tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post4636394423840313221..comments2023-12-09T00:33:24.572-08:00Comments on Novel Matters: Story World Matters: Part IIBonnie Grovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-26756994758568235512012-01-26T13:05:05.738-08:002012-01-26T13:05:05.738-08:00Ucheri: Horror, paranormal, and supernatural are a...Ucheri: Horror, paranormal, and supernatural are all genres (or sub genres). They have certain plot beats that must be present in the story in order to be considered of the genre. The story structure, however is different. Horror is often based on gothic structure which comes out of old dark fairy tales that tried to teach women to be pure (in horror, women who abstain from sex, and are nice and innocent are spared, while bad girls who have sex and aren't "nice" are given their just reward (in today's horror stories that means they are killed). <br /><br />Paranormal can be understood as genre in a loose sense, but it is often used in hybrids. It gets partnered with romance often (thus follows a love story structure). <br /><br />Here is the key to creating a unique structure regardless of what genre you are writing in: erect the scaffolding of your story so that it reflects the movement of the hero through the entire story. <br /><br />Don't think of story structure as a template that you must adhere to, think of it instead as the tools you use to build a story in connection to your hero and your characters that makes the story unique.Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-55490173902256725142012-01-26T12:35:22.983-08:002012-01-26T12:35:22.983-08:00Great posts. I totally agree your article is very ...Great posts. I totally agree your article is very deep! As I follow and learn I just have a question. <br /><br />Apart from those you've mentioned (Allegory/myth hybrid, Fairy tale, love story) What are the other kinds of story structure ?<br /><br />To be clear, would I be right to consider horror story, paranormal story, or supernatural story as story structure /process? Also could you mention some others.Ucherihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16346441526950229196noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-73474801849125577922012-01-26T12:13:47.139-08:002012-01-26T12:13:47.139-08:00Wendy: Thanks.
Megan: It has been helpful to me t...Wendy: Thanks.<br /><br />Megan: It has been helpful to me to reread works I know well and look for story world details, just as you have with Gatsby. It helps, too when you realize that you KNOW this stuff on a gut level. When we start talking about it, teasing out separate components it can get heady.<br /><br />Marian: :)<br /><br />Karen: Thanks for your vote of confidence! I sure hope to be able to tell you when the book will be available. I'm living the "pinch me" moments of knowing several amazing publishers are reading my work this week-ish and making decisions. YAY!<br /><br />Marti: Just that fact that you up pulled that wonderful comic strip up and shared it with us proves your ideas far above horsie and ducky. <br /><br />I'm glad people are finding something to chew on in these articles. Part 3 is Friday, and I'll be asking a question tomorrow to see how many people would like to join me on a teaching conference call to discuss this further. If you're interested, hold off until tomorrow and I'll be collecting numbers. I would need 15 or so minimum to make it work.Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-61976335509958915442012-01-26T12:10:29.084-08:002012-01-26T12:10:29.084-08:00In Star Wars 4 - Luke's final battle is in the...In Star Wars 4 - Luke's final battle is in the narrow trenches of the Death Star, and Obi Wan battles Vader in that tiny room off the huge hanger. In number 6 pilots are flying in this incredible tight maze to try to blow up the second Death Star while Luke battles Vader and the Emperor in the room and finally on a small catwalk.<br /><br />How does one incorporate this into one's writing? Do you do that as you go along, or after the first draft is done and you are going back doing the weeding and pruning? A bit of both?Steve Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02332880875202358601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-23360836223185292802012-01-26T12:02:39.916-08:002012-01-26T12:02:39.916-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-55932802845544724032012-01-26T09:21:58.054-08:002012-01-26T09:21:58.054-08:00I feel like Charlie in the Peanuts cartoon. He, Lu...I feel like Charlie in the Peanuts cartoon. He, Lucy, and Linus are flat on their backs, watching the clouds:<br /><br />Lucy: If you use your imagination, you can see lots of things in the cloud formation...What do you think you see, Linus? <br /><br />Linus: Well, those clouds up there look to me like the map of the British Honduras in the Caribbean....That cloud up there looks a little like the profile of Thomas Eakins, the famous painter and sculptor...and that group of clouds over there gives me the impression of the stoning of Stephen...I can see the Apostle Paul standing there to one side.... <br /><br />Lucy: Uh huh...That's very good... What do you see in the clouds, Charlie Brown? <br /><br />Charlie Brown: Well, I was going to say I saw a ducky and a horsie, but I changed my mind.<br /><br />I won't post my comments about the ducky and the horsie. But you do have me thinking. And thinking--thinking is good.<br /><br />Even for Charlie Browns like me.Marti Pieperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05628490923094628107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-48375561105439479742012-01-26T03:23:02.173-08:002012-01-26T03:23:02.173-08:00This is very deep! I'm totally impressed by yo...This is very deep! I'm totally impressed by your braininess. I'm sorry that my own un-brainy brain is too tired to come up with anything more intelligent to add to the conversation. Just wanted to let you know that I'm reading and enjoying. :-) <br /><br />... Oh, and I love the fairytale structure of your story and how you've used the apartment as a "high tower" - seriously cool! You know I'll be pre-ordering this book the second it appears, right? :-)Karen @ a house full of sunshinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17787916466155321686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-31136754125578440482012-01-25T11:18:05.937-08:002012-01-25T11:18:05.937-08:00This is rich.This is rich.Marianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990101542996298555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-23864750160175011222012-01-25T11:09:24.644-08:002012-01-25T11:09:24.644-08:00Bonnie I'm loving this too!
