This experiment’s original title was simply “The Formula.” I was concerned too many writers would believe I was offering them “The Secret,” and I fly away from BS unless everybody involved knows it’s BS, so I added “(Giving the Reader Predictable Outcomes).”
Readers like to know how a story’s going to end. It gives them comfort. The protagonist comes out on top, every lover gets their lovee, the village is survived, the Empire is doomed.
Readers also take comfort in negative endings. The protagonist loses, lovers go their separate ways, the village is destroyed by the gods or flood, the Empire strikes back.
Remember in the “negative endings” case, readers will only take comfort if the negative outcome is well foreshadowed. No foreshadowing and you’ve cheated them, they’ll know it, and they’ll tell everybody else about it.
That’s one type of formulaic writing, it’s been discussed in several previous experiments, and it’s basically plot level formula. All well and good.
Another formula exists which is thematic. Example: My thematic formula is transformation. All of my novel involve character transformation, a more or less hero’s journey.
Readers will enjoy a story because it has a satisfying plot level formula.
Readers will read an author because the author has a satisfying thematic formula.
Both plot level and thematic formula work when they give the reader, listener, viewer, predictable outcomes.
Get the two to work together, in conjunction, so one drives the other and the other drives the one, and you have stories that fulfill their promise and readers who keep coming back for more.
Enjoy.
Gable Smiled
Empty Sky
The Augmented Man
The Inheritors
The Shaman
Search
The Book of The Wounded Healers
Think I’m onto something? Take a class with me, schedule a critique of your work, or buy me a coffee.
Think I’m an idiot? Let me know in a comment.
Either way, we’ll both learn something.
Get copies of my books because it’s a nice thing to do, you care, you can follow along, and I need the money. My latest is my trauma recovery fantasy Chrysalis.
Wilderness House Literary Review EIC Steve Glines and I (Senior Fiction Editor) hold monthly open chats with authors interested in a) writing for us, b) improving their craft in general, and/or c) increasing their chances of being accepted by other markets.
Meetings are held via Zoom on the last Friday of each month from 9-10amET.
So, want to know how to write for us? Want to know what gets our attention? Want to know how to write better for whatever market you’re interested in? Join us for our next “Meet the Editors” Zoom session. Seats limited! Sign up and talk with us. We’re relatively easy going and fun to be with.
Last item, finding these experiments useful? Strengthen my ego and link/friend/follow me.
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