A More Likeable Story

Emotional outbreak from Story

Orson Welles, a great American orator renowned for his rants and Bill O'reilly tantrums and creative prowless, recorded his version of H.G's Well's War of the Worlds.  His stories would be very realistic and tell of impending attacks from foreign invaders.  By tossing in "real" people, places, things and scientific proof the audience was scared to death.  Some even committed suicide and killed themselves from such convincing.  (Kudos to my teacher for showing this, and I wish I could say I found this myself.)

As a story teller, if you want a believable story, you want believable things: theories, people, facts, places.  In many apocolypse like books and movies, you want to scare them with mutated cells or viruses or HN1 flue. In historic fiction this is more evident.  Take National Treasure, they pop in historic figures and ideas to compel the plot!    


Q: However, one might prose is, what about Fantasy?  Science fiction I can see why you would put "theories and facts" but Fantasy? Isn't their more leeway in Fantasy?

Like most fantasy novels a step away from all other novels, we must take a slight step away.  But keep in close proximity to the subject.  

But, you have to have a story with realistic charactars.  (Rarely)Are there any characters in stories that you cannot relate too some way! And, if they were alive, that their charactar can realistically stay alive.  I can totally imagine a Jack Sparrow walking around currently in the bar, conning his way in Trump Tower,  I can imagine a (humanoid) Gimli walking around with a glass of scotch in one hand in our world.  

You give these guys realistic charactars.  It doesn't necessarily have to be in items or props.  

Plus.  Disease everyone can relate to.  Family feuds.  Trying to protect people you love.  People can relate to that.  Though it doesn't connect 100% with science fiction's ways of making a good plot, it does help provide a stronger plot.  And people can relate to things like that.

(REALISTIC CHARACTERISTICS=BELIEVABLE)

Lost Characters hit or miss? Jack Shephard

Dr. Shephard

Jack Shephard:

Brief Bio:  Jack instantly became the leader in the beginning of the series--the "de facto leader".  He remains calm and collected in dire situation, this is also due to him being a doctor.  He get depressed and conflicted when unable to help anyone or was unable to help anyone.  He hates to fail and has an OCD to help anyone he can.  He is quick to analysis and very confident in facts versus John Locke's faith based view.

Naomi Dorrit: Jack, can I ask you a question?
Jack Shephard: Sure.
Naomi Dorrit: What did you do for a living before you became Moses? 

How do I start a story?

My personal favorite is called a "Cold Open" basically is just jumping into the story.  

Watch this video...

You don't need to say, "There was a plane...then it crashed." Cold opens, just jump into it... its more exciting and provides curiosity (Curiosity is your best friend to keep a reader.)  Cold opens is common in stories, movies and comics.  It sure beats a fairy tale beginning or Star Wars intro.

Things to remember

>Hooks are the best to start a story. Hooks can be just one worders.

>Don't forget the beginning is utterly vital for readers!

<><><><>

       There once was a kingdom that lived in a fictional world called Polutian.  There was a king named Cyrus, a well needed king.  During his reign, a evil ruler named Juan had usurped power by raiding his own castle with his own minions.

      "Die."

      "You won't get away with this Juan.  Everyone in Polutian will notice I'm gone."

      "I think I will. We're twins after all."

Juan smirked while playing with his saber--inching it closer to his brother's neck.  A grin shaped his mustache into a smile, while the king was back up in the wall.   Juan's minions had surrounded him, laughing and frolicking stealing treasures and weaponry from the dead soldiers.

"Goodbye..."

"King

Bad Guys

Welcome!

FC 2#

F.C 1#

Final Cathedral Comic 1#

Heroes in Story

Heroes are a type  main characters.  I talk about Three types of main character in here.
>Stereotypical hero... 
>Anti-Hero
>Tragic hero...

How to make Acceptable Characters 1# (Part A)

 "I was eating cavier while sitting on my sunboat.  My two butlers talked about--"

I already lost you! You cannot relate to this at all  So you hate that joke!  Characters in stories are very much like that.


Charactars are vital! According to Karen Weisner, charactars are THE most important part of a story. 
3D versus 2D.  A 3D is what we all should aim for.  Watch that video to the side <<< and then continue.  You can skip it if you want.  And just continue on.


Unless you watch LOST these jokes mainly aren't funny.  But if you are like me, you laugh.  Characters, like jokes,  (bad or good) have to be relate-able.
{Ex:  The reason why many young people watch Conan is cause of his youth-directed humor.  Thats why preteens will take Icarly over Jay Leno, relate-able traits.  Let me give you an example.  Think of your favorite comedian!   You laugh cause you relate.  }


Characters, I reiterate, if not empathize-able it will not work in the story.


Okay.  You might ask... HOW do I make relate-able?
Well firstly calm down.
And secondly most writers aren't like unrelate-able.  Most people went/go to school or work or had friends or met and experience people and thing....Basically if you can't think of anything else--just use your own experience.
What if I'm writing like a fantasy novel? My character doesn't go to Harvard or my world? Does being relate-able still vital?
Well. You character can have relate-able traits.  Like love, emotion.  Some even have romantic interest.  An example is in Lord of the Rings.  Love is prominent.  But you don't care its somewhere else.  Thus relate-able.
Well think Narnia. Many charactars have relate-able traits.
But what about unrelate-able characters are they that bad?
Well...let me give an example.  Was there a person you ever detested in real life? Like for being rude or annoying you?  But then you discover that something happened to them like they got hurt in there past.  Originally you disliked that person right cause you thought the person was an utter joke, right? But now, since you discovered something bad that happened, you pity and genuinely like that person.  And unrealtable character must make him at one point relatable/likeable one way or he is on dimensional.  Avoid this!



  In my next blog post I'll toss in how vital Main Charactars are.