Hey writers! Max here. As I warned last week, my move has left me without internet for a–hopefully small–period.
So, I’ll be writing short stories to submit to Hemelein’s Honor and Glory call today. And unpacking.
You readers, though? You get a classic post from Being a Better Writer‘s past. Inspired by a discussion I saw this weekend, let’s talk about how you start your first chapter. You ready? Then hit that jump!
Welcome once again, writers! It’s Being a Better Writer, here again to discuss all things writing related! We’ve got an interesting topic to dive into, but as usual, there’s some news to discuss.
First up, I debated not having a BaBW post today because I am moving! Yes, you read that right. After eight years of living in the same place, I’m at last shifting to somewhere else.
And it is kind of a shift. It’s literally a block away. But nicer, and bigger, while being cheaper. A win all around, even if it does mean I have to move. Which also comes with additional stress because a few weeks ago I buggered my bad knee, and it’s still having issues. Which means at a time when I could just walk most of my belongings over … my knee is suspect toward that end. And it means I’m going to be useless for moving the heavy stuff unless this thing gets its act together (and after the move, if it still hasn’t gotten better, then I’ll probably see a doctor, not that I can really afford that because this is America).
This is also advance warning that my internet presence may be a little wonky in the coming days. Apparently Google Fiber has never bothered to update their account system. So despite the fact that I’m moving a block, I can’t just “transfer” my existing Fiber account. I have to make a whole new account, set up all my payment and everything with that account, then after 60 days have passed, merge that with my existing account, leaving Google holding a dead account that won’t ever be used again.
Definitely one of those legacy setups that needs to be fixed pronto Google. Most everyone where I live uses Google Fiber. Not being able to just transfer it to a new address is a pain in the butt. So I’ll be lacking desktop access for at least a few days, I assume, outside of “cheat” methods like using my mobile data to make a hotspot. Either way, there may be a small lull in my capabilities next week as things shake out.
Now then, what about Axtara – Magic and Mischief? Most of you aren’t here for news about the big shift in my living situations, and I acknowledge that. You’re here for news about Axtara’s newest book. And the news is … Beta is almost over. There’s one reader making their way through the last chapters, and then it’ll be on to the Copy Edit. I’ll start dropping previews here on the site once that point has been hit. In addition, there should be some cover news soon.
I am sorry that this book has been so heavily delayed in its release, guys. I had effectively no control over it, but I’m still sorry. Life just … got really bad for a while, and I’m still dealing with the shockwaves (for that matter, some days it still feels like I’m dealing with the blast zone). One of those shockwaves just happened to be gutting my release schedule with an aggression out of DOOM.
Okay, let’s speak of happier things, then get down to today’s post. And in happy news, all of A Trial For a Dragon has now released! So if you are hungry for Axtara content, then I hope you’ve read this tale of Axtara’s older brother, Ryax, and his quest to become a wizard! It’s cute! You can read the whole thing in four parts by following this link here.
All right, with all that news said and done … let’s talk writing. Hit that jump!
Continue readingWelcome back, writers! Monday is upon us once more, and you know what that means! Being a Better Writer is here!
Well, Monday for you. For me, it’s Friday, and also a once-a-year sort of day for me, if you catch my drift. So I will be hopefully keeping this a slightly shorter BaBW installment, so that I can try and have a bit of a break day. Which, with everything that’s been going on, I need.
However, before I dive into today’s post, I do want to drop a little news. The Beta Read for Axtara – Magic and Mischief has been going really well. Really low error count, so I guess these extra months did account for something, with really positive reactions to the book.
That’s the good news. The slightly less good news is that I might be waiting on a cover for a few weeks, which would push the release into May.
I know. I know this sucks. Sands, I was speaking with a family member the other day and they made it very clear that the situation just sucked through no fault of my own. Axtara was originally aiming for a Christmas 2023 release, and that was a complete wash. Though it wasn’t exactly my fault (and if you’ve been skipping new and wonder why, just hit that search bar on the side and type “landslide” but be warned it’s not a happy story), it does suck that Axtara is now this long overdue.
