{"data":{"id":13054,"title":"Writer's Guide: Part Eleven","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/comm-link\/spectrum-dispatch\/13054-Writers-Guide-Part-Eleven","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-links\/13054","api_public_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/comm-links\/13054","channel":"Undefined","category":"Undefined","series":"Writer's Guide","images":[{"id":398,"name":"WriterGuideFI2_Crop.jpg","rsi_url":"https:\/\/robertsspaceindustries.com\/media\/viqhhayioaj1er\/source\/WriterGuideFI2_Crop.jpg","alt":"","size":620486,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","last_modified":"2013-07-19T05:22:37+00:00","api_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/398","similar_url":"https:\/\/api.star-citizen.wiki\/api\/comm-link-images\/398\/similar"}],"images_count":1,"translations":{"en_EN":"Hello and welcome to the Star Citizen Writer\u2019s Guide. As always, here are links to the previous installments, and if you are new to this feature, please consult the caveats at the beginning of Issue #1.\nIssue 1 \u2013 UEE Structure\n\nIssue 2 \u2013 Timeline & Citizens\/Civilians\n\nIssue 3 \u2013 Local Government & Media\n\nIssue 4 \u2013 Corps\n\nIssue 5 \u2013 Criminals\n\n\nIssue 6 \u2013 Alien Civs (Banu & Xi\u2019An)\n\nIssue 7 \u2013 Alien Civs (Vanduul & Tevarin)\n\nIssue 8 \u2013 Technology\n\nIssue 9 \u2013 Transportation\n\nIssue 10 \u2013 People While lurking around the fiction section of the forums, I\u2019ve noticed that many of you are new to writing so, this week, we\u2019re going to tackle a quick overview on:\nSTORYTELLING\nThere are literally thousands of books and articles about how to tell a story. Part of the difficulty is navigating through the sea of theories and advice and figuring out which works for you.\n\nPersonal Disclaimer: Writing is a constant struggle to figure out the best way to tell a story. I am not an expert. The approaches I use to devise and refine my stories and characters are reflective of my personal style and tastes. Please, please, please don\u2019t consider the information below to be the One True Way.\n\nJumping right in, we\u2019re going to start off taking a very broad look some of the foundations of storytelling:\nSTRUCTURE\nI\u2019m not sure I can ever stress how important structure is to storytelling. At its core, your structure is your story. It dictates how (and at what pace) the information and progression of events are unveiled to your reader. Your structure is what makes your story a story and not just a series of events. That may seem like an odd sentence but let me elaborate. A story is about progression, usually in the perspective of the main character. How do the events in the story challenge and change the main character? Conversely, how do the character\u2019s actions affect the story? If you have a character who experiences a series of events but there\u2019s no real progression through them, you will quickly find that your story is lacking what\u2019s called \u201cnarrative drive,\u201d the propulsion that pushes the reader to want to know what happens next.\n\nProgression comes from having a clear idea of where you want your story to go, which is accomplished by outlining your structure and figuring out your beginning, middle and end. To help illustrate, we\u2019re going to begin with the classic form of storytelling structure.\n\nThree-Act Structure\n\nYou may not know what it\u2019s called, but if you watch movies or read at all, you are well-versed in three-act structure. In the simplest terms, it breaks down to: Setup, Confrontation, Resolution. Or \u201cI present a problem, I attempt to tackle the problem, I resolve the problem.\u201d This approach to dramatic storytelling is usually attributed to Aristotle. Since it is still in common use today, it\u2019s fairly obvious he was on to something.