WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.170 --> 00:00:01.140 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Perfect. 2 00:00:11.430 --> 00:00:14.780 Chasity @ProWritingAid: and then usually, Hello! Welcome. 3 00:00:15.060 --> 00:00:27.880 Chasity @ProWritingAid: We should start seeing a few. Oh, yes, I see participants, and if you are joining us, just tell us where you're from in the chat. We are really excited to be here today, and I'm gonna share 4 00:00:33.230 --> 00:00:41.849 Chasity @ProWritingAid: with you a few things to get us started. I am chastity. I am from pro writing A and 5 00:00:42.130 --> 00:01:07.100 Chasity @ProWritingAid: this is our science fiction writers. Week 2023. And so we'll be starting the session. And I'm gonna share a few things with you today. If you've joined us so far, you kinda know that you're already. But I'll walk you through in cases your first one so we will have all the replays, and they are added in that hub, and as soon as just everything processes, we add them in as quickly as possible. 6 00:01:07.100 --> 00:01:23.629 You and you have availability to the replays until I believe it's September 20, eighth. and then after that it's only available to our Academy members. But you do have access to all replace until September 20 eighth. 7 00:01:24.700 --> 00:01:44.710 Chasity @ProWritingAid: You're you have an offer which is super exciting for providing for 40% off one of the yearly pro writing a premium license. And so with our premium license, you get unlimited. Well, you get to unlock premium tools which include our suggestions, all the comparisons, full integrations, and just 8 00:01:44.840 --> 00:02:08.009 Chasity @ProWritingAid: the ways that you can add it and describe, in a word and lots of other things you can get in depth drama. So specific reports on unlimited word count. So that is the difference between the free and the premium. If you're on our free version, you have access to all the features and integrations as well, it's just going to be a word limit of 500. So unlocking the premium just makes it sure that you don't have an unlimited 9 00:02:08.009 --> 00:02:26.159 Chasity @ProWritingAid: you have unlimited workout. You can, curate your experience with your snippets, dictionaries, and just custom things that you can add. The offer ends September 20, eighth as well, and you can find out more information on the Hub, and I will definitely drop the links in there for you into our chat. 10 00:02:26.470 --> 00:02:47.220 Chasity @ProWritingAid: We want to keep talking science fiction, so we also will drop the link for our online writing community. And you use your pro writing aid to log it in. But the it's also on the screen there for you. But I will put it in the chat and you can keep talking with other science, writing fans and keep up with dates, with our right writing events. 11 00:02:48.200 --> 00:03:12.540 Chasity @ProWritingAid: And for this session we have our Q. And A. Box, too, cause the chat gets busy. That's for you guys to comment, and just kinda chat with each other. If you have specific questions for Shane today, you can drop it in to the QA. Box and we will also put anything from Shane that he wants to share into the weekly hub, and they will be like each session. 12 00:03:12.540 --> 00:03:28.029 You'll see the title, and you'll have all the information in that session. And so that's only Hub. But I will share the links with you there, and that's it. So we're going to get ready to get started. Thanks for joining us today. And I'm going to introduce you to our speaker. 13 00:03:28.940 --> 00:03:35.700 Chasity @ProWritingAid: We have Shane coming from fiction, and we're super excited to have him here today. 14 00:03:36.250 --> 00:03:38.160 Let me pull up. Sorry 15 00:03:38.910 --> 00:03:50.299 Chasity @ProWritingAid: we pull up this real quick. Alright. So he is the author, and of the Myth and magic urban fantasy Thriller. See Series, and he writes as SW. Miller. 16 00:03:50.310 --> 00:04:10.859 and he writes, the better fiction craft guides for writers. He also hosts the right, better fiction podcast and co-hosts. The storytellers face off podcast that sounds fun he's the community and success manager at fictionary and he has taken too many writing courses to count at this point, and he enjoys reading as much as possible. 17 00:04:10.860 --> 00:04:23.319 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Shane is obsessed with 5 things, writing, craft, mythology, personal development, food and martial art movies. So we're so excited to have you here, Shane and I will let you take it away. 18 00:04:23.510 --> 00:04:37.860 Shane at Fictionary: Awesome. Thank you so much, and I am super excited to be here. I see some familiar faces in the audience already, and thank you, Brandi. I know you're rooting for me. So thanks very much. I will share my screen. 19 00:04:38.630 --> 00:04:40.380 Shane at Fictionary: and then we can get started. 20 00:04:43.020 --> 00:04:45.329 Shane at Fictionary: Hop into present mode as well. 21 00:04:48.370 --> 00:05:21.420 Shane at Fictionary: Okay, you should all have the full screen view of the presentation. So I won't keep you waiting any longer. Today we're here to talk about how to edit a science fiction novel. I'm super excited to present this for you. So chastity's done most of this already. But who am II am an urban, fantasy author and Podcaster, like. Chastity said. I'm the author of the right better fiction. Craft guides for writers, the fiction, recertified story coach editor, and more recently, the community and customer success manager at fictionry. So that's a bit about me. 22 00:05:22.350 --> 00:05:42.830 Shane at Fictionary: But if you've never heard of fictionry, what do we do so app fiction? We help authors write stories. Readers love through community software courses and story editing services. So we have the free community for our fiction. Sorry fictionarians. I was getting confused between my community and theirs then. 23 00:05:42.860 --> 00:06:07.519 Shane at Fictionary: And we have the software, the fiction. We software all of our courses and fiction live, which I'll talk a bit about later, and we also have our story editing services. You can hire one of our story coach editors to edit for you, and we specialize in story or developmental editing at fictionry kindness is our guide story editing is our passion and sculpting stories that readers love 24 00:06:07.890 --> 00:06:21.200 Shane at Fictionary: is our ultimate goal. So that's a bit about us as fictionary. So what we're going to talk about today is how to edit a science fiction novel paying particular attention to story editing 25 00:06:21.450 --> 00:06:34.830 and that fictionry we class editing into 3 super groups. We have the character super group. We have the plot super group, and we have the setting super group as well. So these are the 3 main areas 26 00:06:35.150 --> 00:06:56.250 Shane at Fictionary: that we believe you should focus on. And in those super groups, we break this all down into 38 fictionary story elements. Obviously, I don't have time to go through all 38 of these with you today. So I've picked out some of the most important story elements from each of the super groups, and we're gonna go through those 27 00:06:56.300 --> 00:07:01.269 and look at how you can use them to best edit your Science Fiction novel. 28 00:07:01.710 --> 00:07:14.079 Shane at Fictionary: So in the character super group. Obviously, we were focusing on character. This is things like point of view, the point of view, goal character arcs, internal goals. For your point of view characters and your protagonist. 29 00:07:14.610 --> 00:07:42.379 Shane at Fictionary: whether your goals in each scene are related to the plot, what happens if the goal fails? Got that on there twice, for some reason. Sorry about that impact on the point of view, character and point of view knowledge gained. So they're just some of them. So when we talk about impact on point of view, character. That means how the point of view character is impacted emotionally by the scene and then point of view. Knowledge gained is anything that the character learns during a scene that might be important later on in the novel. 30 00:07:42.640 --> 00:08:00.580 Shane at Fictionary: So I've picked out 3 of the most important which we're gonna cover today, which is the point of view, the point of view goal. And what happens if that goal fails? Because if you have these 3 things, then you've got a skeleton structure for each scene, which will tell you whether or not the scene will be satisfying for readers. 31 00:08:01.260 --> 00:08:17.749 Shane at Fictionary: Okay. So the first thing we need to talk about is point of view, and I'm sure most of you know what the point of view character is. But the point of view character is the person telling the story. They're the person that readers experience the scene through 32 00:08:17.760 --> 00:08:38.540 Shane at Fictionary: and when I say this, if your main character is a chef, for example, which could still happen in a science fiction setting. If they have a background as a chef before the main adventure starts, they may focus more on taste and smell than other characters would. So your characters background can directly impact 33 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:48.350 what type of senses they would focus on most, for example, and that's the way a way for a reader to experience a scene through a specific character. 34 00:08:49.570 --> 00:09:08.590 Shane at Fictionary: 3 things that I would say, to beware of with point of view. The first is head hopping. So that is where you change point of view mid scene without giving the reader any heads up. Basically, they can see the scene or experience the scene through multiple characters at once. And they're constantly hopping heads. 