At least it’ll be well-polished by the time it arrives. And based on the Reader reactions across the Alpha and the Beta, I think you’re all going to enjoy it immensely.
Now, if you’re itching for more of Axtara to tide you over in the meantime (and have been living under a rock), I’ve got good news for you: You can now read all but the final part of A Trial For a Dragon, a side-story starring Axtara’s older brother Ryax, right here on the site! Part 4 drops this Friday too, so you won’t have to wait long to sink your teeth into the finale. You can read that here.
But if you’re itching for even more content, previews of the first few chapters of Axtara – Magic and Mischief will be dropping in the coming weeks! Whet your appetite for the book! Oh, and if you’re still hungry after that—or before—there is, of course, a whole ‘nother library of books, but also there’s a new short on Patreon for Supporters. While waiting for the Beta Readers to make their passes, I’ve done some prep work for other books, but also sat down and spent a few days pumping out a little Sci-Fi action-adventure short. So if you’re a Supporter, hit this link and go check out Artifacts.
Okay, that’s the news. Over and done, so let’s dive into Being a Better Writer. Let’s talk about fantastical calendars. Hit the jump!
Continue readingWelcome once again, writers! Unless you’re new, you know what this is, but for those just finding this corner of the web welcome to Being a Better Writer, your weekly article series on how to improve your writing. Each week we discuss a different topic, so if you don’t like what you see up there in the title, there’s a lot more to choose from. After all, running each Monday for more than ten years makes for a significant backlog.
But for the moment we’re going to assume you’re not entering a request into that search at this exact moment looking for something else. If you are, well, you’ll probably find it. But as to this moment in time right here? We’ve got a reader request to discuss, and so we’re diving right into it.
We do have a few lines of news to drop, though, so just bear with us for a single paragraph. Axtara – Magic and Mischief (probably the final title; haven’t had anything else get close to “Mayhem”) is still in Beta, but making rapid progress. And it is a clean draft, by all indicators. Meanwhile, Part 2 of A Trial For a Dragon has released on the site! Go read it!
That’s it! I did say one paragraph. So let’s get down to business and let’s talk about this reader request. Let’s talk about reversals and subversions. Hit the jump!
Continue readingWelcome back writers! As work continues getting Axtara – Magic and Mischief (I still miss Mayhem, but we’ll be getting a BaBW post on that next week) that hasn’t stopped Being a Better Writer from delivering!
Oh, but if you’re a fan of Axtara and weren’t around last Friday (or you’re brand new to the site), don’t neglect to check out Part One of A Trial For a Dragon, a free short story set in the Axtara universe starring Axtara’s older brother. A dragon becoming a banker is one thing, but what about a dragon becoming a wizard? You can check out the short here, and if you’ve stumbled across this post months (or even years) after the fact, read the rest of it by following the comment links!
That’s pretty much it as far as news is concerned. At this point Beta Reading/Editing is underway, and next up will be a cover … So you’re all caught up—
Wait, almost. Just a quick reminder to Patreon Supporters that you only have until the release of Axtara – Magic and Mischief to vote for the next book to come out! You can do that here!
Okay, that’s the news. Let’s talk writing. I’m sure a few of you writing vets have looked at the title and thought “Well, that seems pretty straightforward, but I must admit that today’s post is one that comes about due to a perceptive shift I’ve witnessed taking place over the last several years. A shift that, in the last six months especially I’ve seen on display more and more across various internet forums and even in reviews for books.
Because recently, one of the most common strikes I’ve seen leveled at characters in movies, books, and games, is that they’re failing. No, not as characters, but in their goals until the climax arrives.
Let me give you a direct example, one of the more memorable ones that, because it bugged me, stuck in my mind, and was one of the inspirations for this post: 2023’s Super Mario Bros. movie. Look, I’ll be the first to say the movie doesn’t shy from what it is: non-offensive child-friendly entertainment that’s greatest achievement, previously unmatched by Hollywood, was actually representing the property it was based on (which, for Hollywood, is like a lawyer refunding cash: a blank look followed by “I don’t know what those words mean).
