Wednesday, March 23, 2011
I'm featured in the Author's Incognito March Newsletter
So, I completely forgot to mention that Author's Incognito, a really solid online writing support group, has a great blog. They have a little bio interview of me that appeared earlier in the month. You can read it here. Just scroll down about halfway through their March newsletter and you find it. Let me know what you think.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Character and Arc
I've always had an easy time creating plot. In fact, my stories tend to be plot driven. I understand that's often the way guys think--especially guys who write SF&F.
For me, it's a natural outgrowth of daydreaming, of simply imagining fun, fantastic, dangerous, supernatural things that take place and being a part of it.
Like many writers, I often imagine myself in the middle of my own stories. It's part of what makes the creative outlet so enjoyable. I get to be there doing those amazing things with magic, swords, dragons, you name it. And it's a lot of fun.
But plot is only part of what makes a story work. Ultimately, stories are about people. I've read this a gazillion times. Everyone has something to say about how character must drive story, about how it's their struggle that ultimately is what makes a story good.
That's not the most intrinsically easy thing for me to understand. But I think I've finally begun to understand this process a little better--for two reasons:
1. Characters are what make a story, deep down, interesting to readers. They of course love the action and imagery and movement of plot and setting. But within they have to relate to the characters, be able to see themselves in the role or near the role somehow. That's why even the bad guys have to have good qualities, and why the good guys, if they are too good and perfect, don't engage readers the way they need to. It's something about us doing things and being part of things that speaks to us on a deeper level.
Thus, the character drives the story. That's because a character with no real emotion, with no arc, no sense of becoming something different or more or evolving in some way, seeing the world differently by the end, or gaining hidden strength, or some such, that's part of the human process. Our lives are mundane and boring if nothing ever changes. And stories where the character is cookie cutter, exactly the same person in all reasonable senses, in terms of how they think, act, or do on all levels, from page one to the end, feels just like that: a non character. Our lives may get mundane, but usually things happen that cause us to answer deep questions about what we believe and feel or do--and not too infrequently, really.
2. I want to enjoy the story, so I don't have to decide from the beginning: the character must change, therefore make it happen. Rather, I think about what their motivations are and what causes those motivations to be in jeopardy. Then I think about what kind of message their responses will send. Some have taught that their responses will flow naturally from the situation. But I find that only partially true. Most of us are complicated enough that Sherlock Holmes would fail--that we are not always predictable in how we respond to life. Thus, I have to weigh how the characters respond because that will ultimately mean something, as well as determine the flow, weight, feeling, tone, and result of the novel.
Thus, character for me is becoming deeply important, even essential, to the make up of the story. And that's both refreshing and a bit scary. I still love to just daydream and see what happens!
For me, it's a natural outgrowth of daydreaming, of simply imagining fun, fantastic, dangerous, supernatural things that take place and being a part of it.
Like many writers, I often imagine myself in the middle of my own stories. It's part of what makes the creative outlet so enjoyable. I get to be there doing those amazing things with magic, swords, dragons, you name it. And it's a lot of fun.
But plot is only part of what makes a story work. Ultimately, stories are about people. I've read this a gazillion times. Everyone has something to say about how character must drive story, about how it's their struggle that ultimately is what makes a story good.
That's not the most intrinsically easy thing for me to understand. But I think I've finally begun to understand this process a little better--for two reasons:
1. Characters are what make a story, deep down, interesting to readers. They of course love the action and imagery and movement of plot and setting. But within they have to relate to the characters, be able to see themselves in the role or near the role somehow. That's why even the bad guys have to have good qualities, and why the good guys, if they are too good and perfect, don't engage readers the way they need to. It's something about us doing things and being part of things that speaks to us on a deeper level.
Thus, the character drives the story. That's because a character with no real emotion, with no arc, no sense of becoming something different or more or evolving in some way, seeing the world differently by the end, or gaining hidden strength, or some such, that's part of the human process. Our lives are mundane and boring if nothing ever changes. And stories where the character is cookie cutter, exactly the same person in all reasonable senses, in terms of how they think, act, or do on all levels, from page one to the end, feels just like that: a non character. Our lives may get mundane, but usually things happen that cause us to answer deep questions about what we believe and feel or do--and not too infrequently, really.
2. I want to enjoy the story, so I don't have to decide from the beginning: the character must change, therefore make it happen. Rather, I think about what their motivations are and what causes those motivations to be in jeopardy. Then I think about what kind of message their responses will send. Some have taught that their responses will flow naturally from the situation. But I find that only partially true. Most of us are complicated enough that Sherlock Holmes would fail--that we are not always predictable in how we respond to life. Thus, I have to weigh how the characters respond because that will ultimately mean something, as well as determine the flow, weight, feeling, tone, and result of the novel.
