Pens and Swords » Tips & Tools

Biblical parables as storytelling patterns

Kameron — Mon, 10 May 2010 17:55:11 +0000

There is a common belief that Jesus used parables to teach spiritual truths because they used examples of every day life that the average person could identify with and understand. I shared this belief for many years, until recently reading this passage during my personal study:

And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” – Matthew 13:10-13 NKJ

Jesus goes on to quote a prophecy from Isaiah (6:9-10), the first part of which He referenced at the end of His answer in verse 13 above. It is the latter part of Isaiah’s prophecy that I want to apply to how fantasy fiction writers can use biblical parables as storytelling patterns.

For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.

Jesus didn’t use parables to make the gospel more accessible. It was just the opposite, in fact. He masked spiritual truths with mundane examples in order to weed out those who weren’t really interested in hearing what He had to say and becoming “doers of the word.” Those who were seeking, however, would be able to discern the real message and make the application to themselves.

Fantasy fiction offers fertile ground for writers to tell their own parables. Well-tread themes and familiar debates can be draped in shiny new clothes and dropped into alien environments. This gives them a distance that can allow for a more objective consideration.

Unfortunately, too many writers take the wrong approach and try to bludgeon their readers over the head with whatever theme or truth they want to espouse. These attempts usually include diaphanous allegory or preachy soliloquies by the protagonist.

If the reader is sympathetic to the writer’s views, they may be able to get past the heavy-handedness and still enjoy the story. However, if the reader holds to a contrary belief, or is just looking for some entertainment, the writer’s tactics have ruined any chance they might have had in reaching the audience.

Writers don’t need to abandon their efforts to explore themes and truths dear to them, but they do need to employ a little craft. Embed the message in the natural, organic growth and interactions of the characters, in the smooth, logical flow of the plot. Following the storytelling pattern seen in Jesus’s parables will allow readers who aren’t interested in enlightenment to enjoy a good story. And for those readers seeking deeper meanings, the writer will be rewarding their perceptiveness.
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Don’t be tossed to and fro by every editor

Kameron — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:16:07 +0000

I received another personalized rejection from the editor of Beneath Ceaseless Skies for “Relvan’s Rescue” (return time: ~5 weeks). That’s 3-in-a-row, if you’re keeping count, though, from what I hear on the Internets, Andrew makes an effort to give feedback on submissions.

It’s encouraging–on one hand–not to be receiving form rejections. On the other hand, personalized rejections can serve as bait that lures unsuspecting writers into the nasty trap of perpetual revisions. Here are some rules I follow to help determine whether comments from an editor warrant a revision.

Follow the trends
Every editor has their own tastes and preferences. Revising your story based on one person’s input won’t necessarily make it more palatable to the next, and unless the original editor invited back a revision, the market you heard back from should now be considered closed for that story.

If more than one person is seeing the same thing, however, it’s probably something that should be addressed by a revision. The two comments I received about the pace at the beginning of “Relvan’s Rescue” raised a red flag with me, and resulted in some tweaking.

Reassess the market
Though I usually do my homework beforehand, sometimes I submit to a market I consider a longshot. If I happen to get a personalized rejection back, I view the editor’s comments in light of what they tend to publish. Sometimes, you don’t learn about obstacles to a particular market until you get rejected, like I did when Heroic Fantasy Quarterly told me that pirate-related stories were a hard sell.

Stay true to the story
“Relvan’s Rescue” is an adventure fantasy in the sword-and-sorcery tradition, about a mercenary captain who escorts a client across pirate-invested waters, is betrayed, and must rescue them from the clutches of an evil villain. Sure, there are undertones of lost love rekindled and the threat of a larger war looming in the background, but those themes are not the focus of the story. They may be more interesting to an editor than the main plot, however.

I’m not interested in radically altering the story to accommodate that interest. I want to sell the story I wrote. If someone wants to commission me to write the latter, I’m all for that, too.

It’s important as a writer to be open to criticism, but it is just as important to apply a filter to that criticism if you don’t want to spend more time revising than submitting. The above rules are my filters. Share yours in the comments.
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The Bible as a storytelling pattern

Kameron — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:00:01 +0000

I know I have readers who are neither christian nor religious. Most of what follows may not have relevance to you, but I do make some applications to fantasy fiction writing with regard to presenting deities and embedding messages in your story. I encourage you to read through the entire post and take from it what you can.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

…as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,… (2 Peter 1:3).