But I was really interested in some of the criticism leveled against the movie, in particular the accusation that whole elements of the story were “a waste because the characters failed.”
In particular, if you’ve seen the film, the recruitment of the Kong army. Critics across the web will note that a good portion of the movie is spent on the recruitment of the Kong army, which includes Mario trying a training course—and failing, the critics either ignoring or forgetting that he does actually succeed at the course eventually—to show that he deserves to go along for the recruitment pitch, having to face a challenge to “prove” they can handle the army … and then the army is beaten anyway by the antagonist in a big battle sequence.
These critics argue that because the army failed, it’s a waste of storytelling time. That it shouldn’t have been in the story at all because due to the failure, the story didn’t move forward.
And these critics are not alone, nor are they just unhappy with Super Mario Bros. It seems any story that comes out these days—or even an older story—is increasingly being viewed with this lens. “Oh, the characters had this plan and it didn’t work out? That’s bad storytelling. It’s a waste of the audience’s time and attention. It’s padding to lengthen things out. It’s boring.”
Or my personal “favorite” accusation, that it’s “woke.” Which is about as empty and hollow a criticism as I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen some doozies.
However, with this criticism becoming more and more frequent, it’s been leveled at books and written stories as much as anything else. I’ve seen people post about famous books decrying them because ‘So-and-so waffled around not being able to face the big bad for two-hundred pages and getting beat. What a waste of my time. No one should read this as it doesn’t respect the reader’s time.’
Worse, I’ve started to see newbie advice handed out by these critics that such scenes should be cut or removed from stories. Advice given on writing forums that young writers should not include scenes or story elements where the characters fail because “This doesn’t move the story forward, therefore it is bad” (and lest you think this is hyperbole, I’ve see variations of that exact statement several times in the last month).
And while I can see where that advice is coming from, and how that conclusion has been reached, I’ve just got to say it, in as straightforward a manner as I can: It’s just plain wrong.
So hit the jump, and let’s break down this new bit of “advice” that’s circling the writing circles.
Continue readingHello again, writers! Welcome back to Being a Better Writer! It’s Monday once more and that means that it’s time for us to dive into our Topic List again and see what we’ve got to discuss!
Which today should be interesting, as it’s a reader requested topic that can sometimes be a hot topic of discussion among young writers and writing forums, even when it really shouldn’t be outside of a few specific key approaches we’ll get to in a moment.
But first, just so you’re aware, there is an active Beta Call going for Axtara – Magic and Mischief. No, that isn’t yet the final title, but it’s the best alternative I’ve found, and I’m trying it out to see how it rolls off the tongue. Anyway, if you’re interested in trying out being a Beta Reader, head over to last Friday’s post and take a look at what’s there.
Oh, and don’t forget that this coming Friday will be the posting of the first part of A Trial for a Dragon, a story set in Axtara universe starring non other than her own brother. It’s not a prequel, not quite, but it is a side story that will tie in to Magic and Mischief. And you’ll be able to read it right here, for free, each Friday until it’s complete.
Got it? Okay, good! Now let’s talk writing from the angle of creation, rather than consumption. Let’s get down to business with today’s topic. Which, as I already noted, can be somewhat of a contentious topic in some circles, oddly enough. Especially when some of those circles are fanfiction circles, which have a hefty plethora of stories dedicated to “Let’s retell my favorite show/game/book/comic but with one small tweak.” One would think retellings of other stories would see more slack given amid such surroundings, but …
Well, we’ll discuss it. Along with other aspects of storytelling to be aware of or consider … when you set out to create a story that’s a retelling. So hit that jump, and let’s talk writing.
Continue readingAlternate title: When You Realize One Character Can Solve Most of the Plot. Welcome back writers! It’s time for another Being a Better Writer post, and we’ve got a fun one for you!
