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Lots to offer in this episode… check it out.
We’re live-streaming video!
We started this episode by announcing that we were, for the first time, streaming the video feed of the Google Hangout we were using to record the podcast. Sean, Dave and I have always recorded our podcasts while also using video so that we could catch each other’s visual cues (like Dave mooning his webcam), but from here on out we’ll also broadcast that video.
You can visit and/or subscribe to our Self Publishing Podcast YouTube channel, or you can watch the archived video of this week’s episode directly.
NOTE: Our intention is to record EVERY Tuesday at 3pm Eastern US time and to broadcast/stream our video in this same way, but we suck at coordination of such things and will certainly not adhere to that schedule exactly. But in general, if you want a laugh, try checking our YouTube channel at 3pm on Tuesdays. Most Tuesdays we should be there, live. (Maybe we’ll even figure out how to do live chat eventually, too.)
Structuring Serials
We took a question from John about how Sean and Dave structure serials, and if it’s different from structuring a novel. They answered the question (Sean had to hear it twice, because he wasn’t paying attention). Because the question wasn’t for me, I took a nap.
Grammar, rules of writing, following rules so you don’t look like an amateur, and breaking rules because rules suck
We spent the bulk of the episode addressing a question submitted by Scott via email. Here’s the meat of the email that Scott sent us:
I am 39 years old and haven’t written a damn thing since I was a kid. I’ve got tons of ideas floating around for a short fiction novel, but never had the balls to put them down on paper…until now. That said, I have some anxiety about writing, particularly as it relates to the proper usage of grammar and punctuation.
I would very much enjoy hearing you guys get into some basic discussion about how you each structure a novel. For example, I find myself getting stumped on proper paragraph structure. I’ve read some people use as little as one sentence…others suggest sticking to the 5-7 sentence per paragraph structure. Basically, some writing and grammar tips 101 from you guys would be helpful.
I know this sounds incredibly basic, but for fuckers like me who paid very little attention in school and never went to college, this can be a source of great anxiety.
There’s a lot to this question. I feel that the many, many, many other people who I’ve found have questions like this have been duped by teachers and other authorities into believing that there is a “right” way to write, and that if you don’t adhere to those “correct rules,” you have no business writing and are just going to embarrass yourself.
In truth, most of the decisions about paragraph length, sentence length, tense, and general style end up comprising an author’s voice… and there is no one correct “voice” for anyone to have.
But still, even if you believe that and choose to consciously defy some of those rules, you need to do so willfully and intentionally, not accidentally because you simply don’t know any better. To that end, we suggest everyone who’d like a firm grounding in how to use grammar and punctuation properly check out these books:
- The Elements of Style
- On Writing (of course)
- Eats, Shoots, & Leaves
And on counterpoint, here’s a post that Sean wrote called 10 Grammar Rules You Can (and Should!) Ignore!
If you choose to break rules, know them first… and have a damn good reason for breaking those rules. But don’t let someone else’s opinion hold you back.
This episode is chock-full of goodness. We talk about the rule-breaking style of Fight Club and House of Leaves and why the voice and style used in a certain passage in American Psycho gives me serious creeps. Also included: Why reading Clive Barker is like eating a really rich dessert.
To view the video version of this episode, go to: Self Publishing Podcast Episode #13 – Rule-Breaking, Voice, and Style for the Self-Published Author
Thanks Johnny – it was close enough.
In addition to saying it on Twitter, I wanted to say it here too. I enjoyed the live stream, so keep it going. Perhaps it was just me, and the one guy who left the comment on the youtube video watching (Hey Buddy!), but I’m sure in time it’ll grow. What about sticking a more permanent link to it somewhere on this page?
Thanks again for the late afternoon distraction from work.
Glad you enjoyed it! I watched bits myself and found it strangely compelling… more than I imagined I would. Even though we’re just saying stuff for audio, the dynamic is still interesting, and the way Hangouts switches around makes for a fast-paced, cool experience.
We’re probably not regular enough yet to commit to a big push for people to watch live… for instance, NEXT week’s will be at the same time, but we’re recording the one for the following week next Wednesday night, which is more than a week ahead of time and in the evening. Once we can nail it down more, we may do that.
Thanks for watching/listening/joining in!
You guys just never disappoint – you deliver inspirational headshots like a Desert Eagle with value ammunition.
You have partly talked about it, but I luv to hear the following things from you in the future:
1) Commercial factor. Everyone says that you worry about genre and making your work as commercial as possible (no prob with that).
Do you guys ever think about your “target group” if your overall stuff is interesting enough for the wider public ?
2) World building. You have talked about characters and your writing process. But what about the creation of your fiction world ? Does it happen organically or you purposely create a specific, theme-based world that’s related to your characters ? (many script writers and novelists say the world is a mirror – and expansion of the protagonist(s) and his/her flaws)
Thanks Mars!
1. Yes. I never want my stuff to be “just” genre, no matter what I’m writing. With Yesterday’s Gone, Dave and I are looking for post-apocalyptic fans, sure, but we also want fans of great fiction. And I think those are some of the reviews that make us the happiest – when they say “this isn’t normally my type of thing, but…”
I’m doing some kids stuff right now, and I have every intent of having parents love reading with their kids. Like Pixar stuff – worth it on both levels – and I’m consciously designing the stories around larger themes for that reason.
2. For me (and I think Dave) the world building would be like 90% organic. My worlds aren’t an expansion of the characters flaws. It’s more about what sort of world I want to write in. For YG, Dave and I built the world specifically to have fun in. It was our sandbox. Totally organic.
I also think world-building is organic, but it’s also AWESOME and I’d totally love to devote a show to it…
I don’t see the link for “10 Rules You Should Break”, do any of you happen to have that?
Also, great episode. Your approach to grammar was less “grammar nazi” and more “write for effect” which would be beneficial for many beginning writers, and a few pro’s too.
Sorry about that… I’ve added the link near the end.
i agree with breaking rules funda…it always brings passion and fresh inspirations
This was a really great episode – I enjoyed listening a lot. I especially liked the idea of story A and story B – I am just starting my 4th novel – a steampunk-inspired adventure starring a mad scientist, an evil priestess and the mother of all tsuamnis! Yeah! My first 3 novels are very character driven and this is my first attempt at a truly plot-driven book so I am really interested in story arcs and I like the idea of an episode within the overall story that has its own arc.
When you were talking about economy of dialogue it reminded me of a scathing and hilarious ‘memo to writers’ by David Mamet – maybe you have seen it?
http://www.scribd.com/doc/29206157/David-Mamet-Memo-to-Writers
Also, when you were talking about the use of adverbs, it called to mind the most fantastic scene in Jennifer Egan’s The Keep in which two characters take the piss out of adverb overuse by…overusing adverbs. It’s very witty and also makes you uncomfortable thinking about all the adverbs you’ve ever used – highly recommended.
Hearing Dave say “style happens over time” (do you have a quotable quotes section? you should. I mean apart from “I hate you all”) made me think of Miles Davis saying “Sometimes it tkaes a long time to play like yourself”
I have seen that from Mamet, and loved it.
That’s a great quote from Dave, and it’s so true. When we want to be someone else, we’re less than ourselves.
I realize this episode is old, but I just listened and wanted to say that there are a lot of “experts” on writing that have never published anything. If your writing is clear and communicates the ideas and feelings you want to communicate, it’s good writing. Peace to my fellow Tennessean.