Comicality

Yeah, we've been posting a few of these over on the Shack forum too! It's amazing! And it makes me want to go to Korea now too!

Wow...remember 'empathy'? That used to be a thing way back in the day. Remember?

Spotlight You guys have heard me talk about ‘spotlights’ in earlier articles, and I wanted to take an opportunity to maybe go a bit more in depth with what I mean when I say that. When you’re writing a story with multiple characters, multiple themes, or multiple tones (or perhaps a combination of the three all at once), it can be really difficult to keep everything in order and running smoothly without confusing your readers about what they should be focusing on. It’s like going to an electronics store and having an entire wall of TVs playing different channels all at once. Where do you look? What do to listen to and what do you tune out? How can you absorb everything that’s going on without getting completely flipped upside down and lost in the madness of it all. The answer is...you can’t. I certainly couldn’t do it. Even the computer or laptop that you’re working on right now can’t do that. Do you think it’s running all of these programs and open tabs and search engines simultaneously? It’s not. It can switch back and forth between tasks so fast that you can’t really detect it while you’re online...but your computer can’t do everything at once. And neither can your brain. Especially when it’s trying to immerse itself into a story that requires imagination, interpretation, and understanding, on the part of the people who are trying to enjoy themselves with your writing. So...the question is...how can I have a bunch of different storylines going on at once without throwing my audience into the middle of the woods where they’re liable to get lost and never find their way out again? Hehehe! The answer? By figuring out how to use your own personal writer’s ‘spotlight’. That’s how. Have you ever been at a party, or a family gathering, or just taking public transportation, going to school, or even being at work...and tried to pick up on everything that’s going on around you? It’s maddening, isn’t it? Everybody is talking and involved in their own little space in the room or at the dinner table or whatever. Obviously, you can’t pay attention to everybody. You’re going to miss certain things here and there, and you’re going to become a victim to the unfiltered ‘noise’ of the situation very quickly if you don’t teach yourself to single out and compartmentalize the parts of the situation that are most important to you in that particular moment. It’s the only way to make sense out of what’s going on around you, whether you end up missing a few things or not. This is your spotlight. It operates on a swivel base, and you can aim it anywhere that you want to aim it when it comes to inviting all of your readers to join in. You have to train yourself to find what’s most important for the immediate progression of the story. Even if you add a sentence or a piece of dialogue that you plan to use as a set up for future events...try to concentrate on the present, and put all future actions in a sequential order to deal with later. Hmmm...ok, I feel like I’m getting a bit lost here with my explanation. I took a break, looking for a way to make my point a bit more clear...and the best I could come up with was the visuals and music of this K-Pop video! Hehehe, stick with me here! Hopefully, it’ll make sense in a minute or two. Look at this video. The way that the dancing is choreographed here, along with the music and vocals, is absolutely phenomenal! But, what I want you guys to pay attention to most is the way they move and keep switching from one position to another! You have to keep your eyes open, because it’s so smooth that you might not catch on to what they’re doing here. There are twelve members in this group! TWELVE!!! Now, you obviously can’t watch all of them at once, know them all by name (at least, I can’t), or know who’s singing what or who’s voice belongs to who. Your mind would be so over saturated with stimuli within the first few seconds that you wouldn’t be able to follow along with the rest of the video. BUT...again, look at the transitions and the formations being made as their dancing. Whoever is singing at that particular moment or taking the lead...the dance choreography moves them up to the front of the group. You can see them clearly, you can hear them clearly, and it allows them to have the what…? The spotlight! And then the mesh back into the crowd, and someone else moves to the front. And even though you are being battered with a ton of activity, it doesn’t really feel cluttered or confusing, because you’re only being asked to focus on one or two smaller portions of the performance at a time. And when it’s time for someone else to take center stage, the entire group flawlessly shifts its position to give the spotlight to someone else for a little bit...and then back again. Writing with the idea of a spotlight in mind is really no different when you think about it. Just with story and plot instead of dance moves. Check it out! I believe the whole video is done in just one shot. Geez! The reason I want you guys to pay such close attention to this video is because it is so similar to the way that I picture multiple story plot points in my head when I’m writing. Like, everything is happening simultaneously, but there is only one major focus taking a hold of