Now, today’s post isn’t a reader request, though we’ve got plenty more of these coming. Today’s topic was actually inspired by discussion from the editing of the Axtara sequel—which should leave Alpha today, I’ll add. There’s your news tidbit. But yes, this came up while editing on that title. A minor spoiler, but one of the plot points of the second Axtara book is Axtara’s brother coming for a visit. Who happens to be a wizard.
However, his visit is announced in the beginning of the book, but as a letter noting that it will be some time before he arrives. The book happens, and then Axtara’s older sibling appears for the final chapter, making good on his promise and helping to wrap everything up from the story.
Now, this works, but a few readers did express a little disappointment that Axtara’s brother hadn’t been there from the start, since they’d wanted to see more of him. Which is fair. Ryax is quite a fun character, and many have wanted to see more of him since his (at this time) Patreon-Exclusive appearance.
The thing is, they weren’t alone in that. I too wanted to see Ryax get some more time to shine, which was one reason why he’d been included in the Axtara sequel in the first place. But … as I sat down and began to work through the plot, assembling the framework that would be Axtara’s second outing, I saw an immediate problem with Ryax’s inclusion.
He was a wizard, and solved more than 50% of the book’s primary conflict simply by being present, his skill set much better suited to overcoming the challenges faced by Axtara.
Now, I could have changed the conflict. Given the story something that Ryax couldn’t immediately or easily overcome. But when I started to explore that route additional problems were created, giving the plot multiple issues. Adjusting the plot to give Ryax more struggle took away from Axtara having conflict, making the story more about her brother than her, the titular protagonist. Worse, it shifted the genre, away from Cozy Fantasy more towards just regular fantasy starring a dragon.
Ryax, it became clear, was a detriment, not an improvement. I had unfortunately encountered a problem.
Now ultimately I fixed it, or the discussion never would have started in the first place. But when talk of this reached the site Discord, one member immediately noted ‘Oh, you had the Gandalf problem.’
And he was right. I had.
Continue readingWelcome back writers, to more Being a Better Writer! As this post was written well in advance and scheduled to go up while I in theory am boarding an airplane with a secure door plug, I have no news to speak of. Save a reminder that if you’re a Patreon Supporter, to go vote for the next project after Axtara 2!
But yes, this post cannot predict future news, so instead of waxing on what’s going on, we’re just going to dive right into today’s topic, which is a sort-of request.
Why sort-of? The topic itself came from an excellent comment left by reader georgfelis on a previous Being a Better Writer installment. A few weeks ago, when we spoke of uncertain characters, this poster left a great comment (which you can read here) taking the post one step further and creating a four-way graph, with “certain/uncertain” on one axis, and competent/incompetent on the other. They offered examples of different well-known characters representing each corner of the graph, as well as examples of how those characters were used, and suggested I augment the original post in some fashion with that excellent addition.
I’ll admit, I definitely considered it. This post was almost that breakdown. Save that when I sat down to look harder at it, I realized I’d just be repeating what had already been stated in a satisfactory fashion. Hence why I’m linking to the comment above. If you read the original post but didn’t see georgfelis’ comment on it, I’d suggest reading it. It’s a really good addition to how you think about certainty in your stories.
But it did raise a great subject as well, that being character competence. So rather than restating georgfelis’ words on the matter, I thought I’d dedicate a post to the other axis of that comment and talk about how competent our characters may or may not be.
So hit both jumps, the comment link above and the link to the rest of the post, and let’s talk about how competent your characters are.
Continue readingWelcome back writers, and welcome to the start of a new topic list! That’s right, we’re on Topic List #24. Once this one’s been written out, we’ll be headed to #25!
I’m wondering now if I should do something for the big #25 too. Maybe revisit some of the most popular topics of the last eleven years. Or do something else special? I don’t know. Let me know, though, in the comments.
Oh, and don’t forget that right now there’s a vote going for Patreon Supporters over what the next project will be after Axtara 2 hits shelves! You can vote on that here as long as you’re a supporter of any tier. So go vote!
