authorsworkshop

[authorsworkshop]

Setting

What do we mean by setting? 

Setting is the context in which a story takes place. Generally, setting includes time, geographical place, and culture. 

Written carefully, setting can create mood. A scene set in a park on a sunny day will feel different than a scene set in a crowded club at midnight. 

Setting can add or even cause conflict or tension. In a whiteout, the characters’ car slides into snowdrift-- how will the characters stay warm and find help? In this way, setting can also emphasize a story’s theme. In the above example, the author might want to explore the idea that shared adversity can create unlikely friendships. 

Finally, setting can reveal details about a character. A character hears a love song playing at the grocery store and remembers an old flame. The hero notices their antagonist always wears extremely expensive suits and deduces a weakness: vanity. 

Setting as a Character? 

In some stories, setting is used minimally to great effect. In a story featuring lots of action, the characters move from scene to scene so quickly that very few details catch their notice, but a closet mentioned offhandedly in the opening scene becomes the place where they lie in wait to catch the villain in the final battle. 

In other stories, the setting is dynamic. It functions almost like another character that acts and is acted upon. In a post-apocalytic survival story with toxic hail storms, the characters struggle to create a safe haven for themselves and their families. In a small town coming-of-age story, the place’s cultural constraints and the main characters reckoning with them are fulcrum of the conflict. 

Aspects of Setting

Much of what has been written about setting explores different aspects of setting that an author might include. The following list is by no means exhaustive: 

time of day

time in history 

geographical location 

season 

weather 

architecture

cultural context: language, history, religion, clothing, art, economy etc

objects 

These aspects of setting can be expressed through sensory details: smells, sights, sounds, tastes, feels. 

Genre Caveat

Certain genres assume settings. In fanfic, we often use ‘canon’ settings-- places with which our readers will already be familiar. Assumed or familiar settings can lead to particular pitfalls: 1) inaccuracies that will stand out to readers, 2) cliches/boring patterns, 3) lack of attention to setting, thus leaving out key details or simply ignoring a piece of the storycrafting process that could add depth. 

Prompts

Choose a story you’ve already published to evaluate. How did you use setting? Are there key passages or scenes in which your use of setting was particularly effective or integral to the story? Would you do anything to change or enhance the setting in a rewrite? 

Choose a WIP in which you want to enhance the setting and then try one (or both) of the following activities.

Create a moodboard relating to the overall setting of the story. Consider all the aspects of setting listed above, not just the visual ones. 

Choose three main places in your story (ex: the POV character’s bedroom, the local coffee shop, the front lawn where the climactic argument takes place) and list five things you might find in each place, using a sentence or two describe each one. 

Resources/References

Youtube Lecture on Setting 

Article with Tips 

Aspects of Setting (helpful for worldbuilding) 

Create a Setting (link from NaNoWriMo’s worksheet pp37-42) 

More TBA! Send us your favorite articles! 

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Plot

What do we mean by plot?

Now that you’ve thought about who your characters are and how they will change in your story, it’s time to start outlining the events and scenes of your story. Depending on the genre you are writing, these events or scenes may directly drive your characters’ development, or they may involve another, larger conflict. Put simply, plot is the organized structure of events in your story that show your character development and conflict.

It is important to intentionally plot out your story before you begin writing so that you can keep your story organized and your pacing on track. It’s your outline, the thing that will keep all the cool and emotional parts of your story in order.

Plot 101

Different genres lend themselves to different plot structures--but that’s not what we’re focusing on here. We’re taking it back to even more basics than that. No matter what genre or story type, most stories will have, at their core, the following structure: 

Your exposition sets the scene, showing your audience who your characters are and what their world is like. 

Your inciting incident introduces the conflict. Something happens to the character that will send them on a journey (internal, interpersonal, external).

Rising action are all the events that build your character up to facing the conflict head-on. Depending on the length of your story, this may involve multiple smaller conflicts, and multiple emotional highs and lows.

The climax of your story is the point at which the conflict where the tension in the conflict is highest. It is likely the point in the story where the character begins to accept a change in themselves or their circumstances that will allow them to solve the conflict.

The falling action are the events of the story that show what has changed since the climax.

Resolution involves the solution to the conflict (or various conflicts).

