Hello all!

Do you remember the last fragment of short story I had posted?

Well, I spent a couple of days trying to finish that one. I produced lots of drafts that I didn't like in the process, which was a bit frustrating.

Part of the issue is I was aiming at a story length that was too short for the complex plot I was elaborating, and too long for a quick-and-fun flash story. I talked to some fans about the matter, and consensus was that my plot neded more room to develop. In fact it was suggested I made a novel out of it instead.


So I did what I always do.

I did the opposite of what I was being told and condensed all the fun in 700 words. I'm still amazed I could do that. It is surprising how much drama, action and feeling you can cram in less than 4 pages.

"Food for thought. I almost threw my computer out of the window after reading that." -- one of the Alpha proofreaders after reading the draft.

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Hello Arelor!

** On Tuesday 09.03.21 - 18:11, Arelor wrote to All:

I did the opposite of what I was being told and condensed
all the fun in 700 words. I'm still amazed I could do that.
It is surprising how much drama, action and feeling you can
cram in less than 4 pages.

I know you specialize in short-stories/novellas/serials. but can
you truly render a complete story originally recommended to be a
novel down to just 4 pages?

Here are some popular classics written in just two LINES or
less:

To Kill A Mockingbird:
[1] Kids don't understand racism.
[2] Adults don't either.


Catcher in the Rye:
[1] Moody teen complains a lot.
[2] He has a red hat.

Pride and Predjudice:
[1] Girl hates wealthy aristocrat.
[2] Wait, no she doesn't.

Gulliver's Travels:
[1] Hapless sailor is stranded on different lands inhabited by
political metaphors.

1984:
[1] Vision of dystopian future (now called Tuesday)

The Great Gatsby:
[1] Rich selfish people hang out.
[2] Something about the American dream.

Charlotte's Web:
[1] Clever web designer saves a pig.

Julius Ceasar:
[1] Murder plot sounds nobler in iambic pentameter.

"Food for thought. I almost threw my computer out of the
window after reading that." -- one of the Alpha proofreaders
after reading the draft.

SO.. is that reader happy? ..or frustrated?


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Re: The Revenge of the Electronic Kid
By: Ogg to Arelor on Tue Mar 09 2021 09:02 pm

I know you specialize in short-stories/novellas/serials. but can
you truly render a complete story originally recommended to be a
novel down to just 4 pages?

Not the "complete" thing.

With 4 pages you lose characters, background information, and the slow buildup to the climax.

Event oriented novels nowadays have 70% of the book set stage for a cool finale - the scene or event that justifies the
existence of the novel at all. This is specially true in fantasy works, where you need to tell the reader about your world and
characters without borying him to tears with an information overload. Hence you structure your book to be a colorful enjoyable
road so when the cool finale arrives, readers have all the information they need to enjoy the climax.

Well this description is not exactly accurate, but I often find myself thinking in those terms when structuring a long story.

The way a novel can be adapted to a super-short format is to wipe the colorful road away and focus on the cool finale only,
injecting in it (somehow) the bare minimum information required to understand the scene.

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Here are some popular classics written in just two LINES or
less:
Julius Ceasar:
[1] Murder plot sounds nobler in iambic pentameter.

Hamlet:
- the value of timely pyschotherapy

A Midsummer Night's Dream
- Don't eat 'shrooms. They'll have you seeing fairies and people with donkey heads and stuff.

A Much Ado About Nothing
- Two hours wasted

As You Like It
- Suit yourself, I'm off to the pub.

The Taming of the Shrew
- Miracles do happen.

A Comedy of Errors
- Too much drink and you think you will be seeing double.

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Hello Arelor!

** On Wednesday 10.03.21 - 03:33, Arelor wrote to Ogg:

Event oriented novels nowadays have 70% of the book set
stage for a cool finale - the scene or event that justifies
the existence of the novel at all. This is specially true in
fantasy works, where you need to tell the reader about your
world and characters without borying him to tears with an
information overload. Hence you structure your book to be a
colorful enjoyable road so when the cool finale arrives,
readers have all the information they need to enjoy the
climax.