your attention at any particular time. So, whether I’m writing a short scene, or multiple chapters of a series, this is how I sort of keep everything together and present it as a part of a single story. It’s an illusion of sorts, because it’s actually a bunch of different stories going on at once, they just happen to intersect within the same space at the same time. And much like the computer analogy above, being able to smoothly switch back and forth between the tasks at hand is what makes the illusion work. I love writing ensemble casts, but I know that I can’t always have everyone talking all over each other at any given part of the story. So, if I’m writing “New Kid In School”...my two main characters are Ryan and Randy. That’s my main focus as a whole. But I have two other characters named Tyler and Ariel that are equally important to the story. What I do to keep them both involved and relevant in the storytelling is shift the spotlight back and forth between them. The last chapter or two might be centered around Ryan and Randy planning for their first date...but then I might swivel the spotlight over to the side for the next chapter and allow Ariel or Tyler take center stage for a little while. What’s going on with them now? You know? Then, I might have a chapter that is focused on Randy’s relationship with his mom. Then back to that first date. Then back to catch up with Ariel and Tyler. Nothing is simply swooping in out of nowhere and shaking the story up with something that doesn’t fit in the current narrative. When Im focused on one character or maybe two...the spotlight is theirs. Everything else sort of fades into the background for a moment and lets that relationship and those issues shine brightly for a while until I call on them again to come back and get a close up of their very own. And all of the situations are closely related to one another, which I try to show (not just tell) by highlighting the places where they crossover in a sequential order that makes sense. Maybe Ariel and Tyler decide to go out on a date...which leads to Ryan and Randy talking about going on a date of their own...which might lead to Randy having thoughts about coming out to his mom...and so forth and so on. The puzzle pieces fit together, but I can’t have all of this going on in a single chapter. Otherwise, all my readers are going to get is a bunch of literary noise. And that’s no good. In stories like “The Secret Life Of Billy Chase”, which actually has a huge cast of characters as it is documenting every aspect of his daily life...being able to aim that spotlight becomes a massively needed skill to keep things from spinning out of control. Billy has a mother, and a father, and a best friend, and a boyfriend, and people that he works with at a record store, and classmates from school...friends, enemies, old flings, new temptations...the ONLY way to write that story is to choose which two or three situations that I want to focus on for that next chapter, and not even really mention anybody else until they become relevant to a current interaction or situation where they need to play a part. Much like the music video, you can clearly see that they’re all there and working together in step for a complete experience...but I’ve got to be selective with who I choose to bring to the forefront to keep everything sane. So, what you as a writer need to ask yourself is...what is going on right now? Like, RIGHT now! Who do I need to carry this part of the story, and who can stand by and wait for an opportunity where they might be better used? Even if I’m writing a quickly paced action scene in a story with multiple characters all involved in the fray at once...I make sure to mentally separate them into smaller chunks so that my audience can follow the action without stumbling over any weirdness. I simply move my spotlight back and forth much more quickly than normal. Still, if there’s a fist fight going on with ten different people all involved in the brawl, I’ll focus on two of those people trading a few blows and paint that as a separate picture from everything else...and then I’ll move on to two other people. It might only be a sentence or two between my change of focus, but it still keeps things in order to a point where my readers don’t get overwhelmed and just give up on having it all make sense. So, the same rules apply, whether it’s a quick and frantic scene, or a drawn out presentation of one character’s thoughts and motivations taking place over an entire chapter or two. Keep the transitions smooth and only shift the attention to the people who are involved in that one moment of time to get the magic to work. Hehehe, you know...sometimes I swear that I must sound like a crazy person to the rest of you! But keep these wacky ideas in mind, and you may find out that they not only help you visualize and improve your writing over time by recognizing the methods in play...but you may even discover that you’ve been adopting a lot of these natural instincts all on own from the very beginning. And there’s no better feeling than surprising yourself from time to time! Hehehe! So take what you can from this for now, and if it doesn’t make sense now...someday it will. Promise! That’s it for this rodeo, ladies and gentlemen! Take care! Happy writing! And I’ll seezya on the next go ‘round!

Yeah, this was my very first story. Hehehe, it's kind of hard for me to read again now.

Awesome remake! Love it!