On an even simpler level, you may look at the beginning (how your characters are at the beginning, what the world is like, what happens to them to drive the conflict), the middle (all the things your characters do towards solving the conflict), and the end (how the conflict is resolved and how your characters and world are after the conflict) of your fic. This simpler version may lend itself better to shorter fic (or to those of us who have a hard time plotting).

Different Plotting Methods

Depending on who you are as a writer and thinker, a different method for organizing your plot may feel like a better fit. You may also want to look at different methods of plotting depending on the genre or length of story you write (a 2k fic may lend itself better to a different method than a 200k fic).

Freytag’s Model

Zigzag Plot

NaNoWriMo’s Plotting Method Quiz

Some brief descriptions of additional methods!

Tips for when you get stuck plotting

Prompts

Choose a story that you’ve already published (any length) and try to organize the plot using the freytag pyramid. If that really isn’t working for you, use one of the other plotting methods. Examine the structure of your story along with the pacing of your conflict and character development. Determine your strengths and weaknesses.

Choose a WIP and write out an intentional plot for it. Be as thorough as your method allows. Share it with a beta or on the discord (or publicly!).

Additional Resources: TBA 

Previous Topics: 

Character Development

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Character Development

What do we mean by “Character Development”? 

Just to start— when you google “character development,” you will find some confusion as to the meaning of the phrase.  When we use it here, we’re talking about the writing characters that grow and change throughout the story. This is different from crafting a character and strengthening characterization, though these are arguably foundational to the process of character development. 

Why character development? It helps us root for the hero. It keeps the story emotionally interesting. If done well, at the end of the story, it leaves readers even more emotionally satisfied than a well-executed plot wrap-up.   

Two elements need to be in place for effective (believable and emotionally satisfying) character development, a character primed for development and a compelling character arc. While the work of many pantsers (people who write flying by the seat of their pants) testifies to the truth that these elements don’t have to be carefully planned in advance, we would likely find them at the heart of our favorite stories, intentional or not.

Crafting a Character Primed for Development 

As indicated above, rich characterization can contribute to an effective character arc. However, there are a couple of specific elements of this characterization that impact whether or not a character is primed for development. These elements vary slightly depending on who you ask, but I think you’ll get the idea from these two samples.

In The Anatomy of a Story, John Truby advises writing heroes with weaknesses and a need, “From the very beginning of the story, your hero has one or more great weaknesses that are holding him back. Something is missing within him that is so profound, it is ruining his life… The need is what the hero must fulfill within himself in order to have a better life. It usually involves overcoming his weaknesses and changing, or growing, in some way.”

In the 2019 NaNoWriMo prep guide (on the very last page of its lengthy Character Worksheet, invites writers to answer Three Big Questions about their characters that, like Truby’s weaknesses and needs, prime them for development.

What does your main character want more than anything in the world?

What do they need to grow as a person (not necessarily the same thing as what they want)?

What major flaws (internal problems) and obstacles (external problems) will stand in their way?

Plotting a Compelling Character Arc

Once you know what your characters wants/needs to grow and what is standing in their way, you have to figure out how to get them there. This element of the story is the Character Arc. It may mirror or intertwine with the plot arc, but, in most genres, it is not usually the same thing. An argument could be made that in fanfiction, it often comes close.

Various authors/storycrafters have come up with organizational structures and worksheets to help authors plot this out. I am not convinced that any formula is necessary for an effective character arc, but it might a good place to start if this is something you want to work on— like training wheels.

I will not go into detail about any of them in particular, but here are a few to check out. I’m sure the google machine could lead you to many more.

Try/Fail Cycle  

Vonnegut’s Story Shapes

6 Stages of Character Development (youtube/podcast)

Character Arc/Plot Arc Diagram 

Prompts

Prompt: How does ‘character development,’ as defined above, show up in your writing (if at all)? Do you find it to be important, as a reader or as a storyteller? If so, how?

Choose a piece (or pieces) of your own writing to evaluate. What was your character’s want/need? What were their flaws/obstacles? Can you plot out the arc? Was it believable? Emotionally satisfying? What might you do differently if you were going to rewrite the story?

Bonus prompt: Choose one of the Character Arc creation tools and plot out a Character Arc for a current WIP.