Yes.. I find that analysis to be true with this first and recent
one of Piers Anthony's that I read:

Board Stiff
Piers Anthony
The Xanth Novels # 38 (series)
Open Road Media | Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Fiction / Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology / Fantasy - Epic / Romance - Fantasy
Published Jan 20, 2015

I don't need to undertand the whole geography of the Xanth
universe. The story is the adventure. The Xanth books are
numbered and are up to 42 in print now. (43 44 45 46 47 are
titled and in the works). Apparently you can read any of the
stories in any order, really. I think Terry Pratchett's
Discworld series operate the same way - although the first 3
stories might be a good "starters" to read in order.

Well this description is not exactly accurate, but I often
find myself thinking in those terms when structuring a long
story.

I think you described it well.

The way a novel can be adapted to a super-short format is to
wipe the colorful road away and focus on the cool finale
only, injecting in it (somehow) the bare minimum information
required to understand the scene.

Many of the Twilight Zone stories operated like that and stood
on their own.

BTW.. speaking of Piers Anthony.. I just found out that a new
Xanth novel, A Tryst of Fate, which is slated to be released in
October, will also be adapted to film and television.
Considering that the whole Xanth schtick are puns, the dialog
ought to be a riot.

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Re: The Revenge of the Electronic Kid
By: Ogg to Arelor on Wed Mar 10 2021 09:36 pm

I don't need to undertand the whole geography of the Xanth
universe. The story is the adventure. The Xanth books are
numbered and are up to 42 in print now. (43 44 45 46 47 are
titled and in the works). Apparently you can read any of the
stories in any order, really. I think Terry Pratchett's
Discworld series operate the same way - although the first 3
stories might be a good "starters" to read in order.

Having series that you can read in any order is becoming a market necessity at this point. It is very hard to produce a Wheel
of Time nowadays for a bunch of reasons.

I think a big one is a lot of people won't buy a book in a series you have to read in order, unless that series is actually
finished, because they have learnt the author can pull a George Martin and leave the series hanging.

Discworld books you can read out of order for the most part, but some of them are mini series in their own right and you should
go through them properly. You miss a bit of the fun if you don't imo.

I didn't find the first three books in the Discworld series to be that great of mood settlers. They didn't get actually good
until 3rd - not that the earlier ones are _bad_, just not up to the level you'd expect.


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Hello Arelor!

** On Thursday 11.03.21 - 03:07, Arelor wrote to Ogg:

The Xanth books are ..up to 42 in print now. ... Apparently
you can read any of the stories in any order, really.

Having series that you can read in any order is becoming a
market necessity at this point. It is very hard to produce a
Wheel of Time nowadays for a bunch of reasons.

Sometimes, I think the publishers are messed up. They re-
introduce the earlier books of a decades old series as if they
were new (to a new generation), with new cover art, when a book
series reaches an anniversary or a milestone.

I think a big one is a lot of people won't buy a book in a
series you have to read in order, unless that series is
actually finished, because they have learnt the author can
pull a George Martin and leave the series hanging.

A trilogy is the safest for a reader to stick with. But if the
author is young, then people will continue with a series. Mr
Martin doesn't look like the healthiest guy around. Maybe he'll
disappear sooner than anyone suspects.

Discworld books you can read out of order for the most part,
but some of them are mini series in their own right and you
should go through them properly. You miss a bit of the fun
if you don't imo.

Ah.. thanks for pointing out to watch for the mini series in the
sequence. I will look out for them. According to the sales
stats that I can access, Pratchett's Discworld books are being
restocked quickly.

I didn't find the first three books in the Discworld series
to be that great of mood settlers.

The first one describes the whole flat (disc) earth, and 4
elephants on the back of a giant tortoise thing.

They didn't get actually good until 3rd - not that the
earlier ones are _bad_, just not up to the level you'd
expect.

Noted. I never had the chance to emmerse myself into that
series. I have the mmpk edition of "The Science of Discworld
#1". The "science" angle of the story intrigued me, but I never
managed to settle into it.


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