35 00:09:08.590 --> 00:09:27.169 Shane at Fictionary: Now, if you're writing in third person, omniscient style. You can do this effectively, but it is very hard to do. It's far easier, and the reader much more expects these days, modern reader, to have kind of a single point of view per scene, so that they know exactly whose thoughts and feelings they're experiencing. 36 00:09:28.910 --> 00:09:51.890 Shane at Fictionary: The second thing we advise to beware are unbalanced point of views. So if you have a multi point of view story, so you're changing the point of view, character, or the character. Who's telling the story throughout your novel you will still have a protagonist which is the main character of your story. The person who undergoes the most change the person who has to pursue the main story goal. 37 00:09:51.980 --> 00:09:56.250 Shane at Fictionary: Usually your protagonist will have the most number of scenes. 38 00:09:56.440 --> 00:10:16.620 Shane at Fictionary: so the best way to make sure that your point of view scenes aren't unbalanced is by giving your protagonist the most scenes. That's slightly different. If you're telling a dual point of view story, where you're switching between one person and another from chapter to chapter, we would expect those scenes to have an even split between the 2 characters. 39 00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:21.470 Shane at Fictionary: and if they don't, that's another reason that your your book might be unbalanced. 40 00:10:22.540 --> 00:10:42.350 Shane at Fictionary: And the third thing to be aware of with points of view is using too many point of view characters. If a novel has, I mean, unless you know this is a fancy example. But unless you're George R. Martin. If your fat, if your novel has too many points of views, it can become confusing for the reader. 41 00:10:42.410 --> 00:10:59.389 Shane at Fictionary: And again, you can do this well. This is artistic choice, but we would only advise attempting this. If you think you can do a good job for me. This is something I would not be able to do, I find it really hard to juggle multiple points of view. So I tend to have as few points of view characters as possible. 42 00:11:03.790 --> 00:11:23.440 Shane at Fictionary: The next story element, which we think is really important is the point of view goal. Now, this is what the point of view character wants in a scene. This is the thing they're chasing. So when Mark Watney, for example, in the Martian, is attempting to grow his own crops, his point of view goal in one of the scenes is to grow crops 43 00:11:24.180 --> 00:11:43.120 Shane at Fictionary: and the point of view, character should have one goal per scene. And the reason, I say that is because we want our scenes to be really focused and have a clear focus that your reader can root for. And one way to do that really well is to have one clear goal for your point of view, character in every single scene. 44 00:11:43.960 --> 00:11:58.740 Shane at Fictionary: So some things to beware of here are unclear story goals. If your reader can't identify what your point of view character wants, or if your point of view character doesn't know what they want, the scene can become unfocused. 45 00:11:59.320 --> 00:12:02.189 Shane at Fictionary: It can lack purpose, and it can lack clarity. 46 00:12:02.220 --> 00:12:16.490 Shane at Fictionary: The point of view. Character must want something in every single scene, because then they have something to do, and your scene serves a purpose, and your reader has something to root for, and by introducing good story goals or scene goals. 47 00:12:16.680 --> 00:12:24.940 Shane at Fictionary: This will give you the opportunity to add conflict, to add obstacles and to add stakes, which is something I'll come onto in a moment. 48 00:12:26.260 --> 00:12:51.349 Shane at Fictionary: Also beware of having too many goals in one scene, or too too many scene goals in one scene. Because, again, if your protagonist or point of view, character is trying to pursue too many things. In the course of one scene it can feel a little scattergun and unfocused. It's best to have that one goal per scene, so that the character and the reader has a clear point of view focus throughout the scene. 49 00:12:52.880 --> 00:13:12.440 Shane at Fictionary: and the other thing to beware is making story goals or scene goals far too easy. If the goal is really easy, and there's no obstacle. or nothing standing in their way from achieving that, then the story can become boring because it's a foregone conclusion that your character will achieve their goal. 50 00:13:12.460 --> 00:13:29.109 Shane at Fictionary: Does this mean that the point of view character can never achieve a goal in a scene? No, it doesn't. But if they are going to achieve that goal and do the thing they set out to do, it can't be an easy road for them. There has to be a lot of obstacles which create conflict and tension along the way. 51 00:13:33.110 --> 00:13:55.239 Shane at Fictionary: And the third story element I wanted to touch on in the character supergroup is the what if goal fails? Story element? And this is where your stakes come from. So let's have a quick recap. So far we've got a clear point of view character that your reader can follow. We've got a clear goal that that point of view character is pursuing. 52 00:13:55.530 --> 00:14:04.060 Shane at Fictionary: And now we come to what happens if the goal fails. and this is where your stakes come in. So the success 53 00:14:04.120 --> 00:14:13.329 Shane at Fictionary: in a point of view goal shouldn't be guaranteed. There should always be an element of doubt as to whether the point of view character is going to succeed or fail 54 00:14:13.760 --> 00:14:17.419 at their goal, or the possibility that they could fail. 55 00:14:17.480 --> 00:14:34.210 Shane at Fictionary: This is what creates your stakes or consequences, and this is why the reader cares if you've done a really good job of bonding them to your point of view, character, and your point of view. Character has a clear goal. They are going to care whether or not that point of view, character succeeds or fails. 56 00:14:34.700 --> 00:14:40.929 Shane at Fictionary: So a couple of things to be aware of are having absolutely no stakes in your scene whatsoever. 57 00:14:42.050 --> 00:15:11.110 Shane at Fictionary: having no consequences, should that goal fail, because then the reader won't care whether the character fails or not. A second thing to beware of is a lack of tension. So without stakes, without that threat of failure hanging over the protagonist or point of view character's head. There can't really be any tension or any friction in that. The character is going to succeed or fail, and we'll have a little bit more on tension later, because it's one of the plot elements that I've selected. 58 00:15:12.050 --> 00:15:29.889 Shane at Fictionary: and also beware of a lack of conflict. Again, if you have no real stakes, no obstacles standing in your point of view characters, way, whether that's you know, the bad guy personified. Whether that's an experiment gone wrong, whether that's kind of 59 00:15:29.890 --> 00:15:44.769 Shane at Fictionary: an engine failing on a spaceship, and they need to do something quickly to fix it or face certain death. That lack of conflict again, make stories drag. So it's best have as much conflict in there as possible. And again, we'll have a bit more on conflict later. 60 00:15:45.250 --> 00:15:48.349 Shane at Fictionary: because that's one of the other plot elements that I've selected. 61 00:15:51.810 --> 00:15:54.839 Shane at Fictionary: And the great thing about this point of view character. 62 00:15:54.890 --> 00:16:13.219 Shane at Fictionary: point of view, goal. And what if goal fails? If you can answer all 3 of these questions? You know you're going to have a satisfying scene, because in every scene your point of view character must do something, otherwise something bad will happen. Obviously, if they fail in their goal, that something bad is going to happen. 63 00:16:13.310 --> 00:16:27.280 Shane at Fictionary: They can succeed, and everything can work out, and it can be a positive ending to the scene, or they can succeed. But it can be bittersweet, because in order to succeed, they've had to sacrifice something else. So so yes. 64 00:16:27.950 --> 00:16:40.609 Shane at Fictionary: your point of view character might have saved an oppressed alien race during a scene, but in the course of that there have been casualties on their side. So it is a win. But it's a bittersweet win, because they've lost 65 00:16:40.630 --> 00:16:44.029 Shane at Fictionary: members of their crew, or whatever it happens to be. 66 00:16:47.140 --> 00:17:02.349 Shane at Fictionary: I mean. Now we've covered a little bit about the character supergroup. Let's move on to the plot, supergroup and plot is basically anything to do with story structure. So a few of the fictionary elements that we look at when we look at the Plot Super group 67 00:17:02.650 --> 00:17:22.859 Shane at Fictionary: are the name of your scenes, and what we say is that if you can name a scene in 3 words or less, that will give you a really clear view of what the scene is about, and then, when you look at a list of all of your scenes together, you'll be able to see at a glance what's happening in your story. Those scene names also give your scenes a lot of purpose. 68 00:17:22.990 --> 00:17:28.940 Shane at Fictionary: Because you you should be able to tell from a scene, name what the purpose of the scene is, so it might be. 69 00:17:29.860 --> 00:17:36.119 Shane at Fictionary: Escape the spaceship. Well, that's purpose, because your characters need to escape in order to survive 70 00:17:37.260 --> 00:17:53.240 Shane at Fictionary: the story. Arc is important, and this is one of the main ones that I'm going to touch on, so I won't say too much about that. Now and again, tension and conflict. I mentioned these. We'll have a look at these, because they're vitally important, and it can be hard to understand the difference between tension and conflict as well. 71 00:17:53.830 --> 00:18:00.270 Shane at Fictionary: We have seen opening types and closing types. So this is things like whether you open a scene with dialogue. 