Additional Resources

tba! Send us some to add!

[authorsworkshop]

Author Bio: juliusschmidt

For the @authorsworkshop Author Bio Project

Annotated Selection from the 24th Chapter of “Yet in Thy Dark Streets Shineth” 

“I’ve chosen this selection for many reasons, but, first and foremost, this scene came to me before most of the rest of the fic. I knew the final ‘get-together" would happen at midnight, as Harry and Louis rang in the Christmas in the church’s bell tower. So we begin with Pastor Harry alone in the tower, just before midnight on Christmas Eve.“

https://docs.google.com/document/d/116ArVBjMkKuSv2hjRus3dkQ6vqooieUEAYDeDClu1rU/edit?usp=sharing

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@authorsworkshop: Author Bio

Goal: to explore who we are as writers in the present moment, considering our passions and strengths.

Product: An Author Bio

Who are you as a writer? What do you write? Why do you write? What makes your writing uniquely yours?  

since tumblr is terrible with images sometimes, here’s a link to a higher quality version of the png, so you can actually read some of it lol

[authorsworkshop]

Intention2020: Week Two and Three

Over the next two weeks, we’re going to take a deep(ish) dive into six areas our current participants voted to explore. Each deep-dive will include:

The Basics: We’ll post some thoughts and starting resources for each topic.

Prompts: Each prompt post will include two separate prompts. One will invite you to evaluate your own writing and the other will invite you to write/engage with a WIP.

Resource Round-Up: We need help! We are not experts! We hope to gather resources regarding each topic from our participants and followers. Then we’ll create a master post of these resources for each topic and you can do an even deeper dive, if you’d like. So send us your resources!!!

The topics will be: character development; show, don’t tell; literary devices; action; plot construction; setting; conflict.

We’ll launch a new one every-other-day-ish. If you want to do a cursory run-through of every one, awesome. If you want to deep-deep dive only the few of greatest interest to you, also awesome! If you want to deep-deep dive every one, very, very awesome (and we’re jealous of your amount of free time).

We also encourage you to take some time to choose (write, edit) what piece you will be submitting to be workshopped. As those are to be uploaded for the following week.

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Week One: Author Bio

Goal: to explore who we are as writers in the present moment, considering our passions and strengths.

Who are you as a writer? What do you write? Why do you write? What makes your writing uniquely yours?  

i’ve decided to make a moodboard for this @authorsworkshop ‘s prompt, focusing more specifically on my original writing, trying to capture the mood/vibe of who i am as a writer. turns out it was really challenging to summarise who i am as a storyteller in a only a few images, but hopefully, this captures something essential about the stories i hope to tell and the way i want to tell them.

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Here’s a presentation I created to fulfill a project for @authorsworkshop​

Goal: to explore who we are as writers in the present moment, considering our passions and strengths. Who are you as a writer? What do you write? Why do you write? What makes your writing uniquely yours?  

Product: An Author Bio

[authorsworkshop]

Week One: Author Bio

this is a moodboard I created to fulfill a project for @authorsworkshop​

Goal: to explore who we are as writers in the present moment, considering our passions and strengths.

Product: An Author Bio

Who are you as a writer? What do you write? Why do you write? What makes your writing uniquely yours?  

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Prompt: Based on your own writing, what are your strengths? 

This prompt is meant to inform work on Author Bios, but it’s also good all on its own. It’s similar to some of our pre-workshop thinking, but different in that it invites us to tie everything together.

Our suggestion is to set a timer for however long you have to give to this question (ideally 20-30 minutes) and freewrite on the following questions as they inspire you. Then, share your thoughts on tumblr and/or in our discord chat.

What do people give you positive feedback for? (content, characterization, style, etc.)

What writing advice have you taken to heart that shows through in your writing?

What are you most proud of in your own fic?

As A Reader//Passions//Strengths

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Prompt: Based on your own writing, what are you passionate about writing?

This prompt is meant to inform work on Author Bios, but it’s also good all on its own. It’s similar to some of our pre-workshop thinking, but different in that it invites us to tie everything together.

Our suggestion is to set a timer for however long you have to give to this question (ideally 20-30 minutes) and freewrite on the following questions as they inspire you. Then, share your thoughts on tumblr and/or in our discord chat.

