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Noticing Newbies: October 07, 2015 Issue [#7259]

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Noticing Newbies


 This week: Writing a Relate-able Story
  Edited by: Sara♥Jean
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

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Letter from the editor

Fiction has a very particular following, a very particular direction, and also (unfortunately) some very particular stereotypes.

Many who shy away from the fiction genre do so for a very specific reason - a lack of realism. (I mean, really. It is even in the name. FICTION.) It is their opinion that the stories and characters in the fiction genre are very hard to relate to, and lack a believability. That it is hard to place themselves within the shoes of the characters, or in the world of the characters -- and in many cases, I believe this could be true!

Some might say that they lack imagination, and that is why they have a hard time relating to the stories, but that is not always the case. I think that, even though a story or character lies within a make believe world, writers sometimes forget to make their characters and worlds relate-able. It is hard to relate to something that isn't believable, and for those whom that is important, it will completely isolate a group of readers who could easily be drawn in if a few concessions were made.

So, today, I intend to relay a few ways to be sure that the characters and worlds in your story, no matter what genre, are relate-able and "realistic", despite the fact that they are actually completely fantastical.


1. Make sure your characters have flaws, as well as strengths. One mistake that many make when writing is making their characters flawless. Since they aren't real, and they have special "powers" or "abilities" that others may not have, flaws seem to simply be overlooked. Flaws, however, are what allow others to relate to your characters, even when they are completely different! Flaws can be absolutely fascinating, and can range from one very large spectrum to another.

For example:

You have created a character who, because of her race, intentions, or perhaps even background, is not "allowed" to fall in love. Perhaps she is intended to be only an adviser, and never to be a wife. She has been brought up and trained for a very specific purpose in which love has absolutely no place.

Now, add to this character the fact that she has a very large heart, and falls in love far too easily. This flaw, in a character who is not allowed to fall in love for whatever reason, is bound to bring tragedy, depth, and chaos naturally to a story. Make a character who isn't allowed to do something, it's nearly inevitable that they will do it! Just to "ruin" everything.

-----

Now let's consider a male character who is supposed to be the most wise, most strong, most everything in the entire world. Perhaps he is the most powerful sorcerer in the land, and no one can beat him. Or the greatest and most powerful politician, and no one can ever beat him in an election. No one! He's also completely ruthless, and his heart is cold. He rules the land with an iron fist, and his subjects are very obedient. No one dares go against him, or they shall surely die.

This sort of character NEEDS a flaw. Maybe not one that is visible, but something that can be used to "defeat" them in the end. There is no way this man could have gone his entire life and not gained a single flaw.

The examples for flaws could be:

1. He had a child when he was very young in a casual fling and was never told. The child resurfaces, and proves his ancestry by knowing some things of the man that only a lover could have known -- learned from his mother. Including his flaw -- the only thing that can kill him.

2. Why is the man that way? Something had to have MADE him ruthless and cold. What if the cause of the coldness suddenly arrives again - whether it be woman, circumstance, etc? This could have a possibility of breaking the man, because that IS his flaw.

3. Perhaps there is a single spell that he is weak to. And perhaps one of his flaws is that, even though he is cold to the world, there is one person he confides in, and that person turns on him. Sometimes, a weakness can be trusting a person who is not worthy of being trusted. (How many of us do THAT in our every day lives?)
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The possibilities for creating flaws are endless! Endless, fascinating, and certainly they can give someone something to cling to and relate to.


2. Create a world which gives the reader a mental or physical reaction. Make a world that repulses the reader, or one that fascinates the reader. One certainly different from the one we live in, but interesting enough that the descriptions are a desired part of the reading. They read the descriptions because they crave to picture this world in their mind, to put themselves in it. Would they hate it or like it? If they would be indifferent, they will be indifferent about reading the descriptions -- make it special. Make it different. Make it worth their time.

3. Make sure that the characters fit the world they are living in. And if they don't, there needs to be somewhere in the story that relates why they are misplaced in such a manner. If the characters and the world clash, however, it makes it harder for any to open their minds to the fantastical 'existence' of the world, even in their own imagination, which will make the story one harder to relate to, harder to buy into, and harder to believe in. It would make little sense to have a world full of trees, vines, and forests -- then throw in whales where there is no ocean. Be sure they match.

4. Create an entire culture, not just a group of characters. Tolkien created the actual languages his characters spoke in. Each different race of character had a complete background and culture unique to that race, which made the journey interesting, and the characters truly unique to one another. It created conflict at times, and solution at others. There was always something new to learn or understand. This might seem a little extreme, and when writing a short story -- it admittedly is. However, being familiar with the similarities and differences between our real lives and those of the lives in your story is important. It is something that will hook the reader -- finding the differences themselves, and sometimes even trying to make sense of them. And, most importantly, relating to them.

I wish you the best of luck in your writing endeavors, and thank you again for allowing me to invade your inbox!

Sara*Heart*Jean


Editor's Picks

Here are some items from some of our newest members. Yay!

 
STATIC
The Invasion of Room 207  (E)
A short story about my first day teaching a kindergarten class in a small Chinese town.
#2060161 by Nix


 When the Dead go Marching In  (13+)
The dead walk once again
#2060506 by King O' Scruff


 The Scratched Ring  (E)
A woman firefighter's tale
#2060542 by akshay


 The Prize  (E)
A stylized attempt to convey a feeling/idea I want to capture.
#2060408 by J. J. Arthur


 Delivery Failure  (E)
A mother sends email to her son
#2060324 by akshay


 Invalid Item 
This item number is not valid.
#2060126 by Not Available.

 
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Word from Writing.Com

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Ask & Answer

In the last newsletter I wrote, "Noticing Newbies Newsletter (September 9, 2015), I asked readers what they do to try new things. Here are some of the responses!

flashramey said, "I use whatever is handy to jot down my little inspirations. When I get home, I type them into the notepad on my desk-top. When I review these entries, I try to read them as though I'm reading a stranger's work. I go through the piece, adding and editing. Each time I do this, the work gets better, until finally, I am ready to share it with others. It may not be the right way, but it's my way."

Prelooker said, "You should try the contest called exactly like this newsletter. The genre changes every month, no word count, any type (narrative, poetry, anything), rating up to 18+.
I've entered three times and it was great. Now I'm waiting for some genre I can write about to enter again. I think it's one of the most friendly contests in WdC.
 Invalid Item  []

by A Guest Visitor
"

Elfin Dragon-finally published said, "Well, for new things I'm trying to host some contests but I'm always trying to enter different things. This month was the "Long, Long, Long" Contest."

Awesome! This week, I would love to hear how you make your stories relate-able to your readers. What do you do to ensure that they will have something to latch onto and be interested in?

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