72 00:18:00.350 --> 00:18:24.300 Shane at Fictionary: action, description, and those types of things. If you do too many of one thing in one, go, if you're opening every single scene with dialogue that can become repetitive for the reader, and they won't consciously think, oh, this author has used too many dialogue opening types, but they will think something feels repetitive. I'm not quite sure what, and that could be cause for them to put your book down. 73 00:18:25.320 --> 00:18:39.989 Shane at Fictionary: And then the 2 other important elements I've picked from the plot. Supergroup are entry and exit hooks. These are your magic weapons to get people carrying on reading your book late into the night, and we'll talk about that in a moment. 74 00:18:43.030 --> 00:19:12.670 Shane at Fictionary: Okay, so the first important plot element that I wanted to discuss is the fiction story, arc and a little bit of background on this. So when Christina Stanley developed the fiction software, she looked a lot of the popular story arcs that are out there today like, save the cat, the hero's journey, heroine's journey. She even went as far back as Aristotle's Poetics, because that's how dedicated she is. But what she found is that each of these story structure 75 00:19:13.050 --> 00:19:14.740 Shane at Fictionary: templates if you will. 76 00:19:14.910 --> 00:19:19.469 Shane at Fictionary: followed this pattern, they had 5 plot points in common. 77 00:19:19.910 --> 00:19:36.559 Shane at Fictionary: so we believe that in order to structure. A brilliant story, and this is whether you're a plotter, whether you plot in advance, and you want to plan these scenes out before you start, or whether you're a discovery writer, and you look at things like structure in the edit, and you go back and build it in. That's absolutely fine, too. 78 00:19:37.190 --> 00:19:54.600 Shane at Fictionary: But what we found from analyzing all of those plot structures, and also analyzing the bestselling books in every genre. Whether that be science fiction romance. Fantasy, thriller any genre that you can think of. Most of the best sellers follow this structure. So 79 00:19:55.550 --> 00:20:04.649 your inciting incident happens anywhere up to 15% of the way through your novel. And this is the thing that disrupts your protagonists everyday world. 80 00:20:04.940 --> 00:20:23.839 Shane at Fictionary: And this is where you first introduced the central conflict of the story. Plot point one occurs between 20 and 30% of your novel as a rough guide, and this is where your protagonist makes the decision to engage in the central conflict of the story 81 00:20:25.130 --> 00:20:42.990 Shane at Fictionary: in the middle of your novel, the kind of 45 to 55% mark. This is a turning point in the book where your protagonist goes from a reactive state. So between plot point one and the middle plot point. Generally, they've been reacting to things that happen to them because they're in an unfamiliar situation. 82 00:20:43.060 --> 00:20:52.259 Shane at Fictionary: This doesn't mean that they're passive. But what it does mean is that they're not actively influencing plot events. They're just reacting to what's happening in the best way. They know how. 83 00:20:52.730 --> 00:21:06.660 Shane at Fictionary: After the middle plot point, we tend to see that characters begin to behave in an active way they will be actively influencing plot events and trying to solve their main story goal, which is to solve the central conflict of the book 84 00:21:08.110 --> 00:21:13.880 Shane at Fictionary: at plot point 2 between the 70 and 80% mark. You have 85 00:21:13.890 --> 00:21:42.859 Shane at Fictionary: a moment where the protagonist is brought down to their lowest moment effectively. This is usually some form of tragedy that happens that makes them question whether or not they can achieve their main story goal. So if we look at something like Star Wars. This is the point at which everyone can. Obi dies, and then Luke is left alone, and because he's left alone he doubts whether he will be able to destroy the Death Star fight Darth Vader. Whatever it happens to be, there is an element of doubt there. 86 00:21:43.590 --> 00:22:04.940 Shane at Fictionary: Usually, then the protagonist will pull through that element of doubt, and they will head into the climax. The reason I haven't given a specific percentage here is because the climax, generally speaking, is a sequence of scenes that occurs from the moment the protagonist goes into that climax, and then all the way up to the climactic moment where they finally solve 87 00:22:05.130 --> 00:22:18.449 Shane at Fictionary: the the story goal like they either achieve or fail to achieve the thing that they've set out to do throughout the story. So going back to Star Wars. Luke does destroy the death star. He succeeds 88 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:20.710 Shane at Fictionary: in his story goal. 89 00:22:20.860 --> 00:22:38.110 If we look at a different genre, something like Romeo and Julia, even in Shakespeare's day the goal was to find love. They wanted to find love as stock cross lovers that didn't happen because they both died at the end, and I hope that story's been around long enough now that I'm not giving away any huge spoilers. 90 00:22:38.190 --> 00:22:49.969 Shane at Fictionary: But the climax generally happens or kicks off between the 85 and 95% mark. As I said, I didn't put that percentage there because we have to remember. Unlike the other 91 00:22:49.990 --> 00:22:54.530 Shane at Fictionary: key story scenes is a sequence of scenes that occurs. 92 00:22:57.840 --> 00:23:04.310 Shane at Fictionary: Okay, so the next thing I want to discuss, which is one of my favorite things, actually entry and exit hooks. 93 00:23:04.430 --> 00:23:26.850 Shane at Fictionary: And I apologize. I don't know why. The text on the slide is exactly the same, but entry and exit hooks are the hooks that you place at the start or end of a chapter that keeps the reader reading. So an entry hook, then, is the way you hook your reader into a chapter. And what do I mean by that? 94 00:23:27.270 --> 00:23:31.269 Shane at Fictionary: This is where you raise a question in the reader's mind 95 00:23:31.540 --> 00:23:45.789 Shane at Fictionary: that forces them to keep reading. So I've got an example from slated by Terry Terry later. It's a young adult dystopian Science Fiction novel, and the first line of that novel is, I run 96 00:23:46.280 --> 00:23:57.530 Shane at Fictionary: now instantly because the first line is, I run, and then it's a paragraph break. I want to know certain things. I want to know what the protagonist is running from. I want to know why she's running. 97 00:23:58.890 --> 00:24:04.809 Shane at Fictionary: I want to know how she's found herself in a situation where she has to run from something. Now 98 00:24:05.760 --> 00:24:16.929 Shane at Fictionary: those questions, what? What? Why, who? When? Where? Those are questions that entry hooks often force us to ask ourselves. And the same is true for exit hooks. 99 00:24:17.970 --> 00:24:23.779 Shane at Fictionary: So later on, I've got an example from Stephanie Myers, the host in which 100 00:24:24.540 --> 00:24:28.569 Shane at Fictionary: she says, Welcome to Earth wanderer! Now 101 00:24:29.990 --> 00:24:43.300 Shane at Fictionary: this will be taking the protagonist into a completely new situation. It's a character who's never encountered Earth before, and it's in it's set in the future. So instantly I want to know what is earth going to be like in the future. 102 00:24:43.320 --> 00:24:58.539 Shane at Fictionary: Why is this character been sent to us? How are they going to cope being on earth when they've never been in that environment before. So again, it's the what, how? Why, where, when, is those questions that journalists often ask in interviews the same questions? 103 00:24:58.640 --> 00:25:04.629 Shane at Fictionary: are what your reader should be thinking about when they encounter a good entry or exit hook. 104 00:25:06.470 --> 00:25:24.829 Shane at Fictionary: Okay, so tension and conflict, then this is the third element that I've picked out from the plot elements, and I've picked them out because they're so crucial without tension and conflict. The story doesn't progress. It doesn't move forward, and there's nothing really to keep readers engaged beyond the entry and epsilon. 105 00:25:25.610 --> 00:25:37.920 Shane at Fictionary: So for those who struggled to determine the difference like I did before I started taking writing seriously. Tension is the threat of something bad happening. So say, for example, your 106 00:25:37.930 --> 00:25:43.090 main character is walking through the deserted galley of a spaceship at night. 107 00:25:43.120 --> 00:26:00.499 Shane at Fictionary: and they hear a metallic clang behind them. Now that metallic clang could be something completely innocent and not a threat at all. But your protagonist doesn't know that at this point maybe they're being followed by someone, and that someone has just bumped into something metallic, giving away the position. 108 00:26:01.420 --> 00:26:05.740 Shane at Fictionary: Say, then, that your protagonist turns round and they see a shadowy figure behind them. 109 00:26:05.870 --> 00:26:10.639 You're building the tension because that person that's following them could be a threat. 110 00:26:10.850 --> 00:26:13.489 Shane at Fictionary: So that is the threat of something bad happening. 111 00:26:14.510 --> 00:26:25.310 Shane at Fictionary: Conflict is the bad thing actually happening. So if that shadowy figure turns out not to be a threat at all, and they pass by, and nothing happens. The tension dissipates because 112 00:26:25.740 --> 00:26:27.599 Shane at Fictionary: nothing actually happened. 