Time Travel

"I hate temporal mechanics!" --Chief Engineer Miles O'Brien, STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE

Lately, it seems every time I start flipping through TV channels, I come across some old TV episode that involves time travel. STAR TREK in all its permutations travels through time, the CHARMED witches travel through time, some poor fool on THE TWILIGHT ZONE travels through time, etc., etc. 

Time travel also seems to be one of the new spices added to different paranormal book series to change them up a bit. 

The biggest problem with time travel, beyond the mind-numbing paradoxes, is the “never mind” factor when the author uses time travel to fix things.

Something really horrible happens to the main characters, more than a few die, evil starts taking over the world, and life as we know it is about over, then one of the good guys uses time travel to go back before it starts and stops whatever the original cause of the whole mess was. Everything returns to exactly the way it was before the story started.

In other words, nothing really happened because nothing changes. I always say “never mind” in my best Emily Litella voice then something rude about the writing.

That “never mind” moment means you are cheating the reader of genuine experience. If unhappiness, danger, and death no longer can be trusted to have meaning, the reader may stop caring when permanent changes happen.

The reader can also feel cheated to the point she no longer trusts anything you write and may very well say “never mind” when your next book is out.

Links of Interest

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS AND TWO VIRTUES OF PROLOGUES:

http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-seven-deadly-sins-of-prologues.html

PRE-ORDERS AND HOW TO BUILD THEM:

http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2014/09/more-about-pre-orders.html

WORLDBUILDING, HOW RELIGION SHAPES CHARACTER:

http://fantasy-faction.com/2014/worldbuilding-a-religion-part-three-how-religion-shapes-characters

CREATING THE SOCIOPATHIC CHARACTER:

http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2014/09/guest-author-stacy-green-on-creating.html

CREATING AN EDITORIAL MAP FOR REVISIONS:

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2014/09/the-benefits-of-doing-an-editorial-map/

THE FOUR TYPES OF VILLAINS:

http://www.darcypattison.com/characters/4-types-of-villains/

DIVERSIFYING YOUR REVENUE STREAM:

http://writerunboxed.com/2014/09/22/generate-more-income-by-diversifying-revenue-streams

BASIC OVERVIEW OF WRITING HISTORICAL FICTION:

http://www.livewritethrive.com/2014/09/22/5-how-to-tips-for-writing-historical-fiction

THE POWER OF A CHARACTER KEEPING A SECRET:

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/generate-nerve-shredding-story-tension-power-of-the-secret-keeper

ENGAGE YOUR READER WITH DEEP POV:

http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2014/09/pov-103-engage-your-readers-with-deep.html

URBAN FANTASY SHORT STORY MARKET:

http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2014/09/uf-sub-op.html

FREE APS FOR WRITERS:

http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2014/09/not-dime-ten.html

WHAT NEW ADULT IS:

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2014/09/understanding-new-adult.html

SELF-PUBLISHING CHECK LIST:

http://www.blackgate.com/2014/09/21/self-publishing-checklist-the-random-no-one-tells-you-part-iii/

THE BASICS OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR AUTHORS:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2014/09/social-media-for-authors-101.html

WHAT IS YOUR THEME?

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2014/09/what-is-your-take-away-for-your-novel.html

POINT OF VIEW BASICS:

http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/2014/09/7-point-of-view-basics-every-writer.html

THREE COMMON PROBLEMS WITH TELL VERSUS SHOW:

http://writershelpingwriters.net/2014/09/emotional-description-3-common-problems-show-tell/

HOOKING A READER FROM PAGE ONE:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2014/09/setting-stage-how-i-hook-readers-from.html

BRAINSTORMING THE MAIN CHARACTER BEFORE YOU WRITE:

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2014/09/nanowrimo-prep-brainstorming-the-hero-before-you-start-writing/

CHOOSING YOUR POV CHARACTER:

http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2014/09/24/choosing-a-point-of-view-character/

CONNECTING YOUR CHARACTER TO THE SETTING:

http://www.livewritethrive.com/2014/09/24/connecting-your-characters-to-settings-in-your-novel

NANO WRITE TO DO LIST FOR STARTING THAT NOVEL:

http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2014/09/nano-to-do.html

The Ethics of Critiquing , A List of Rules

Never talk about what you critique to others.

