Formulaic Fiction: Love It or Hate It?

A Broken Record

I mention frequently how much I dislike formulaic fiction. That's my biggest problem with my first book, Amelia's Children. It's a murder mystery and it unfolds the way any murder mystery would. In other words, it's formulaic, which my mind automatically translates as "lacks originality." 

Amelia's Children also happens to be my most popular book, so apparently a lot of people are looking for stories that follow a formula.

I do love a good mystery. I just can't get into, for example, shows like Murder She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder, or even those with a slightly darker feel to them, like Criminal Minds. I can watch one or two episodes, but after that I start to feel like I'm watching the same story over and over. Which I am. 

My disdain for stories that follow formula too closely is the primary reason I give for not reading a lot of romance. That genre carries the weight of too many fan expectations, and writers cater to those expectations. I mean, they want to make a living, right? Can't go making the fans angry. So there are things that have to happen, and they have to happen at specific times in the story. And of course there must be a happy ending.

Honestly, I think it's the guaranteed happy ending that's the biggest turnoff for me. Look, I like love stories. Love Story, for example, is a movie I've seen multiple times and still enjoy. (Okay, it's a seventies movie, and I really like seventies movies, so maybe that's the allure, who knows?) I also like The Time Traveler's Wife and Wuthering Heights. What do all of these have in common? Well...in each one, one of the main characters dies. You see, if there's not a real possibility that the characters will either die or break up at the end, I can't make myself care about them. What's the point, if I know going in that they're going to live happily ever after?

A Big Glaring Exception to My Rule

I've also said numerous times that I'm a horror movie buff. But I'm a picky one. I don't like just any horror. I have very specific parameters within which a horror movie must fit, or I will not like it.

Basically, I like formulaic horror.

If a horror movie goes overboard trying to shock me with death and gore, like the second Halloween movie, I will not like it.

If a movie tries to pull off some convoluted twist ending, like The Brood, I will not like it.

If a movie shows the monster too soon, like Lights Out, I will not like it.

I recently watched the new movie The Open House on Netflix. That's something of a confusing title because there's another movie, called simply Open House, which came out in 2010 and is available on Amazon. I haven't seen Open House. I've seen The Open House. I don't know if the newer one is based on the older one in any way or if it's just a coincidence, but I need to make sure you know which movie I watched.

I loved that movie. I read a review of it before watching it. The review called it predictable and cliché. Well guess what? That's what I look for in horror.

Give me a painfully slow build-up of tension, to the point where you almost begin to think nothing bad is going to happen at all, like the first Halloween movie.

Give me an old fashioned haunted house story, like The Conjuring.

Give me a movie with an evil child, like The Ring.

You see, for me, good horror has more to do with pacing and mood than with story. Yes, originality can be nice. The Ring was a darn original idea, and I loved that. But The Ring also spends time setting up the story and creating the right mood. The result is one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. The Brood, on the other hand, tried to be original but turned out to be just weird.

Okay, your turn. Do you have a favorite genre that just has to follow the formula or you won't like it? Please tell me in a comment.

Oh, and before I go, I have some news items to share:

I'm now offering a proofreading and critiquing service for authors. You can find out more about that here.

I also have a newsletter now. If you'd like to subscribe, please fill out my sign-up form.

And finally, I have Amelia's Children available on Instafreebie for a limited time. If you'd like a free copy, check it out here.

Which Rocky Movie is Your Favorite?

Coming Late to the Party

I was a kid in the 80s. I remember when the Rocky movies were all the rage and Sylvester Stallone was one of the biggest action stars around. But I didn't watch any of the movies then. I was a girl and, as such, was nestled safely in my girl den and refused to watch anything that looked too much like a guy movie. And Rocky is a guy movie if I ever saw one. 

I may have been a touch hypocritical about that, considering that I was a hopeless horror buff and thought A Nightmare on Elm Street was greatest movie franchise in history, but whatever. 

A Total Dork

I remember dreaming of binge watching before binge watching was even a thing. One time I even announced to my parents that when I grew up I was going to own a movie theater so I could show movie marathons there. I had a limitless list of themes. It consisted of more than just movies in series that I wanted to show in chronological order. One of the nerdiest things I dreamed of doing in my theater was picking an actor or actress, maybe a director, and showing every movie that person ever made. In chronological order. 

