# Fiction
Don't waste your emotions, make a story out of it.
Some artists show us something wrong with the world by painting the ugly picture of reality. Then there are artists who show us the same thing by painting a beautiful picture of fantasy.
# Insights
- "a story is a gossip" - arunava sinha ^1 ^2
- "A story is an honest lie", "Define characters by their desire, but never give it to them. Give them their need instead." - Swapnil Narendra ^3 ^4
- "Story doesn't need to have one single concrete meaning. Let your readers interpret their own version of the story." - ???
# Concepts
See concepts.
# Learn
# How to find dialogues?
Can you recall witnessing a memorable incident? Maybe someone saved a kid from an accident. Have you found yourself imagining how you'd respond if you were the victim or the hero? What you'd say to each other? If yes, do you recall placing yourself in someone else's shoe and imagine similar things? If yes, write them down.
# 5 laws of indie publishing:
- You must think like a traditional publisher.
- Be professional
- Build a brand
- Discipline
- You must write the best book you can everytime.
- Learn more
- Avoid getting influenced by stereotypes. Get feedback from a real person from the culture.
- Read more
- Write more
- Write first. Edit, spellcheck, improve, revise later.
- Learn more
- Setup a system of quality control.
- Your writing
- Editing
- Cover design
- Marketing copy
- Format the book
- Develop and work a marketing plan
- Repeat the process the rest of your life
# The writers pyramid
- Those who want to write, think they have a book inside
- Those who take initiative to learn writing (π me)
- Those who write the first novel
- Those who write another
- Those who get published
- Those who get published again and again
- The real fortune
# Structure
Act 1: world introduction + character introduction + q scene + doorway of no return Act 2: kick in the shins + mirror moment + pet the dog + 2nd doorway of no return Act 3: mounting forces + lights out + the q factor + final battle + transformation
# Character
Strength of will, wound from past, something to hold on to, inner conflict, resourcefulness, courage, fight for a just cause. A point of uniqueness, a skill, a bit of a rebel, a character flaw, likeable.
Interview your characters.
Build character conflicts and relationships by plotting them on the top and on the left side of a sheet. Each square in between is a relationship or conflict.
Alienate your story's character from your own.
Describe characters with actions rather than words.
Don't judge your characters.
# Storytelling
Describe character from their own or other characters point of view. Don't expose it directly.
Keep the point of view strong through the whole storytelling.
Don't use "you" in a story.
Don't make the world collapse in your first story. Start small and simple. Try to make things interesting without killing people.
The narrator should be interesting character.
Describe more details in simple words.
Explain a very boring act or thing the best way possible
Describe even the observer's story.
Let your readers explore the world from your character's eyes, like you do in a travel vlog.
Educate, entertain or enlighten your readers
Explore alternatives of "said" or substitute it with actions.
A story must include change. Even sub stories. Starting of the story is the opposite of the ending.
Story can't have two meanings. Find only one meaning at the end and begin the story with the opposite meaning.
Don't tell other people's stories. Tell your side of other people's stories.
Don't perform. Tell. Storytelling is not theatre of poetry.
Every great story ever told is essentially about a 5 second moment in a person's life.
If possible, keep the place of start and end the same.
Halt the story when suspense is created. Forcefully if required.
Create a cinematic experience - always provide a physical location to help your reader visualise the scene
Use "but" and "therefore" instead of "and". You can hide "but"s by turning positives into negatives. "I am dumb" -> "I am not smart" ("I could be smart, but I'm not")
Use contrast to enhance emotion. E.g. before collision, show sunshine and roses.
Hide important information (time bomb of surprise) into other non important details.
If using humor, open stories with humor. Use humor before and after horror.
Carefully build/setup the tower of emotions before delivering ball of punchline.
Push opposing words together to make them funny. E.g. Sweet angelic asshole; cupcake, pineapple flavored ice-cream and despair.
Don't break the time traveling by reminding the reader about reality. E.g. "It was 1991, cellphones didn't exist" (don't mention things that doesn't exist, at-least directly)
# Dialogue
Every word that comes out of a character's mouth, must serve e purpose.
Build vocabulary for each character from their background. Listen to real people from those backgrounds.
Keep unpredictable elements in dialogues
Determine character conflicts from character roles and personality traits
Write a line. Go back and figure out a way to spice it up.
Characters have general word limits in each sentence they speak. Highlight it in the dialogue editor.
# Book
https://www.audible.in/pd/How-to-Write-Best-Selling-Fiction-Audiobook/1629976954
First chapter sells the novel. Last chapter sells the next novel.
Also see:
- How to Build a Universe That Doesnβt Fall Apart Two Days Later: https://urbigenous.net/library/how_to_build.html
- Creating Strong Video Game Characters: https://youtu.be/4mgK2hL33Vw
- Storytelling Tools to Boost Your Indie Game's Narrative and Gameplay: https://youtu.be/8fXE-E1hjKk
- Learn about writing from this awesome anime: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirobako
- https://www.well-storied.com/blog/character-personalities