Knowing When To Add World-Building Details

Other than putting words down on paper, the task I spend the most time on while writing is deciding upon the order in which those words appear. The order of sentences, the order of paragraphs, the order of scenes. Should I reveal a nugget of information now or wait until later? Argggg! I tweak constantly, rearranging everything over and over until I feel I’ve hit the sweet spot. My hardest task, though, is deciding when and where I should drop in world-building info.

The commonly accepted rule is that authors shouldn’t reveal world-building facts until the reader needs to know them. Otherwise we run the risk of slowing the pace of the story and possibly boring the reader. Like most rules in writing, however, I’ve found this rule to be more of a guideline, because it’s possible to take this concept too far.

For one thing, common sense suggests writers shouldn’t always wait until the last minute to deliver world-building info. If the reader keeps learning necessary facts right before those facts become important to the story, he’ll spot the pattern and grow annoyed. It’s often better to drop in these bits of information well in advance of when they’re needed.

I can also imagine instances in which a writer will deliberately want plenty of separation between the delivery of info and when it’s actually needed. Consider mystery stories, for example. The writer needs to drop in facts/clues about the surrounding world so the reader has a legitimate chance of figuring out the mystery before the big reveal, but the writer usually wants to place them early in the story so those facts aren't foremost in the reader’s mind as the climax approaches. Otherwise it might be too easy for the reader to solve out the mystery.

Or how about when the author needs to foreshadow a future event? In many cases, it’s better to foreshadow well in advance, in order to give the reader time to build up anxiety over what might happen.

Heck, sometimes world-building info isn’t always needed for the story. Sometimes the author adds this kind of information solely for the purpose of the reader’s entertainment. This often occurs in fantasy or science fiction, where dropping in little details about how things work in this world are part of the draw. If the author followed the aforementioned rule, he’d never be allowed to add this info.

Of course, just because you can drop in bits of info early doesn’t mean you’re relieved of the responsibility of coming up with a valid reason for tossing it in there. No matter how entertaining you might find the religious system in your newly created world, the reader will not be pleased if you dump it on him for no reason. As a writer, it’s your job to dream up situations that justify the inclusion of this information. The reader may not need to know the information yet, but they don't need to know that.

ChemistKen

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 172

It's been a while since I've missed so many Wednesday posts in a row. I apologize to those of you who've stopped by looking for something new. Unfortunately, too many things are going on at home or at work. When June arrived, I thought I'd have tons of time what with the kids being done with school (meaning they no longer needed my help on homework) and the weather turning nice, but free time has yet to surface. This is the busiest I've been all year. So again, my apologies. 

I guarantee that I will have a post next Wednesday. This is not bravado, or an attempt at holding myself accountable. The post that was scheduled for this past Wednesday is 80% done, so it won't take much to finish it by next week. 

Enjoy the links and have a great weekend! 

ChemistKen 



What’s in Your Tagline?
Not your story's tagline, but your website's. Make sure the people who stop by your website know what you're all about. 

Creating Effective Transitions

Keep It Fresh: 10 Ways To Show Your Character’s Emotions

How to Handle Conflicting Critiques

Junowrimo: Act II, Part Two

JUNOWRIMO: Midpoint

The Blueprint for Writing a Novel from the First Five Pages to the End

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 171

Very little writing news to report this week.  My wife kept me busy on a building project every night this week, so there was no time for my usual Wednesday post.  Heck, even this post is rather late.

I plan to enjoy this weekend.

Enjoy the links and have a great weekend! 

ChemistKen 


Social Media Content: Feeding the Beast

Junowrimo: Key Elements of Act II, Part 1

Negative Reviews (and Why I Don’t Read Them)

Junowrimo Day 10: Are you stuck? Do you have a PLAN?

The Art of the Chapter

What’s in Your Tagline?

How to Immediately Improve Your Query Letter’s Effectiveness

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 170

Last night I attended one of my monthly crit group sessions and received feedback on my latest submission. There were a few minor suggestions, easily fixed, but one member of the group commented that he wanted more tension in the scene. 

I sighed to myself. Seems as though every time I write a sequel scene, I'm told I need to add more tension. 

A sequel scene is the scene that comes after a big dramatic (possibly full of action) scene. It's a time for the character to reflect upon what she's just been through and a chance for the reader to catch his/her breath before the next big scene. It's supposed to be a quieter scene, but apparently I make them too quiet. Either that or I've trained my group to expect something big to happen in every chapter. 

So tonight I'll be kicking back with some wine and figuring out a way to put my protagonist into even more jeopardy. After all, the reader is always right, aren't they? 

Enjoy the links and have a great weekend! 

ChemistKen 


How Writing Short Fiction Can Enhance Your Novel (and Your Career)

Building a Mailing List through Reader Magnets

SHOULD You Create Your Own Book Cover?

Amazon Has A Fake Book Problem

5 Critical Mistakes of Author Collaborations And How to Avoid Them

Outlining a Murder Mystery

The Legal Side of Writing for Anthologies

The Insecure Writer and Quitting

Today is June's contribution to Alex Cavanaugh's Insecure Writers Support Group.

What makes me an Insecure Writer this month?

The usual suspects. Nothing worth mentioning.

So this month I'll settle for answering the question of the month.

Did you ever say "I quit?" If so, what happened to make you come back to writing?

The simple answer is that I’ve never said “I quit.”  It’s not as if I haven’t had  reason to say it.  I’m an excruciatingly slow writer.  Writing doesn’t come as naturally to me as it does for most of you.  Every word can be a struggle.  I estimate that I’m only half way through my story, and during the years I’ve spent writing it, some of you have managed to put out trilogies. (Damn that Alex)  Heck, even one of my former online crit members has managed to publish a book.

Resistance

So yes, I’ve thought about quitting.  But for some reason, no matter how badly I feel about my writing, no matter how down I am, no matter how many doubts I have, those feelings never last more than a day.  All I have to do is go to bed and when I wake up the next morning, the doubts are gone.   On some levels, my ability to ignore reality is almost frightening.  But it keeps me going.

I have no idea if anyone will care for my simplistic writing style, or my story, or my characters.  But to be honest, it doesn't really matter.  I’m going to finish this story no matter what, and when I do, I’ll move on to the next one. I like the story, and that’s all that matters. Hopefully a few people will like it enough to buy it.

I’ll never quit being a writer. It's just not an option for me.

ChemistKen

P.S.  Thank goodness I have a day job!

Seven Writing Links -- Volume 169

I don't know about you, but I'm anxiously awaiting the middle of June. Because by the time we hit the third week of June, two major milestones will have passed. 

1. All my flowers will have been planted and mulched. I'm into gardening because of the bright colors, not from any sort of intrinsically good feeling about being one with nature. As far as I'm concerned, once everything is planted, the flowers are on their own. Sure, I'll fertilize them occasionally, if I remember, but that's about it. Once we hit the middle of June, I ain't touching another shovel, rake, or clod of dirt until fall arrives. 

2. School will have ended. Thank God! I spend more time helping my kids with their homework, or yelling at them for not having done their homework, than I do working on my own story, or planting flowers, or conversing with my wife. I expect my writing progress to leap forward starting in two weeks. 

Enjoy the links and have a great weekend! 

ChemistKen 


Business Musings: Brand Identity (Branding/Discoverability)

Indie Publishing Paths: What’s Your Next Step?

Villains & Villainesses: Architects of Story

How to Write a Sizzling, Scintillating Synopsis

Why Writing Rules (Usually) Don’t Work, But Writing Guidelines Do

When tweeters attack: why do readers send authors their bad reviews?

How Not to Start Your Novel: 6 First Page No-Nos