Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Ritual



Monday we talked about mythos, and so the logical progression, at least for me, was to then talk about religion. Some of you will say that they’re the same thing, and I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong. Mythologies are stories, religions are things that we all have, things that root us in our lives. Your routine is your religion. And so now, we must ask,

Why do we need…

Religion?


Like I just said, it’s your routine. Religions are things that we all have. Some of us religiously watch football or baseball games. Others go to church and say our prayers. Most of us get up in the morning, brush our teeth, and get on with our day. Yeah, that’s a religion too.

From the point of view of a reader…


It’s interesting to me, to see what authors come up with in this category. Religions in the traditional sense, as in Christian, Buddhist, etc., while interesting, can get a little bit old after a while, if nothing ever happens to make it a real point of the story. But, religiously doing things, like a character in a war, one who religiously touches a pendant on their neck whenever someone dies, can be really intriguing. Why this pendant? What does it mean for them? What would happen if they lost it? There’s a lot of interesting things to cover in there, certainly.

From the point of view of a writer…


I really enjoy playing around with religion in story. That should be pretty obvious by now, if you’ve read any of the Druid Novels. But at this point, I’ve also played around with religious actions in some of my other, not yet released, novels. I find it a lot of fun to create religions in a story, to have something that really unites a certain people in their belief, and then to put one of those people next to someone who doesn’t have any sort of faith at all. It’s also interesting to put a character with a ton of religious tendencies next to a character who throws caution to the wind. Lots to be played with, and lots of reasons why it shouldn’t just be ignored. It’s a part of who people are, as a whole, and so it’s something that we can’t glaze over in our stories.

From the point of view of an editor…


I like to see that writers are exploring a lot of angles, including religion. I like to see both sides of it, characters who are religious and those who aren’t, but I also like to see religion as a hierarchy. There are a lot of interesting plots to be explored in the realm of religion, and if you can come up with something completely unique, something to make me awe, then you’re someone I certainly want to work with. But if you’re someone who’s figured out the ins and outs of their chosen religion, someone who’s willing to really get in there and get in-depth with what you’re doing in the story, then I want to see more from you. I want to work with you, right here, right now. That’s how big this theme can be, in the grand scheme of things.

So, let’s get religious.

[love]

{Rani D.}

Monday, May 29, 2017

Myth



Well friends, this is it. We’ve reached the final week of our series. So, I’ve picked out there very important topics, and two of which you might not have thought of right away, when I first started this series. Surprise topics are great, aren’t they?

Why do we need…

Mythoi?


Now, just in case you’re wondering, mythoi are basically mythologies, stories, things that we can build off in stories—and no, not just in fantasy stories. Mythology actually plays a large part in nonfictional stories as well as fictional ones, and they really do a lot for making a story seem that much more real, if I’m being honest.

From the point of view of a reader…


Mythology is a form of detail that we don’t get a ton of in most stories these days. I really like when it’s one of the first things defined, or when it’s the vein that’s holding a story together. Myths and legends can really play a huge role in how stories play out. Like with Ted Dekker’s Circle series, there’s the histories that run a huge vein through the whole series and link it all together, but no one can really prove that it’s happened. That, to me, is a huge draw for reading a story. I have a hard time putting books like that down.

From the point of view of a writer…


Take the Druid Novels, for instance. They all have a running theme, a running mythos, and if you’re paying close attention, you’ll notice that the same mythos is running through every book in a different way. That, to me, is the whole fun of mythology. It’s great to play around with, to tweak to suit your needs, or even to create to formulate your story. Whatever you’re doing with it, as long as you think it through all the way (preferably before you start writing), you’ll have potential for a really great story.

From the point of view of an editor…


If you can create your own mythos, and make it as seamless and fluid as your story needs it to be, you’ll impress every editor who reads it. Even if your story isn’t one that we want to work with, you’ll still impress—and that’s a good thing to do. If we like you but we don’t want to edit your work, chances are we know another editor who would be better. And if you’re using an actual mythology in your story, one that exists in the real world, then I want to see that you’re an actual authority on it. Do your research. Write it well. You’ll impress just as much as someone who made up the whole thing.

Myths are a part of life, aren’t they?

[love]

{Rani Divine}

Friday, May 26, 2017

Ad



As the week comes to a close, I have a topic that’s maybe not so obvious to you, or maybe so obvious that you didn’t even think of it. Which is why I added it to the list, because a lot of people seem to be struggling with knowing exactly what to do with them lately, and I thought we could all use a little mini discussion on the subject.

Why do we need…

Adjectives/Adverbs?


Should be pretty obvious, right? It’s so we can more adequately describe a situation or a thing, an action or an object. And they’re extremely important. But with the onslaught of the “Show, Don’t Tell” movement, many writers (and even readers) have gotten a little confused on what we should be looking for, when it comes to these descriptors.  

From the point of view of a reader…


I like detail. We’ve been over that before, back in our first week, if I’m not mistaken. But that detail comes through words like these, adjectives and adverbs. They’re ones that a lot of writers have taken to cutting out of their writing, to the point that I sometimes have to make up what a thing looks like, what it feels like, how it sounds… and I don’t want to have to do that. People will tell you that I like to do a lot of that myself, as a reader, but it’s not true. I want you to tell me what your world is like, and I want to experience it. That requires words like these.

From the point of view of a writer…


I’m a descriptor fanatic. I use too many of them, in my opinion. I’m working on that. Just like the reader version of me, I like to show a lot of detail in my writing. Readers want to know what my world looks like? Well, I’ll tell them! I like to string a few adjectives together, or give an adverb here or there to tell you exactly how something is playing out. In my opinion, it gives a better feel for the story as a whole, and for what’s going on. I like them. Please don’t cut them all out.

From the point of view of an editor…


I’m sure you’ve all heard of the “Show, Don’t Tell” movement, so I won’t bother to explain it. But somewhere along the way, everyone got confused on what that meant. I’ve seen it both ways, that showing means to use all the descriptive words, and that telling means to use the descriptive words. Well, here’s the thing. Throw that whole “Show, Don’t Tell” crap out the window and write the way you want to write. No, I take that back. Write what you want to read. Chances are, that’s a pretty interesting story, and a pretty interesting way to write. Some of you, I’ll ask to add more description. Others, I’ll tell to cut it. But please, whatever you do, don’t cut them all out. Don’t limit your descriptions because you’re confused about this movement. That, to me, is a writing sin. Don’t commit it, and I won’t have to scold you when you send me your work. Not that I would scold you anyway, but I would sit you down (over a cup of tea, perhaps) and explain why you need to work on this.

The moral of this story? It’s not a bad thing, to describe what you’re talking about.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend, everyone! I'll be back on Monday with another post!

[love]

{RD}