Question - Iam stuck on two areas

[Typhon]

Greetings everyone,

I look forward to your responses. Iam stuck in the middle of my scifi novel, iam about 100pages (Pieces) in and ive taken a break from the mainstream of the writing to fill in some blanks and some issues. Without going into to much detail, my problem comes in when iam talking about a key character, is it good to go into great detail and how long, or should i give a brief summary and leave some mystery and add it into the overall story at a later time? Another thing, in which iam working on that is giving me some problem, is that i have vessels that are being commanded, how much detail is good, while trying to give the reader an overall picture without having an actual picture?

Also, do you find yourself having many different notes and ideas written down as possible ideas to fit into your story?

I look forward to your opinions, please be kind. LOLOLOL

T

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

Primarily my advice would be "just finish it & fix it in revision". That's generally a good thing to stick by.

Now, you asked about some specifics like how much detail is needed for things like ship command. It's very difficult to comment on that without actually seeing the writing you're referring to. I'd suggest picking an excerpt of 1500-2000 words and putting it up on the showcase for members to read and critique. If you choose to do this, be very specific about what kind of critique you're looking for (i.e. Do I have enough description of vessel command?).

 

[Typhon]

Primarily my advice would be "just finish it & fix it in revision". That's generally a good thing to stick by.

Now, you asked about some specifics like how much detail is needed for things like ship command. It's very difficult to comment on that without actually seeing the writing you're referring to. I'd suggest picking an excerpt of 1500-2000 words and putting it up on the showcase for members to read and critique. If you choose to do this, be very specific about what kind of critique you're looking for (i.e. Do I have enough description of vessel command?).

Hmmmm, interesting ill see about that. I don't normally just write, as i stop and write in pieces while continuing the story. It refreshes me in going back and continuing on.

 

[Shockley]

You'll lose momentum if you stop and rewrite, at least in my experience. It's better to forge on, then go back once it is all completed to unify the plot.

 

[saellys]

I agree with Shockley--I find it very difficult to stop and start again without losing track of what I was trying to accomplish in a certain arc. You'd be best served with pushing through a scene in as few sessions as possible, and then going back to make sure you have all the details and descriptions you want. Otherwise you risk getting stuck in a loop of writing a few paragraphs and then editing what you wrote last time, over and over. One step forward, two steps back.

If certain aspects of a key character's history stand to affect the plot, I think you're better served by revealing only what the reader needs to know at a given moment, rather than writing a giant info-dump about that character. You might be able to work the mystery of that character's past into the plot.

And as for vessel command, I like to read as much detail as possible about how a military unit works, particularly if each vessel has specific strengths and weaknesses and/or is commanded by an officer of different rank. Better still if you can weave those details into the action. Perhaps in the midst of a heated battle, someone issues an order and then it gets countermanded by someone of higher rank. There's an opportunity to explain the chain of command in a couple sentences. How many times did Captain Picard say, "Belay that order!" when someone on the bridge of the Enterprise got ahead of themselves?

On that note, I don't read a lot of hard SF, but when it comes to the details of ship command and military structure, the Battlestar Galactica remake was a fantastic example of doing it right. My ex-Navy husband says it's also very accurate to what life on a ship is like.

 

[wordwalker]

I agree with Shockley--I find it very difficult to stop and start again without losing track of what I was trying to accomplish in a certain arc. You'd be best served with pushing through a scene in as few sessions as possible, and then going back to make sure you have all the details and descriptions you want. Otherwise you risk getting stuck in a loop of writing a few paragraphs and then editing what you wrote last time, over and over. One step forward, two steps back.

Although, one useful trick is to sometimes stop writing in mid-scene, even mid-sentence, so you can jump into that momentum to start you next time. Sometimes it works.

Agreed, there's a balance to how much to reveal at one time. I tend to see it as a scene could either:

• reveal A-- too little to get into (but great if other things are going on)
• reveal ABC-- okay
• reveal ABCD-- bogs down
• reveal AB, then CDE later-- interests the reader the first time, then delights him later that he remembers AB and gets to build on it

Finding that balance is tricky, but it's great when it works. Especially if it's about matching details to the moments when they matter:

I like to read as much detail as possible about how a military unit works, particularly if each vessel has specific strengths and weaknesses and/or is commanded by an officer of different rank. Better still if you can weave those details into the action. Perhaps in the midst of a heated battle, someone issues an order and then it gets countermanded by someone of higher rank. There's an opportunity to explain the chain of command in a couple sentences. How many times did Captain Picard say, "Belay that order!" when someone on the bridge of the Enterprise got ahead of themselves?

I think this is key. "As much detail as possible" is very much a personal choice, but however much detail you use that always affects What The Team Can Pull Off, which is what everything comes down to. Especially character issues like the above, which is just the juiciest kind of detail because it can affect everything in the story.