A brand new chapter of "A Home For Christmas" is now up and ready to go! Only a few left to go, folks! So enjoy the rest of the story as it's released! OR...you can go ahead and read to the end right NOW if you want to grab the finished ebook copy! The choice is yours! And thanks so much for the love and support, you guys! https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/a-home-for-christmas/ COMPLETED EBOOK NOW AVAILABLE!!! https://imagine-magazine.org/store/comicality/

"A Home For Christmas 11" Wow...how I was still passionately craving more naughty interludes with my favorite boy after an entire morning full of even more heavy breathing, moaning, groaning, sucking, swallowing, and fondling...it was baffling to me. Honestly, my body was beginning to get sore now. Super relaxed and satisfied...but sore, nonetheless. I’m actually surprised that we made it this long. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever even jerked off this much by myself...and the er

Hehehe,,,try "Gone From Daylight". Just the first chapter. I've made a LOT of believers who say the same, trust me! It's more boylove than anything else.

Sorry, dude...but this one is over and done with, I'm afraid. Hehehe, most people don't even READ my stories because they refuse to read anything that's not completed yet. So I've gotta keep a COUPLE under my belt so they'll find some faith in me. LOL! But try, "Save Or Sacrifice"! That one's finished, and I think you'll like that one. Or "On The Outside" (Not finished yet), but it's a heartfelt read, I think. K?

I've definitely been at this party, and in the same mood.

Hehehe, you know what I miss? After working in a music store for so many years, I really kinda miss the "Jukebox Jimmy" gam that we used to play every week on the Shack! No games or challenges this time around. I think I just loved getting a constant flood of new music to listen to on a weekly basis from all over the world! New stuff, old stuff...whatever. Like, it just hyped me up. I know that it's sort of cliche for someone to say that they just listen to 'everything', but for me, it's actually true! I think my only exception is super hardcore heavy metal where they sound like they're about to rupture their vocal chords with their dark screaming. Other than that, I love everything. (I DO like metal, rock, industrial, etc...but it stops around Sevendust, Wumpscut, Nine Inch Nails, area. But...who knows? Prove me wrong and make me a believer!) Anyway...feel free to post some of your favorite music. Just ONE song a day! K? Just ONE! Any genre, any era, any style! I need some new material, and it's hard to find the good stuff without actual word of mouth. So that's your job now! ::Giggles:: Also...this guy STILL fucking amazes me!!! How does he have so many voices and PERFECT imitations of people's styles??? Most of them are SO spot on!!! That's insane! 0000

Honestly...it's difficult to think about how I'd feel in this situation. But it doesn't come from a lack of trust or personal insecurity. At least, that's what I tell myself to help me sleep at night, hehehe! Bottom line, I'd like to think that I'm pretty good at reading people when it comes to them having deliberate intentions to either cheat on me or someone else who's actively trying to get closer to my boyfriend than what should be considered comfortable. Like...don't play me for an idiot, you know? I'm not in control of anybody and I can't forbid you two from being friends, but if you're engaged in a lot suspicious activities concerning someone I love...he and I are going to have a serious discussion about it and figure out what's going on. I don't like that kind of behavior at all, and there are plenty of people who are always out there preying on their next piece of ass, no matter WHO it hurts or the pain and wreckage they leave behind. So I'll be extra vigilant about stuff like that. However, the solution doesn't come from confronting the predator. If I'm in love or in a committed relationship, that's something that we need to be honest about and discuss honestly. I'm going to bring up my concerns, and he'll bring up his, and it's going to end up being two against one. Every time. If he decides to break my heart and go with you instead, then that's up to him...but I'm not going to play any games with you about it. Stay away from us and go find somebody special of your own. It will not end well for you. That's from a predator's standpoint, though. Now, if it's just a friendly coupling where you guys just hang out and have a good time on a level that I'm not a part of...that's cool with me. It really is. Even if you're drop dead gorgeous...I have to develop of level of trust with the people I claim to love with my whole heart. And that's not always easy, but if you can't trust who you're with...then what are you doing? You know? You can't chain them up in the basement and stop them from ever talking to somebody cute or cool or funnier than you. What would be the point? So having somebody cute in your life is fine with me. But know that I'm always paying attention. If your attitudes change or his become more predatory...ummmm...it's time for a talk.