113 00:26:27.640 --> 00:26:45.419 Shane at Fictionary: If, however, the person or shadowy figure following your protagonist ends up attacking them, and your protagonist is forced to defend themselves. That's conflict because the bad thing is actually happening. The threat of someone following your protagonist who means them harm has actually come to pass, and the conflict is happening. 114 00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:55.180 Shane at Fictionary: So there should be tension in every scene, because tension places your character in potential danger and potential danger 115 00:26:56.380 --> 00:27:01.740 Shane at Fictionary: is what makes the reader care if you've done a good job of connecting them to your protagonist 116 00:27:03.250 --> 00:27:16.589 tension should always be related to the plot. We don't want it to feel manufactured. So where you can make that tension related to the overarching conflict of your story, or one of your subplots. If you have any romantic subplots in there. 117 00:27:18.260 --> 00:27:38.740 Shane at Fictionary: and any conflict that you have should also be related to the plot as well. It's all well and good, having a high action scene that's full of conflict. But if it doesn't relate to the overall plot, or what the protagonist or point of view character is trying to achieve it might feel out of place, and readers do tend to pick up on that sort of thing. 118 00:27:42.510 --> 00:27:50.330 Shane at Fictionary: and next up we have the setting supergroup. So this is the final supergroup that we look at at fiction. 119 00:27:50.490 --> 00:28:11.120 Shane at Fictionary: And this is things like the location that you choose to set your novel in the date and time. If you're working on a time travel story, for example, date time and timelines become extremely important. I'm thinking of a TV show like DC's legends of tomorrow, for example, where everything they do, if they go back in time. 120 00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:29.850 Shane at Fictionary: affects something in the present. So they end up creating these anachronisms, which are things that occur outside of the usual timeline which cause problems later on. So date and time. If you're writing a time travel story or multiple timeline story becomes really important. You need to be able to keep track of that. 121 00:28:29.940 --> 00:28:32.309 Shane at Fictionary: Any objects in your novel 122 00:28:32.390 --> 00:28:52.180 Shane at Fictionary: important ones, anyway, that you draw a lot of attention to should be related to the plot, whether that is a an advanced serum that your protagonist needs to procure, secure their people of a mysterious disease. If you're drawing attention to a lot of objects, then those objects should be important to the plot. 123 00:28:52.600 --> 00:29:06.190 Shane at Fictionary: The 5 senses are crucial across every genre. And I've got more about that in a moment. Emotional impact is really important of the setting specifically. And it's something that I've only just really started to think about recently. 124 00:29:06.390 --> 00:29:14.969 Location splits if you split your location. Usually that would necessitate a change of scene. So again, these things you need to keep track of. 125 00:29:15.120 --> 00:29:31.309 Shane at Fictionary: and of course the weather can create a lot of tension or conflict as well. If you have built your alien planet, and there is a climate where acid rain is a thing you're going to need to think about how that affects people 126 00:29:31.670 --> 00:29:48.059 Shane at Fictionary: in your society and what they can do on a daily basis. If the planet lacks gravity, you're gonna have to think of a way to create gravity on your planet through scientific means. So these are all the kinds of things you can think about when it comes to weather. 127 00:29:52.100 --> 00:30:19.919 Shane at Fictionary: Now, like I've said, weather can be a fantastic source of tension and conflict. Say, for example, your protagonist needs to go somewhere to do something that they can't, because the weather outside is prohibiting them from doing that. If your climate is one where there is acid rain that can eat through spacesuits or flesh, or whatever it happens to be, that could stop your protagonists getting from where they need to be, and they might have to think of ingenious ways 128 00:30:19.920 --> 00:30:24.050 Shane at Fictionary: to do that, using their wits. And that is something that readers will love to see. 129 00:30:27.900 --> 00:30:44.430 Shane at Fictionary: And then the emotional impact of a setting is really important as well. And when I look at emotional impact where setting is concerned, I always ask myself the question, Does the setting I've chosen give me the opportunity to create an emotional impact on the point of view character. 130 00:30:45.410 --> 00:30:58.759 Shane at Fictionary: So this example is from a different genre. But angela Ackman came into the fiction community to give a talk on the Emotionsaurus, and if anyone hasn't heard of Angela. I highly recommend checking out her stuff. She's great. 131 00:30:59.120 --> 00:31:01.750 Shane at Fictionary: but she gave this example. 132 00:31:01.760 --> 00:31:07.509 Shane at Fictionary: Say, your protagonist is waiting for the results of a fertility test, because 133 00:31:07.750 --> 00:31:11.129 Shane at Fictionary: them and their partner have been trying to have children for a long time. 134 00:31:12.270 --> 00:31:23.700 Shane at Fictionary: You could have that scene set anywhere it could be in her office at work when the doctor calls with the results of a fertility test. It could be at home in the bathroom. It could be anywhere. 135 00:31:23.820 --> 00:31:36.320 Shane at Fictionary: But Angela was saying, if you choose, really carefully where you set your scene that could have extra emotional impact for your point of view character. So imagine if that character who's waiting for the results of their fertility test 136 00:31:36.330 --> 00:31:40.150 happens to be outside a children's playground when they get the call. 137 00:31:40.190 --> 00:31:54.599 Shane at Fictionary: whether the news is good or bad. That's gonna have a real impact on the protagonist emotionally, because they're surrounded by children. And that's the one thing that they want. So think about how you can create emotional impact through setting in your own books. 138 00:31:55.080 --> 00:32:00.409 Shane at Fictionary: and whether the location that you've chosen is the best location for that event to actually happen. 139 00:32:03.500 --> 00:32:19.599 Shane at Fictionary: And my favorite thing about setting. I could talk to you about this all day. I won't, because we don't have all day, but the 5 senses are what we use to create a 3D. Experience for our reader so that they can really appreciate, feel, and see what's going on around them. 140 00:32:19.630 --> 00:32:21.599 If you think about it this way. 141 00:32:21.930 --> 00:32:24.510 Shane at Fictionary: We are not only 142 00:32:25.300 --> 00:32:41.499 Shane at Fictionary: I wanna say, in competition, but that's that's not really what I mean. But we're not only competing with other books in our genre or other print mediums. What we're competing with our streaming services like Netflix and all these things that are buying for our readers attention 143 00:32:41.530 --> 00:32:52.080 when we sit down and watch Netflix. Most of this sensory stuff is done for us. The soundtrack in the background creates atmosphere and feeling. We see everything painted on the screen. 144 00:32:52.630 --> 00:33:02.520 Shane at Fictionary: So what we need to do as authors is create that same imagery in our readers minds through our words, and to do that. We can use the 5 senses. 145 00:33:02.810 --> 00:33:17.150 Shane at Fictionary: That's obviously sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. And there are a lot of different ways. We can use these to bring our worlds to life for the reader, particularly when we're building science fiction worlds or fantasy worlds. 146 00:33:17.310 --> 00:33:36.540 Shane at Fictionary: We are really the heavyweight heavy lifters of world building, if you like, and the 5 senses is great way to do this. So site has a special function in that. It's usually used to introduce new settings, new characters, and things like that. So the first thing people tend to notice when they look around are the sites. 147 00:33:36.750 --> 00:33:44.329 Shane at Fictionary: So it's not uncommon for somebody to walk into a brand new part of their world and notice the things that they see. 148 00:33:44.960 --> 00:34:04.280 Shane at Fictionary: Sound can be used to great effect, to create atmosphere. So if you remember my example, from before someone walking through the deserted galley of a spaceship at night and hearing a metallic clang behind them that creates tension because they don't know if they're being followed. So you can use sound to create a real sense of atmosphere 149 00:34:05.070 --> 00:34:11.410 Shane at Fictionary: and then smell. Now, the really interesting thing about our sense of smell is it's linked to our olfactory. 150 00:34:11.639 --> 00:34:19.860 Shane at Fictionary: obviously our olfactory glands, because that's our sense of smell. But it's also linked to the sensory parts of our brain that govern memory. 151 00:34:20.489 --> 00:34:41.509 Shane at Fictionary: So if a protagonist or point of view, character smell something that would could trigger a memory in them. So this is a special function of smell that if you're looking to go into a flashback or something like that, you can use the smell sense to trigger that memory or that flashback, and then you can use the same smell to bring your character back out of the flashback and into the present again 152 00:34:42.620 --> 00:34:51.080 and then taste. Obviously this applies to food. So if you have strange foods that you've developed for your world that we are not used to in our world 153 00:34:51.100 --> 00:35:10.540 Shane at Fictionary: taste can be used to describe these really well, and you can also use it to think of unusual things. So the taste of emotion is one often spring to mind. Authors will use this all the time, where a certain emotion tastes of a certain thing to a character, fear being one that we can pluck off the top of our heads really quickly. 