\n\nTo delve a little deeper into it, here\u2019s an act by act breakdown:\n\nAct One \u2013 You establish your character (for grammatical considerations here, a female), her environment, and her situation. Classically, you introduce a character who\u2019s down on her luck or missing something in her life. Things seem pretty bad\/ordinary\/depressing until \u2026\n\nInciting Incident \u2013 This is the event that activates the story and the character\u2019s journey (aliens invade, terrorists take over the building, Heroine accidentally summons a demon, etc.).\n\nAct Two \u2013 This section usually comprises the bulk of the story as she attempts to tackle the problem. She ultimately fails. The end of Act Two is generally the main character\u2019s lowest point (example: the antagonist defeats the Heroine and takes the guy). It\u2019s also important to note that in most cases, by the end of Act Two the main character knows the villain\u2019s plans.\n\nAct Three \u2013 The main character attempts to resolve the conflict\/defeat the villain and succeeds. Afterwards, she reflects on how she\u2019s changed or grown based on the events in the story; she\u2019s in a better place than when the story started.\n\nOnce again, this is a massively broad overview of the classic (optimistic) structure. There\u2019s also a similar name for this style of story called the Hero Cycle, made famous by author Joseph Campbell\u2019s book Hero with a Thousand Faces.\n\nI would highly recommend looking around online for writings about three-act structure. While it is the simplest form of storytelling, it can be very effective, and a phenomenal format to practice with if you\u2019re just starting out.\n\nPacing\n\nThis is a very subjective topic, dictated by the format of the story you\u2019re trying to tell (short story vs. novel), your personal voice\/style, and the genre of the story itself. In a nutshell, your pacing is the speed at which events unfold in your story. A good author knows when to increase the pace and when to slow things down. That ebb and flow is what creates effective tension and suspense.\n\nIn short, you always want your story to be moving forward. If the momentum starts to lag too much or cease altogether, you\u2019ll risk losing your audience. At the same time, if you try to maintain a breakneck action-like speed throughout your whole story, it will be exhausting to read and, more than likely, dramatic moments will be overlooked in the general rush.\n\nProbably the most practical approach to understanding pacing would be to study works of a similar theme or tone and see how they handle the pacing of their narrative (where it works and, more importantly, where it doesn\u2019t).\n\nCHARACTER\nThe reader\u2019s guide \u2014 your main character (our Heroine from earlier examples) \u2014 is the hub of the story. If she isn\u2019t, why is she the main character? Designing your main character and determining why she is in the story is absolutely essential. Do you need to write a fifty-page biography before writing your story? No, not necessarily, but go ahead if it helps you. The character\u2019s motivation should be fairly clear. Usually this is expressed as an active sentence (to get her husband back, to defeat the terrorists, to redeem herself). It generally comes from asking the question What does she want? The answer can be plot-based (to escape the prison) or more of a life-goal (to be the best pilot in the military). But this motivation is what helps dictate her actions and reactions to the story and obstacles she encounters in it.\n\nIdeally, you can tie in the character\u2019s need\/motivation\/want into the main conflict of the story (e.g., your hero attempts to save a little girl from slavers because she couldn\u2019t protect her little sister\/brother when slavers raided their settlement ten years ago).\n\nYou\u2019ve probably heard the term \u2018character arc\u2019 before. This concept is basically the character\u2019s change over the course of the story, or more specifically, your character\u2019s change because of the story. A simple contemporary example can be found in District 9, in which the main character Wikus starts the movie hating the aliens (look at how he giggles when setting the alien eggs on fire). Over the events of the movie, he comes to understand and even help them. The larger the distance between the starting and ending point of this arc, the more dramatic the change.