Unfortunately, by the time folks finished chopping it up and sanitizing it and taking liberties for a broader audience...I doubt that it would have the same impact. That's just me. But I'd love to see somebody try. I'm not against it, but it wouldn't work as a gay teen film. Th folks in control of that kind of thing aren't quite that open minded yet.

Man Vs Self As many writers already know, and I’ve mentioned it a number of times in the past myself, almost all story conflicts can be broken down into three different categories. Man versus man, man versus society, and man versus self. Each one can be very easy to decode once you’ve read enough stories of different varieties, and have taught yourself to recognize the ‘checklist’ that exists for each labeled category. Writing gay fiction, it’s very easy to approach all three. Whether it be a love rival, persecution or bullying from the world around the main character, or the simple fear of coming out of the closet to those closest to you. A writer can take either one of those roads and run with it until there’s simply no more road to travel upon. However, a lot of authors often choose one of these themes for their story and stick with it from beginning to end. Me? I tend to bounce around a little bit from theme to theme, chapter to chapter. It depends on what my focus for the story is. But...the one theme that I can guarantee all readers will find in every story is the idea of ‘Man Versus Self’. I don’t think that I’ve ever written a story without that being a part of my hero’s journey. Why? Because, I personally feel like that is the most complex and compelling part of any character, and it greatly affects the way the story is told. So I’d really like to touch on that today, as I’ve found that to be a really good way to draw your audience in and keep them interested in the growth and personal story arcs of the very people that you’re using to tell your tale. It works. And I love playing around with it in a bunch of different ways whenever I’ve been given the opportunity. So let’s talk about Man Versus Self, and how it’s going to add a little extra shine and polish to your fiction once you’ve gotten started. The very first question that you, as an author, should be asking yourself is...what is drama? And how can I create it out of thin air? What do you need for the idea of drama to be present in your writing? If it were me, I would say a sense of urgency. Knowing what the stakes are. Suspicion. Tension. Hope. Fear. All of these are tools at your disposal when dealing with building up a memorable character, whether they be a hero or a villain. I’ve always been intrigued and fascinated by conflicted identities, no matter what it is that they might be involved in. To be conflicted is human. Hypocrisy is natural. And, as they say...a clear conscience is often the sign of a flawed memory. I’ve always felt that having a true and in depth search for self is a lot more difficult, but much more rewarding, than most people give it credit for. This is the angle that an experienced writer can use to create something truly special for their current audience. It doesn’t have to be the theme of the entire story as many would have you believe, but I do definitely use that as a part of every character that I’ve created from the very beginning. I think it can be a part of every character that you bring to life. Going back to idea of teen angst in a lot of my stories, this is something that continues on into adulthood and further into old age. Why wouldn’t it. It’s the core idea behind the saying that we’re all our own worst enemy. Since I write in the first person a vast majority of the time, I’m able to zero in and share that conflicting inner dialogue with my readers throughout the entire story. Being of two minds creates conflict and confusion. A dilemma. And that dilemma increases reader investment in the story because that forces your audience to stop and think about what they would do in that situation. You place them at that fork in the road...and if they choose the same route as your protagonist, then they get to see if they made the right choice. If they choose a different road from the one your protagonist chooses, they’re now curious to see what rewards and consequences come with that decision. Either way, you captivate your audience and keep them glued to your story from chapter to chapter. Mission accomplished. It’s a win/win situation. You can’t lose...even if your character ends up falling flat on his face. At least it will be entertaining. Hehehe! That’s why I add a Man Versus Self element into each character. They’re all just trying to do the very best that they can with whatever it is that they’ve got to work with. And, being human, the desire is to always win and come out on top. No matter what. Of course, that’s not how ‘life’ works...but it doesn’t stop us from trying. It’s one of the fundamental joys of writing fiction. You can create a world where you never lose and always get the cute boy in the end. Right? But that’s not realistic, is it? It gets pretty tiresome, pretty fast. When I create characters for the stories that I want to write, I always have some level of inner turmoil that has to be addressed before they can achieve the ultimate goal. Which, in my case...is love. The teen angst aspect is all about fighting oneself to the point where the insecurity and fear involved and the craving and love stricken fantasies of being close to someone you care about, can no longer coexist. Again...this is a fork in the road. And you’ll be pulling your readers right up to those same crossroads and getting them to consider what their choice might be if placed in that same situation. The inner conflict of the main conflict is something that you can explain and explore in a creative way to get your audience to understand what your main character is going