I believe wholeheartedly in the words of the apostles Paul and Peter. The Bible provides everything one needs to live the christian life through direct commands, examples, or logical inferences. These form patterns that can be followed: patterns for moral living, patterns for worship, and patterns for ministry.

You can even find patterns for storytelling in the Bible.

There are two types of stories in the Bible: historical and illustrative. Historical stories are found in the Old Testament, and they serve a special purpose even after the covenant of the Mosaic Law ended at the cross:

Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:11-12).

Therefore the law was our tutor to Christ… (Galatians 3:24).

Paul reveals in his letters to the churches in Corinth and Galatia that the accounts of Israel still serve a purpose. They tell a story of how God dealt with those who obeyed Him, and those who chose their will over His. They paint a picture that prepares one for the revelation of Christ.

A fantasy fiction writer can make a some applications to their own writing when they read about the exodus from Egypt, or the conquest of the promised land, or the Babylonian captivity. The first is how the Bible depicts the interactions between man and deity. God is never seen. He appears as an elemental manifestation that is obviously supernatural. He sends visions, or unearthly messengers who are immediately identifiable as superior beings. The mere sound of God’s voice is enough to cause a nation to tremble in fear, and even glimpsing the glory that trails the passing of God is enough to make a man’s face shine so bright he must wear a veil.

In other words, a god’s presence in your story should not be a mundane event. I know classic tales are filled with scheming gods, but the greatest myths focused on the mortal pawns, or denuded deities seeking to regain their place in the heavens. I had one scene in Maiden of Pain where Loviatar appeared to Ythnel, but the editor told me to remove any direct appearance by the goddess. I don’t remember his exact words why, but it goes to show that even in the Forgotten Realms, where deities are a dime a dozen, their participation in a story is not a regular occurrence.

The stories of the Old Testament also give fantasy fiction writers a pattern for how to include the involvement of a god in a plot. In most cases, God appears to an individual agent, reveals what He wants that agent to do, and states how His power will manifest through that agent. If He does not act through a man (or woman), He sends an angel to do what must be done. When He does appear and directly interact, it’s as a cloud or pillar of flame that guides His people. God’s appearance or working of His power is never a deus ex machina. There’s been plenty of foreshadowing.

The last application I want to make pertains to fantasy fiction writers seeking to use their stories to evangelize or reveal a spiritual Truth. I applaud and encourage those who champion a christian worldview in their writing. I think you would be better served to write stories that followed the pattern seen in the histories of the Old Testament than to incorporate Christ-like characters and conversions. Remember, the law and the examples of those who lived under it are a tutor to bring people to Christ. They are effective tools for laying a foundation of Truth and establishing principles that will better prepare people to ultimately receive the message of the gospel.

I’ll cover parables, the illustrative stories Jesus told to reveal a spiritual truth, as a storytelling pattern in another post. Until then, I’d like to know what your thoughts are on the depiction of deity in fantasy fiction. Do you lean toward the biblical pattern revealed in the Old Testament, or do gods belong in roles more similar to those seen in classical myth? If you’re a christian writer, what do you see as the pros and cons of tales in the mold of OT histories versus Christian allegory or conversion stories?Similar Posts:

Power levels fluctuating

Kameron — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:00:45 +0000

I recently watched disc 1 of Justice League animated series’ first season. I’ve been a fan of Bruce Timm’s other DC universe productions, but found myself sorely disappointed in this particular endeavor for one reason alone: lazy writing.

How do I know the writers were lazy? Because they committed a cardinal sin of comic book writing. Rather than coming up with creative ways to foil the combined (or individual) might of earth’s greatest superheroes, the writers opted to simply cripple their powers when the plot mandated that they fail. One minute the heroes would be pummeling their way through the ranks of the bad guys, and the next the Flash would trip on a rock or Superman would succumb to an electrified barrier that protected the door leading to the control room, and they would be captured. Then, when it came time for the climatic battle, they would once again become unstoppable.

It’s not unusual for the power levels of a superhero to fluctuate over time as new creative teams take over, but to do so with the same story is a sign the writers aren’t taking the time to fill in the plotholes. Instead, they rely on a kind of reverse deus ex machina, creating artificial conflict where none should exist.