\n\nPOINT OF VIEW\nPoint of view is how you tell your story, specifically what perspective the prose is coming from. 3 Person = There is an unseen narrator that can shift perspective (follows different characters in different sections). This is the most common perspective as it allows you to write out the thoughts of your characters and cross-cut between locations and situations.\n\n2 Person = There is a narrator, perhaps even the main character, who addresses the reader directly. Not as common, but (for example) the show Burn Notice uses this in its voice-over.\n\n1 Person = Written from the perspective of a single person (your main character). Allows you to write her thought processes and in her vernacular (speaking style), but you can\u2019t break from it. You can\u2019t switch easily out of first-person perspective, so you\u2019re pretty much locked into your main character\u2019s head, which can be limiting to your narrative.\n\nSUMMARY\nThis is really just scratching the surface of storytelling, but hopefully it\u2019s at least given you an idea of where to look further for information. Here are a few final points: Be clear. Clarity in your writing is a constant battle for everyone (myself especially). You have a story and characters in your head that you\u2019re attempting to translate onto paper (or screen) in the hopes of recreating that experience in another person\u2019s imagination. As you become more proficient, you will figure out ways to handle this more elegantly, but you can never go wrong with keeping your story and motivations simple and clear. Clarity becomes even more difficult when you\u2019re dealing with sci-fi. The nature of fantastical locations, technology or worlds require additional explanation, so keep your descriptions simple and to the point.\n\nFind your own voice. Writing and storytelling are fluids concepts, changing and adapting with the tastes of the era, so nothing is set in stone when it comes to telling your story. Everything I\u2019ve said about character arcs and narrative structure can be subverted or ignored completely and there are plenty of examples of how to successfully do it. But, until you find confidence in your skills and your voice, it doesn\u2019t hurt to lean heavily on the classic styles to get your footing. It\u2019s very easy to disregard storytelling structures that seem stale to you, but try adhering to them as you start to practice.\n\nLook at books, movies and comics that you love and think about them critically. Ask yourself how they reveal the story and character development. Where are the major turning points?\n\nRewrite. Get used to it. Don\u2019t expect everything to be gold. Try and fail. It\u2019s okay. If you love the process, just learn from it and keep going. Secondly, if you write something and give it to people, challenge them to give you honest feedback. Don\u2019t get angry if someone doesn\u2019t like it; try to discern what his issue was and if it\u2019s a stylistic preference on his part or lack of clarity on yours.\n\nMost of all \u2026\n\nPractice. Can\u2019t say it enough. Practice, practice, practice, practice \u2026 That\u2019s it for this week\u2019s entry. We are in the process of winding down the Writer\u2019s Guide and beginning a new serial that we\u2019re very excited about, which should start after the Livestream.\n\nTo fill out the final two weeks we\u2019re going to turn to you to help contribute to the Star Citizen universe. We\u2019ve been watching the forums for exciting explanations of the universe that we haven\u2019t covered so far. We will pick one idea a week and offer our designers\u2019 reactions and notes, and workshop the idea with the crowd.\n\nUntil next time \u2026","de_DE":"Hallo und willkommen zum Star Citizen Writer's Guide.\nWie immer finden Sie hier Links zu den vorherigen Raten, und wenn Sie neu in diesem Bereich sind, lesen Sie bitte die Hinweise zu Beginn von Ausgabe #1.