through. And you remind them of a time where they might have been forced to make a similar choice at some time in their lives. How fun is that? Hehehe! Conflicted characters can truly make for iconic characters in your work. It’s done wonders for me over the years, as well as for many others. Take a look at the video below. Darth Vader is one of the greatest conflicted characters in cinematic history. AMAZING, the things they’ve done with him over the years! I’ve always been in awe. Maybe even somewhat jealous that I couldn’t come up with something like that myself, hehehe! I can only dream of creating such a template for the perfect villain. Someone who is forever cursed with the eternal struggle between good and evil, light and dark. How frightening would it be to find yourself leveraged to the point where you become completely consumed by your own anger and hatred? To have lived your life trying to do the right thing, but never receiving any rewards for your efforts until you’ve crossed the line beyond the point of no return? They never paid attention before...but they’re listening NOW, aren’t they? Ask yourself, could you ever find yourself in that position? That line you once drew in the sand might be a lot thinner than you thought it was. Like I said, it’s that Man Versus Self conflict within that truly embodies the character of Darth Vader. On one hand, it inspires fear and dread and introduces the possibility of losing yourself to your own devices if given the power and influence to do pretty much anything you want without consequence. And yet, at the same time...it inspires feelings of hope, and potential, and possible redemption if the struggle is finally one by the character who is most cursed by it. You could go either way with it, or you could switch back and forth between both extremes to keep your audience just as off balance as the character himself. The ideas are limitless here, and I’ve always been a big admirer of the duality that exists in someone like this. It’s fascinating. Another one of these character conflicts can also come from an outside source...triggering the inner turmoil by causing the main character to question his or her own actions and beliefs. One of the best examples of this would be Batman’s greatest villain, The Joker. This is the greatest challenge to Batman’s sense of honor and sanity, and I live for the many conversations that they’ve had throughout the years. Both in the comic books and in the movies. The Joker has dedicated his life to trying to show Batman the pointlessness of his efforts and his very existence. He ends up actually inspiring the villains that he ultimately gets enlisted to put down. His entire cause is a big joke. He has to stop the bad guys because they operate outside the law...but he’s a vigilante, so he is also operating outside of the law. He’s already crossed the line, claiming to be the hero. But if you cross one line, why not two lines? Why not ten? Why have a line at all? And eventually...when he’s pressured enough, when the stakes are too high for him to ignore who and what he really is...the world will finally see him as he was meant to be. A criminal. Just like the rest of them. This triggers an existential crisis, because you can’t really say that he’s wrong. And so Batman is eternally caught up in this swirling storm of wondering whether he’s doing the right thing or if he’s just a time bomb waiting to explode. So...whenever I’m writing a story, no matter what the overall arching theme of the narrative may be, I almost always add an inner conflict to my major characters, and often to many of the side characters as well, depending on how they’re connected to the plot. The idea of being completely corrupted by power and opportunity is a theme that I definitely play with in my stories like “Gone From Daylight” and “Savage Moon”...but it doesn’t always have to be quite that dramatic. Not at all. I also explore these conflicts in stories like “The Secret Life Of Billy Chase”, “On The Outside”, “My Only Escape”, “Jesse-101”, and many others. Whether to come out to family and friends, or whether to give in to temptation. Whether to struggle your way past that inner voice and abusive thoughts, or fight the insecurities that come with approaching a celebrity presence. It’s basically a conflict between what you really want and what you truly believe that you can have. Not to mention what you’re willing to do to get it. It’s all about attempting to achieve the best outcome for your main character’s number one goal despite the determined obstacles that they might be putting in their own path. We’re our own worst enemy sometimes...and the character can either let the fear and doubt conquer him, or he can fight his way towards his main objective and grow past it. It creates a serious dilemma that will both frustrate your readers, but also bring them hope as your protagonist begins taking small steps to grow and evolve beyond their problems. It makes for a compelling story in my opinion. Give it a try some time if it feels natural to the rest of the story. It’s a tool that you may have some fun using from time to time. Anyway, I hope this helps you guys out with your own writing. We’re all complex beings, and as writers...shouldn’t your characters reflect that in some way? None of us are saints all the time. But none of us are demons either. Don’t get in the habit of creating one note characters. Explore them a little bit from time to time. The internal struggle for your cast to make the right choices, even when done for the wrong reasons, can end up being the most interesting part of your project. So explore and experience these things, and build a story that will live in the hearts and minds of everyone who can relate to feeling the same way from time to time. It’s a big win! Take care, you guys! Happy writing! And stay beautiful! MWAH!!!

