C. L. Norman

Last night I finished reading Orson Scott Card’s How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy. And I just have to say. Wow.

First, I am starry eyed enough that when I find out famous people share my birthplace I immediately think they are cooler. And Mr. Card was born the same place as me and that is just plain cool.

Second, the book is written in a very friendly, conversational style that I found very engaging and at the same time stimulating to the creative center of my brain. The tone is exactly how I would want to receive answers to my questions about writing from professional authors if I ever get over my extreme shyness so I could ask them. This book answered a lot of those questions. And made me think of worldbuilding and writing in new ways.

When I am worldbuilding or writing, I make the mistake Mr. Card mentions in that I take my first “great idea” and then just start writing. He suggests taking that idea and pushing and questioning at it until it becomes richer and has more depth. It is such a simple thing and yet one I had overlooked. 

My current story idea is about a con artist fortune teller who doesn’t believe in omens or prophecy and then she has a vision of the future. What does she do? My previous story idea had world shaping events based on the Time of Troubles with the False Dmitrys with false rulers and civil war. Mr. Card says to take those ideas and intersect them. The False Dmitry idea has been percolating in the back of my mind for over 10 years but the fortuneteller has only lived there for a couple months. I see now that I need to work with both those ideas for my current project.

Also, another piece of advice from Mr. Card is that I ask “why?” Why does my con artist do what she does. I had some sort of vague idea that she had a bad family life and that is why she left home and doesn’t want to form any long term relationships because they never work out.  Clearly, I need to push and explore this further.  I need to keep asking why.