laura_seabrook: (Default)
Just a couple of links to two sites that list tropes and cliches that tend to turn up in writing, including comic writing.

The first is TV TROPES which is "a catalogue of the tricks of the trade for writing fiction". I've linked to this before. There is an extensive list of entries which include examples from comics, manga and anime (as well as TV, film and so on). I found this to be hilarious to browse through. For example,

Put On A Bus is "a character is written out of a series in such a way that they can easily be returned later, if the producers so choose. They are Put On A Bus " and an example of this from comics is "Between the late 1960s and his return in the early '80s, J'onn J'onnz, the Martian Manhunter of the Justice League, went off to find "New Mars" with the rest of the Martian people. This has since been retconned — along with the existence of other Martians in general. "

Turkey City Lexicon is a much smaller list detailing overused techniques and shortcuts in SF stories. However, a fair number of these also overflow into comics. I particularly like...

"Plot Coupons" (The “hero” collects sufficient plot coupons (magic sword, magic book, magic cat) to send off to the author for the ending); and
"Signal from Fred" (the author’s subconscious, alarmed by the poor quality of the work, makes unwitting critical comments: “This doesn’t make sense.” “This is really boring.” “This sounds like a bad movie”).
"Card Tricks in the Dark" used to be a staple of comic plots at DC in the 60s - Gardener Fox (or some such) would pull out some amazing bit of trivia that only he and the hero knew, and use it to unravel the plot of the villain.


I also just came across Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels and comic books but haven't had a good look at it yet. The Five superhero plots that need to die page looks amusing.

Zhura

Sep. 17th, 2009 04:03 pm
laura_seabrook: (Default)

I've decided to try Zhura to write comic scripts, for the same reason I'm now using Google calendar - it's all online. That means I can go anywhere with a net connection and work on a script. Also, there's a community there that might help.

laura_seabrook: (Default)
Finished adapting my play into a web comic. You can find the comic here, and (courtesy of some open-source script writing software called Celtx) a pdf of the play  to view, here.
laura_seabrook: (Default)

This one's for all those
creative writers
on my friends list

I hope I have your attention now

What do you use to write with, as far as software goes?

Now I'm expecting people to say "Notepad" or paper & pencil, but what I'm trying to find out is if you use a specialised program to assist writing stories / novels, such as Writer's CaféWriteItNow or whatever (not the actual text editor/word processor).

And why do you use that software?

I'm thinking of using some of these applications to help me write my comics, and maybe a few short stories and at least a novel I've had kicking around in my head. I've only tried one so far - uWriter - and while it had many interesting features (like character notes and such), I found the application to be extremely irritating to use.

 

 

Oooh - I've just discovered an open-source program called StoryBook
must check this out.

laura_seabrook: (cheerful)

Found this page The Evil Overlord Devises a Plot by Teresa Nielsen Hayden, while checking out [livejournal.com profile] aesmael's journal. I rather like the intro, which reads:

Start with some principles:

  • A plot doesn't have to be new. It just has to be new to the reader.
  • In fact, it doesn't even have to be new to the reader. It just has to get past him. (It helps if the story's moving fast and there's lots of other interesting stuff going on.)
  • A plot device that's been used a thousand times may be a clichĂ©, but it's also a trick that works. That's why it keeps getting used.
  • Several half-baked ideas can often be combined into one fully-cooked one.
  • If you have one plot presented three ways, you have three plots. If you have three plots presented one way, you have one plot. (I stole this principle from Jim Macdonald's lecture on how to really generate plots, which is much better than my lecture on stupid plot tricks.)
  • Steal from the best.

I generated the following using the lists on that page:

  • Lead Characters (Bad):
    If my chief engineer displeases me, he will be shot, not imprisoned in the dungeon or beyond the traps he helped design.
  • Lead Character (Good):
    I will employ some manner of surveillance so that when I leave a room and a traitorous comrade gives me the Malicious Scowl or Wicked Leer to my back, I will have ample warning of his impending betrayal.
  • Auxiliary Characters (Bad):
    None of my super-weapons will have a "reverse" switch.
  • Auxiliary Characters (Good):
    Do not split up to search for the monster.
  • Further Evil:
    I will keep my hair under control and my fingernails trimmed. Long, loose hair is much too convenient a handle for the Hero, Sidekick or Backstabbing Evil Ally. Trimmed fingernails let me press The Button myself.

Gasp - it sounds a bit like The Venture Brothers!

laura_seabrook: (Default)
Maybe I'm bored...
What's YOUR Writing Style?

You are a descriptive writer. An avid reader of Robert Frost, perhaps, you LOVE to use flowery words and use the paper and pen as your canvas and paintbrush. You prefer to paint a mental image rather than simply toy around with people's minds. A very inspired person, you love to be in nature and usually are a very outdoorsy type of person. A writer with a natural green thumb, perhaps?
Take this quiz!

Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Elfwood II

Jul. 1st, 2006 10:14 am
laura_seabrook: (Default)
I just found out that in addition to the website, there's also an Elfwood live journal community at [livejournal.com profile] elfwood - cool!
laura_seabrook: (Default)

Another story that I wrote for the HQ competition. Never heard back about this one either. I have no idea if I'm a good fiction writer or not.  The story is set in 2002.

Hunter )

laura_seabrook: (Default)

I wrote this story as an entry for the HQ Short Story Competition, back in 1999. First prize was $3000, so I thought it would be worth it. Lately I've been thinking about doing some more creative writing. I get the stories and ideas anyway, but normally they either just sit in the back of my head for years, or I let them fade away.

This particular story was posted on the net a while ago, and can also be found at various repositories.

Self-Help )

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