https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/kissofanangel/ A brand new chapter of "Kiss Of An Angel" is going up right now! So if you're a fan of the series, or of "New Kid In School", be sure to check it out and let me know what you think whenever you get a chance! Cool? All of your support helps the site out immensely! So thanks in advance! Mwah! Also, HUGE thanks for the donation to the https://paypal.me/Comsie account! That helps even MORE! ((Hugz)) Seezya soon!

"Kiss Of An Angel 30" It was always so incredibly sweet how Tyler always smiled at me when I was walking to class. I mean, he smiles all the time, actually...and it’s really cute...but sometimes it’s almost like he does it just for me, you know? Like...filling up my sexy Tyler gas tank up so I have enough juice to get me through the rest of my morning. And how adorable is that? Because, without him...sometimes I just feel like the loneliest person in the world. It’s almost scary, how

"GFD Fanboys 14" To say that it was a bit of a struggle trying to finally step away from our new friends on the Pier wouldn’t do the actual difficulty of the task any real justice. I mean, we had basically become their personal ‘pets’, with them fawning all over us as though the novelty of two boys willing to date each other and kiss one another in public would never wear off after a while. Then again...to be honest, it probably would have shocked me too a while ago before meeting Pa

https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/gfdfanboys/ Ever wonder what a world would be like where "Gone From Daylight" was actually a blockbuster movie franchise? Hehehe, well...here we go! A new chapter of "GFD: Fanboys" is up and ready to go! So enjoy! And let me know what you think whenever you get a chance! ((Hugz))

Thank you so very much, SilentandBroken. I'm sorry to hear about what you had to go through, but life does untangle itself in time. So hang in there, k? This series is finished, so the ending is waiting for you. ((Hugz))

https://gayauthors.org/story/comicality/newkidinschool/ A brand new chapter is up and ready to go for fans of the "New Kid" series! So drop on in and let me know what you guys think whenever you get a chance! It always puts a smile on my face! Take care! And I'll seezya soon! Love you lots! You guys help to take such good care of me!

"New Kid In School 69" I have to be honest...seeing Ryan and Sean talking to one another in such a friendly and familiar way was...’awkward’ for me. I mean, it’s not like I was really having any trust issues that were significant enough for me to address or really worry about. I was trying, ok? I really was. I can handle this. My boyfriend is one of the hottest, crush worthy, specimens in the entire friggin’ school. What was I going to do? Handcuff him to my wrist and prevent everybo

Some people...they just naturally get along with one another. I mean, that's a good thing, right? Shared interests, a sense of humor, spending some quality time together...it's fun! It's supposed to be fun! However...let's say that you're dating somebody really cute, and your heart is totally invested in your relationship. An investment that he seems to return right back to you, and you guys are happy together. And then...there's this 'OTHER' boy! I mean, he's gorgeous, he's in shape, he's smart, he's funny, and he seems to really get along with your boyfriend. But it doesn't seem like there are any ulterior motives involved at all. They're just friends. The question is...how do you guys feel about that? I mean...what if they find a mutual attraction for one another further down the road? What if you and your boyfriend have a fight? What happens when you're not around? Would a situation like this bother you? What would the rules be for something like that? Would you feel like you were being overly paranoid for worrying about it at all? Or would you feel like a total idiot for not keeping an eye on your sweetheart while someone else swoops down and takes him away from you? Is it a matter of common sense or a matter of insecurity? What are your thoughts on this? Feel free to go into as much detail as you like and leet us know what you think! And have you ever dealt with this before in the past? How did it work out? The board is open! Give us your two cents!

Thanks! I hope it made sense.

