Clean Doesn't Have to Mean Boring

 

I write clean fiction... on purpose. I know that may shock some authors out there--as well as some readers--but the truth is, good fiction doesn't have to be filled with gore and gratuity. A bad guy can be truly evil and still not curse like a sailor. Trust me, I've seen it happen...

But I digress. What Makes Good Fiction would be a better way to address this topic. Is it intense emotion? Solid characters? Or maybe it's unique story. In my humble opinion, I think it's a little of all that, and good writing, to boot.

Notice, however, that the list does not include: zombies, vampires, heavy cursing, gratuitous scenes,
adult issues, death, or internal awakenings. Those things are not core to good fiction. So here is my official list of what it takes to write good fiction:

Good Writing - first on my list is dealing with the craft itself. Not much time is spent on this with author blogs, for some reason. But without good mechanics, even great stories can fail to impress. As I've taught in my classes, the best writing rolls along on two rails of being impressive and being effective. Overly impressive (like this blog) and readers get hung up on the lovely loquaciousness that is your language (see?). Too effective and it's dry as stereo instructions.

Don't freak out, I'm the hero.

Great Characters - once the writing is tight, second in-line for good fiction are characters that make the story worth reading. Even bland plots can shine when affable, well-rounded characters step up to speak their lines. We love a good hero and evil nemesis, and, for the most part, regardless of what they're doing.

Emotional Ethos - feeling beyond ourselves is the principle reason most readers read. I've not met a bookworm who didn't want to feel something in what they read. Be careful with this; it can be too easy to heap on the emotional triggers to compensate for lacking in other areas (like this blog). In fact, I would argue that when emotions are handled well, the more mundane the event, the more powerful the story can be.

Unique Story - obviously, simply retelling the Lord of the Rings with different characters won't  win your writing any awards. Even re-tellings that are done well have a hard time becoming lauded tomes. Every once in a while, a unique enough spin can be put on something that it catches on, but a good rule-of-thumb is to deviate as much as possible from whatever inspiration you've drawn from* for your story.

Intellectual Honesty - Readers are highly perceptive and--to my dismay--tough critics. To keep readers interested and to avoid scrutiny, make sure whatever you write--whether about an alien race on a distant planet, or teens from inner-city Cleveland--keep things honest. If that teen from Cleveland has never had a computer class, don't suddenly make them an expert hacker.

Likewise, if the alien creature has four legs, don't have them levitate halfway through the story. Even science fiction operates within the rules of most physical laws. This allows the reader to believe far into fantasy without having to ignore their intellect.


This list may not be exhaustive, but I thought it important to start laying some groundwork for how I write before unleashing my drivel onto the masses. I speak about being clean and zombie free, but it is never at the expense of telling a good story.

*like this blog 


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