V is for Villain

We all know who they are and how delicious it is to hate them. Just think of Snape and the awful Dursleys in Harry Potter. Or Ambrose in The Name of the Wind (oh, how I despise him). Or Nailer's father in Ship Breaker. There's a villain in just about every book I've ever enjoyed from whatever it was that held Charles Wallace in A Wrinkle in Time to the twins, Jaime and Cersei, in A Song of Ice and Fire. Villains give your hero someone - or something - to fight against, a way to prove themselves, and often the means to evolve.

who - or what -  are some of your favorite villains?

U is For Unrealistic...Well, ANYTHING

Tropes…love ’em or hate ’em, some seem to be here to stay.  Whether they should or not is actually up to the individual reader.  I think the main problem with tropes is that an author reads a story, they’re so drawn into the world of those characters, and they love those characters so much, they decide they want to write a story like that.  Okay, that’s great.  Imitation is often referred to as the highest form of flattery.  However, there’s a problem.  When someone decides to write a story like that, they often have a tendency to rewrite THAT particular story.  Oh, not in the manner of plagiarism—though that’s happened—but they’ve taken the bare bones of the inspiring story and just dressed it up in different clothing.  There’s not a whole lot out there that hasn’t been done before, and most stories have commonalities as their core.  Because of this, you have a tendency to see certain tropes that pop up quite often in specific genres.  Some of those tropes have such a universal theme you’ll find them in other genres as well.  The secret is, if you do decide to go with a tried and true trope that a lot of readers still love, then you need to find a way to put a new spin on it.  To teach an old dog new tricks.

U is for...
Unrealistic...Well, ANYTHING

I originally intended to write this post about a more specific unrealistic trope, but which one to choose?  Then, I realized that I took issue with most anything that was unrealistic in the world for which it was created.  In my last post, I touched on this with magic, but there are others that bug me as well.

For example, in fantasy and other genres, you have horses riding hellbent for leather, non-stop.  When these poor animals are ridden in such a way, why is it they never drop dead from exhaustion?  Sure, your horses coud be mythological creatures that can travel vast distances in a short span of time, but the horses I'm talking about don't seem to come from such bloodlines.  If they did, in most cases they didn't seem to have inherited the speed aspect, since the characters are often on their quest for as little as several weeks, or as long as a year or more.  Granted, this isn't exactly a trope per se, but it still fits because you can often find this in fantasy novels.

And what about unrealistic societies?  Our regular blog readers might remember me mentioning this during a previous post about world building, but I think it bears repeating.  Fiction is wonderful for the freedoms it gives you as a writer.  However, even if you create a world from scratch, you have two primary things to focus on pertaining to societies.  Obviously, you're going to have other things to consider as well, but these two are primary.  First, the society has to work in your world.  No matter how outlandish your world or your society, the society has to work in the world.  You wouldn't put a mining-type society in a world that doesn't have any kind of mining technology, and you wouldn't put it in an area where it wouldn't be geologically possible to find whatever they're supposed to be mining.  So you have to make sure it works in your world.

Second, you have to make sure your society is realistic and makes sense in your world.  Once, I received a manscript that was interesting and showed promise, but I ultimately had to reject it because it had too many flaws.  One of the primary flaws pertained to the two societies of the world.  One society was a purely female society, and the other had men and women in it, but the men ruled.  Women were not considered equals in that society, and their rights were limited.  A resistance was forming that was composed of people who believed men and women should be equal partners.  The biggest problem with this was that there was no explanation for why the men-and-women-as-equals society hadn't naturally formed before, and why they had to be an underground resistance.  A brief explanation of why the other two societies formed was given, but there was no logical reason given for the equal society not to exist openly.  You can create any kind of society you want, but it has to have a logical basis and make sense within your world.  If your readers apply the logic and traditions of your world to the society, they have to be able to see how and why it exists.

The same is true of unrealistic characteristics of the people in a society or race.  Everyone in a particular society or race isn't going to be the same.  I suppose you could get away with this if all those who are different are banished from the society.  However, if banishment is the standard reaction to difference, then you're likely to have those who publically follow the norms of their society, but who have different viewpoints or practices in private.  Much as many pagans did when the world first began converting to Christianity.  Of course, that woud be one way to create conflict within a particular society.  There are some things that could be widely believed or practiced throughout the society, but there could also be differing opinions on the right way to do those things, or even wheher or not those things are right to begin with.  Not every member of a society or race is going to have the same values and beliefs.  You see diversity in humans, even among those of the same societies, religions, social orders, and races, so why wouldn't that hold true for others as well?  Even an alien race is likely to have differences within its population, unless they happen to have a hive mind like the Borg in Star Trek.