Simplicity You know...as much as I really love to be challenged by the stories that I read or the movies that I watch...sometimes I can ‘feel’ the extra effort put in to make a story more than what it needed to be. And I realize that sounds a bit weird coming from me, when I’m constantly trying to inspire writers to dig deeper and fully flesh out their characters with more details that can truly captivate an audience with depth and layers...so I’m well aware of the pseudo hypocrisy of switching over to talking about ‘simplicity’ in your writing. But I also think that it’s important to recognize when the idea of a ‘less is more’ approach is the best choice for a writer to make with their fiction. Everything doesn’t have to be an intricate web of metaphors and hidden meanings. There are times when working to complicate a simple message can end up hurting your writing more than it helps. Now, don’t get me wrong...if you have a more complex story to tell, where reader interpretation and literary nuance is core to the kind of story that you’re trying to tell, then by all means...go for it. And pursue your ideas in the way that you feel is needed for it to have the kind of impact that you want it to have. But it takes a true writer’s instinct to know when the excess isn’t wanted or necessary. And that has to be developed over time. Trust me, I’m still learning about this kind of thing myself, so it’s not something that happens overnight. But stick with it. It can help more than you know. One of the things that used to bother and frustrate me most about some of my favorite movie franchises was this big push to keep creating sequels and adding all of these extra plot points and deeper meanings to characters and plots that were actually much more potent in their delivery without it. You know what I mean? A few examples that come to mind start with “Halloween”. Michael Myers was a serial killer. He wore a mask, and he grabbed a butcher knife one night, and he started killing people. To me, the fact that he didn’t really have any rhyme or reason for doing what he did was the most terrifying aspect of his character. It wasn’t done in anger, or for revenge, or because of a messed up childhood, or some sort of psychological defect really...he just decided one day to snap and start sinking his knife into the flesh of whoever he found alone. Think about that for a second. How horrifying is that??? Something about the simplicity in his motives and his actions is what made him one of the greatest slasher villains of all time. The fact that you didn’t have to be guilty of anything or a bad person...you were just there. What other reason does he need? But...Hollywood’s gotta Hollywood. So more sequels were made, and they kept trying to add more to depth to his character. Family links, and some kind of supernatural senses, and then there was that whole thing with the ‘cult’...I mean, it kind of ruined the scary idea of pure evil for evil’s sake in my opinion as time went on. The simplicity of him as a character was compromised by trying to attach a legacy of unnecessary motivations and extra history behind him doing what he does. Why? It’s like...leave him alone. Why complicate him? It detracts from the story in a lot of ways and dillutes the impact. And this has been done in many movies, over and over again. You can’t ‘fake’ depth of character. Sometimes they’re better off being a mystery, and just remaining a simple entity in your story while you spend your time and energy developing the characters that you’ve added to the story in order to deal with the threat that you’ve put in their way. One of the greatest examples that I could use to demonstrate this point would be Ridley Scott’s, “Alien”, and the James Cameron sequel, “Aliens”! PERFECTION! I don’t know how or why this franchise went so far off track after those two movies...but I feel like it came from writers and creators trying to make the alien more than anything it was ever meant to be. It’s a creature. It kills, it eats, it reproduces, and it makes more aliens. That’s what made it so scary. So effective. So memorable. And the movies focused on the people who were there to deal with it, and ultimately survive the problem. However, in future movies, the writers were trying to attach emotions to the alien, dig deeper into the motivations, go back into their origins and their history...but, honestly...at the end of the day, do you really care? Does anybody? We don’t need to know where the alien came from or why it does what it does. It’s trying to kill the main characters, and the main characters are trying to kill it first. It’s a simple conflict and a simple story...but that’s what people came to see. If you’re a talented enough author to maybe add some wisdom or philosophy in there on the side somewhere, then awesome. Otherwise...leave it alone. You know? The point of this article is just my way to guide you guys towards finding your focus, and keeping your simple characters simple. There have been so many times when I’ve seen characters and plot lines ‘overworked’ to the point where the natural feel and main interest that made the story so cool gets lost in the background. And that’s, obviously, never a good thing! Hehehe! The first question that you need to ask yourself is...what is this story about? That has to be the North on your compass. This is what will guide you through the planning process and discover where you want to aim your spotlight when