'Project Ghost' has begun and with it comes a challenge I've been trying to complete since the novel's inception: creating a world. Books like 'A Song of Ice and Fire' and 'Harry Potter' have great characters anyway, characters brought to life not only on paper, but on TV as well. Not only that, their worlds too have been constructed for the all-seeing eyes to watch and its up to the fans of those franchises to decide if they look the part or not. The story's world, no matter if its science fiction or fantasy is one giant piece of character that can sometimes make the story. It's true in games as well, such as 'The Elder Scrolls' and when you have a believable world packed with content, myth and legend, it can go a long way into becoming something far more than a make-belief world. Readers may take that setting and make it their own.
Trees Grow Tall and Grow Wide
'Project Ghost' is a contemporary story set only in a college campus. As I thought more about the story, I wondered if maybe there could be something about this college that sets it apart from others. Something mysterious and something that deserved exploring. Since it's a book, it should be worth a read. I realized that so much could happen in this tiny world that it would be folly to try and cram as much myth in as possible, instead, keep it tight and focused. I'd rather read a well told story than a gigantic book covering loads of subplots. Some of you might be different. I learned during university that keeping essay questions short and tight would yield enormous answers and it's true. I put this book off because I wasn't ready for it and I was trying to much with it, now after many months of working on different things, I've thought about it and decided now on far better alternatives. I know what the mystery might be, but how it's going to end? I've no idea. There's little planning too. I've written a bit about a character or two and I've designed a simple map of the college, but other than that I'm writing blind. I'm trying to breakaway from 'plot' anyway since our real lives aren't planned (unless you believe in fate, in which case, I think you're wrong) and we don't know what will happen tomorrow. We can't see over the horizon, so why should our characters?
Am I letting Stephen King's 'On Writing' book influence my approach to writing? Yes. That's because he makes perfect sense. Ever since reading his book and little by little learning to let go of the helping hand of 'plot', my stories have grown. 'Project Aurora' was mostly plotted, but I broke away loads of times from my plan because that's where the characters wanted to go. The third part of the story wasn't plotted and it's far better than anything I could have planned for. Problem is, when I design settings, I tend to get stuck in the lore side instead of writing the damn thing. My urban fantasy idea I'll write (one hopes) next year has got plenty of lore, so much that I don't know what the story really is. Planning worlds is great fun, but they eventually sound artificial to me when I design them for too long and then I grow bored. I don't know what the ACTUAL rules are, if there are any, but I'd prefer to just write the story instead of wondering what year would work best for a certain event. I don't want to bore readers with back story when there's a story in front of them worth telling. I prefer to explore small worlds in fiction than large ones. Maybe that's because there's less chance of writing a sequel and I don't do well with sequels, but anyway. Learning about focused stories for me says more about a larger world than cramming too much in a story. Then again, you don't want your world to feel empty either. It's a tricky balance.
Am I letting Stephen King's 'On Writing' book influence my approach to writing? Yes. That's because he makes perfect sense. Ever since reading his book and little by little learning to let go of the helping hand of 'plot', my stories have grown. 'Project Aurora' was mostly plotted, but I broke away loads of times from my plan because that's where the characters wanted to go. The third part of the story wasn't plotted and it's far better than anything I could have planned for. Problem is, when I design settings, I tend to get stuck in the lore side instead of writing the damn thing. My urban fantasy idea I'll write (one hopes) next year has got plenty of lore, so much that I don't know what the story really is. Planning worlds is great fun, but they eventually sound artificial to me when I design them for too long and then I grow bored. I don't know what the ACTUAL rules are, if there are any, but I'd prefer to just write the story instead of wondering what year would work best for a certain event. I don't want to bore readers with back story when there's a story in front of them worth telling. I prefer to explore small worlds in fiction than large ones. Maybe that's because there's less chance of writing a sequel and I don't do well with sequels, but anyway. Learning about focused stories for me says more about a larger world than cramming too much in a story. Then again, you don't want your world to feel empty either. It's a tricky balance.
Take Me Home
It's exciting, though. 'Project Ghost' is something new for me. I'm used to my stories going from one place to another, but 'Ghost' is staying in one place. Well, as far as I know. Like I said, who knows where it might go. I've never written a novel that's been as free from 'plot' as this one and it'll say a lot about my writing progress when I make it. Stephen King's advice in 'On Writing' won't work for everyone, no advice is universal in that sense, but I reckon it would work for most because it makes sense. Once I repeated his words about how our lives form naturally so our characters should too, it sunk in. Maybe it helps that I don't believe in fate. Don't know, probably not. I'd like to tell you how to create fictional worlds, but I can't because I doubt anybody knows. Whatever works for you. I don't want to overload the pages with lore that doesn't serve the story and I think it's best left up to the reader's imagination teamed with subtle clues about the world. If they want more of that world, they'll make it for themselves. Hell, I've done it enough with 'Borderlands' fan-fiction. Creating worlds is a blast, but don't forget why you started in the first. There's a proper story somewhere somebody ought to read and if you don't get on with it, all you'll have is a historical record of your world, but no characters to tell it. Populate your world.
Breed, people, breed!
Songs of the Week:
Breed, people, breed!
Songs of the Week:
- 'With Eyes Wide Open' by In Flames
- 'Siren Charms' by In Flames
- 'Dead Eyes' by In Flames
- 'The Chase' by In Flames
- 'Filtered Truth' by In Flames
- 'Paralyzed' by In Flames
- 'We're Not Alone' by Virtual Riot (The Machinist Remix)
- 'Hidden' by Skrux ft. Mona Moua
- 'Sliver' by Rise Against
- 'I Don't Want to Be Here Anymore' by Rise Against
- 'Too Long, Johnny' by Hugh Laurie
- 'Gimme Something Good' by Ryan Adams