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Why do the bad guys do the bad things?
I seem to be blocked on not one, but two Yi Qin stories, and in both cases my problem is this: who is the bad guy, and what is their plan?
Adventure fiction needs bad guys for your protagonist to find and foil. I've already got quiet a variety for Yi Qin. There are demons who eat people and make wagers about it (two stories featuring them, both of which have sold). There are fox-spirits, who seek only their own amusment, often involving unfortunate human males (two stories there, too, one of which has sold). There are ghosts, who are rarely the real antagonists - behind them are humans, covering up their own crimes of either practicailty or passion (again, two stories, one of which has sold). There's an old god trying to regain his status (at terrible cost -hmm, two stories on that subject, as well). There's a sorceror-ghost trapped by his own desire for vengeance.
I guess it's getting harder to find villains who will work ni stand-alone stories. I fear I'm getting to the point where recurring villains want to get in on the act; old enemies who were foiled and are back again. Personal vendettas. But those onlywork on nivels, where you can build the context.
I fear I may be getting to the end of being able to write stand-alone Yi Qin stories.
Still, if that means I have to concentrate on novel-length Yi Qin works, maybe that's not such a bad thing...
Adventure fiction needs bad guys for your protagonist to find and foil. I've already got quiet a variety for Yi Qin. There are demons who eat people and make wagers about it (two stories featuring them, both of which have sold). There are fox-spirits, who seek only their own amusment, often involving unfortunate human males (two stories there, too, one of which has sold). There are ghosts, who are rarely the real antagonists - behind them are humans, covering up their own crimes of either practicailty or passion (again, two stories, one of which has sold). There's an old god trying to regain his status (at terrible cost -hmm, two stories on that subject, as well). There's a sorceror-ghost trapped by his own desire for vengeance.
I guess it's getting harder to find villains who will work ni stand-alone stories. I fear I'm getting to the point where recurring villains want to get in on the act; old enemies who were foiled and are back again. Personal vendettas. But those onlywork on nivels, where you can build the context.
I fear I may be getting to the end of being able to write stand-alone Yi Qin stories.
Still, if that means I have to concentrate on novel-length Yi Qin works, maybe that's not such a bad thing...
Do you have any particular worries about going down that path? I only ask because you said that you feared you were running out of stand-alones.
You know, I would not be a bit surprised if you actually managed to come up with loads more stand-alones. There's nothing quite like having a big project, such as a novel on your plate, to inspire short stories *g*
Haha.
Hahahahahahahahahahaha.
(That's called hysterical laughter).
I have at last count plans for/outlines of/partial contents of 35 novels, five of which (I think) feature Yi Qin.
Ideas, believe me, are not an issue. It's the physical details of structure and plot, and the ability to discipline myself to focus on one story of novel length, that are more the problem.
Well, it sure seems you know what doesn't work. What else have you tried, regarding novels?
Writing from the ending to the beginning (I've heard of that one, but never tried it)
Recording your book onto cassettes and transcribing later? That one I've tried with helping me with shorts I'm stuck on, and it's great!
Write longhand if you usually use a keyboard, and a keyboard if you usualy write longhand. Or change your place or surroundings, just, you know, try different things.
I'm so surprised, regarding discipline. I know we don't know each other personally or anything, but you've always struck me as very disciplined. I wonder if there's an ingredient missing in the novels that you have in the flashes/short stories. Not length, not that, that's so nothing.
Well, you know what, you'll get there, I have a good feeling for you.
Personally I'm all for recurring villains. I have three for Dabir and Asim, but none of them have yet made a reappearance in print.
Don't forget that humans are capable of more monstrosity than any supernatural menace. That keeps these sorts of stories becoming the monster hunt of the week kind of thing, or from degenerating into formula.
Howard
I fear it's a very inefficient way fo working. I am getting better at writing start-to-finish with stories, but I'm not ready to tackle a novel that way yet.
Hey, it's not that "it's beyond you" it's that you work in a different method from me. Whatever works to make the art, man, so long as it harms none. Maybe a little harm to the creator as he feverishly types late into the night and suffers from lack of sleep.
Or, take a look at real-world criminals and see what their motivations and crimes might be usable for your antagonist.