you begin writing. If you’re writing something like “A Nightmare On Elm Street”...what did people come to see? Now, the problem with this is...they came to see Freddy and the glove with knives on his fingers. But what a lot of writers try to do is expand and give more depth to Freddy’s character and his motivations, while still trying to create a main character to fight in opposition to his murderous exploits. This creates a conflict. If you’re putting too much thought into your protagonist, then Freddy’s story fades into the background and your main draw becomes nearly irrelevant to the plot. But...if you focus solely on Freddy and his origins and motivations for him doing what he does...then your protagonist ends up being just another faceless cookie cutter teenager who might as well get slashed and hacked up with the other nameless characters. Why not? And if you try to balance both characters out in a way for them share the spotlight...you just end up with two mediocre characters instead of one. What made the first movie so frightening was the fact that it focused on the main characters trying to figure out and fight back against a common threat. Freddy was a mystery. A danger hiding in the dark. He’s coming to kill us, we don’t know why, but we have to try to survive. Very simple. The story has flares and flourishes sprinkled throughout to complete the narrative and have everything make some sort of sense in the long run, but it’s the simplicity that allows the audience to focus once the uncomplicated part of the puzzle is out of the way. This is where you can use your individual writing talents to build up a bond with your main characters and your readers. Now you have room to make the audience care about the people who are facing this major disaster, so losing them becomes a bit more intense and a bit more memorable. Watch some of your favorite movies and the sequels that followed them. What’s different? Can you feel it? Can you sense it? “The Predator” kills people like animals for sport, and then he keeps their skull as a trophy. Done. Why did that simple twist on Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game” become so complicated and weird over the years? When did “The Terminator” get so twisted up in paradoxes and future weirdness? Sometimes...simplicity and focus is the best route to take with your fiction. Being able to realize that, whether it be for the story as a whole or just for certain scenes (More on ‘Spotlights’ in a future article), is a key part of being a great writer. I think it can easily determine the flow and impact of any story as long as it’s done with confidence and a sense of what is most important and most constructive to the story you’re trying to tell. Shave off the excess and choose a side. Is this about the main characters, or is it about the threat that they’re facing? Nobody is really watching “Ghostbusters” and wondering, “But why are they attacking? How did they die? Why do they look like monsters? What is their motivation?” That’s not the point. The point is our main cast of characters. Make them your focus, get everyone connected to them and the challenges they’re facing instead. The ghosts are just ghosts. Allow them to exist with a level of simplicity that doesn’t draw attention away from the main focus of everything that you were trying to do with the story. Otherwise, you end up with a conflict that takes away the potency of the mission to captivate your readers and hold them still. You know what I mean? Every writer has a different way of achieving their specific sense of balance in their work...and it’s up to you to find your own. Try a few projects out where you attempt to play with the formula a little bit and find your own comfort zone. And remember that simplicity doesn’t mean deliberately leaving out important details or trying to downplay certain aspects of your story for the sake of just one character or plot point. It’s just a matter of fine tuning your instincts to think, “Maybe it’s best that I make this the most important part of my story, and I can leave a few things up to the imagination.” If that makes sense. Hehehe, I wasn’t quite sure how to verbalize that idea, but hopefully you guys get the gist of it. Think of it the way you would watching a disaster movie. “Titanic”, “Deep Impact”, “2012”, “The Day After”…whatever. The point is, ‘Oh no! The world is coming to an end for us!’ That’s the star of the show, but it’s kept simple. The premise is set up, the inevitable destruction has been introduced...now take that spotlight and build your characters up. Too much focus on the impending fire and brimstone can’t completely take over the story without sacrificing the importance of the relatable characters that your readers are supposed to sympathize with. You can explain it, even in great detail if you feel the need to, but remember that your characters dealing with the showstopper is what should be really important here. Keep your focus there, and let the story unfold on its own. Again...sometimes ‘less is more’. Build up your key players...and keep the rest simple. Complicated details make for complicated stories. And they’re generally less ‘fun’ for a wide audience. Cool? I hope this helps! Just keep it as a tiny nugget of knowledge in the back of your minds for later. You never know when you might need it later on. That’s it for this little go ‘round! I’ll seezya next time with more! Happy writing! And stay beautiful!