Never show someone else's work to others.

Never "borrow" a critique partner's ideas or characters.

Respect others' time. Critique in a timely manner, and don't send your life's work at once.

Agree upon an amount of work (a chapter or more) and stick to it unless the other person agrees to see more.

Agree on what each of you wants from a critique and give it. Some of the choices are a general overview, copyediting only, or a check on accuracy from an expert.

Be specific. Be fair. Be kind. Don't say, "I hate this." Say, "Your hero is unpleasant because...," or, "He may be rude to the heroine here, but show he is a nice person to others so the reader can like him and see him as a worthy hero."

ALSO mention what works. "The heroine is really charming. I loved the way she...," or "Your descriptions are excellent. I could see the waves around the pirate ship and smell the ocean."

Don't be too kind. If you see a problem, mention it so it can be fixed. It's kinder in the long term for her to know this problem now rather than in the rejection letter from an editor.

Ask questions if you don't understand a comment, but don't defend your work. It's a waste of time for both of you.

Anger is a waste of time, as well. It's no fun to be told that your writing isn't perfect, but you'll have to learn to deal with it. Even the best writers in the world have editors who change things so learn to deal with criticism or forget about a writing career.

Respect each other's voice and individuality. Don't suggest rewrites as you would do it, but rewrites to improve the author's vision.

Respect your own voice and vision. The critiquer can only give SUGGESTIONS. Only you can decide whether to change your work. Only you know what you are trying to achieve with the entire book.

Thank your critiquer because she gave up writing time to help you.

NOTE:  Feel free to copy this to share with a critique partner, but if you'd like to share this text otherwise online, please ask my permission.  You need not ask permission to link back to this article.  

Links of Interest

KNOWING YOUR SECONDARY CHARACTERS’ STORIES:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/01/whats-their-story-discovering-front.html

SMOOTH SCENE AND CHAPTER TRANSITIONS:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/06/moving-forward-writing-smooth.html

THE GRANT OF RIGHTS IN PUBLISHING CONTRACTS:

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2014/09/grant-of-rights-or-wrongs/

TWEET 101. @REPLY:

http://writerunboxed.com/2014/09/13/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-reply

FIGURING OUT A CHARACTER WHEN HE REFUSES TO TALK TO YOU:

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2014/09/an-old-souls-guide-to-uncovering-your-characters-deepest-secrets/

WHEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE RADICAL CHANGES IN YOUR BOOK:

http://howtoplanwriteanddevelopabook.blogspot.com/2014/09/when-youre-making-radical-manuscript.html

WORLDBUILDING, THE BASICS OF A SF PLANET:

http://fantasy-faction.com/2014/building-a-world-basic-concepts

PLOTTING WITH MINI ARCS:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2014/09/plot-your-novel-with-mini-arcs.html

FOR HISTORICAL WRITERS, A BOOK RESOURCE ON THE HISTORY OF FORENSICS:

http://writersforensicsblog.wordpress.com/2014/09/15/book-review-silent-witnesses-by-nigel-mccrery

THE COMIC FANTASYISH NOVEL:

http://writerunboxed.com/2014/09/16/its-a-funny-world/

INSPIRATION-ONLY WRITING IS JUST A MYTH:

http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/2014/09/is-writing-under-inspiration-just-huge.html

SETTING THROUGH THE EYES OF A CHARACTER:

http://www.livewritethrive.com/2014/09/17/showing-settings-through-the-eyes-of-your-characters

NANOWRITE RESOURCES:

http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2014/09/nanowrimo-2014.html

LIsten to the Force, Luke Skywriter

I'm of the firm belief that a writer's subconscious is busy planting things the writer is blind to at the moment. 

