive I have all the scenes. I'm going to go through and cut things back to the bare essentials and then build the book back up again into a mostly perfect form. That's the idea anyway. I also liked that the book was written in first person like my book so that inspiration will be very helpful. I'm been struggling with first person because my natural point of view is third person. But Midnight Manor really would work best in first so what can you do?

These have been the further ramblings of a first time novelist.

A Writers Weekend Joys and Weekday Woes

First the woes so we can get it over with already.

My poor computer caught a virus....a BAD one. And just before I was going to back up my freshly finished first draft of Midnight Manor too. So I spent the week on pins and needles waiting for the Geek Squad to call me and tell me that my baby was o.k.

Ok, now the good news. On Friday my mom told be about a group of writers, lead by a co-worker that was getting together to write some prompts in a writing marathon. I went and it was a blast! The whole thing stretched over two days and we wrote in about three different places. I give credit to my creative writing class for helping me to get more confident about my work. We first met at Zulu's, a new bagel shop, and while eating trays of cheese and fruit we wrote based on prompts and shared them. No one was allowed to make official critiques good or bad, but when someone laughed or smiled you knew you had something good!

I kept getting complimented by the senior guy in our group. He used to work for this group called "Writing Project" something or other. When I told him about my stuff and what I wanted to do he told me that the Writing Project would probably give me a grant to publish something. Yeah, that felt good.

Everything I wrote in the Marathon had a journalistic ring too it. Here are my three favorites.

1.) (prompt: using a place you have visited describe what happens after murdering your best friend without using thoughts or emotions. I used Angels Landing in Zion's National Park.)

It's strange how you can be so high up, and yet one false step can plunge you to the bottom. I stand where angels have stood. I should take that single step that would take me straight to the bottom. My very breath desecrates this holy ground. Time to try and fly. Though everyone knows that sinners can't fly. That's alright. I'll probably puncture straight through the earth and meet the devil himself soon. How long? At most, 20 seconds. That's justice I suppose. It took twice that long for her to die. Once I step forward, there's no stepping back. No chance for regret. It's silent and lonely up here. Time to join the demons downstairs.

2.) (prompt: we first followed directions to draw a picture. I used a blue crayon and followed the instruction like "draw a straight line to a corner," "write the persons name who you last talked to in the circle." In the end, my picture looked like an artistic boat. I wish I was more tech savy, then I could post it, but you're just going to have to trust me that it did look like a boat. Then we were supposed to write about it.)

I like my boat. My boat can hold the moon. On the main mast the vessel declares itself as "Becky." The captain's cabin is dark as this boast drifts through the sky. It's mast lays across the deck unused. Mice pilot this boat. I guess that's why they wanted the moon. The cheese would provide enough food for the journey across the sky. I hope they bring me back some cake. Enough to fill the whole curved hull. A fly flies from the cabin to the top of the mast. The only one awake on this ship of rodents. He expertly dodges a tangled rope of words to reach his destination. All is quiet on board the ship that sails through the blue night.

3.) (prompt: we had to come up with a list of things in nature, things we used everyday, and words we liked, then we had to put a few together and write a story about it. My words were 'brush chairs scrupulously,' 'flowered towels have moxie,' and 'rock doors are degenerative.')

Living underground is hard work! No one appreciates the time and effort needed to open the crumbling stone doors alone. Dust is a constant problem. Not to mention the worms. I have to scrupulously brush the chairs at least once every hour and twice before company calls. It is dark in the underground. In wintertime it is especially depressing, but at least it's warmer than a tree-house. I try to brighten every room with colorful pastels and light woods. Even the bathrooms have festive flowered towels hanging on the walls. Mrs. Peanuckle complimented me on them last Tuesday. I think I'll keep them for at least a month before changing them out again. She says I decorate my modest home with artful moxie. What could I do but blush and reply that spring would outdo even my best efforts? I hope that spring comes soon. The colors of the flowers always turn the roof of my house into an exquisite shade of red.

During the second day Best Buy called to let me know that my baby was ready to come home! So excited to work with the first draft, especially now that I feel like I have an 'in.' The best way to get into the publishing world is to "know people." I've already printed it off so I can do some real checking and cross-checking. Wish me luck!!