This laziness is not limited to superhero stories. It can worm its way into any fantasy fiction story. The skilled weapons master fumbles at a key moment against an opponent he obviously has the upper hand against. Or a powerful wizard’s spell that blew a hole in the foot-thick stone wall just a moment ago, now fails to do lethal damage to the dark lord’s mortal minions (with no justification for the change).

Readers, and viewers, can spot the contrivance from a mile away, so spend some time coming up with real challenges for your heroes. Pit them against enemies that can take the punishment and dish it out in kind, or who have the ability to exploit a weakness that you’ve set up prior to the encounter.

Another option is to lower the power levels. Invincible heroes might seem cool in our heads, with their ability to mow down enemies and not break a sweat, but they don’t make for very good storytelling. Your audience won’t relate, and they won’t care about the heroes because nothing can happen to them.Similar Posts:

Stop kicking against the goads

Kameron — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:00:23 +0000

The apostle Paul was once known as the Pharisee Saul, with a reputation for persecuting followers of the Way, “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.” He caused the deaths of many Christians and forced others to blaspheme against their faith. All the while, he fervently believed he was doing the will of God, rooting out heretics of the Jewish religion.

Until Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, and told him, “It is hard to kick against the goads.”

This statement was a reference to the shepherding technique of prodding reluctant sheep in a direction they did not want to go. The sheep would kick back, but the sharp point of the prod made resistance painful, and the sheep quickly corrected course.

For all of Saul’s efforts, Christianity was flourishing. Once he realized the futility of the path he was following, he corrected his course and found the new direction bore more and better fruit.

There are times when I feel like Saul when I’m writing. Progress is painful. I stare at the screen until my vision blurs, and after a couple of days of that, I start to find excuses not to even open the document.

I just went through one such episode this last week while working on a scene in chapter three of Shattered Amulet. I had decided on a solution for how Logan was going to sneak into a heavily guarded keep, and could picture how the events played out with great clarity, but the words simply refused to come.

Some people would describe this as writer’s block, but I am not a believer in such a thing. At least, not as an excuse to not write. Yes, there are times when the words don’t flow like rivers of milk and honey, but instead have to be pulled like an impacted wisdom tooth. I believe there is a reason for this.

The writer is kicking against the goads.

Experience has shown me that I get writer’s block most often when I am attempting to take the story or a character down a path they shouldn’t be going. If I sit back and rethink the direction I’m heading, I no longer find my way blocked.

Sometimes I have to change course a couple times, but the corrections are still fairly minor–I’m not making radical revisions to major plot points. Such was the case with regard to the scene from Shattered Amulet. I had already changed the method for entry once, and when I encountered “writer’s block” on the second solution, I took a few minutes to explore another possibility and was able to jump right back into my writing (with just a little backtracking).

Not every instance of writer’s block is a result of “kicking against the goads.” Sometimes, it’s just a lack of interest and requires the discipline necessary to keep your butt in the seat and fingers on the keyboard. If you find forward progress down your current path painful, however, maybe you need to stop, take a step back, and see if there isn’t a better route to follow that will get you to the same place in your story.Similar Posts:

Building a fantasy fiction character

Kameron — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:00:17 +0000

It’s not unheard of for fantasy fiction writers to spend a lot of time and effort on world-building. Character-building, on the other hand, often takes a back seat, resulting in one-dimensional archetypes instead of a cast with personality and motivations. Imagine the depth and complexity fantasy fiction characters might have if writers spent as much time as RPG powergamers did figuring out the optimal build for their characters.

These character builds are often developed through mathematical exercises or staged tests rather than through trial and error during actual play. A fantasy fiction writer can take a similar approach to building their characters by exploring who they are and what makes them tick before work on the story is begun.
The following exercises can be useful for fleshing out characters: write an origin story, list of traits and quirks, list of questions about character motivations.

The origin story
Not every fantasy fiction story is a coming-of-age tale where the farm boy evolves into the hero of prophecy. Sometimes, the protagonist is a grizzled veteran. This tool can be useful for villains, too. The origin story will allow the writer to get understand how the character’s past has shaped them into the person they are in the story.

Keep the origin story short, between 500-2000 words, and focus on a singular event or person that started the character down the path that led them to where they are at the start of the tale. Identifying the relationships between the people and places can give you fodder for your story as the character returns to them later.