When I rework a novel, I'll find lots of foreshadowing of events I didn't think I'd planned until the moment I wrote it, and I'll discover that certain types of metaphors or images keep  appearing that fit  a theme or event I didn't know was coming.

Part of the trick for a writer is going back over your work and building on the bread crumb hints left by your subconscious.  Make it obvious enough that the reader’s subconscious also picks up these crumbs to create more resonance in the novel.  

NOTE: My subconscious  just showed its unhappiness of my comments by making me unable to spell "subconscious" which is a word I normally spell with ease.

Links of Interest

FIXING EPISODIC CHAPTERS:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/06/on-tonights-episode-fixing-episodic.html

HOW TO START RESEARCH:

http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2014/09/tosca-lee-on-research.html

USING BACKSTORY TO INCREASE CONFLICT:

http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2014/09/backstory-with-bite.html

SCIENCE AND TIME TRAVEL, VERY GEEKY:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/time-travel-simulation-resolves-grandfather-paradox/

CREATING AUTHENTIC SOCIAL RELATIONS:

http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-dos-and-donts-of-creating-authentic.html

FIVE WEAK WORDS TO AVOID:

http://marcykennedy.com/2014/09/five-words-that-weaken-your-writing/

FIVE TIPS FOR LONG-TERM WRITING SUCCESS:

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2014/09/05/5-tips-for-long-term-writing-success/

BACKSTORY, WHEN DOES IT HELP AND WHEN DOES IT HINDER:

http://howtoplanwriteanddevelopabook.blogspot.com/2014/09/placing-backstory-when-it-helps-and.html

TWISTING CHARACTER STEREOTYPES IN FANTASY:

http://fantasy-faction.com/2014/believable-fantasy-character-design

CREATING INTERESTING PREY/VICTIMS  IN YOUR FANTASY WORLD:

http://fantasy-faction.com/2014/fantastical-biology-part-3-prey

THE MIRROR MOMENT:

http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2014/09/revisiting-mirror-moment.html

HOW AUTHORS SABOTAGE THEMSELVES AND HOW TO AVOID IT:

http://www.livewritethrive.com/2014/09/08/how-best-selling-writers-sabotage-themselves/

PUBLIC SPEAKING TIPS FOR WRITERS:

http://writerunboxed.com/2014/09/08/on-stage-talking-about-writing/

HOW TO AVOID HEAD HOPPING:

http://killzoneauthors.blogspot.com/2014/09/pov-102-how-to-avoid-head-hopping.html

PROMO, 15 TIPS TO REVITALIZE YOUR SALES:

http://jakonrath.blogspot.ca/2014/09/ebook-sales-down-here-are-15-tips.html

SETTING THE STAGE:

http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/2014/09/3-techniques-to-keep-in-mind-when.html

THE ANATOMY OF THE SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THE HERO AND BAD GUY:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2014/09/anatomy-of-showdown.html

CAUSE, EFFECT, AND STORY FLOW:

http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2014/09/creating-story-flow-secret-power-of.html

HOW SETTING AND LOCALE SHAPE CHARACTER:

http://www.livewritethrive.com/2014/09/10/how-settings-and-locale-shape-us-and-the-characters-we-create

Real World Logic and Urban Fantasy

Werewolves, vampires, and other supernatural beings are a staple in current genre fiction. One problem I've seen in many of the fight scenes involving these creatures is created by a flaw in worldbuilding.

Consider this scene from a contemporary novel: The vampire protagonist is in a dangerous part of a major city, and he's attacked by a large pack of demon-possessed humans. He fights them off until some of his vampire friends arrive, and all the demon-possessed humans are murdered. Fortunately, no normal humans saw the fight so the vampires' existence remains a secret.

What's the problem? Simple. How can a race remain a secret for long with widespread killings and the sheer number of combatants on both sides? Wouldn't the police become a tad suspicious if the murders kept building up? Wouldn't a medical examiner suggest that someone with superhuman strength ripped these guys apart? And what about that weird DNA found on the ripped throat of one of the victims?