After I read it la...Bonnie I'm loving this too!<br />After I read it last night (because it IS nice knowing when things will turn up) I grabbed Gatsby off the shelf again. It must be about ten years since I read it last (and I've read it a few times) but your unpacking of it's story-world made it come alive!<br />Not only is the prose so sumptious (makes me long for books to be written that well again) and the characterisation so rich, I'm LOVING this whole symbolism between the traditional East Egg and all the people who long for Gatsby's parties in the West Egg. Awesome!<br />Thanks so much. Love your work!!!Megan Sayerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15410068162701570057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-9727689484048582892012-01-25T10:04:24.004-08:002012-01-25T10:04:24.004-08:00Not sure I have your email, Bonnie.
Mine is mille...Not sure I have your email, Bonnie.<br /><br />Mine is millerct1{at}cox{dot}net.<br /><br />Would love to discuss this book & others.<br /><br />Your FB status updates crack me up!<br />~ WendyWendy Paine Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15136235074351188350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-46780211004808238802012-01-25T09:10:43.147-08:002012-01-25T09:10:43.147-08:00Debra: We love quiet lurkers. Story world is very ...Debra: We love quiet lurkers. Story world is very much about setting. It also takes into account all the spaces inside the setting, the weather, technology, open and closed spaces, and all the other details and connects them organically to your characters. <br /><br />Thanks so much for your great thoughts!Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-30267674119438290072012-01-25T09:08:03.061-08:002012-01-25T09:08:03.061-08:00Great examples Bonnie. I like to think of setting ...Great examples Bonnie. I like to think of setting as a character, and for what I'm writing it's very important. I appreciate these posts (yes, I'm reading along with the rest of the quiet lurkers)Debra E. Marvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17853387871623424853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-88218812412175792382012-01-25T07:13:13.992-08:002012-01-25T07:13:13.992-08:00Susie: I'm a little relieved that these posts ...Susie: I'm a little relieved that these posts are making sense. It's been unusually quiet on the blog--but I'm hoping that is because the posts are providing something useful to think about and ponder. Fingers crossed. Very glad you are finding these helpful.<br /><br />Wendy: I'd love to know your thoughts on The Dovekeepers when you're finished, Wendy. Do you have my email?<br />Yay for brain food! Believe me, they are brain food for me too. I'm starting to work on a new novel and writing these articles is helping.Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-88025587943648443762012-01-25T06:23:08.735-08:002012-01-25T06:23:08.735-08:00Reading The Dovekeepers.
Wow. Such insight here t...Reading The Dovekeepers.<br /><br />Wow. Such insight here today. You've got my brain cogs churning to life. I'm thinking about every novel I've ever read and measuring it against this space theory. Talk about brain food!<br />~ WendyWendy Paine Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15136235074351188350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-111763923684322672012-01-25T04:59:14.897-08:002012-01-25T04:59:14.897-08:00Yes. Yes. This makes perfect sense. As I ready mys...Yes. Yes. This makes perfect sense. As I ready myself for the writing of novel #2 I'm finding this week to be EXTREMELY helpful. <br /><br />Thank you, Bonnie!Susie Finkbeinerhttp://www.susiefinkbeiner.comnoreply@blogger.com