I know that some of you have read 'No Plot? No Problem' the insightful, inspired and often downright hilarious guide to 30 day novel writing, written by our illustrious founder, Chris Baty. For those who haven't, you should. Right now. And until you do, I'd like to share one of the more interesting suggestions he writes about........
The Magna Carters. I and II.
Two lists, The Magna Carter I is where you list everything you love to read in novels. Character types, themes, styles, plot types, chapter sizes, page numbers, anything. The Magna Carter II is where you list everything that you hate to read in novels. The opposite to the first list.
The idea is that you keep these lists handy when you're writing your novel as a guide of what and what not to include. "...the things you'll appreciate as a reader are also the things you'll likely excel at as a writer."
Thought it might be fun if we share our lists here. Perhaps at the end of November we can come back and reflect on how close we got to writing something that we would each like to read.
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"Find the next word. Write it down. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat." - Neil Gaiman
60,127 / 50,000
Okt 5, 2009 - 22 44
Great idea :D I'll post again when I'm home (currently at work) but one thing I love in fantasy books is the glossary of who everyone is. Love it <3 Though I rather it at the back, so I don't read something and spoil myself by accident...
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· Katharine
· ML of Elsewhere Australia
· Elsewhere Australia has a Twitter!
76,800 / 50,000
Okt 6, 2009 - 01 07
please forvive my typo - See Carta, not Carter. My bad.
----------"Find the next word. Write it down. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat." - Neil Gaiman
60,127 / 50,000
Okt 6, 2009 - 01 12
Fixed, I think :D
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· Katharine
· ML of Elsewhere Australia
· Elsewhere Australia has a Twitter!
0 / 50,000
Okt 7, 2009 - 20 04
That's a really, really good idea. I'm going to give it a whack.
Do you recommend No Plot? No Problem!? I think I borrowed it from the library once but I don't remember anything about it.
----------Melissah B.
http://www.melissah.net
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2009 - Marked
2006 - Winter - 35,668
60,127 / 50,000
Okt 7, 2009 - 20 58
Do you recommend No Plot? No Problem!? I think I borrowed it from the library once but I don't remember anything about it.
it's a fantastic book :) HIGHLY recommended!
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· Katharine
· ML of Elsewhere Australia
· Elsewhere Australia has a Twitter!
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· Katharine
· ML of Elsewhere Australia
· Elsewhere Australia has a Twitter!
76,800 / 50,000
Okt 11, 2009 - 16 58
Ok, here goes....
***MC I - What I Like to Read****
Odd Characters
Odd events
Writers and other artists
Music
Simple, but intelligent writing
Lofty philosophies explored in simple, unpretentious terms
Short chapters
Black humour
Social outcasts
Romance
"coming of age"
Personal confusion
Modern urban settings
Food and wine
Solid, hopeful endings
Pop Culture references (the more nerdy, the better)
***MCII - What I Don't Like To Read***
----------Mental illness
Period Drama (apart from mythic history)
Preachy moral themes
Happy, harmonious families
High drama without a sense of humour
Stream of consciousness narration
Litigation
Flowery prose
Unhopeful endings
Endings without closure
Pretentious, unlikeable characters
Stories where nothing happens
Lots of technical information
Lots of of foreign words
Lots of dialogue
"Find the next word. Write it down. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat." - Neil Gaiman
22,375 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 13 40
Magna Carta I
friends who stick together no matter what
characters with skewed moral codes
tree-climbing
fedoras
villians who you can sympathize with - who are still villians
demons, ghosts, dragons
bugs (with one exception)
dance clubs
superpowers/magic/extrahuman abilities
sarcasm
class differences
libraries
bows and arrows
knives
old people who all know each other
*
*
Magna Carta II
friends who don't try to help each other
villians being controlled by outer forces
angels
happilly ever afters
cowboys, native americans, the old west in general
ladybugs
characters who never consider how their actions will affect others
fantasy adventure quests (ala Lord of the Rings)
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*
Yeah, see that last one on my list? I'd forgotten about how boring and unrealistic I found those until this morning. Now I've just got to do my best to salvage the rest of the novel. If I don't give in and just magically transport my characters to a different setting. Am I allowed to do that? It would be a huge plot hole...
50,021 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 14 46
Yeah, see that last one on my list? I'd forgotten about how boring and unrealistic I found those until this morning. Now I've just got to do my best to salvage the rest of the novel. If I don't give in and just magically transport my characters to a different setting. Am I allowed to do that? It would be a huge plot hole...
It's boring because of the setting?
----------Years done: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Years won: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Years didn't think it a good idea in October : 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
76,800 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 16 30
Yeah, see that last one on my list? I'd forgotten about how boring and unrealistic I found those until this morning. Now I've just got to do my best to salvage the rest of the novel. If I don't give in and just magically transport my characters to a different setting. Am I allowed to do that? It would be a huge plot hole...
All plot holes can be filled by magic. Call it a deus ex machina and you'll be fine.
p.s what do you have against ladybugs?
----------"Find the next word. Write it down. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat." - Neil Gaiman