Adventure Writing, World-building, and the Importance of Questions. · 2:56am Aug 6th, 2013
I figure this will be a new thing that I'll perform in a relatively regular manner. I'm going to focus on certain aspects of writing and let you know what I think are some of the things to look out for and some of the things to expect.
Adventure is my favourite type of story, hands down. But what makes an adventure good? What will draw the viewers in and keep them there? Well the answers are simple. And yet, it is often the simplest things that give us the hardest time.
First off, the centerpiece to any story, not just adventure, is the characters. You need characters that have depth as the protagonists. They have to be able to express themselves, and have reasons for their actions. Now, it often is helpful to use a character from the show as a good starting point (I did with Sweetie Belle). It gives you a nice starting point and a place of common ground with the potential readers. Which means that if you have an OC you should try to make them at least appear to have that depth of character which makes them easy to relate to, even if you haven't fully fleshed them out at the start of the story.
Now, a lot of people will fall back on that fine trope of amnesia--which is particularly prevalent in Adventure stories. To be honest, I don't find a character with amnesia very compelling, since it immediately takes away a lot of the character's depth. But if the situation they are in is compelling enough, and the character still presents some depth in their personality, then there's no reason why it wouldn't work. Besides, it does give that immediate hook for the character to try and figure out who and what world they are in, which is suitable for an adventure, as it sets up the story for a bunch of world-building.
The other trope that they tend to fall back upon is the main character being a child. This is a beautiful thing to use, but can be hard to handle. The best part about it is the lens it gives you to explore the world through. You can use the child's general lack of knowledge as a perfect way to ask the questions that the readers would want to know the answers to. (How does magic work? What is this place? Who are you? etc.)
Regardless of the type of character, it needs a reason for its actions. The more you can define the reasons for its actions, the stronger impact it will have on the readers. A flimsy reason will leave the audience wondering why the character is doing what they are doing instead of an option that makes far more sense.
Saying these things about characters is one thing, but actually implementing them into your stories is another. And how do you do that? Well, I'll get to that soon, but first let's touch upon the other pinnacle of Adventure stories. And that is World-building.
Yes, this is a huge pull to the readers. Readers of Adventure stories love to see a world being explored and cultures discovered. It makes the world deep, relatable, and thrilling. And world building covers every aspect of the world, whether it's countries and their cities, expanses of wilderness, the cultures of certain races, or the way in which magic works. It adds a depth to the world, and when done right, gives the reader more pleasure as it is added to. Like a huge tapestry that tells hundreds of little stories with every thread. The reader will begin to have a finer understanding for this world you've crafted and a deeper appreciation for all that has happened within it.
So... building a world... that sounds a bit daunting doesn't it? Well there is a simple solution to it, and it is the same as the solution to making strong characters.
You have to ask questions. Simple questions. With every single action that happens in your story, ask why the character did that instead of something else. Ask why they responded the way they did. What do they want out of this conversation? What does the other pony want? Why is that pony not talking? Why are they on an adventure? If your characters are exploring a new location, ask what lives there. How do they live there? What do they eat? What do they do in their spare time?
You have to keep asking questions on everything. Some writers get to the point where they don't even realize they are asking the questions, and they just get a feeling that something just seems off. Like looking at a woven tapestry and seeing the pattern doesn't quite match. Sometimes it will be an easy fix, a simple question you didn't consider and other times, the different aspects of the world or characters won't come together as you wanted them to. That will make the whole story become jarring to the readers, and many of them will not be willing to read further, simply because the world you built wasn't consistent with itself.
The keystone to all fantasy is that consistency. More so even then normal fiction, if you want people to be able to be immersed and love your world, you have to present them with a world that is consistent in its design so that they can imagine things like magic and talking unicorns without rolling their eyes and walking away.
So never stop asking those questions. You need to know how your world works and what your characters are up to, as the author. For every hour I've spent writing or editing, I've probably spent double that time just thinking about the story, how it works, and asking those important questions. It's a simple yet effective, time-consuming task.