I don't know how on earth I planned to make a living from that. I guess I just assumed the rest of the world was as nerdy as I was and that everyone was obsessed with having long movie marathons built around an arbitrary theme. 

My mom's reaction should have told me that the rest of the world was decidedly not as nerdy as I was, but in my childlike wisdom I chalked it up to old people "just not getting it." 

My Rocky Marathon

When I finally got around to watching the Rocky movies, of course I had to have a marathon. I was married by this time, so my husband and I watched them together. 

We got through the first one and I must say it's one of those movies that had to grow on me. I love it now, but certain things are so subtle it took a couple of viewings before I could really understand everything that was happening. For example, my husband had to explain to me that Rocky loses the boxing match at the end. That went right over my head when I watched it.

Okay, so part one was in the can. On to part two. Then three. Then my husband went on a business trip, but he told me to go ahead and watch part four without him because he'd already seen it.

Remember that we were kids in the 80s. Rocky IV was huge in the 80s. Well, Rocky in general was huge in the 80s, but part four was huger. More huge? Better endowed with hugeness? Whatever. It was a popular movie when we were growing up, and my husband assured me that I was going to like it. 

Then I watched it.

Um...

I called him on the phone after it was over and told him it was just about the cheesiest thing I'd ever seen.

He was incredulous. Rocky IV was the best Rocky. Wasn't it?

Dear hubs...there's a freaking robot in the movie.

A robot? I don't remember a robot.

Trust me, there's a robot. 

We left the argument there and didn't discuss it again for quite a while.

I Am Vindicated

It was only a few months ago that my husband decided to watch Rocky IV again. I had gone to bed early, and he stayed up late watching television, and Rocky IV was one of the things he watched. The next morning, he mentioned to me that he had watched it.

Good lord, I said, that movie is terrible.

It is pretty cheesy. 

Do you remember the robot now?

I had forgotten about the robot. But yes, there is a robot.

Why? Just, why? 

The Social Media Firestorm

Not long after re-watching Rocky IV, my husband went on Facebook and asked all his friends, "What's the worst movie you've ever seen." People responded in the comment section with various movies they had hated over the years. 

My husband had a list of three or four. Rocky IV was one of them.

Wow...you would have thought he'd threatened to kidnap everyone's children and feed them to the Minotaur. So many people protested his dislike of that movie, all proclaiming that "it's the best Rocky movie!" 

I pointed out that it has a robot in it.

A friend responded with, "But we beat the Russians!" 

Another friend told my husband, "A kitten died when you said that. A kitten named Adrian." 

Oh my. 80s kids love that movie. 

So. Do you like Rocky? Do you have a favorite installment? Do you agree or disagree with my assessment of part four? Let me know in the comments. 

But please don't tell me I've killed a kitten by writing this. I love kittens. 

I just don't love Rocky IV. 

Robot.

Okay, I'll stop now. 

 

Bookending, or Bringing the Story Full Circle

That Final Chapter

A few days ago I patted myself on the back. I had made great progress on my new book and only had two chapters left to write. Then I realized I was mistaken. I didn't have two chapters left. I had three. I had forgotten one important component of my story. The bookend chapter.

What is Bookending?

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about my lifelong love of the movie Tommy. Well, that movie is bookended. I tried to find pictures to show what I mean, but could not find any, so I'll describe it to you instead. The movie opens with Tommy's father, played by Robert Powell, standing on a mountain top silhouetted by the setting sun. It ends with Tommy himself, played by Roger Daltrey of course, standing on that very same mountain silhouetted by the rising sun. So it ends right where it begins. It comes full circle. It is bookended.

Does every story have to be structured this way? Of course not. Many, many great stories do not incorporate this literary device. But there's something about the ones that do. There's this feeling of satisfaction when you reach the end and see elements from the beginning return. I don't know, it's just...nice. 