There are many more things that fall into the unrealistic category, but this post is probably long enough.  I don't want to bore anyone!  When you're writing, you need to make sure to avoid the many unrealistics floating around out there.  Ask yourself if this seems too unrealistic.  And when you send your manuscript out to your beta readers, if one says something doesn't seem realistic, it's possible it's just that reader, but do take a second look and mull it over.  If you have two or more questioning the believability of something, then it's very likely there's a problem, so definitely take another look at it.  Things might look good or sound cool at first, but they usually won't hold up under scrutiny.

T is for Tanka

Now, we’re talking! If you don’t know already, I love surfing the Hallyu wave. But that'd never happened if I hadn’t been indoctrinated to the Asian culture and media as a young child.

I was first bit by the bug when I watched my first anime one Saturday afternoon. To those who don’t know, anime is a shortened term for Japanese animation.

So can you imagine my excitement that I got the letter “T”!? Well, you’re about to find out why.

Because...

Tanka is a Japanese poetic form. It originated in the 7th century thus making it one of the oldest Japanese forms. The tanka is 31 syllables long, consists of five lines and doesn’t rhyme. And unlike the haiku, it is the more expressive of the two with its use of metaphors and personification. For this reason the tanka resembles a sonnet, a love poem.  Also, the tanka were often written by lovers to give their thanks for a memorable night. ;-D

The beginning three lines, upper lines, of the tanka starts off like a haiku. An image and or setting  is introduced. And immediately followed by a shift or expansion of the subject in the last two, lower lines.

The tanka, like the limerick, has a syllable count for each line: 5/7/5/7/7. Meaning that lines one and three are five syllables long. While lines two, four and five are seven syllables long.

Here’s an example of a tanka poem by poet Tada Chimako:

Person of the Playful Star: Tanka [I listen to songs]

I listen to songs
of someone handsome
at the apex of night
the Milky Way overflows
the stars boil over and fall

© 2010

I’m more into writing the senryu, another Japanese poetic form. I even pair them up with images and post them to Instagram and Twitter but here’s my attempt at a tanka poem:

April 21

Their petals fell

like tears for a fallen icon

before vanishing.

Another star lost its light

to shine in the skies above.

© Lidy Wilks, April 22, 2016

Want to attempt your own tanka poem and share it in the comments? Have a favorite tanka poem you'd like to share? Are you familiar with the haiku and other Japanese poetic forms like the senryu or waka?

N is for Narrator

The narrator is the person or intelligence telling the story.

It could be first person, like in The Vampire Lestat, in which Lestat tells his side of the story (in response to the first book, which centered around Louis). Lestat begins his tale thus: "I am the Vampire Lestat. I'm immortal. More or less. The light of the sun, the sustained heat of an intense fire -- these things might destroy me. But then again, they might not."

It could be second person, which is rare, but beautifully rendered in this example from Lorrie Moore's "How to become a Writer": "First, try to be something, anything, else. A movie star/astronaut. A movie star/missionary. A movie star/kindergarten teacher. President of the World. Fail miserably. It is best if you fail at an early age -- say, fourteen. Early, critical disillusionment is necessary so that at fifteen you can write long haiku sentences about thwarted desire. It is a pond, a cherry blossom, a wind brushing against sparrow wing leaving for mountain. Count the syllables. Show it to your mom."*

Or it could be third person, which allows for a wide variance in perspectives:

1. Objectively report what is happening;
2. Go into the mind of any character;
3. Interpret for us that character's appearance, speech, actions, and thoughts, even if the character cannot do so;
4. Move freely in time or space to give us a panoramic, telescopic, microsopic, or historical view; tell us what has happened elsewhere or in the past or what will happen in the future; and
5. Provide general reflections, judgments, and truths.

In all these aspects, we [the reader] will accept what the omniscient author tells us.* *

Here is how Tad William's The Dragonbone Chair begins: "On this day of days there was an unfamiliar stirring deep inside the dozing heart of the Hayholt, in the castle's bewildering warren of quiet passages and overgrown, ivy-choked courtyards, in the monk's holes and damp, shadowed chambers. Courtiers and servants alike goggled and whispered. Scullions exchanged significant glances across the washing tubs in the steamy kitchen. Hushed conversations seemed to be taking place in every hallway and dooryard and dooryard of the great keep."



* Janet Burroway/Writing Fiction, p.206
** Janet Burroway/Writing Fiction, p.201

Do you have a preference for narrators?

L is for Limerick

Today's A to Z letter is the letter "L." And you can't believe how happy I was to get the twelfth letter in the alphabet. Because L is for limerick, fun and easy poetic form, to read and write. Sure to put an OMG look on your face and or make you bust a gut. There are a few limericks I couldn't use as examples for their vulgarity. But if you want to read them, here's how to find it on Google. Type "nantucket," "limerick," "immortalia" and hit enter.