\nAusgabe 1 - UEE-Struktur\n\nAusgabe 2 - Zeitleiste & B\u00fcrger\/Zivilisten\n\nAusgabe 3 - Kommunalverwaltung & Medien\n\nAusgabe 4 - Korps\n\nAusgabe 5 - Kriminelle\n\n\nAusgabe 6 - Alien Civs (Banu & Xi'An)\n\nAusgabe 7 - Alien Civs (Vanduul & Tevarin)\n\nAusgabe 8 - Technologie\n\nAusgabe 9 - Transportwesen\n\nAusgabe 10 - Menschen\n\nW\u00e4hrend ich im Fiction-Bereich des Forums herumschleiche, habe ich bemerkt, dass viele von euch neu im Schreiben sind, also werden wir diese Woche einen kurzen \u00dcberblick dar\u00fcber geben:\nLAGERUNG\n\nEs gibt buchst\u00e4blich Tausende von B\u00fcchern und Artikeln dar\u00fcber, wie man eine Geschichte erz\u00e4hlt. Ein Teil der Schwierigkeit besteht darin, durch das Meer der Theorien und Ratschl\u00e4ge zu navigieren und herauszufinden, was f\u00fcr dich funktioniert.\n\nPers\u00f6nlicher Haftungsausschluss: Das Schreiben ist ein st\u00e4ndiger Kampf, um herauszufinden, wie man eine Geschichte am besten erz\u00e4hlt. Ich bin kein Experte. Die Ans\u00e4tze, mit denen ich meine Geschichten und Charaktere entwerfe und verfeinere, spiegeln meinen pers\u00f6nlichen Stil und Geschmack wider. Bitte, bitte, bitte, bitte, bitte, betrachten Sie die folgenden Informationen nicht als den einen wahren Weg.\n\nWenn wir direkt eingreifen, werden wir zun\u00e4chst einen sehr breiten Blick auf einige der Grundlagen des Geschichtenerz\u00e4hlens werfen:\n\nSTRUKTUR\n\nIch bin mir nicht sicher, ob ich jemals betonen kann, wie wichtig die Struktur f\u00fcr das Geschichtenerz\u00e4hlen ist. Im Kern ist Ihre Struktur Ihre Geschichte. Es bestimmt, wie (und in welchem Tempo) die Informationen und der Ablauf der Ereignisse Ihrem Leser pr\u00e4sentiert werden. Deine Struktur macht deine Geschichte zu einer Geschichte und nicht nur zu einer Reihe von Ereignissen. Das mag wie ein seltsamer Satz erscheinen, aber lassen Sie mich das n\u00e4her ausf\u00fchren. Eine Geschichte handelt vom Fortschritt, meist aus der Perspektive der Hauptfigur. Wie fordern und ver\u00e4ndern die Ereignisse in der Geschichte die Hauptfigur? Umgekehrt, wie beeinflussen die Handlungen der Figur die Geschichte? Wenn du einen Charakter hast, der eine Reihe von Ereignissen erlebt, aber es gibt keinen wirklichen Fortschritt durch sie, wirst du schnell feststellen, dass deiner Geschichte das fehlt, was als \"narrativer Antrieb\" bezeichnet wird, der den Leser antreibt, um zu wissen, was als n\u00e4chstes passiert.\n\nDer Fortschritt ergibt sich aus einer klaren Vorstellung davon, wohin Ihre Geschichte gehen soll, was durch die Umrisse Ihrer Struktur und das Herausfinden von Anfang, Mitte und Ende erreicht wird. Um dies zu veranschaulichen, beginnen wir mit der klassischen Form der Struktur des Geschichtenerz\u00e4hlens.\n\nDrei-Akt-Struktur\n\nSie wissen vielleicht nicht, wie es hei\u00dft, aber wenn Sie sich Filme ansehen oder \u00fcberhaupt lesen, sind Sie mit der Drei-Akt-Struktur bestens vertraut. Im einfachsten Fall zerf\u00e4llt es in: Einrichtung, Konfrontation, L\u00f6sung. Oder \"Ich habe ein Problem, ich versuche, das Problem anzugehen, ich l\u00f6se das Problem.\" Dieser Ansatz des dramatischen Geschichtenerz\u00e4hlens wird in der Regel dem Aristoteles zugeschrieben. Da es heute noch \u00fcblich ist, ist es ziemlich offensichtlich, dass er an etwas dran war.\n\nUm ein wenig tiefer in die Materie einzutauchen, hier ist ein Akt nach dem anderen:\n\nErster Akt - Du bestimmst deinen Charakter (hier aus grammatikalischen Gr\u00fcnden, eine Frau), ihre Umgebung und ihre Situation. Klassisch stellt man eine Figur vor, die ihr Gl\u00fcck hat oder etwas in ihrem Leben verpasst. Die Dinge scheinen ziemlich schlecht, normal und deprimierend zu sein, bis....\n\nVorfall - Dies ist das Ereignis, das die Geschichte und die Reise der Figur aktiviert (Au\u00dferirdische dringen ein, Terroristen \u00fcbernehmen das Geb\u00e4ude, Heroine beschw\u00f6rt versehentlich einen D\u00e4mon, etc.