154 00:35:11.730 --> 00:35:26.679 Shane at Fictionary: And if you're writing science fantasy, for example, I've seen the taste of magic used quite a lot. So if you have magical elements to your sci-fi world, you can also think of how magic might taste when someone calls a spell, or whatever they happen to be doing 155 00:35:27.260 --> 00:35:38.209 Shane at Fictionary: and then touch. Obviously the special function of touch is for physical sensations and emotions. If it's really cold outside, tell the reader that by showing that the character is cold. 156 00:35:38.340 --> 00:35:56.139 Shane at Fictionary: if A reader is experiencing a specific emotion, don't just tell the reader that your character is angry, show them by the way they feel in their body, so their heart might be beating really fast. They might clench their fists so hard, their nails dig into their palms or a whole host of other things. But 157 00:35:56.610 --> 00:36:01.469 Shane at Fictionary: we can use touch to really convey physical sensation and motion. 158 00:36:03.250 --> 00:36:06.509 Shane at Fictionary: Okay, so I've got a few case studies that I picked out. 159 00:36:06.550 --> 00:36:26.460 Shane at Fictionary: So the first one is ready player, one by Ernest Clyde. In this novel I'm looking at this 1 point of view. Specifically in this novel, the point of view character is really clear, one because it's mostly a single point of view story and 2, because we never really head hop out of that character's point of view, and that's Wade Watts. 160 00:36:26.470 --> 00:36:35.079 Shane at Fictionary: Wade Watts is clearly the protagonist. He clearly holds the point of view, for each and every scene, so you never get lost or anchored in point of view. 161 00:36:36.400 --> 00:36:49.059 Shane at Fictionary: When I was thinking about point of view goals, my mind instantly went to the Martian, because obviously the point of view is clear, because Mark Watney is on his own, on Mars, his and he's waiting for rescue. 162 00:36:49.120 --> 00:37:10.010 Shane at Fictionary: But his point of view goal for the whole story is to survive. It's a really clear goal. He needs to survive until he gets rescued, and then obviously he has really clear goals during each scene as well. I mentioned him trying to grow his own crops in order to survive earlier. So the fact that he's growing his own crops, or at least trying to. 163 00:37:10.560 --> 00:37:34.170 Shane at Fictionary: He is directly linked his main story goal to survive his time on Mars. And that's what I mean when I say scene goals are usually linked to the overall story goal. His goal is to survive. Therefore he needs to do things in each scene that will enable him to survive, and obviously there are points at which he fails to achieve his goals. So when his crops get destroyed, for example, he no longer has a food source. 164 00:37:34.170 --> 00:37:40.969 Shane at Fictionary: He's failed to protect his crops. Readers care about that, because by this point they care about Mark. 165 00:37:42.210 --> 00:38:03.429 Shane at Fictionary: The third case study that I picked was a young Adult Science Fiction novel called Slated, and this was for an example of an entry hook. I mentioned this earlier. The entry hook is, I run, and instantly I want to know why the characters running, what they're running from, and all of those things I mentioned earlier. So really think about how your entry hooks 166 00:38:04.090 --> 00:38:07.090 Shane at Fictionary: are pulling your reader into a scene. 167 00:38:08.120 --> 00:38:12.590 Shane at Fictionary: The fourth example I found I've mentioned this already was the host by Stephanie Meyer. 168 00:38:12.650 --> 00:38:38.400 Shane at Fictionary: and this was a great example of an exit hook. In chapter 2 we get the line. Welcome to earth, Wanderer! The female voice said, now that last bit, the female voice said, I instantly want to know who that character is. Who is this female voice? Why are they talking to our protagonist? What do they want from our protagonist? These are all questions that come into my mind when I read that exit Hook. 169 00:38:39.200 --> 00:38:48.560 Shane at Fictionary: George Orwell's 1984, was another example I stumbled upon, and obviously this is a great example of how to include tension 170 00:38:48.560 --> 00:39:14.189 Shane at Fictionary: in sci-fi. So we've got this whole tension between Winston Smith, our protagonist and big brother, who is essentially the overarching governmental control for that society, and that creates a lot of tension for society at large. But it also creates a lot of tension for our protagonists. You never really know who you can trust. You never know whether you're being watched, and those things create a huge amount of tension. 171 00:39:14.870 --> 00:39:38.550 Shane at Fictionary: And then the last example that I picked was wool by Hugh Howey. And for conflict this isn't really great, but so obviously there's tension because it's another individual versus society story. But the conflict between individuals and society is also good. A lot of bad things happen, and the protagonist and supporting characters have to deal with those bad things. 172 00:39:38.910 --> 00:39:48.289 Shane at Fictionary: So they're the case studies that I picked out. Of course you can go and pick up any sci-fi novel you want to and examine them for the things I've spoken about today. 173 00:39:49.260 --> 00:40:03.029 Shane at Fictionary: Okay, so I'm gonna give you a quick demo of the fiction software so that you can see exactly what it looks like when you're inside the software. And look at some of the things I've spoken about today as well, so I'm just gonna stop sharing for a second 174 00:40:03.280 --> 00:40:07.830 Shane at Fictionary: and switch my screen. 175 00:40:22.130 --> 00:40:32.530 Shane at Fictionary: So this is the fiction software. And I'll show you a few different parts cause. We've still got some time left, and then I want to leave some time for questions at the end. 176 00:40:33.400 --> 00:40:59.669 Shane at Fictionary: This is the evaluate page, where you actually do all your editing work. So remember, it's story editing software. We're mainly focused on story editing. This novel evolution was written by Christina Stanley originally for the fiction. Recertified story coach certification is a mystery with some sci-fi elements, because there are some genetic modifications to dogs which affect humans and vice versa. 177 00:40:59.810 --> 00:41:09.949 Shane at Fictionary: So when you come into the fiction software, you can see all of your character elements which include some of the ones that I've spoken about today. So point of view goal. For example. 178 00:41:10.150 --> 00:41:14.029 Shane at Fictionary: you can see all of your plot elements. If you move over to the plot Tab. 179 00:41:15.820 --> 00:41:29.320 Shane at Fictionary: include some things that I haven't had time to mention today, like backstory revelations. And if you do end up using the fiction software, and you want to know what any of these things mean you can click the little blue question mark 180 00:41:29.740 --> 00:41:34.149 Shane at Fictionary: beside the element, and it will tell you exactly what a revelation is. 181 00:41:34.600 --> 00:41:51.889 Shane at Fictionary: And if you need more information. There's also an option to expand that so that you can see a lot more about the element as well. So, for example, it will tell you everything you need to know about conflict, and if you need a bit more it will give you some more advice about how to use conflict in your novel. 182 00:41:53.770 --> 00:42:16.500 Shane at Fictionary: So that's the evaluate screen. And this is what I was talking about here about naming your scene in 3 words or less. So if we look over on the left hand side screen you'll see this kind of dark pink column that has every single scene named. And obviously this is a manuscript that has been filled in. When you first go into fiction, some of the elements are automatic and some you'll need to fill in yourself. 183 00:42:16.630 --> 00:42:33.759 Shane at Fictionary: but you can glance down here and see exactly what's happening in your novel, and it can be useful to label the story arc scenes as well. But one of the best things about fiction is that when you load your manuscript in, so you've got a first draft and you want to load it into the software. 184 00:42:35.570 --> 00:42:50.679 Shane at Fictionary: Some of the visuals are done for you. So using natural language processing, and I want to be very clear here. This is not generative. AI. We don't hold or store any of your manuscript data. It's just natural language processing. 185 00:42:50.680 --> 00:43:06.289 Shane at Fictionary: The software will go through your manuscripts and pick out what it thinks are the major plot points in your story. So the blue line is the recommended story out, based on how many scenes you have in your novel, based on word count, and whereabouts those scenes should fall. 186 00:43:06.960 --> 00:43:23.979 Shane at Fictionary: And that goes back to what I was talking about, where Christina analyzed all the different plot structures that are around, basically. And then the yellow line in this instance is where fiction rethinks, your main plot. Beats are based on its natural language processing evaluation. 187 00:43:24.270 --> 00:43:37.280 Shane at Fictionary: So you can see with this particular manuscript, for example, the inciting incident is early, but I wouldn't necessarily worry about that, because as long as it comes somewhere before the 15% mark in your novel. 