The fight itself can be perfectly choreographed and written, but at its end, when all the bodies are lying there, and the vampires are leaving the scene, some readers will go, "Wait a minute. What about the police? What about...." If you leave that kind of question, the fight scene has failed.

In a recent urban fantasy novel, the human-shaped demons spent the novel taking human prey while the vampires were killing the demons and the vampire hunters were killing the vampires, yet the humans and the police were apparently totally clueless about the existence of any of these creatures and unconcerned at a body count that fit a war zone, not an American city. 

For a race like vampires or werewolves to remain secret, they must have very small numbers, a large number of anything can't be kept secret, or the race rarely makes contact with humans, and they have rules about contact and punishment for failure to comply with those rules. 

If they take prey, they must dispose of the bodies so no evidence of the death will ever be found. Their prey must also be on the edges of human society so that their loss won't be obvious. In other words, vampires should attack a homeless person, not the beautiful young Countess surrounded by friends, retainers, and family. 

Vampires definitely shouldn't attack tourists in a town which supports itself with tourism. Considering the incredible national coverage and outrage caused by just a few tourist deaths in places like Miami and New Orleans in recent years, it's highly unlikely that dozens of tourists becoming monster chow wouldn't cause a similar outcry and intense scrutiny. 

Real world logic applies even to supernatural characters. Make the fight and its outcome logical, or you've failed.

Links of Interest

LAYERING BACKSTORY TO CREATE CONFLICT:

http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2014/08/layering-backstory-to-create-conflict.html

WHY A SELF-PUB SHOULD HAVE PAPER AS WELL AS DIGITAL AVAILABLE AND HOW TO DO IT:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2014/08/the-value-of-indie-print-necessity.html

THREE THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CREATING YOUR BAD GUY:

http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2014/08/get-on-with-your-bad-self.html

LEARNING HOW TO WRITE BETTER DIALOG:

http://howtoplanwriteanddevelopabook.blogspot.com/2014/08/teaching-yourself-to-write-better.html

WRITING GREAT PROSE, EXAMPLES FROM THE MASTERS:

http://littleredreviewer.wordpress.com/2014/08/31/prose-lessons/

USING THE SENSES IN YOUR WRITING:

http://thewritersalleys.blogspot.com/2014/09/a-swell-of-senses-with-inspiration-from.html

COLLABORATING ON A PROJECT:

http://writerunboxed.com/2014/09/01/collaboration/

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON AN EDIT:

http://www.livewritethrive.com/2014/09/01/easy-tips-to-help-you-save-money-on-editing/

PACE, WHEN TO PICK IT UP AND WHEN TO SLOW IT DOWN:

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2014/09/pacing-when-to-slow-it-down-and-when-to.html

GIVE YOUR CHARACTERS A REASON FOR WHAT THEY ARE DOING:

http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/2014/09/do-your-characters-have-reason-for.html

DESCRIBING YOUR CHARACTER BEYOND HAIR AND EYES:

http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/2014/09/describing-characters-moving-beyond.html

SOFTWARE TO KEEP TRACK OF YOUR NOVEL TIMELINES:

http://fantasy-faction.com/2014/so-whats-the-fuss-about-aeon-timeline

FICTION VERSUS REALITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT VERSION:

http://writersforensicsblog.wordpress.com/2014/09/01/guest-blogger-sergeant-adam-plantinga-fiction-versus-reality

RESEARCHING YOUR BOOK:

http://publishingperspectives.com/2014/09/5-steps-to-increasing-your-books-marketability-with-research/

GUIDE TO USING TWITTER PITCH TO GET AN AGENT:

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2014/09/the-ultimate-writers-guide-to-twitter-pitch-contests/

TIPS FOR WRITING A PAGE TURNER:

http://writershelpingwriters.net/2014/09/kick-notch-top-tips-writing-page-turning-novel/

SETTING WITH PURPOSE:

http://www.livewritethrive.com/2014/09/03/setting-with-a-purpose/

HOW TO INTENSIFY CONFLICT AND DEEPEN CHARACTERS:

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/how-to-intensify-conflict-deepen-characters-the-wound/