\n\nZweiter Akt - Dieser Abschnitt umfasst normalerweise den Gro\u00dfteil der Geschichte, w\u00e4hrend sie versucht, das Problem anzugehen. Sie scheitert schlie\u00dflich. Das Ende des Zweiten Aktes ist im Allgemeinen der niedrigste Punkt der Hauptfigur (Beispiel: Der Antagonist besiegt die Heldin und nimmt den Kerl). Es ist auch wichtig zu beachten, dass in den meisten F\u00e4llen, am Ende des Zweiten Aktes, die Hauptfigur die Pl\u00e4ne des B\u00f6sewichts kennt.\n\nDritter Akt - Die Hauptfigur versucht, den Konflikt zu l\u00f6sen \/ den B\u00f6sewicht zu besiegen und hat Erfolg. Danach denkt sie dar\u00fcber nach, wie sie sich aufgrund der Ereignisse in der Geschichte ver\u00e4ndert oder gewachsen ist; sie ist an einem besseren Ort als zu Beginn der Geschichte.\n\nWieder einmal ist dies ein massiv breiter \u00dcberblick \u00fcber die klassische (optimistische) Struktur. Es gibt auch einen \u00e4hnlichen Namen f\u00fcr diesen Stil der Geschichte, den Heldenzyklus, der durch das Buch Hero with a Thousand Faces des Autors Joseph Campbell ber\u00fchmt wurde.\n\nIch w\u00fcrde dringend empfehlen, sich online nach Schriften \u00fcber die Drei-Akt-Struktur umzusehen. Obwohl es die einfachste Form des Geschichtenerz\u00e4hlens ist, kann es sehr effektiv sein und ein ph\u00e4nomenales Format, mit dem man \u00fcben kann, wenn man gerade erst anf\u00e4ngt.\n\nTempo\n\nDies ist ein sehr subjektives Thema, das durch das Format der Geschichte, die Sie zu erz\u00e4hlen versuchen (Kurzgeschichte vs. Roman), Ihre pers\u00f6nliche Stimme\/Stil und das Genre der Geschichte selbst bestimmt wird. Kurz gesagt, Ihr Tempo ist die Geschwindigkeit, mit der sich Ereignisse in Ihrer Geschichte entfalten. Ein guter Autor wei\u00df, wann er das Tempo erh\u00f6hen und wann er es verlangsamen muss. Dieses Ebbe und Flut ist es, was effektive Spannung und Spannung erzeugt.\n\nKurz gesagt, Sie wollen immer, dass Ihre Geschichte voranschreitet. Wenn die Dynamik zu stark nachl\u00e4sst oder ganz aufh\u00f6rt, riskieren Sie, Ihr Publikum zu verlieren. Gleichzeitig, wenn Sie versuchen, eine halsbrecherische Action-\u00e4hnliche Geschwindigkeit w\u00e4hrend Ihrer gesamten Geschichte aufrechtzuerhalten, wird es anstrengend sein zu lesen und, mehr als wahrscheinlich, werden dramatische Momente im allgemeinen Rausch \u00fcbersehen.\n\nDer wahrscheinlich praktischste Ansatz zum Verst\u00e4ndnis des Tempos w\u00e4re es, Werke mit einem \u00e4hnlichen Thema oder Ton zu studieren und zu sehen, wie sie mit dem Tempo ihrer Erz\u00e4hlung umgehen (wo es funktioniert und vor allem, wo es nicht funktioniert).\n\n\n\n\nCHARAKTER\n\nDer Leserf\u00fchrer - Ihre Hauptfigur (unsere Heroine aus fr\u00fcheren Beispielen) - ist der Mittelpunkt der Geschichte. Wenn sie es nicht ist, warum ist sie dann die Hauptfigur? Das Entwerfen deiner Hauptfigur und das Bestimmen, warum sie in der Geschichte ist, ist absolut notwendig. M\u00fcssen Sie eine f\u00fcnfzigseitige Biographie schreiben, bevor Sie Ihre Geschichte schreiben? Nein, nicht unbedingt, aber mach weiter, wenn es dir hilft. Die Motivation der Figur sollte ziemlich klar sein. Normalerweise wird dies als aktiver Satz ausgedr\u00fcckt (um ihren Mann zur\u00fcckzubekommen, die Terroristen zu besiegen, sich zu rehabilitieren). Es kommt im Allgemeinen von der Frage, was sie will. Die Antwort kann plotbasiert sein (um aus dem Gef\u00e4ngnis zu entkommen) oder eher ein Lebensziel (der beste Pilot im Milit\u00e4r zu sein). Aber diese Motivation ist es, die ihre Handlungen und Reaktionen auf die Geschichte und die Hindernisse, auf die sie dabei st\u00f6\u00dft, bestimmt.\n\nIm Idealfall kannst du die Bed\u00fcrfnisse\/Motivation\/W\u00fcnsche des Charakters in den Hauptkonflikt der Geschichte einbinden (z.B. versucht dein Held, ein kleines M\u00e4dchen vor Sklaven zu retten, weil sie ihre kleine Schwester\/Bruder nicht sch\u00fctzen konnte, als Sklaven ihre Siedlung vor zehn Jahren \u00fcberfallen haben).