Thus, character for me is becoming deeply important, even essential, to the make up of the story. And that's both refreshing and a bit scary. I still love to just daydream and see what happens!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Whitney Awards Gala on May 7
Hi Folks,
On behalf of the Whitney Awards committee, just I wanted to send out a reminder about the Whitney Awards Gala hosted on Saturday, May 7, after the Storymakers Conference. The Whitneys recognize outstanding literature in the LDS market. Many of you know people who are up for awards. To learn more, go here: http://whitneyawards.com/wordpress/about-the-whitney-awards/
This is from the official site:
Currently you can buy tickets to the Gala at the LDSStorymakers registration:
https://storymakersconference.myshopify.com/
To all who have already registered, good for you! You'll definitely enjoy the nigh.
Thanks for thinking of us, and for passing this info along!
Josh
On behalf of the Whitney Awards committee, just I wanted to send out a reminder about the Whitney Awards Gala hosted on Saturday, May 7, after the Storymakers Conference. The Whitneys recognize outstanding literature in the LDS market. Many of you know people who are up for awards. To learn more, go here: http://whitneyawards.com/wordpress/about-the-whitney-awards/
This is from the official site:
What are the Whitneys?
The Whitneys are an awards program for novels by LDS authors. Elder Orson F. Whitney, an early apostle in the LDS church, prophesied “We will yet have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own.” Since we have that as our goal, we feel that we should also honor those authors who excel and continually raise the bar.
The Whitney Awards honor novels in the following categories: General Fiction, Romance, Suspense/Mystery, Speculative Fiction, Youth Fiction, Historical, Best Novel of the Year, and Best Novel by a New Author. Novels can be nominated by any reader (via this website or by mail), and nominees are voted on by an academy of industry professionals, including authors, publishers, bookstore owners, distributors, critics, and others.
The awards were founded in 2007 and operate as an semi-autonomous subsidiary of LDStorymakers.
Currently you can buy tickets to the Gala at the LDSStorymakers registration:
https://storymakersconference.myshopify.com/
To all who have already registered, good for you! You'll definitely enjoy the nigh.
Thanks for thinking of us, and for passing this info along!
Josh
Saturday, March 5, 2011
BYU Honor Code and Brandon Davies
In all the hype regarding the dismissal of Brandon Davies from BYU's basketball team for honor code violations earlier this week, many people have commented on how they feel about the honor code, about what Davies might have done, and how much he did or didn't know about the honor code.
But in all their arguments, one thing seems glaringly absent: The fact of the matter is, Davies had a full knowledge of the honor code he violated. I think people believe there exists this sort of nebulous set of rules out there somewhere that are inconsistently enforced and which the students don't really understand or accept. They just bide by them inasmuch as it suits them for expediency.
But that grossly undervalues BYU's system. The reality is this: every student who attends BYU is required to read the honor code each year and sign their name to a form declaring that, on their honor, they will obey the rules prescribed in the honor code. What's more, each year they are also required to be interviewed by an ecclesiastical leader (or someone with equivalent respect and stature before the university), who asks them to declare that they have obeyed the honor code and will continue to obey it.
So it doesn't really matter whether you think BYU's honor code is draconian, outmoded, silly, or unnecessary. And it doesn't matter if you think Davies and other students shouldn't be held to such standards.
I feel terribly bad for Davies. He has a heavy weight to bear now, and as a member of the LDS Church, a heavy repentance process of some form or another to go through.
But one cannot deny him the responsibility and consequences of his actions. He knowingly violated the honor code. Many students, sadly enough, suffer the consequences of violating the honor code. It has nothing to do with race, religious beliefs (I attended BYU as a freshman as a Presbyterian--I since joined the Church), or otherwise. And each of them is given the full opportunity to understand the honor code and live by it.
There, I've pontificated enough.
But in all their arguments, one thing seems glaringly absent: The fact of the matter is, Davies had a full knowledge of the honor code he violated. I think people believe there exists this sort of nebulous set of rules out there somewhere that are inconsistently enforced and which the students don't really understand or accept. They just bide by them inasmuch as it suits them for expediency.
But that grossly undervalues BYU's system. The reality is this: every student who attends BYU is required to read the honor code each year and sign their name to a form declaring that, on their honor, they will obey the rules prescribed in the honor code. What's more, each year they are also required to be interviewed by an ecclesiastical leader (or someone with equivalent respect and stature before the university), who asks them to declare that they have obeyed the honor code and will continue to obey it.
So it doesn't really matter whether you think BYU's honor code is draconian, outmoded, silly, or unnecessary. And it doesn't matter if you think Davies and other students shouldn't be held to such standards.
I feel terribly bad for Davies. He has a heavy weight to bear now, and as a member of the LDS Church, a heavy repentance process of some form or another to go through.
But one cannot deny him the responsibility and consequences of his actions. He knowingly violated the honor code. Many students, sadly enough, suffer the consequences of violating the honor code. It has nothing to do with race, religious beliefs (I attended BYU as a freshman as a Presbyterian--I since joined the Church), or otherwise. And each of them is given the full opportunity to understand the honor code and live by it.
There, I've pontificated enough.
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