Trimming the Iceberg

I've seen stories represented as icebergs, the concept being that what the reader eventually sees is only a very small portion of what the writer knows. I have to admit, the more time I spend with my stories and characters, the better I understand the iceberg representation. Even stories intended to cover only a limited amount, or a few characters, are built upon tremendous amounts of information. To create organic characters and conflicts, each must have a backstory. 

Delving into a story really means traveling to and exploring a whole world. To watch the story unfold, its author needs to take up residence within that world. In the process of one story, one adventure, so many more are revealed. Every character, however seemingly minor has a life and tales all their own. Learning about each and every one of the moving cogs is necessary to understand why the story moves the way it does. 

The hardest step however is not discovering the story, or even rooting out its deeper motivations. The most challenging part of writing a story is channeling that knowledge. We writers have spent time in other worlds, lived other lives, but we face the daunting task of shaping and trimming that knowledge in order to tell the story. When and where do we share the feelings of our characters? How do we hint at or reveal the causes of pivotal, plot altering actions and conflicts? 

Ever since I first saw the analogy of the iceberg, I like to think of this process as "trimming the iceberg." I have to limit what portion of the story remains above water. Though it takes a lot to create the foundation for a successful story, not all of that information needs to be told. Too much information will muddle the plot and weigh down the adventure. Too little information can leave the story line disjointed, and limit the readers' understanding of the characters and their emotions. 

Finding this balance is a delicate act, and sometimes hard to accomplish alone. I know so much about my characters and their histories that I am literally their biggest fan. It's hard not to share their thoughts and emotions, to sometimes let their actions remain unexplained. Then again, I also face difficulties providing enough information. Strange to imagine, perhaps, but true nonetheless. Writing a story is a bit like walking through a dream. The story can play out easily for me without trudging again through any back story. The understanding and knowledge I have make it surprisingly easy to leave out critical information. 

This is why having an editor, or preferably multiple editors, is so important. I ask them what they take away from the plot point, or a particular scene, to make sure I provided enough information, and clearly enough. One of my editors I've turned into my confidante. I've tried to share with her much of what I know about the story and the world. Meanwhile I keep one of my other editors strictly away from any knowledge not presented in the writing itself. I think it helps for their extra eyes to see from multiple perspectives. I may be the one trimming the iceberg, but they're the ones who make sure I'm doing my job well. 

I'm Writing Fanfiction?

I have mixed feelings about fanfiction. For the longest time, I was completely opposed to it. My sister, on the other hand, is an a avid reader of various fanfics. She told me about them often and recommended them to me. Unfortunately though, I was actually offended at first by her suggestions. I was bothered by how she lauded fan fictions, because I struggled for a long time to come up with my own original characters and stories. 

Even aside from that, I struggled with the idea of fanfictions. I really respect and admire the artists, writers, and creators who bring their stories and characters to us. As an opinionated reader, I may not always agree with their decisions, but I respect them, because the stories and characters are theirs. As a result I was a little irked by the idea of someone else taking and misconstruing a writer's characters, changing their plots. 

Since I was initially introduced to the idea of fanfictions, I've slowly changed my opinions of them. I've seen that authors often create alternate universe versions of their stories, and I've myself imagined taking my characters and plopping them into a different world or situation. I can see why alternate versions of stories exist now. 

Still, I never thought I'd write one about any characters other than my own. That was, until the other day. While revisiting a story I hadn't read in awhile, I won't name which, I silently lamented that I could not be a part of that world. So I thought, "Hmm, maybe I could write about my own adventures in that world." Lo and behold, new characters appeared. I'd hoped for an avatar, or a character more akin to myself, but completely different characters came to mind, and they didn't go away. 

So, I started writing. I let the newbies out and they started to carve their own path through that world. They quickly created a compelling backstory for themselves, and strong relationships. Suddenly, my little snippet of an idea had taken on a life of my own. I thought after typing up a few paragraphs that I'd just delete it and move back to my other stories. My characters, and thus their story, aren't going anywhere. 

I guess that means I'm writing fanfiction now?

-Hi, everyone! Sorry it's been so long! I'll try to post a little more regularly so I stop needing to add these apologies to the ends of my posts. 

R.I.P. New Year's Resolutions

Over the past few days, I've been mulling over the concept of New Year's Resolutions. Initially, my plan at the start of the new year was to make my yearly resolutions, and to write a post discussing those, just for something festive. So I started to think of my resolutions, and I came to realize, a lot of my current resolutions are just carried over from last year. Then I found a note on my phone containing my previous resolutions. I had a grand total of one checked off. One. 

Last year wasn't my greatest, and seeing that reminder of all that I had wanted to accomplish, all that I hadn't accomplished, it really got me down in the dumps. That's when I decided not to write traditional resolutions this year. I am breaking my own personal tradition. I have always written resolutions, and I've seldom accomplished as many of them as I would like. So this year, I am done. 

I'm not writing resolutions this year, because I don't need them. I know what I want to get done during the year; I don't need a list to remind me. The thing is though, not all of my resolutions are so easily accomplished. For example, I want to get my book published this year, but I've wanted that for about four years now. Sometimes in order to do something right, it takes longer to do. At the end of this year, I don't want a tiny little list to fill me with regrets, or remind me of where I didn't succeed. I'd rather look back at my own personal triumphs, and keep looking forward to the long term goals I'm still working to accomplish.