Traits and quirks
A common exercise in developing characters for roleplaying games is to create a short list of four or five traits that define the character. Think of traits as personality strengths the character possesses.

The purpose of character-building exercises is to avoid Mary Sue (and her brother Marty Stu), so round out the list of traits with a quirk, or flaw. Complex characters are often defined by their weakness, and that weakness is also what helps the reader identify with the character. Quirks can be comedic or tragic, it all depends on the flavor of story being written.

20 Questions
If you read or write a blog, you’ve probably been subjected to an online quiz that asks what you would do in situation X, and gives you four answers to choose from. A fantasy fiction writer can use this same tool to help them with character-building. Write up a series of hypothetical situations and four possible solutions. Rather than choosing the first answer that comes to mind, spend some time exploring what answer best fits for the character and why. Or, use the list to generate a character’s personality and motivations by “randomly” selecting answers.

What tools do you use to build a fantasy fiction character? Have you used one of these three methods before? Share your experiences in the comments.Similar Posts:

Choosing a fantasy fiction title

Kameron — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:00:56 +0000

My stance on beta readers and critique groups isn’t as contrary as my last post made it seem. I use beta readers. Sometimes, it’s just my wife. Sometimes I’ll seek out subject matter experts or other genre writers. I’m very particular about who I solicit input from, and what input I’m interested in.

I used beta readers to gather feedback on “Relvan’s Rescue” before submitting it for publication. One particular comment I struggled with was from a reader who expected more from Relvan as a character because his name was in the title. Relvan was never a central figure in any version of the story. His rescue served as a stage for Janner’s story. However, the title set a reader expectation that I wasn’t fulfilling.

A title informs the reader about the focus of the story at a very high level. In fantasy fiction, the title often refers to the quest or, more specifically, the legendary item of power quested for. Sometimes, it is a reference to the hero’s journey, either the literal (the name of the land she travels through) or the symbolic (the change or growth he experiences). Another common, fantasy fiction title convention is to use a name or title that describes a central character of the story.

I think some of the conventions are tired and a little overused. That’s not to say I haven’t used them myself, or won’t read a story whose title follows the “The [fantasy noun] of [fantasy noun]” format, but I prefer there to be multiple layers of significance to the title. That was my intent with “Relvan’s Rescue”. Too often, the title’s reference is simple and obvious, and that is boring.

If a fantasy fiction title possesses more than one meaning, and one or more of those meanings is hidden, it’s up to the writer to make sure the reader is aware of the title’s significance somewhere within the story. This signpost should be obvious to the reader. An event should happen or a line of dialog should be spoken that causes the reader to have an “ah-ha” moment where the relevance of the title clicks.

Relvan is not a central character in “Relvan’s Rescue”, but because I had not clearly signaled the relationship between his rescue and the main character, Janner Kohl, my beta reader felt cheated. I briefly considered changing the title, but instead addressed the issue within the story by adding two lines of dialog toward the end of the climatic scene. The change satisfied the reader.

Have you read a story where the title didn’t seem relevant? What about a story where the author used the title in a clever way? Is there a particular fantasy fiction title convention you prefer, or are tired of seeing? Share your answers in the comments. Similar Posts:

Using magic in fantasy fiction

Kameron — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:00:10 +0000

Magic is a mainstay–some might even argue a defining characteristic–of fantasy fiction. A writer determines whether magic follows a system of rules or leaves it mysterious and unexplained when building the world the story is set in. That is only the first step of using magic in fantasy fiction, however. The writer then needs to decide how they will depict the use of magic by the inhabitants of the world.

The means and methods of using magic really adds flavor to the setting of a fantasy fiction story. Witches and shamans casting bones or reading entrails sets a very different tone from wizened old men with long, white beards invoking the names of planar beings or reading aloud from thick, leather-bound tomes. One lends a primal feeling to the world, while the other comes across as more sophisticated and scholarly. The writer could even create a pseudo-futuristic fantasy world where magic replaces technology.

How magic is used can also dictate the direction and pace of the plot. Magic that requires reagents for the casting of spells, or is contained within powerful artifacts, provide moments of conflict as characters manage resources, motivations for quests, or scenes of character development as they learn to use the magic.