What inspired your favorite pieces of your own writing? 

What was your experience while writing your favorite fic? What did you enjoy? What was the struggle?

What do your favorite pieces have in common (content, conflict, characterization, setting, genre, etc.)

When do you feel the happiest/most inspired while writing?

This week’s prompts: As A Reader//Passions//Strengths

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Prompt: Who are you as a reader?

This prompt is meant to inform work on Author Bios, but it’s also good all on its own. It’s similar to some of our pre-workshop thinking, but different in that it invites us to tie everything together.

Our suggestion is to set a timer for however long you have to give to this question (ideally 20-30 minutes) and freewrite on the following questions as they inspire you. Then, share your thoughts on tumblr and/or in our discord chat.

What’s something that your favorite books and fics have in common (style, content, characters, genre, etc.)

What do your favorite characters have in common?

What ships do you like? Are there similar qualities or dynamics between the characters?

What type of story do you feel most passionate about sharing with others?

Why do you read? What do you get out of investing your time in reading?

This week’s prompts: As A Reader//Passions//Strengths

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Week One: Author Bio 

Welcome! We’re in color and the workshop has officially begun. 

Each week will look a bit different. This week, we’ll start with the instructions for the week’s Big Project. Then, over the next three days we’ll post some prompts to inform your work. If you’ve been following along with the pre-work, that’ll help, too. Finally, you’ll have the remainder of the week to create. 

Goal: to explore who we are as writers in the present moment, considering our passions and strengths. 

Product: An Author Bio

Who are you as a writer? What do you write? Why do you write? What makes your writing uniquely yours?  

Your answer may take a variety of forms:  

A blurb for an about page or a book jacket

A review of yourself from an outside perspective

A video where you give yourself an introduction speech to for a writing award (or some other accolade)

Alternatively, your acceptance speech for that award :)

A moodboard

A playlist

A collage

An annotated page of your favorite piece you’ve written

A brief character sketch of yourself (written or drawn)

A powerpoint (this was a joke, but then we liked it)

Other (be more creative than we are)

Due: Saturday, December 7, 2019, 11:59PM EST**

**Procrastinators stop reading now....... Okay, all you busy overachievers, this due date is only for people who need deadlines to function. Obviously, there are literally no consequences for failing to meet it. ;) 

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Last day to sign up!!!!

Workshop Sign-Ups

Write with Intention: Cultivating Writing Identities and Crafting Writing Goals for 2020

December 1, 2019-January 4, 2020

It’s time!! 

We’re trying to get a read on interest and develop a contact list, so please fill out the form even if you’re unsure about the degree to which you’ll be able to participate. We’d like to be able to keep you in the loop about this and future workshops. For our sanity, sign-ups will close November 30th, 8pm EST.

Sign-up now!  

Basic Info//Timeline & Guidelines//Sign-ups//Ask the Mods

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Pre-Workshop Thinking: Classic Intro Assignment

Think: What do you hope to get out of this workshop? What concerns do you have? Is there anything the other workshop participants should know about you? (Share on tumblr, email, or discord, as appropriate.)

Bonus prompt: Post one (or more?) of your go-to writing resources.

To be clear: (1) Nothing for this workshop (details/sign-up) is mandatory. Participate as you are able and inspired. (2) No need to be technically ‘signed-up’ to be a part of the happenings on tumblr, but if you’d like the discord invite or the necessary links for the full workshop (when the time comes) or the chance to help choose our deep-dive writing topics, we encourage you to fill out the Google form linked above.

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Round-up: Your Own Writing

(Prompt Post)

@louandhazaf‘s LIST

@taggiecb‘s LIST 

@mediawhorefics‘s LIST 

@dedkake‘s LIST

@allwaswell16‘s LIST (added 11/29) 

For the time being, I plan to update all the round-up posts on Thursdays and Mondays. Feel free to message me ( @juliusschmidt ) anything I missed in between. Sign-ups are still open. 

[authorsworkshop]

For pre-workshop thinking prompt about your favorite characters here.

@louandhazaf‘s LIST

@allwaswell16‘s LIST

@dedkake‘s LIST

@juliusschmidt‘s LIST

@mediawhorefics‘s LIST (added 11/29)

Sign-ups are still open. Join us!!