An Unconscious Decision

I was bookending my own books before I even knew what the technique was. Amelia's Children and Primogénito are rather subtle examples. Amelia's Children begins with Sarah and David arriving in the town of Laurel Hill and ends with them leaving Laurel Hill. Primogénito begins with Ashley driving up the street toward Damian and Jenn's house and Damian stepping off of his boat. It ends with Ashley driving away from the house and Damian (metaphorically) sailing away on his boat. 

Road to Yesterday is the most blatantly bookended thing I've written. It begins with Kim, Vi, and Alex having breakfast in a diner in New Mexico before starting off on their journey and ends with the three of them having breakfast in a diner in Georgia after their journey is complete. And their conversation hints at the fact that the real journey is just beginning so they are truly ending up where they began, but with a few more memories and a little more wisdom to show for it. 

The New Book

My new book, a prequel to Primogénito, tells the story of the Damian's ordeal with his family, an experience which is mentioned over and over again in Primogénito and which provides the motivation for nearly every decision Damian makes in that book. I opened the new book with a chapter from Damian's father Leo's point of view. Leo wakes up in the morning and is consumed with worry for the wellbeing of his son. So my plan is to end it with Leo falling asleep at night, content that all is finally well with his son. For the time being, at least. Remember, he still has the events of Primogénito looming in his future. But he won't have to worry about all that for five more years, so for now everything is fine. 

I almost forgot about wanting to put that final Leo chapter in my book. I was almost planning to end it with...well, I can't tell you that, but it was going to be a scene with Damian and Jenn. You know, their sort of happy ever after scene. But if I end it there my story won't be bookended. And I really want it to be bookended. So Leo gets one more chapter. Yay, Leo! 

A Little Preview

Since I've almost finished writing this prequel and hope to be releasing some time in the next few months, I thought I'd conclude today with a couple of sample paragraphs. This is a conversation between Damian and his best friend Nick. We're at the peak crisis point now. Everything is getting ready to wind down, but at the moment tension is high and Nick is having to (again, metaphorically) talk his friend down from the ledge. 

“Damian...you’ve been thinking that what happened to you means there’s something wrong with you. But there’s nothing wrong with you. Mauricio’s the one who did this. He’s the one who’s messed up. Not you.”

Damian shrugged.

“I’m serious, Damian...”

“You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!” He ran a hand through his hair, then grabbed a wad of the thick black strands and held them in a tight fist. His arm shook from the tension in his muscles. “Yes, Mauricio did this. But what he did...he did it to me.” He eyes darted around wildly and his breath became ragged and uneven. “Say that...that a musician gets mad one night and smashes his favorite violin. If he’s got enough money, he can buy a new one and go on with his life. Go on with his career. Like nothing ever happened. But that violin will never play again. For that violin, there’s no going back...no going forward...no going anywhere. It’s broken...ruined...forever. That is what Mauricio did to me.”

You won't be able to read about the events leading up to this scene for a little while yet, but if you want to know where Damian's story goes from here, you can pick up a copy of Primogénito from Amazon and other retailers.

Indie Book of the Month: January 2018

All In by Ariele Sieling. 

This book is a prequel to the series entitled The Sagittan Chronicles. I don't often read prequels before reading the original series because I feel that already knowing the characters and the world in which a book takes place makes for a much richer reading experience, but this one walked across my path in the form of a free eBook, and I couldn't help but snatch it up. I'm so glad I did, and I'm now even more excited about reading the rest of the series.

The premise of this book is so wonderful. Set in...set in...hmm, where is this book set? A futuristic society? An alien society? A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away? Well, anyway, it's not earth, and there is unfamiliar technology. Namely things called doors which can transport people from one planet to another in a matter of seconds. Quin, our intrepid protagonist, explores these doors for a living. His job is basically to go through them and find out where they lead. Like I said, fabulous premise for a novel. 

Quite often it's curiosity more than anything else that drives me to keep reading a book, so a book based entirely on exploring mysterious locations is right up my alley. And it really is a great book. In places it actually reminded me of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which is my absolute favorite of all the Narnia books. So great job, Ms. Sieling! You kept me hooked from beginning to end.

Please check out this book. It's a short one, so it will only take up a little of your time, but it will be time well spent. You can find the eBook on Amazon.