Thanks for reading and let me know if you'd want to hear more blogs like these. I love writing them,
~SilentBelle
I think I know what you mean here, and unfortunately plenty of stories on this very site do that (The rolling eyes part I mean). Hell, I've been guilty of making a world just a bit lacking. A lot of stories on this very site follow the same formula and that's just not right. I can understand Pinkie Pie throwing a party for a new visitor or the Elements of Harmony being in their element, but when every single thing goes the same. You are only left with the one element that is different, the OC. Its mainly HIE stories that do this though, OC shows up in Equestria but the ponies treat (usually its a him) him with so much kindess that they miss opportunities to make the OC a literal fish out of water. The problem is the Mane 6 often make an OC feel like they are at home so much that things get rather boring. Its hard to explain I suppose but its even done in Adventure fics. I suppose that's why children are so compelling to write about, they can't really take charge. If they do take charge then they have a very good reason for it or its out of need (like if the child is alone without adults). But typically adult stories (again mostly HIE) the human will just know how to survive in the wilderness or do so with dumb luck or just rely on the mane 6 for help.
As for picking ponies we know, Sweetie is a good example. But even character like Sweetie that show up on the show often can evolve through our own imaginations. Putting a pony you know and love in an unfamiliar situation is just so much fun. Guessing how they would handle it with the little information you have on the show (its more fun with minor characters like the CMC). With the Mane 6 you could figure out how they would handle most situations pretty well.
In my stuff, I try to think of the most realistic response to something rare happening or even impossible. How would I or a child react to suddenly having magic? Of course I'm different than a child... though you wouldn't know it by how I act most of the time
But I do this for almost every situation in the stuff I create.
1264978 Ah yes, with one of the mane 6 we do indeed know for the most part how they will react, but then the challenge for one of the mane 6 in an adventure is to change that character in a believable manner by presenting them with situations they have never been in before.
All compelling adventure stories, if not all stories in general, show some bit of character growth. It is what we as readers want to see in stories.
Yes, but I wouldn't say an author has failed if by the end of a story the reader has learned nothing but entertainment. A reader can't see something in themselves for every tale after all. 1265006
1264988 Awesome. I love writing these posts. It's a fun thing to analyze your own writing, and the understanding you can gain from it is phenomenal.
For so long when I was writing adventures and the like, I would pause at points and get that feeling that something was wrong, at the time I didn't even realize that was me subconsciously asking questions about my own work and consequently poking holes in the world. Once I did figure that out, I realized just how many more questions I needed to ask. That understanding in itself has help a lot in my writing.
Hmm very insightful, now I need to see if the little I have on my protagonist is enough to keep readers interested >.>
1265013 It's not about the reader learning something, but the characters. If the characters don't learn from their experiences, then that's just bad writing. It amounts to the author admitting that what they wrote was entirely pointless.
What the reader takes away from reading is a different matter entirely.
That's a weird line but I suppose it makes sense. Still, shouldn't the goal of the author be to instill some humanity in all writing too? 1265024
In all my time as a writer, there are two rules I fall back on.
1: Only describe the details of something if it is important.
And more recently:
2: Describe the background if it is defining an atmosphere, otherwise a brief description is fine.
1265168 Ah yes. The reader never wants to fish through your words for the important bits. And the way to figure out what those relevant and important bits are is by asking questions. 'Why am I describing this? Why is it important? How should the reader see this description?'
Some descriptions are meant to be overlooked (in mystery). Others are meant to grant atmosphere and prepare the reader for what's happening (dark). And sometimes the descriptions make the characters come alive. (That wince the pony makes as she peers off the edge of the cliff as she remembers a time when trying to get her cutie mark she was almost dragged down to her death off another such cliff).
There's always going to be a balance between the different types of descriptions. But yes, it is better to trim the excess than it is to slather it on slick.
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I mean these are the basic principles I've come to write by. Of course there are other things, other rules that can be trimmed cut pasted as needed. But at the end of the day, as long as these two are followed the story should flow at the very least decently.
And this isn't even going into the rules I've got for making a character interesting, giving a world a story, or any of my other things.
My god
if I went into that I could write up a novel about it.