Magic use can even aid in determining the genre of a fantasy fiction story. One of the defining traits of sword-and-sorcery is the preference of steel over magic by the protagonists. Magic serves as the obstacle the hero must overcome, usually wielded by an evil sorcerer or supernatural monster.

How has magic use added flavor to a fantasy fiction story you’ve read or written? Is there a depiction of some wizard casting a spell or hero unlocking the mystic secret of an artifact that now defines a particular world or setting for you? Describe it in the comments.Similar Posts:

Where do you start a story

Kameron — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:00:01 +0000

One result of the expanded role for Lady Temmere in “Relvan’s Rescue” was my decision to begin the story a few scenes “later” than where I originally started it. Where to start your fantasy fiction story is both an important and difficult decision to make. You only get one chance to hook the reader, to make the great first impression. If the opening scene takes place too early, you risk boring the reader. If it takes place too late, the reader may get confused. The question is, what is “too early” or “too late?”

The short answer is “as close to the action as possible.” Don’t spend the first chapters of your fantasy fiction novel cataloging the 1000-year history of your world. Or the prologue, either. That should really be woven into the story, revealed to the reader at relevant points in the plot, drawing them deeper into the rich tapestry you’ve crafted.

Novel writers get away with bending this rule now and again, but the good ones jump right into the thick of things starting at page one, even if that point is way back in history. It’s still directly related to the plot.

Short stories don’t enjoy the same luxury. Arbitrary word limits require fantasy fiction writers to keep a tight focus. Pages of “stage setting” aren’t necessary to establish a character’s motivations or their stakes in conflict. They bloat the manuscript and result in a rushed pace that leaves the reader unsatisfied.

This is an area where I think fantasy fiction novelists could learn from short story writers. It is excessive to spend multiple chapters pounding into the minds of readers the immaturity of the scullery boy who spends his time shirking his duties to fantasize about being a knight, or how much the dying king was beloved by his people in order to contrast the ineptitude/corruption of his heir. A concise scene or two is all it takes in the beginning. There will be plenty of room to develop the characters as the story progresses.

How do you decide where to start your story? Do you mind if the author takes her time getting the ball rolling, or do you prefer having a clear sense of conflict right from the start?Similar Posts:

Growing an outline into a story

Kameron — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:00:46 +0000

I write using an outline. If you’re doing work-for-hire, you’ll probably have to turn in a chapter-by-chapter outline before you turn in a manuscript. I know there are many writers out there who prefer not to work with an outline, however. I find outlines to be invaluable tools for keeping a story on track and identifying plot holes. I usually keep two windows open when I write: one for the manuscript and one for the outline.

My outline for Shattered Amulet has seen more use than just as a reference tool. The outline I submitted to Wizards of the Coast for Maiden of Pain was 17 pages long, and some chapters contained as much detail as specific lines of dialog for a character. When I initially outlined Shattered Amulet, I ended up around 10 pages covering about 14 chapters. The main plot and certain scenes had lived so long in my head, I thought a sentence’s worth of description would be enough to trigger a torrent of words when it came time to write.

They didn’t. I found myself many times since going back and fleshing out those chapters in the outline, adding several levels of detail until I’d nearly written the scene word for word.

“Ding,” went the light bulb.

I’m sure some people feel their not really “writing” unless their sentences form pretty paragraphs that fill up the screen or page, but let’s be honest and admit that most of us will spend too many hours staring at that daunting, blank white space, waiting for the muse to give us more than a sentence or two at a time. I do, and it’s frustrating because I already know what I want to happen in the scene–in the whole story, for that matter. The difficulty is in the details. Wouldn’t it be great if I could just write out the main points of the story then come back and flesh it out a sentence at a time. Each time I ran through it, I’d add more and more detail until those two sentences became a paragraph, that paragraph became a scene, and those scenes became a chapter.

Guess what? I just described the process of outlining. That’s right. You can grow your outline detail by detail into a full-fledged fantasy fiction story. I found myself recently doing that with scenes in Shattered Amulet. Rather than stare at the last period I just wrote, I’m going back to the outline and adding a line of detail then another, and another. Pretty soon, I have the scene written out and I can transpose it to my manuscript. It’s been an incredible tool for overcoming writer’s block.

Do you use outlines? How much detail do you tend to include? If you don’t use outlines, but find yourself getting stuck in the middle of a scene, I’d encourage you to give outlining a try. Let me know how it goes.
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