\n\nSie haben wahrscheinlich schon einmal den Begriff'Charakterbogen' geh\u00f6rt. Dieses Konzept ist im Grunde genommen die Ver\u00e4nderung der Figur im Laufe der Geschichte, oder genauer gesagt, die Ver\u00e4nderung der Figur durch die Geschichte. Ein einfaches zeitgen\u00f6ssisches Beispiel findet sich im Bezirk 9, in dem die Hauptfigur Wikus den Film mit dem Hass auf die Au\u00dferirdischen beginnt (siehe, wie er kichert, wenn er die Au\u00dferirdischeneier in Brand setzt). \u00dcber die Ereignisse des Films kommt er dazu, sie zu verstehen und ihnen sogar zu helfen. Je gr\u00f6\u00dfer der Abstand zwischen Start- und Endpunkt dieses Bogens, desto dramatischer ist die Ver\u00e4nderung.\n\n\n\n\nSICHTPUNKT\n\nDer Standpunkt ist, wie man seine Geschichte erz\u00e4hlt, insbesondere aus welcher Perspektive die Prosa kommt. 3 Person = Es gibt einen unsichtbaren Erz\u00e4hler, der die Perspektive wechseln kann (folgt verschiedenen Charakteren in verschiedenen Abschnitten). Dies ist die h\u00e4ufigste Perspektive, da sie es dir erm\u00f6glicht, die Gedanken deiner Charaktere auszuschreiben und zwischen Orten und Situationen zu wechseln.\n\n2 Person = Es gibt einen Erz\u00e4hler, vielleicht sogar die Hauptfigur, der den Leser direkt anspricht. Nicht so h\u00e4ufig, aber (zum Beispiel) die Show Burn Notice verwendet dies in ihrem Voice-over.\n\n1 Person = Geschrieben aus der Sicht einer einzelnen Person (Ihrer Hauptfigur). Erm\u00f6glicht es dir, ihre Denkprozesse und in ihrer Mundart (Sprechstil) zu schreiben, aber du kannst nicht von ihr abweichen. Du kannst nicht einfach aus der First-Person-Perspektive wechseln, also bist du so ziemlich in den Kopf deiner Hauptfigur eingesperrt, was sich auf deine Erz\u00e4hlung beschr\u00e4nken kann.\n\n\n\n\nZUSAMMENFASSUNG\n\nDas ist wirklich nur ein Kratzer auf der Oberfl\u00e4che des Geschichtenerz\u00e4hlens, aber hoffentlich gibt es Ihnen zumindest eine Vorstellung davon, wo Sie weiter nach Informationen suchen k\u00f6nnen. Hier sind noch ein paar letzte Punkte: Seien Sie klar. Klarheit in deinem Schreiben ist ein st\u00e4ndiger Kampf f\u00fcr alle (besonders f\u00fcr mich selbst). Du hast eine Geschichte und Charaktere in deinem Kopf, die du versuchst, auf Papier (oder Bildschirm) zu \u00fcbersetzen, in der Hoffnung, diese Erfahrung in der Vorstellung einer anderen Person wiederherzustellen. Wenn Sie kompetenter werden, werden Sie Wege finden, dies eleganter zu handhaben, aber Sie k\u00f6nnen nie etwas falsch machen, wenn Sie Ihre Geschichte und Motivationen einfach und klar halten. Klarheit wird noch schwieriger, wenn es um Sci-Fi geht. Die Natur fantastischer Orte, Technologien oder Welten bedarf zus\u00e4tzlicher Erkl\u00e4rungen, also halten Sie Ihre Beschreibungen einfach und pr\u00e4gnant.\n\nFinde deine eigene Stimme. Schreiben und Geschichtenerz\u00e4hlen sind flie\u00dfende Konzepte, die sich mit dem Geschmack der Zeit \u00e4ndern und anpassen, so dass nichts in Stein gemei\u00dfelt wird, wenn es darum geht, Ihre Geschichte zu erz\u00e4hlen. Alles, was ich \u00fcber Charakterb\u00f6gen und narrative Strukturen gesagt habe, kann untergraben oder ganz ignoriert werden, und es gibt viele Beispiele, wie man es erfolgreich machen kann. Aber, bis Sie Vertrauen in Ihre F\u00e4higkeiten und Ihre Stimme finden, schadet es nicht, sich stark auf die klassischen Stile zu st\u00fctzen, um auf die Beine zu kommen. Es ist sehr einfach, Geschichtenerz\u00e4hlstrukturen zu ignorieren, die dir langweilig erscheinen, aber versuche, sie einzuhalten, wenn du anf\u00e4ngst zu \u00fcben.\n\nSieh dir B\u00fccher, Filme und Comics an, die du liebst, und denke kritisch dar\u00fcber nach. Fragen Sie sich, wie sie die Geschichte und die Charakterentwicklung enth\u00fcllen. Wo liegen die wichtigsten Wendepunkte?\n\nNeuschreiben. Gew\u00f6hn dich dran. Erwarte nicht, dass alles Gold ist. Versuchen Sie es und scheitern Sie. Es ist in Ordnung. Wenn Sie den Prozess lieben, lernen Sie einfach davon und machen Sie weiter. Zweitens, wenn du etwas schreibst und es den Menschen gibst, fordere sie auf, dir ehrliches Feedback zu geben. Werde nicht w\u00fctend, wenn es jemandem nicht gef\u00e4llt; versuche zu erkennen, was sein Problem war und ob es eine stilistische Pr\u00e4ferenz seinerseits oder mangelnde Klarheit bei dir ist.\n\nVor allem.....\n\n\u00dcben. Ich kann es nicht oft genug sagen. \u00dcbung, \u00dcbung, \u00dcbung, \u00dcbung, \u00dcbung, \u00dcbung....