 

[saellys]

Although, one useful trick is to sometimes stop writing in mid-scene, even mid-sentence, so you can jump into that momentum to start you next time. Sometimes it works.

I'm incapable of doing that, at all, ever. If I stop mid-sentence to go to the bathroom, I'll completely forget what I was going to type next. Super props to anyone who can pull it off.

 

[Shockley]

I'm incapable of doing that, at all, ever. If I stop mid-sentence to go to the bathroom, I'll completely forget what I was going to type next. Super props to anyone who can pull it off.

That's part of the beauty of it, in my experience. It becomes a 'new' scene, with new material. You get to look back at the sentence fragment before and say 'How do I follow that up?

 

[Addison]

Sounds like you're having a problem with divulging back story. It's a common problem for writers, no matter how experienced. There are several ways to do this. The way you're describing doing it already sounds like exposition: giving a big chunk of back story in a very long paragraph (or several short ones). While effective method of back story it pulls readers away from the story. Back story and your main story should weave together. If you do give back story by exposition try to put it in a logical place. Giving information of the hero's messed up child hood in the middle of a tense, action scene won't work. Exposition usually works when you're done with a high-tension/action scene and you want to slow down the pace so the reader can catch up.
More effective ways are dropping bits and pieces through dialogue, thoughts, actions and character interactions. A character can ask your hero "Why are you so stubborn?" your hero's answer could give the reader a glimpse into their past. i.e "'Cause it's kept me alive since I was a kid and it's doing just fine now." or "It's how I was brought up." or even. "It's how I was able to get what I rightfully needed." Who knows. But it tells the reader something about the character. How your character interacts with other characters and their thoughts reflecting a situation are other ways. Experiment with these methods and find which one, or combination, works better for your story.

 

[Typhon]

I agree with Shockley--I find it very difficult to stop and start again without losing track of what I was trying to accomplish in a certain arc. You'd be best served with pushing through a scene in as few sessions as possible, and then going back to make sure you have all the details and descriptions you want. Otherwise you risk getting stuck in a loop of writing a few paragraphs and then editing what you wrote last time, over and over. One step forward, two steps back.

If certain aspects of a key character's history stand to affect the plot, I think you're better served by revealing only what the reader needs to know at a given moment, rather than writing a giant info-dump about that character. You might be able to work the mystery of that character's past into the plot.

And as for vessel command, I like to read as much detail as possible about how a military unit works, particularly if each vessel has specific strengths and weaknesses and/or is commanded by an officer of different rank. Better still if you can weave those details into the action. Perhaps in the midst of a heated battle, someone issues an order and then it gets countermanded by someone of higher rank. There's an opportunity to explain the chain of command in a couple sentences. How many times did Captain Picard say, "Belay that order!" when someone on the bridge of the Enterprise got ahead of themselves?

On that note, I don't read a lot of hard SF, but when it comes to the details of ship command and military structure, the Battlestar Galactica remake was a fantastic example of doing it right. My ex-Navy husband says it's also very accurate to what life on a ship is like.

I see what you are saying, ive looked to those perspectives in looking at the problem in front of me. As well, the guild iam apart of has stated the same thing about pushing onto writing it out, instead of long breaks in between. Which makes sense, but RL at the same-time gets in the way of that as well so the long breaks are only perhaps 1wk to 3wks at a time. I appreciate the insightful and thought provoking positions you have given me.

Sounds like you're having a problem with divulging back story. It's a common problem for writers, no matter how experienced. There are several ways to do this. The way you're describing doing it already sounds like exposition: giving a big chunk of back story in a very long paragraph (or several short ones). While effective method of back story it pulls readers away from the story. Back story and your main story should weave together. If you do give back story by exposition try to put it in a logical place. Giving information of the hero's messed up child hood in the middle of a tense, action scene won't work. Exposition usually works when you're done with a high-tension/action scene and you want to slow down the pace so the reader can catch up.
More effective ways are dropping bits and pieces through dialogue, thoughts, actions and character interactions. A character can ask your hero "Why are you so stubborn?" your hero's answer could give the reader a glimpse into their past. i.e "'Cause it's kept me alive since I was a kid and it's doing just fine now." or "It's how I was brought up." or even. "It's how I was able to get what I rightfully needed." Who knows. But it tells the reader something about the character. How your character interacts with other characters and their thoughts reflecting a situation are other ways. Experiment with these methods and find which one, or combination, works better for your story.

It isn't per se divulging back into the story, as it is about how much should i give the read than to perhaps bring up at a later time while keeping it a mystery. I also see what you are saying, iam not all the surprised that no matter the experience any writer have that problem.

See, that is what i was thinking about doing. Dropping that of bits and pieces through the dialogue while trying to twist it at a later time into being significant if needed. I see what you are saying, i have read a lot of others people perspectives on the forums to see what you are saying and i agree. Ill experiment with what you have suggested, i appreciate your insight.