Group Countdown

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Picking teams

If you’ve read a fantasy story, and I mean any, chances are you’ve run into The Group – a splattering of main characters who team up to defeat evil. Authors can pick how many characters to have in The Group based on the story’s needs, but in my experience, some group numbers are more prevalent than others.

5. The lone hero.
The favorite of old tales, but the lone hero model has gone out of style. Even Frodo had good ol’ Sam to depend on. Stories today like to emphasize the need for friendship, rather than the power of one individual.

4. Dynamic duos.
Also not very popular, since it can be a bit flat character development-wise. An example would be, as mentioned above, Frodo and Sam as they trek toward Mordor.

3. Adventurers, party of five.
Used more in sword and sorcery novels, where quests reign supreme. Each character in The Group fills a vital role in adventuring: fighter, mage, rogue, priest, girl. Yes. “Girl” is usually the fifth role in a Five Man Band.

2. The symbolism of four.
Used in fantasy when you want each character to represent a balanced set, usually the classic elements. Think of Aang (air), Katara (water), Sokka (non-bending, fire is the enemy here), and Toph (earth) from Avatar: The Last Airbender, or Sandry (non-element), Daja (fire), Tris (air and water), and Briar (earth) from Tamora Pierce’s Circle of Magic books.

And the most common grouping?

1. The power of three.
Harry Potter‘s Harry, Ron, and Hermione are a [new] classic example. Three main characters provides a good dynamic, and has a lot of room to play around with conflict.

Procrastination Station

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Here are the top five reasons authors use to stall working on their novel.

5. “I can’t think what to write next.”
The ever-present writer’s block, bane to every author’s existence. How many times have we delayed writing, or even given up on a story, because we weren’t “in the mood?”

4. “This is crappy writing, no one will ever read this.”
Of course it’s crappy, it’s a first draft. It’s only on the second draft that you’ll improve the writing. Don’t give up because you’re dejected and giving too much attention to your inner editor.

3. “The characters are flat and not likable.”
Probably. Figure out why, and fix the stupid problem. If they’re flat, give them faults. Nobody likes a Mary Sue. If they’re not likable, find a way to make us care about them. [insert puppies here]

2. “This plot isn’t going anywhere.”
So jazz it up. The popular method is to kill someone, but there are way less drastic ways to spice up the action. Introduce a new character, force your MC to face their fears, etc. “Internal conflict” is the new “plot-driven” novel.

And the number one reason authors stall writing their novel?

1. “But this idea is so much better!”
Do NOT chase that plot bunny! Stick with the one you have, through better or worse, and enjoy the ride.

What reasons do you use to stall your writing?

Fanfiction Countdown

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Here are the top five reasons fanfiction is so difficult to write.

5. Building an Audience.
No one said you could only write fanfiction based on what’s popular. But if you pick a smaller fan base, you’ll have trouble building an audience to read your work. A fanfic on Fanfiction.Net for five years might only ever get 20 hits.

4. Finding an Interesting Plot.
Generally speaking, the best plot for a cast of characters was done in the original novel [or other medium]. Fanfic writers are confined to writing prequels, sequels, or tiny fluff pieces in between original scenes. For Pride & Prejudice sequels, what else are you going to write about but a happy Darcy marriage? Since they’re already together, you have to marry off someone else (Georgiana, Kitty, Mary, the Darcy and Bingley children, etc.). That severely limits your options. And I, for one, am getting severely sick of Darcy children stories.

3. Keeping Track of Canon.
This doesn’t apply if you’re trying to do an alternative reality piece, but for most of us, we like to keep things canon. But that means being up on your literature and memorizing otherwise meaningless details. If you’re throwing canon out the window, you better warn your readers up front to avoid hissy fits.

2. Mary Sues.
Those all powerful characters who ruin a good story. Whether the author is literally inserting herself into the story or has imagined an ideal person who either attracts everybody and their cousin, is more powerful than the ten most powerful wizards, or what-have-you, she is annoying, and needs to be deleted. Permanently. The problem is that fanfic writers love to use them. Why? I’m not entirely sure. They’re not interesting to read about.

And the number one reason fanfiction is so difficult to write?

1. Keeping Everyone “In Character.”
Nothing is worse than someone being out of character (OOC). Whether they’re brave when they should be scared, or funny when they should be serious, characters who are OOC will jolt you right out of the story. But accurate characters are the most difficult thing to accomplish when writing fanfiction. The trouble is that these characters aren’t your creation. If the original author put them in the situation you created, they would probably act completely differently than what you imagine. It’s tough, but there it is.

What challenges have you faced/witnessed in writing fanfiction?