Now without further ado...

Limericks are a rather fun and raunchy poetic form. It appeared in early 18th century England. And became popularized by Edward Lear in the 19th century. Even William Shakespeare wrote limericks. They were also known as low or nonsense poems.

A limerick is five lines long and has a rhyme scheme of AABBA. What does that mean? Basically, lines 1-2 and 5 rhyme with each other. And lines 3-4 only rhyme with each other as well. So if the last word on the first line is ‘eight,’ then the last words on line two and five will rhyme with eight. For example, you would use words like ate, great, bait, late or even a name, Nate. Same thing applies to lines three and four. If the last word on line three is ‘like’ the ending rhyme word for the fourth line will be bike, hike, pike, etc.

Limericks also have a rhythm pattern, the heartbeat of a poem. And it goes da DUM da da DUM da da DUM, giving it a musical feel. Making lines 1-2 and 5 eight beats long, while lines 3-4 are six (sometimes five) syllables long (da da DUM da da DUM).

Most importantly, the first line of a limerick introduces the characters. And the setting of the poem.

Are you ready to try a limerick? Don’t be afraid, it’s really quite easy. Here are two examples and one I did myself back in college.:

There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, “It is just as I feared!--
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard!”

-Edward Lear, Book of Nonsense 1, 1845

“There once was a man from Nantucket

Who kept all his cash in a bucket.

But his daughter, named Nan,

Ran away with a man,

And as for the bucket, Nantucket.”

-Anonymous, printed in the “Princeton Tiger” in  1902

Here’s mine from college. Although I didn’t follow the poetic format, I did capture the tone and setting of the limerick. Plus it was a real hoot in class.:

There once was a nun named Hailey.

Who got tired of praying daily.

In a dress so tight,

She snuck out one night.

And came back married to man named Bailey.

-Lidy Wilks, 2002-2003 (c)

Inspired to write a limerick yet? Did you know that you can write your own "Nantucket" limerick? Your first line is "There once was a man from Nantucket." Ready to share it in the comments? And remember, although limericks are also known for being X-rated, please keep it clean.

F is for Flashback

In the world of writing, "a flash back is just that: a flash backwards in time, giving the reader a glimpse at an earlier event. It is a form of exposition in that it should convey necessary information. For example if your mc has been treated badly in the past and this has influenced who he/she is as the story begins then a flashback could be very helpful in showing or telling the reader what the mc endured, thereby contributing to character. But don't confuse a flashback (a glimpse of the past) with backstory (everything that happened before the story began). Flashbacks should be brief, and they will be most effective "if the very fact of their occurrence contributes to the revelation of character and theme."*

Do you use flashbacks in your writing? 

* Janet Burrow quotes this from David Madden's A Primer of the Novel for Readers and Writers.

D is for Dramatic Monologue

Hi! This is my first post as the newest addition to Unicorn Bell. Thanks again to Chrys for recommending me. And the warm welcomes from CD Coffelt, Marcy, Kristin, Elizabeth, Charity and Angela!

This is also my first time in taking part in the A to Z challenge. And as April is National Poetry Month, you know what my theme is going to be, right?

So without further ado, “D is for Dramatic Monologue.”

Without knowing it, you already know what a dramatic monologue is. Everyone had to at least read a William Shakespeare play or two during middle and high school. Hamlet’s “To be or not to be, that is the question.” speech is one example. Then there’s Lady Macbeth’s ‘unsex me’ speech. And Mercutio’s ‘Queen Mab’ speech in Romeo and Juliet.

A dramatic monologue are like the soliloquies Shakespeare often used in his plays. The speaker in a dramatic monologue is a persona other than the poet. The speaker can be a person, a place or a thing which is why dramatic monologues are also known as persona poems.

In a dramatic monologue, the speaker voices their thoughts and feelings. And does so unaware of a listening audience, you the reader. The poem itself is not even targeted to a specific reader. Oftentimes, it is the reader who might be more informed of things unknown to the speaker.

Sylvia Plath has written a dramatic monologue you might know well. It deals with the theme of mental illness and suicide. Here is one of my favorite lines from Plath’s Lady Lazarus. And here’s where you can read the poem in its entirety.:

Lady Lazarus

Herr God, Herr Lucifer
Beware
Beware.

Out of the ash
I rise with my red hair
And I eat men like air.

-Sylvia Plath, 23-29 October 1962 ©

I wrote a variation of a dramatic monologue in poetry workshop during college. It is an attempt of the persona poem from the point of view of a painting. Can you spot why it’s different?:

Tempera on Cardboard

Father, do you know what you’ve done?

