Describing a Book

[plaid_slytherin]

I'm sure I'm not the only one writing sci-fi and/or fantasy here, and I thought this article was really interesting: Making Excuses for Science FictionIt's something I've never thought about before and while I'm just starting with my original stuff, I do know that as I was reading the article, I struggled to come up with a description of my stories

Comments

[scifishipper]

Interesting article! I agree with the writer; sometimes I do pull my punches and say, 'this is pretty strange', etc. I have two pieces that I've put out to be read by a non-sci-fi fan. The first one, with lots of excellent world building was accepted as "fascinating" and interesting. The second, which drops you in the middle of a very strange world was simply 'weird' and confusing

[plaid_slytherin]

That's interesting that you've had that same experience. I do agree that not EVERYTHING has to be accessible to EVERYONE and that there are some things that can simply be written for people who already understand certain genre conceits - and this works in all genres, really.

I think it's funny - I do think of my stories in terms of the characters, I just have trouble coming up with a snappy description that doesn't start with "Well, there's an interstellar war..." or "They're priests serving at the temple..." I think I have to get past how essential it is that people know before going in that these characters are all clones etc. This has actually inspired me to go back and rework the beginning of my new one (the clone priest one) and work that in naturally.

[scifishipper]

Yes, working things in naturally is so important. I've come to learn as a reader, that I have to trust that the author will tell me the important bits I need to know as the world develops. The origins of technology, for example, is usually only important if a reader will need to know it later or it appears to be significant later. That said, if you really love world building and so does your audience, you could spend lots of time detailing the technological origins, but that's another kind of scifi writing altogether. I guess you have to pick for you what makes the most sense in terms of detail. I just assume that the reader will get into the flow of the world fairly quickly, if you've made enough connections with characters to carry it. Lots to think about!

[plaid_slytherin]

Yeah, this could be a post in itself. I keep rewriting the beginning, hoping that it makes sense without major info dumpage. :/

[kdbleu]

That was interesting because I think it can be pretty easy to half apologize for writing in general. It's scary to share, and scarier when you have a more legit fear of people not getting it or not liking it. Sci-fi/fantasy have a built in buffer, explanation in starting with the snappy world description, but I 'll admit to doing it with my mystery in a way too, waiting to play up the romance arc to make it more appealing to non-mystery readers.

[plaid_slytherin]

Yeah, I'm sure it happens in other genres, too. The apology thing, especially. It really depends on the audience at this stage and how they'll respond to something in a genre they're not familiar with.

[kdbleu]

Not just how familiar the audience is with the genre, but what you, the writer, thinks the reader perceives that genre as. so the same way a Sci-fi write might worry about the other-wordliness, I worry about the perception of plot over character and pulpiness over interesting writing.

[plaid_slytherin]

Oh, that makes complete sense! I was struggling to think of what would turn people off a mystery - I was actually misreading your comment and thinking you were downplaying the *romance* but yes, all genres are going to have those kinds of stereotypes.

[lanalucy]

At its core, broken down the way this author describes, your story is about two boys who meet and form an unusual lifelong bond. I mean sure, there's going to be adventure and world-building and a love story, but it's about Willem and Seth and how they come to mean what they do to each other. Right?

As for my own stuff, very little of it yet is original, and even though much of my fanfiction is plotty, I still describe it under the catch-all phrase: I write smut. I'm totally okay with that. For now.

[plaid_slytherin]

You're absolutely right, that's what it is. Sometimes it really is hard to see the forest for the trees, which is why I thought that article was so good.

[lanalucy]

It's probably easier to encapsulate someone else's work than our own. :shrugs:

[baliao]

Interesting!

A few weeks ago my sister was arguing that The Hunger Games isn't really sci-fi... because it "has romance" in it.

She is downright proud of the fact she hasn't seen any of the LotR movies.

I've tried. Believe me, I've tried.

[lanalucy]

SFR, or scifi romance, is kind of its own genre now, or at least some of the authors who write it think it is.

By your sister's definition, a whole lot of Robert Heinlein isn't scifi, either, and that's just not right.

Your sister is a weirdo. I mean that in the best possible, most affectionate way. :)

[plaid_slytherin]

And I would even go so far as to say "She's right, HG is not sci-fi. It's dystopia." :) /pedant

[lanalucy]

Now that you mention it, I *wouldn't* classify Hunger Games as scifi, but not because it's got romance.

[mlsky]

What a great article. One of the marketing groups I belong to had an elevator pitch class. You know, how to sum up your work in the thirty seconds it takes to ride up to your floor (or down to the lobby. :D

[kdbleu]

TITLE is a GENRE about MAIN CHARACTER/S, an ADJECTIVE/DESCRIPTION, who wants to DEFAULT ACTION. But when CALL TO ACTION, he/she/they must STORY GOAL, which seems impossible because CENTRAL CONFLICT.

I should really practice doing this because I suck at it. My version tends to be more along the lines of "I don't it's a story about people who do stuff - sometimes on another planet or in a distant future or something" hee.

[plaid_slytherin]

I like that pitch idea a lot! I've been thinking a lot about the objective of my characters and reading things like this is helping me realize that they might have one already.

I also like the idea of dumping genre, honestly, because I really do think that boxes you in.