188 00:43:37.380 --> 00:43:58.100 Shane at Fictionary: You've got it in the right place, and if you're writing a more fast paced Science Fiction novel, perhaps with some thriller undertones. Of course your inciting instant is gonna occur earlier, because it's more fast paced. If you're taking time to set up your everyday world, and it's a slower pace book. Then, yes, your inciting incident can occur up to the 15% 189 00:43:58.790 --> 00:44:23.529 Shane at Fictionary: where you see flat lines on the graph, like the yellow line here goes flat. That usually means there's too much space between one plot point and another, which means that the pacing will tend to drag a little. If you've ever read a book where you're thinking nothing's really happened since the inciting incident, or since that big thing changed the protagonist world, it's usually because there's not another major plot point soon enough. 190 00:44:23.830 --> 00:44:40.340 Shane at Fictionary: and then you can see these sharp, spiky lines on the graph like this one leading from Plot Point One to the midpoint. That usually means there is not enough space between the 2 plot points which can mean that this section of the book will feel rushed, especially if you've had 191 00:44:40.360 --> 00:44:56.540 Shane at Fictionary: A really long gap between plot points just prior to that as well. So the aim is, you edit and revise. Your work is to bring these plot points closer to the main story up, because then you can be sure that you're telling a story. Readers will feel satisfied with. 192 00:44:57.230 --> 00:45:02.520 Shane at Fictionary: and the last thing I wanted to show you in the software is the story map. 193 00:45:03.550 --> 00:45:12.290 Shane at Fictionary: So I've spoken a few times about the structure of a scene and how it needs entry hooks and exit hooks and all of those things. 194 00:45:12.370 --> 00:45:17.770 Shane at Fictionary: You can use this story map here, once you've filled out all of the elements to 195 00:45:17.900 --> 00:45:43.950 Shane at Fictionary: analyze things that work really well together. So you can simply select your story math elements using this button, turn them all off. So select none. And you can look at certain things that go well together. So we spoke in the character supergroups section about how point of view, point of view goal. And what if goal fails, work well together, and it gives you a basic structure for your scene. 196 00:45:45.070 --> 00:45:47.950 Shane at Fictionary: So in Scene one of evolution, for example. 197 00:45:48.310 --> 00:46:00.810 Shane at Fictionary: Jazz Cooper, who is the protagonist must get through the funeral. That's her goal, her husband's funeral. Otherwise, now, in this scene Christina has identified a weak consequence. She can't work out 198 00:46:00.950 --> 00:46:15.270 Shane at Fictionary: what the stakes are if the goal fails, if Jas doesn't get through her husband's funeral, so this might be a spot where she'll need to go back when she revises and work out what that consequence is, and how she can convey that to the reader. 199 00:46:17.030 --> 00:46:45.379 Shane at Fictionary: whereas in Team 4 jazz must teach class. She's a dog trainer, otherwise she will lose clients. Therefore she will lose her livelihood. She will lose the home that her and her husband built together. So that's a really clear jazz must teach a class, otherwise she will lose clients, which by this point the reader knows will have real consequences and ramifications on Jazz's life, and they're well connected to jazz by this point. So that's something that they will care about. 200 00:46:45.710 --> 00:47:09.100 Shane at Fictionary: Obviously, you can add other elements in. So you can see whether you have a point of view and a point of view goal. But you can also see whether your scene has a good middle. In other words, whether it's got that turning point where your protagonist shifts into an active state, and you can see whether each scene has a good climax, and that's whether or not your protagonist has achieved their story goal. 201 00:47:09.290 --> 00:47:12.720 Shane at Fictionary: and if you want to, you can add in 202 00:47:13.160 --> 00:47:33.960 Shane at Fictionary: the entry and exit hooks so that you can see whether you're hooking your reader through scene and these kind of 6 elements, the point of view, the point of view, goal, entry, hook, exit, hook, scene, Midland scene, climax. These are the things that tell you whether your scene has a good backbone of structure the whole way through. 203 00:47:33.960 --> 00:47:46.030 Shane at Fictionary: Every scene should have some turning point in the middle, just like your main manuscript does. Every scene should answer the question of whether your protagonist achieves or fails. Their story goals just like your major story does. 204 00:47:46.310 --> 00:47:57.989 Shane at Fictionary: And when we look at certain novels like the host from a science fiction perspective, and even if we look at some of Stephanie Meyer's other work like twilight. What we found was that her scene structure is so solid 205 00:47:59.590 --> 00:48:09.700 Shane at Fictionary: that it ties perfectly into her overall story structure. The same can be said of the hunger games as well. The scenes are so well structured that 206 00:48:10.550 --> 00:48:22.579 Shane at Fictionary: it feeds into the overall story structure, and the story flows really well. So there are a couple of the things that you can look at with the story map which will really help you identify your stories structure 207 00:48:22.750 --> 00:48:30.440 Shane at Fictionary: before I move to questions. I do just want to let you all know if I can bring my slideshow back up 208 00:48:35.670 --> 00:48:38.050 Shane at Fictionary: so like this. I love 209 00:48:38.200 --> 00:48:41.559 Shane at Fictionary: technical difficulties. I'll just bring my 210 00:48:42.370 --> 00:48:44.550 Shane at Fictionary: have a slide show back. 211 00:48:46.340 --> 00:48:47.280 Shane at Fictionary: Yeah. 212 00:48:56.590 --> 00:49:03.109 Shane at Fictionary: Okay. so today for the conference, we are offering a 20% 213 00:49:03.140 --> 00:49:30.389 Shane at Fictionary: discount of the fiction storyteller software. If you wanna come in and see what it's all about. There is a 14 day free trial, so you don't have to sign up immediately. But if you enjoy the software in your 14 day free trial, you can sign up and get 20% off your first year by adding the coupon code. Pw. 8, 20 to the checkout, and you can cancel your subscription at any time as well. If you want to check that out. 214 00:49:30.390 --> 00:49:37.839 you can go to fictionry co forward, slash pwa sci-fi, and that's sci-fi with 215 00:49:37.880 --> 00:49:50.829 Shane at Fictionary: that'sfictionry co forward slash PWA. Sci-fi. And again, that sci-fi with hyphen i'm sure chastity will be sharing links and things so that you can all have access to that. 216 00:49:52.360 --> 00:50:05.950 Shane at Fictionary: And next I will open to questions as we draw to a close and stop sharing my screen. So, yeah, if anyone has any questions, or if chastity, there were any questions in the QA. Or chat, I am happy to answer them. 217 00:50:13.550 --> 00:50:19.700 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Yes, we do have some questions coming up now, if you can. 218 00:50:21.640 --> 00:50:35.169 Chasity @ProWritingAid: I don't know if you can see me, but that's okay. Let's see from the QA. We'll start at the top. How can we make our sci-fi very much attractive and fascinating, so that our sci-fi's can easily grab the reader's attention. 219 00:50:35.200 --> 00:50:42.200 Shane at Fictionary: Yeah, this this is a real question. So it comes back to what I was saying about 220 00:50:42.530 --> 00:51:00.629 so where? How I think about this. Now, one of my craft books which I mentioned at the start of the the presentation is called How It's Right brilliant beginnings, and I focused on the beginning in that craft book, for the simple reason that any reader can go to one of the online stores now, and they can download a sample of the book, which is about the first 10%. 221 00:51:01.300 --> 00:51:12.610 Shane at Fictionary: And that sample really, should be grabbing your reader. And one of the key things that you should really focus on when you're trying to grab a reader at the start of the novel. 222 00:51:12.710 --> 00:51:21.959 Shane at Fictionary: All your entry hooks particularly into the first chapter. So do you have a strong entry hook which is hooking that reader in where they go to look at the sample of your novel. 223 00:51:22.120 --> 00:51:27.480 Shane at Fictionary: Is your protagonist really clear at the start of the novel, and 224 00:51:28.060 --> 00:51:58.000 Shane at Fictionary: it's best to try and hook a reader in in a short amount of time as possible. I know an auth friend of mine only gives the sample 3 pages before they decide whether or not they're gonna buy the book. So it is a really valid question. But the most important thing is to have a really strong opening line to your book, I think. Because if you don't have a really strong opening line that's hooking the reader in. There's nothing to make them read on to the next sentence. The next paragraph or the next page. So yeah, focus on that opening line of your novel to make 225 00:51:58.090 --> 00:52:16.220 Shane at Fictionary: your book really attractive to readers. And obviously I'm not here to talk about cover, design, and stuff, but make sure that you have appropriate genre covers. Have a look at the top, 100 in the Amazon chart in your genre, and see what those covers look like. Make sure your blurb is similar to or product description is similar to those 226 00:52:17.200 --> 00:52:20.430 Shane at Fictionary: of your contemporaries or compauthors. 227 00:52:20.580 --> 00:52:33.930 Shane at Fictionary: and try and include a hook in your your product description as well similar to an entry hook to try and get people to buy the book. Basically, we want to do anything with hooks that we can to tempt people to buy a book. So hope that helps. 