An interesting look into the matter with solid points, I approve and support the idea of further posts like this. Certainly can't call myself much of a writer but it's interesting getting this 'behind the scenes' stuff of the creative process. :) thanks for sharing!
I say continue doing these, I enjoyed reading it and very well may benefit from it further. If you're enjoying them by all means continue.
I agree with the questions comment about World-building, though I would like to add to that. These are strategies suggested by the DMG, Dungeon Master's Guide, of the iconic Dungeons and Dragons. The sourcebooks for that game are really filled with interesting ideas to ponder. I've found a lot of success, if not actual use, with some things I've read.
Start Small: Pick a place, a person, or just an idea for a festival. Then see what that influences, and go there. Work your way outward from wherever it is your story starts. This is usually helpful if you want to jump in and just write something. No work is wasted as whichever direction the story goes is just built when it is needed, or just slightly in advance.
Inward: How many continents? How many kingdoms? Start with the most overarching thing in your world, whether that is gods, kings, kingly gods, land, or what-have-you. Once you have that in place go smaller: from the god to his disciples, from the king to his subjects, or from the land to its features. Just keep going farther and farther into details until you reach the place where the story begins. This usually helps with the story once it expands and gives you room for foreshadowing what is already in place.
Personally I prefer Inward. It works a bit better for me, though I think Start Small tends more toward one-shots.
1266106 Oh yes, the DMGs are very enjoyable and valuable reads. I particularly like the DMG2 of fourth edition. It has helped me quite a lot and still plays a factor in how I go about world building. I like the Start Small approach myself, though usually I pick out a few large themes I am aiming for in any campaign (Gods, Elementals, Undead, The Far Realm, War, Treachery, Superheroes, Dark vs. Light, Destiny, etc.) If you know the general themes, then you can tailor your encounters to reflect those overarching concepts and it will help make the story far more cohesive.
I definitely would recommend the DMGs as great tools for world-building.
Always ask questions. That's how you do it. You don't need to sit and do an impression of The Thinker for a fortnight to come up with a story. Just make good characters, and always question what you do with them.
Great tips! I love this blog. It gave some ideas on how to approach my writing later when I get some done. Question though, Do you have any tips on how to include some great action sequences cause even though there isn't a tag for it my story is an action-adventure. Your awesome by the way just for writing stuff like this!
1293911 Action is one of my weaker sides of writing. But I can give a basic prose and dialogue tip.
In action scenes cut out most of the stuff that is not extremely relevant. On dialogue, shorten the attributions when you can, or remove them if you can get away with it. Use simple imperative words such as: said, ordered, shouted...etc.
In the prose, use basic descriptions and focus mainly on surface details and the things that are moving. Because when someone is in an action packed scene, those are the things that draw the eye, and what the character would focus on. When a character is having a magic duel, they aren't focused on much other than the next spell they are casting, what their opponent is casting, how they can use the terrain to their advantage, and in some cases the motives of their opponent. In any case, make sure your prose and word choice reflect the action (don't describe the sunset in the background because no one--not your characters, or your readers--care about that in an action scene).
I think I might end up writing a blog on action scenes eventually.
1294274 Yeah that is kind of how I wanted to do them. Focus on the thrills of the action instead of massive explanations those are for the rest of the book but the sequences have to be awesome to envision. Thanks for the tips they helped confirm some stuff on how I should go about the action. Cannot wait to read your blog about that!
I don't know about you, but I decided to try the exact opposite of amnesia (in a sense). I have a character that knows much more than anyone else, even though most of the time he is kept in the dark about his puppeteers' motivations. Thing is, he's only knowledgeable about certain things, since he is one thousand years absent from the world.
The big question I have run into with worldbuilding so far is "Why?" My big "Why?" is "Why is Celestia a bad guy?" I have seen this be asked in many fanfics, but always with the same answers.
1) She's actually not, just thinking she's doing the right thing,
2) She's corrupted by the Nightmare or something similar.
Never had I read a fic about a Celestia that was evil just because that is how she is. That doesn't mean they don't exist, that just means I have not run into one yet. Sometimes the biggest question you have to ask yourself is "What is missing?" Whether this is in the fandom or in your writing.
