Storytelling and the Art of the Netflix Binge: Part One (Method Mondays)

Not my image, but come on, who doesn't love a good Boromir meme?

    I bet no one ever thought they'd see Netflix bingeing referred to as an art. Maybe it's not, but some people I know (okay, and maybe me too) certainly have it down to a science. I believe the equation is (Netflix + snacks + blanket - sleep - things you actually have to do). But that's not what we're here to discuss today, unfortunately. Surprisingly, or perhaps not, I actually do have a point to this post, which I'm going to get to eventually.
    One of the most frequent pieces of advice any writer will hear is to "hook" the reader. Hook them on the first page, in the first chapter, and don't let them off that hook until the end. Basically, you want to toss your reader from hook to hook like... something. I don't have any good analogies for that, all I can think of is fishing and I don't think anyone throws fish hooks (at least hopefully not on purpose). But basically, your aim is to let the reader almost wiggle off the hook, only to catch them on another one just as they've gotten free.
     What do I mean by that? I mean that, in my opinion at least, you have to let a little something go right for your characters, and by extension your readers, so they don't get too frustrated. But you don't ever want a reader to think "well, that's sorted!" at the end of a chapter, because then they'll put the book down and maybe not come back to it. Remember being so engrossed in a book when you were a kid that you couldn't say "just one more chapter" and you stayed up too late reading it with a flashlight? Whether the last time you did that was years ago or last week, chances are its because the author made sure to leave a thread at the end of the chapter, a little hook that grabbed you and made sure you just HAD to find out what happened next.
    In a way, make it so your characters get one step forward and then knocked three steps back, so your reader doesn't get frustrated by the lack of progress, but they still want to find out how it's going to happen, how your characters are going to get to their final goal. Of course, you have to alter that formula so you eventually get to an ending, but as the descending action occurs, that will likely be enough to keep your reader rushing to the finish (if you set it up well, of course), so this formula doesn't stand so much then. It's slightly different if you have a series on your hands, but that can be a discussion for another post.
    So! Back to the whole Netflix theme I had going back there. What the heck does that have to do with anything? Well, the best way I can think of to explain whatever it was I was trying to explain with fish hooks and steps and reading under the covers, is actually quite simple: Think of a Netflix show you love, and then follow along with me.
    Question time (yay, work to do! Don't worry, it's easy)

1. Think about the first episode of the show (resist the urge to rewatch it!). What drew you in? What made you want to keep watching?
2. Think about some of the other episodes, maybe around the middle of the series (if you spend all day watching to this point, don't blame me!). Think specifically about the endings of the episodes. What made you click on the next episode, or if you had to wait, what made you come back to watch the next one? (Alternatively, what made you pretend you didn't notice the timer ticking down to the next episode so now you HAVE to watch the next one?). 
3. Now, the tricky part: apply that to your novel or writing project. No, don't copy the plot of the show. What I mean is, lay out your project like each chapter is an episode. Episode one is vital, of course, so make sure something really good happens there. But what about the other episodes? What will make your reader really want to keep going and continue with the next episode. Make each one like a mini story arc, in a way; it's got it's own small "inciting incident", of sorts, where something can go well for the characters, and then it's own mini climax where there's another obstacle. These can be as large or as small as you want them to be.

    Once you've done that for one chapter, do it for another. And another. And before you know it, you'll have at least a rough plan for your project. Alternatively, if you aren't the planning type or if your novel is already written, go back through it and try to identify what these mini-arcs are. Beta readers will help with this as well of course, but try to give your novel some time sitting alone, work on something else or just take some time off for a few days or weeks, and then come back and read it. The less you remember of it, the better, but try to note whether or not you want to stop at the ends of chapters, whether or not you feel you can stop without wondering what happens next. This isn't something you can rely on yourself 100% for, because obviously you know what happens next, you wrote it (congratulations on that, by the way)! Don't panic if it seems like you can stop at any point without being curious; again, beta readers are your best tool for this part. Ask them specifically to note if there's any part where they feel like they could put the book down and not be curious or want to pick it back up again. 

    And now, for my own hook, of sorts. I'm sure you saw this coming based on the "part one" in the title, but I'm going to say it anyway: you can read part two of this post here, on series and how to keep the reader satisfied with the ending but still wanting to come back for a second book. 

    See you all next time! Happy writing, and thanks for reading!

The Golden Rule of Writing: There Are No Real Rules (Method Mondays)

Start off on a light note; thanks, Internet.

    There are a lot of writing "rules" floating around out there, in books, on the Internet, from well-meaning strangers. Lots of people can and will give you advice; the question is whether or not you follow it.
    The way I see it, there are plenty of things people can say about writing, but most of those things are things that work for them. They're usually good to know, but they might not work for you, or they might.
    This is not an original thing to say, at all, but the only real writing "rule" is this: Write.
    That's it.
    Writing a certain number of words per day, or writing at certain times, or wearing a tinfoil helmet while you write so aliens don't steal your ideas, none of those things make you a writer. If setting a word goal works for you, do it. If a schedule works, make one. If a tinfoil helmet somehow seems to make you write better, then heck, go for it. I'm sure there's writers out there with weirder habits.
    The point is, you'll always read advice and "rules" for writing. I've given some advice on this blog, and I'll probably continue to do so. If it works for you, great! Glad to help. If it doesn't, then what does it matter? Something that works for me might not work for you.
    In some cases, following advice from those with experience can be a good idea. If you want to publish, either self-publish or traditionally publish, then it may be a good idea to get advice from people who have experience in the business, because in those pursuits there is, arguably, a "right" way to do things and a "wrong" way to do them. In the actual writing of the book, however, as long as you're following basic rules of grammar and spelling to make it legible, there are no real rules. You can do basically whatever you want to do with your writing, and if you've got the determination to make it work and get those words on the page, chances are it'll work out.
    It doesn't matter how prolific or successful an author is; no one's word is gospel when it comes to writing. It is tempting to emulate our favourite authors and try to follow every bit of advice they've ever given, but that's unrealistic, frankly. I highly doubt that I'll still agree with all of the advice I've given in the past within a few years, and while I can't speak for any other authors, I think it's likely to be the same case for many others.
    So if my advice or anyone else's advice works for you? Great, follow it for as long as it works! If it doesn't? Who cares? It doesn't make you any less or any worse of a writer, just like following any advice or rules you see online or in books makes you any better of a writer.
    In the end, there's only one rule to writing: write. If you do that, you are a writer, no matter what other advice or "rules" you do or do not follow.