228 00:52:36.310 --> 00:52:59.859 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Thank you. And then they wanna know if your slides are gonna be available, and I'll fix up a couple of the and the replays will be available for a week after. This this whole Science Fiction week. So I think that is, goes till September 28. 229 00:53:00.000 --> 00:53:05.169 And then, let's see, we have a question about being able to import from dabble. 230 00:53:05.230 --> 00:53:29.810 Shane at Fictionary: Will it sort them into scenes and chapters based on what? The the way it is organized in dabble. If you know anything about that. Okay, well, I've never used dabble. So I'm not quite sure how it works. When you upload into fictionry we accept a word, Doc. X format file. So if there is a way for you to export from dabble into that format and then upload to fictionry a word document, then. Yes, it will preserve everything that you've done in dabble. So I 231 00:53:29.810 --> 00:53:37.379 when I'm using scrivener or when I have used scrivener in the past, actually write in fiction. Now, I don't really use scrivener anymore. But when I did. 232 00:53:37.380 --> 00:53:59.890 Shane at Fictionary: I would export a word, Doc, from scrivener and then upload that to fiction. It held all of the same formatting that I had in scrivener, basically. And yes, it will, as long as you specify the scene, break character that you've used. So when you've got your word document, just make sure there's some kind of scene break character in between scenes. Whether that's free. A strict a pound sign, or 233 00:54:00.090 --> 00:54:10.959 Shane at Fictionary: the others escape but a symbol. Then you can. Tell fiction that that's what you've used, and it will split your manuscripts into chapters and scenes. Yet 234 00:54:13.250 --> 00:54:16.939 Chasity @ProWritingAid: can you use the software without Internet access 235 00:54:17.320 --> 00:54:24.209 Shane at Fictionary: at the moment. You can't use the software without Internet access that is required. But that's always something that we're looking at, going forward 236 00:54:26.550 --> 00:54:30.450 Chasity @ProWritingAid: as fictionaries support multiple languages for users. 237 00:54:30.860 --> 00:54:49.750 Shane at Fictionary: So it supports any of the Roman based languages. So if you want to write in Spanish, you can all of those things. We don't support languages at the moment they use pictograms like mandarin, or Chinese, or anything like that. But yes, most languages are supported, and we're looking, adding more all the time. 238 00:54:50.640 --> 00:54:52.030 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Awesome. Thank you. 239 00:54:53.540 --> 00:55:16.219 Shane at Fictionary: Okay, just fiction. Oh, Yup, that just answers them. Question, love it. Is there a word limit that you can put into fiction. No, there is not. So we don't have word limits or anything like that. Because we're aware that people write across a lot of the different drummers. So we have some epic fantasy writers that have like 200,000 word manuscripts. We don't have any limits on word count, or anything like that 240 00:55:17.270 --> 00:55:24.860 Chasity @ProWritingAid: sounds good in the story map. Does software analyze and fill in goals that are unclear versus manually filled in? 241 00:55:25.450 --> 00:55:44.500 Shane at Fictionary: At the moment it is manually filled in, and the reason we've kept some of the elements manual is because there are some circumstances where you will know your manuscript better than an a language model ever could. So we're fairly confident they can pick out your story arc scenes. 242 00:55:44.540 --> 00:56:06.380 Shane at Fictionary: but you might decide to. You might need to look at your goals really, specifically, and therefore we've left that one for you to decide. But you'll if you take your free trial, you'll be able to see which of the elements are automatically filled in, and which of the elements you would fill in yourself. And as the software grows we are looking at adding more automation to some of the other elements as well 243 00:56:09.320 --> 00:56:16.379 Chasity @ProWritingAid: can fiction software recognize multiple points of view protagonists in a story arc and analytical points. 244 00:56:17.260 --> 00:56:38.650 Shane at Fictionary: Yep. So there are ways that you can get the software to do that. My recommendation be that if you join the 14 day free trial, you also join our free community. Because every Tuesday I host fiction basic sessions where I take you through really, specific things that the software can do. So that would be, yeah, that would be my recommendation. 245 00:56:40.240 --> 00:57:01.429 Shane at Fictionary: And the story map. Oh, yeah, we already did that one, too. With the software, if it's AI. Well, we don't really talk about. You don't use AI and fiction generative. It's just processing. So so it's not like Chat Gp, where your stuff is stored and uploaded and used to train models. That's not what we're doing. It's just the basic line language processing tool. 246 00:57:02.230 --> 00:57:07.210 Chasity @ProWritingAid: P Pwa also doesn't store that as well, 247 00:57:07.430 --> 00:57:14.990 Chasity @ProWritingAid: if you have multiple protagonists all with different incidents, how will this affect the story? Arc 248 00:57:15.650 --> 00:57:25.870 Shane at Fictionary: different incidents? Yeah, so like, I said, there are ways that you can get it to track multiple protagonists. So if you're writing a dual protagonist or a multiple protagonist story. 249 00:57:26.900 --> 00:57:42.439 Shane at Fictionary: think of something like I know it's not a science fiction example, but think of something like game of phones where the protagonist becomes society eventually, because there are so many points of view characters. There we have something in fiction. We called the character list, where you can add a separate character 250 00:57:42.460 --> 00:57:49.210 Shane at Fictionary: that say, let's think of something like Filmer and Louise, for example, where they are really both the protagonist. 251 00:57:49.310 --> 00:58:10.320 you would add Thelma and Louise as separate characters, and then you would add Thelma and Louise as one character. So you'd have Thelma Louise, and then a separate character called Thelma and Louise. You would mark Thelma and Louise as your protagonist, and then that is what the story arc would track. So there are ways, yes, that you can get the software to track the story arc of multiple protagonists 252 00:58:13.400 --> 00:58:16.180 Chasity @ProWritingAid: as fictionary work with screenplays 253 00:58:17.270 --> 00:58:22.969 Shane at Fictionary: at the moment the main function of fiction is to work with full length novels. That's really what we're targeting. 254 00:58:26.730 --> 00:58:30.919 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Does the interface automatically fill the story teller. 255 00:58:32.650 --> 00:58:49.650 Shane at Fictionary: I'm not quite sure what that question means. But, like, I said, there are some things in the storyteller software that are pre filled out like your story. Arc some of the visual insights and some of the elements. But there are some things that 256 00:58:49.750 --> 00:58:56.239 Shane at Fictionary: you would fill out yourself. So it's kind of guided. But then there are decisions that you would make as you edit. 257 00:59:00.750 --> 00:59:05.120 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Can we add tension in some of the scenes, and not in all of the scenes. 258 00:59:05.900 --> 00:59:22.560 Shane at Fictionary: I mean, that is artistic choice. When we, when we coach writers and when our editors will look at manuscripts, we often find that it's best to have, even if the tension is really small. So we often we can think of tension as being subtle, or we can think of it as being in your face 259 00:59:23.370 --> 00:59:45.030 Shane at Fictionary: most bestselling novels or novels that sell really well. Have some tension in every scene, and it can be a subtle as you like, barely a mention if it's a quieter scene. But even in scenes, for example, where protagonist is reacting to what's happened in a previous scene, and they're trying to decide what type of person they're going to be or how they're gonna move forward. 260 00:59:45.030 --> 00:59:56.890 Shane at Fictionary: There's still tension there, because it's it's an emotional turmoil for the character. So that's more subtle. But there is still tension. So we would recommend this tension in every scene. But it can be really really subtle? 261 00:59:58.800 --> 01:00:07.399 Chasity @ProWritingAid: And can you share the link again for the one discount? And did you want me to share? 262 01:00:07.470 --> 01:00:09.659 Chasity @ProWritingAid: I have the one for the community 263 01:00:10.200 --> 01:00:11.359 Chasity @ProWritingAid: does that one different? 264 01:00:11.790 --> 01:00:17.409 Shane at Fictionary: That would be great. So the community, the community is free to join, and then I'll share the the link 265 01:00:17.810 --> 01:00:19.710 Shane at Fictionary: for 266 01:00:20.660 --> 01:00:23.849 Shane at Fictionary: The other one as well. Let me just grab that for you. 1 s 267 01:00:24.040 --> 01:00:27.409 Chasity @ProWritingAid: got the dictionary community, one in the chat. 268 01:00:27.950 --> 01:00:31.759 Shane at Fictionary: and I'll just grab the discount link for you to 269 01:00:33.120 --> 01:00:34.000 Chasity @ProWritingAid: thank you 270 01:00:34.340 --> 01:00:35.410 Shane at Fictionary: advice. 