I, your firstborn and

most famous child of us four, Skrik

am now within the vile company

of two black men.

Do you know what has happened to me

and most unfortunately, my dear sister Madonna too?

Two dark men has desecrated your home, our home

on the Holy Sabbath day,

breaking the eighth commandment.

We’re coveted, kidnapped, what more can I say?

I saw my life through gunpoint and

guttural shouts and threats.

Now August 22, 2004

is a day I curse my birth on

that pier in Asgardstrand

underneath a magma-red Oslofjord sky.

We were left with no real protection.

So now I cry, scream and shriek

at my fate with mute lips

and silently wish that you

Edvard Munch were never born.

-Lidy Wilks, 2002-2003 ©

What I Wish I Had Known

Since many of us are participating in the April Blogging A to Z Challenge, I thought we would keep things simple this week. Let's simply talk about some of the things we've learned during the course of this writing journey we're on.

Today I thought it would be great to share some posts I stumbled on that I wish I had read years ago before starting out as a writer. Perhaps they would have helped me enter the path with a better sense of reality. (I mean, come on! I write fiction for crying out loud. Reality is just a thread sticking out of my sweater sleeve.)

I'll also ask you to share what you wish YOU had known before becoming a writer.

• I wish I had known how time intensive this process would be. 
• I wish I had known how hard it would be for my family to support my desire to give this "hobby" a try.
• I wish I had known from the very beginning that my writing style doesn't (and probably never will) fit perfectly in a well labeled box. It would have saved me much heartache.

I'm glad I didn't know what wonderful friends and support I would find in the online writing community. That's one surprise that helped me to press forward.

Links:
21 Thing I Wish I'd Known Before I Started Writing by Robin Black
What I Wish I Knew Before I was Published-- a list from many authors
5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming an Author--I love #3 even though I don't drink. :)
And this most excellent post...
Nice Things I Wish I'd Known About Publishing by Alison Cherry

So, comment now. What do you wish you'd known about writing, getting published, marketing, etc?

What About Blogfests?

Bloghops infest thrive in our blogosphere. We sign up via Linky tools, wait for the day and post according to the theme du jour.

Then visit other blogs. Follow. Comment.

Of what value are they?

Blogfests increase traffic, viewership, and expands our knowledge. Some of my best buds came about in this way.

It’s a chance to do a meet ‘n greet with our fellow ‘net cruisers. In my case preferably writers.

But is it worth it?

I want to post articles that are of interest to our followers. I want to provide a service. But I also want to keep on track with my original goal; 

Writing.

So, why participate in bloghops/fests?

At this time, I am of two minds. The events are fun and whimsical. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy them and meeting new people. But it can be downright taxing. 


I am still recovering from the April 2012 A to Z Challenge.

Cutting to the chase, when I did A to Z, I quit writing. My word count for the entire month of April went to 500 words. Not day, not a week, but my total for the Whole Month.

It blew my previous writing schedule into tiny bits of wind-blown confetti.

My posts were simple for the blogfest. I almost felt guilty as I composed them since most of them were fewer than 80 words. But visiting other blogs, commenting, checking out my best friends and followers, reading their posts, and cheering them on, it all took time that I did not have.

Did I say that I quit writing? Stopped. Abandoned. Deserted.

It's difficult to get back into my routine. Only now is it returning to the way it was. I have my notes and research and will eventually climb back onto that snorty horse. But, dang, will I do another blogfest soon?

*negative*

I feel as though I’ve lost something very important. 

Finding it again means remembering exactly why I wanted it in the first place.

What about you? Was A to Z a problem for you also? 

Lonely Bloggers

Jeffrey here. I’m pretty sure this is my week to post at Unicorn Bell. If it’s not, then whoopsie! However, it has been about a month since my last posting. I’m thinking it’s time anyhow.

Of course, many people might not even notice because of the A-Z Challenge Blogfest that’s dominating the Blogosphere this month. It’s a fun challenge for sure, one that I’ve participated in last year. This year, however, my priorities have changed, and it’s not something I felt I could dedicate the proper time such a challenge deserves.

My post today has nothing to do with encouraging or dissuading someone from participating in A-Z. It’s a wonderful program, giving over 1500 blogs the chance to connect with one another. What I will talk about briefly is that should you not choose to participate in this, do NOT feel guilty about it. Our friends in A-Z will understand our situations, and they’ll return in a few weeks from their blogging adventures. Maybe now is the proper time for those who aren’t in A-Z to get to know one another and support each other. It can be downright lonely seemingly being the only person not taking part in this.

But something beautiful can arise out of standing alone, too. I’ll cover that part tomorrow in Part Two of my Lonely Bloggers Series.