Now, before I dive into today’s topic, which is an interesting one, I do want to catch you all up on some news. First up, I’ll be absent this week for a few days. I’ll be flying back to my hometown for a few days to attend the public funeral for my father. It’s … gonna suck. I’m not going to sugar-coat it or try to pretend this isn’t going to hurt, or that it won’t be a trying experience. I’m just going to push through it as best I can. I’ll be back by the following week, and there won’t be a gap in Being a Better Writer, but there won’t be any news posts during this time.
The other update is that the Alpha 2 for Axtara 2 is going quite well. The changes to the start of the story seem to have streamlined a few poorly paced areas to improve the flow, which was one of the big issues with the first draft, and overall the reception has been really positive with just small quibbles here and there (many of which are grammatical or typos, which is a clue that we’re headed to Beta). The one largest contention so far is that a few feel the title needs to be changed from Magic and Mayhem to, well, anything not using the word “mayhem,” which gave them the impression of a much more action-packed and less-cozy novel.
Hmmm … one second, adding “Titling Your Book” to the topic list. Now, where was I? Ah yes.
So I am actually considering a name change, though to what I’m unsure. Only a small percentage of Alpha Readers have expressed that the name led them astray, but at the same time that could be a small percentage of readers too. I’ve been calling it Magic and Mayhem for a few years now, but in the grand scope of things it may not be too confusing to change the name prior to release. Though I also need to come up with a good alternative that keeps the alliteration going.
I’ll need to do it soon, too, because I need to get the cover ordered! And paid for. Oh, and I’m moving to a new apartment at the end of April, so somehow I need to juggle Axtara 2 with that … I’d still like to get it out in April if possible, but it’s going to be tight!
All right, that’s the news, I’ve prattled on about other things long enough. Let’s switch gears from talking about my writing to talking about writing at large. Let’s get down to brass tacks (what an odd saying) with today’s Being a Better Writer! Hit the jump!
Continue readingWelcome back, writers, to the final Being a Better Writer post … of Topic List #23. Sorry couldn’t resist. If some of you felt a flash of panic there, well, then my prank has been carried out to my satisfaction.
But yes, it is the final topic from Topic List #23. Which means next week, we’ll be starting over with a new list, #24! But it also means that requests are now open to what topics deserve to be on that list. So if you haven’t yet, please head on over to the topic call or even just post below if you’re in a real hurry, and let us know what writing topics you would like to hear about in the upcoming months!
Oh, and don’t worry if the topic is one we’ve covered before. BaBW has been around for over ten years. At this point, we’ve covered a lot of topics, and retread and revisited topics more than once. In fact, today’s topic was covered about nine years ago, but here we are again covering it once more. So you can request something we’ve covered before. At this point, it’s hard not to step on familiar ground.
With that said, let’s dive into today’s topic and start talking writing. Today we’re talking about character foils, a trait that is important for any writer to understand and acknowledge … even if we’re only using it sparingly.
And to understand that, I want to start out by discussing something that doesn’t seem to have any application to writing at first glance. I want to talk about The Rockettes. The Rockettes are a long-standing US-based dance company who perform in a number of annual shows. Most people who know a little bit of history associate them with the famous New York City Radio Music Hall. We won’t go into the history here, the key thing you need to know is that they’re a dance troupe.
A large dance troupe that nonetheless manages to keep its dancers to some really specific requirements. For example, when performing in one single line, part of the visual flair is that all of the Rockettes are the exact same height.
Or are they? Because they actually aren’t. Though the troupe has some strict requirements by necessity of their performances, the actual height of the members involved can vary by as much as five and a half inches. Put two dancers that have a half-a-foot of height difference between them next to one another and you’ll certainly see it. So how, despite this, do all the Rockettes appear to be the same height?
Perspective. Specifically, perspective using contrast. What does this mean, and what does it have to do with writing? Hit the jump, and let’s find out.
Continue reading
Unusual Things 