271 01:00:39.360 --> 01:00:43.939 Shane at Fictionary: And the coupon code for this is PWA. 20. I'll put that in the chat as well. 272 01:00:48.100 --> 01:00:55.150 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Okay. And then we had a question about just being a newbie like 273 01:00:55.500 --> 01:01:05.829 Shane at Fictionary: Which description would you recommend if they're new? And they're in the very first stages of writing fiction. Okay, so there's a couple of things for that. So 274 01:01:06.340 --> 01:01:19.130 Shane at Fictionary: fiction story teller is for we usually market it for newer writers, because they have less projects on the go at once. So fictionary storyteller, the basic plan gives you access to all the features. But you can store 275 01:01:19.770 --> 01:01:48.800 Shane at Fictionary: 3 manuscripts in the software at any one time, and you can archive manuscripts and bring them out. But you'll have 3 active manuscripts at any one time. Storyteller premium is if you work on multiple projects at once, like I do. And you need 10 manuscripts stored in your software at all times. And then story coach is really for people who are looking to be professional editors. So if you're a writer and you have no intention of being an editor, I would say, ignore story coach. 276 01:01:49.100 --> 01:01:51.589 Shane at Fictionary: Sorry. I'm just wrapping that link. 277 01:01:51.940 --> 01:01:55.879 Shane at Fictionary: And yeah. And then it depends how many 278 01:01:55.890 --> 01:02:20.860 Shane at Fictionary: how many manuscripts you want to be working on at any one time. The one thing that I would say is, when you're deciding between a monthly and an annual subscription. The annual subscription gives you access to fiction live which is essentially our live training courses which take place year round, taught by fiction, recertified instructors who have been through the editors program, and we offer courses like 6 weeks to edit your novel. 6 weeks to revise your novels. 279 01:02:20.860 --> 01:02:34.919 6 weeks to outline, and 6 weeks to outline the scene. So we have those rolling old times. If you sign up with an annual subscription, you can request to be added to relive, and you'll get added in straight away. 280 01:02:37.230 --> 01:02:45.580 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Awesome. I'm just kind of scanning through any of these questions. I think most of them. We have answered. 281 01:02:46.710 --> 01:02:51.099 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Somebody says, how can you define modern fiction as true sci-fi 282 01:02:53.560 --> 01:03:19.560 Shane at Fictionary: question, how do we define modern fiction as true? Sci-fi? I mean, that is subjective anything where genre is concerned, is really subjective. I have this all the time in my own genre, where there is a really bloodline at the minute between urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and what actually constitutes an urban fantasy more actually constitutes a paranormal romance. And a lot of people 283 01:03:19.580 --> 01:03:25.800 Shane at Fictionary: have a lot of differing opinions. So I would say that one is hugely subjective. 284 01:03:27.100 --> 01:03:35.439 Chasity @ProWritingAid: It's okay. Can we add a 6 or more cents, for example, future view, etc., in our story? 285 01:03:37.890 --> 01:03:46.759 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Sorry. What's repeat that again? Chastity, they said. Can they add a 6 or more cents like adding an extra cents instead of like 286 01:03:46.770 --> 01:03:48.759 Chasity @ProWritingAid: future view, etc. 287 01:03:49.400 --> 01:03:55.240 Shane at Fictionary: Right? Okay? So instead of just 5 senses. Okay, cool. Right? 288 01:03:55.660 --> 01:04:06.869 Shane at Fictionary: So as it stands, the softwareing tracks, the 5 senses. But what I found when I'm editing cause. I did a lot of sci-fi and fantasy. There will be times where I have to 289 01:04:06.910 --> 01:04:16.609 Shane at Fictionary: look at a different sense. So if or an ability, let's say, a psychic ability which could be construed as a sense whether that be telepathy or 290 01:04:17.120 --> 01:04:29.809 Shane at Fictionary: clairvoyant abilities. And, in fact, in the fictionary editors. Course, Christina's novel deals with an extra sense because the protagonist can see visions when she's around dogs. 291 01:04:30.250 --> 01:04:54.729 Shane at Fictionary: So I used a different story element to track that. I used the flashback element. There were no other flashbacks in the book apart from those given to the character by the visions. So as long as you're consistent and you pick a different element for to track that thing, and it makes sense for you. Then that's a way for you to keep track of it. And that's how I did it, or how I do it when I'm looking at fantasy and sci fi novels where characters have extra abilities. 292 01:04:54.730 --> 01:05:02.290 Shane at Fictionary: I'll pick another element that most closely matches that thing, and then I'll use that element to consistently track that thing throughout the story. 293 01:05:06.430 --> 01:05:07.480 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Alright! 294 01:05:07.500 --> 01:05:16.240 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Did you want to answer a few more or not, we're not gonna make it through all of them. But we could try to answer. 295 01:05:16.970 --> 01:05:22.410 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Oh, gosh, okay, does fiction work well with short stories. 296 01:05:22.820 --> 01:05:30.360 Shane at Fictionary: Yes, so I have used fiction with short stories in the bells whilst our main target is novels. 297 01:05:31.330 --> 01:05:45.529 Shane at Fictionary: story structure still applies. If you're writing a short story, a novelte or a novella and you can still track exactly the same things. It doesn't work very well for flash fiction, obviously because that could be assured as a hundred words, and 298 01:05:45.680 --> 01:05:51.660 Shane at Fictionary: there's no way really to get a story out of a single scene. But yes, I've used it for short stories and novellas in the past. 299 01:05:54.600 --> 01:06:01.189 Chasity @ProWritingAid: And I don't know if this is for fiction or pro-in- could be both. But what operating system is required? 300 01:06:01.520 --> 01:06:13.839 Shane at Fictionary: You can use. So it's completely web based. You can use windows, or Mac, or whatever you're on to do that to come in. But it's it's best on a laptop or desktop computer 301 01:06:14.680 --> 01:06:28.449 Chasity @ProWritingAid: providing aid. There's no app for providing it. You can use windows or a Mac device as well. And then cause I think there was also somebody asked if there was an app or could you use fictionary on a phone? 302 01:06:28.670 --> 01:06:40.749 Shane at Fictionary: Yeah. So I mean, the the software is designed for laptops and desktops. Primarily, some of it is glitchy on an ipad or a phone. So yeah, just if you can stick to laptops and desktops for this. 303 01:06:43.720 --> 01:06:45.060 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Okay? 304 01:06:46.420 --> 01:06:50.429 Chasity @ProWritingAid: And then somebody asked about fiction being used for nonfiction. 305 01:06:51.010 --> 01:07:20.470 Shane at Fictionary: It depends what type of nonfiction you mean. So for my craft books. It wouldn't work cause there's no element of story in there, and it's really designed to track story. If you're writing narrative nonfiction or memoir where it needs a story like structure, then. Yes, so say, for example, you'd written Elizabeth Gilbert's Pray, love, which is like a memoir, and you wanted to analyze that within fiction you could do that because it follows story structure beats so narrative, nonfiction and memoir. Yes, kind of self help 306 01:07:20.830 --> 01:07:26.610 Shane at Fictionary: non fiction where it's more like do this thing? No, because it doesn't have a story structure. 307 01:07:29.080 --> 01:07:36.600 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Then let's see this one was asked a few times. I think I lost it. 308 01:07:37.660 --> 01:07:38.600 Shane at Fictionary: Hmm, hmm! 309 01:07:38.860 --> 01:07:42.560 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Oh, goodness! It was a good one. 310 01:07:46.450 --> 01:08:00.940 Shane at Fictionary: He did not write none to do. Can you write within the software, or should you? That this, was it? Or should you wait until a novel's complete and then import? That's entirely up to you. So wait until a novel is complete and then import. 311 01:08:00.940 --> 01:08:27.290 Shane at Fictionary: You're gonna get the the visuals automatically done for you like the story arc and all those things. If you want to write your entire novel in fiction, which is what I do now. You can do that, and then you would go back and set things like the story oxen's and see how close. It matches the the blue graph. So import does things automatically. If you're writing from scratch in fiction, you would go back and select the story out scenes and things like that when you're done. 312 01:08:28.660 --> 01:08:29.710 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Alright! 313 01:08:30.170 --> 01:08:42.219 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Think that's a good place for us to kind of wrap up. Thank you so much, Shane. You have been awesome, and this was a lot of fun. 314 01:08:42.260 --> 01:08:55.760 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Oh, no, there I am. I hope that you guys have enjoyed this, Shane. I really enjoyed all the information. And II love the tutorial like when somebody walks me through a software, because 315 01:08:55.899 --> 01:09:18.250 Chasity @ProWritingAid: when you watch somebody else do it, I think it just helps so thank you so much for sharing. And you definitely can find the replay in the hub when it's available, and then you can have it for the next week, unless your Academy member, and then you just have it forever. So we thank you so much, Shane. We appreciate it. 316 01:09:18.330 --> 01:09:25.139 Chasity @ProWritingAid: Yes, you got lots lots of compliments. In the chat. So you did. Awesome. Thank you so much. We appreciate your time. 317 01:09:25.260 --> 01:09:26.250 Shane at Fictionary: Welcome. 318 01:09:26.609 --> 01:09:28.780 Chasity @ProWritingAid: bye, guys, see ya later.