The best advice I have ever received is thus: "If you want to read something, and it isn't written: write it yourself." I followed that advice and haven't regretted it (too much) yet.
1324597 Yes that is good advice. I mean that's what got me writing Scion. I wanted to explore magic as I saw it, and had yet to see a fic do that, so I figured, I may as well write something I want to read.
I assume you are working on a fic with an evil Celestia then? The thing about evil Celestia is that if she doing evil things, yet she thinks she's doing the right thing, then she's still evil. Ignorance is no excuse for action. Though I do see what you mean. It might be neat to have an alternate universe with Celestia being completely evil for the sake of evil (ala Sombra), and it is never fully explained. (though I do imagine it would piss off a lot of potential fans as well).
The big issue is that for it to still feel like a plausible take on the Celestia that we know, it would either have to be a corrupting force or having her forced into a position where she has no good options and has to make an choice and mitigate it as well as she can.
And on the last point: The opposite of amnesia, huh? So long as the information isn't all 'tell', then I could see that working fine, and I'd find it less annoying than a character with amnesia.
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Opposite of amnesia was a bad way of putting it, I'll admit. He knows the uncensored history, at least a part of it, that nopony remembers because of Celestia's influence. He's also learning things nopony has told anyone and things that nopony ever knew over the course of the story due to his being used as a pawn by multiple multi-universal powers. Celestia, amusingly enough, is not even close to my main antagonist. She's a side character that drives the first few plotlines during the setup for the real bad guy.
Also, on the evil Celestia thing: she has always been evil, she is just really really good at hiding it. Until now, of course. Nothing caused her to be evil, no matter how much she might try to pretend there was. She was not broken, not corrupted, just flawed to the core, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I actually don't see an amnesiac character as lacking depth (at least, not if properly done); rather, it just hides that depth from the character him/herself. Which can be quite interesting, with the character seeking answers not only for what is happening, but also for why he has the reactions and feelings he has.
The main issue of amnesiac characters is when amnesia is used as the lazy way out for the author to avoid writing the character's back story, in which case the result is almost always a shallow character. I've been guilty of this - though as a RPG player - a few times; I like building extensive backgrounds for my characters, but I often need a few days to do get ideas, so whenever I was invited to a group without much forewarning I tended to make my character amnesiac so I could create his background later.
There is another issue with amnesia in that the lazy way out is overused, so readers might associate amnesia with the writer not bothering to think about the character's background, even when that is not the case.
1812965 I hear you. I've had that happen often enough in my D&D campaigns. Amnesia can be done well, though a writer has to still present that level of depth to their character through consistency in their actions. And the best way to get consistency is generally through a well-thought out backstory. So if a writer wants to use amnesia, then they can't turn a blind eye to that characters' past, but figure it out and keep it hidden from the readers.
Amnesia as a plot device is done for three reasons: 1) to get the plot moving as quickly as possible, 2) to turn the main character's backstory into a mystery to be explored, and 3) to turn the main character into the audience surrogate. All of these are a good thing. I just wish amnesia wasn't such a common shorthand. Gets old after a while.
I think the first two reasons could just as easily be filled by creating an unreliable narrator. A character who knows full well his/her backstory...and just isn't telling the readers right away. The last reason is basically the same reason used to justify characters from outside the context of the world coming into it. And why children are used.
Since I`m posting another reply anyway, I went to take a new look at my annotated version of the Dragonlance Chronicles. Sure enough, while the authors don`t call it answering questions, one of the first things they comment upon is the importance of knowing the answers about the story and the world beforehand, something that was drilled on then thanks to a seminar on J.R.R. Tolkien.
Besides, many of the comments spread around the book are, in some way, about how the authors already knew the answers for various plot elements way before they would become meaningful and to a far larger degree than would be shown to the readers.
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I don`t think either an amnesiac characer or an unreliable narrator is needed for getting the plot moving as soon as possible; I only see a need for those devices when the author wants to also leave the reader in the dark regarding the plot. Otherwise there are other ways to get the plot going ASAP.
1814638 I never said they were necessary either. Just useful. Tropes are tools, and can be utilized or not depending on the story's needs and the author's desires.