\n\n\nDas war's f\u00fcr den Beitrag dieser Woche. Wir sind dabei, den Writer's Guide herunterzuladen und eine neue Serie zu beginnen, von der wir sehr begeistert sind und die nach dem Livestream beginnen sollte.\n\nUm die letzten beiden Wochen auszuf\u00fcllen, wenden wir uns an Sie, um einen Beitrag zum Universum der Sternenb\u00fcrger zu leisten. Wir haben die Foren nach spannenden Erkl\u00e4rungen des Universums durchsucht, die wir bisher noch nicht abgedeckt haben. Wir werden eine Idee pro Woche ausw\u00e4hlen und die Reaktionen und Notizen unserer Designer anbieten und die Idee mit der Menge diskutieren.\n\nBis zum n\u00e4chsten Mal.....","zh_CN":"Hello and welcome to the Star Citizen Writer\u2019s Guide. As always, here are links to the previous installments, and if you are new to this feature, please consult the caveats at the beginning of Issue #1.\nIssue 1 \u2013 UEE Structure\n\nIssue 2 \u2013 Timeline & Citizens\/Civilians\n\nIssue 3 \u2013 Local Government & Media\n\nIssue 4 \u2013 Corps\n\nIssue 5 \u2013 Criminals\n\n\nIssue 6 \u2013 Alien Civs (Banu & Xi\u2019An)\n\nIssue 7 \u2013 Alien Civs (Vanduul & Tevarin)\n\nIssue 8 \u2013 Technology\n\nIssue 9 \u2013 Transportation\n\nIssue 10 \u2013 People While lurking around the fiction section of the forums, I\u2019ve noticed that many of you are new to writing so, this week, we\u2019re going to tackle a quick overview on:\nSTORYTELLING\nThere are literally thousands of books and articles about how to tell a story. Part of the difficulty is navigating through the sea of theories and advice and figuring out which works for you.\n\nPersonal Disclaimer: Writing is a constant struggle to figure out the best way to tell a story. I am not an expert. The approaches I use to devise and refine my stories and characters are reflective of my personal style and tastes. Please, please, please don\u2019t consider the information below to be the One True Way.\n\nJumping right in, we\u2019re going to start off taking a very broad look some of the foundations of storytelling:\nSTRUCTURE\nI\u2019m not sure I can ever stress how important structure is to storytelling. At its core, your structure is your story. It dictates how (and at what pace) the information and progression of events are unveiled to your reader. Your structure is what makes your story a story and not just a series of events. That may seem like an odd sentence but let me elaborate. A story is about progression, usually in the perspective of the main character. How do the events in the story challenge and change the main character? Conversely, how do the character\u2019s actions affect the story? If you have a character who experiences a series of events but there\u2019s no real progression through them, you will quickly find that your story is lacking what\u2019s called \u201cnarrative drive,\u201d the propulsion that pushes the reader to want to know what happens next.\n\nProgression comes from having a clear idea of where you want your story to go, which is accomplished by outlining your structure and figuring out your beginning, middle and end. To help illustrate, we\u2019re going to begin with the classic form of storytelling structure.\n\nThree-Act Structure\n\nYou may not know what it\u2019s called, but if you watch movies or read at all, you are well-versed in three-act structure. In the simplest terms, it breaks down to: Setup, Confrontation, Resolution. Or \u201cI present a problem, I attempt to tackle the problem, I resolve the problem.\u201d This approach to dramatic storytelling is usually attributed to Aristotle. Since it is still in common use today, it\u2019s fairly obvious he was on to something.\n\nTo delve a little deeper into it, here\u2019s an act by act breakdown:\n\nAct One \u2013 You establish your character (for grammatical considerations here, a female), her environment, and her situation. Classically, you introduce a character who\u2019s down on her luck or missing something in her life. Things seem pretty bad\/ordinary\/depressing until \u2026\n\nInciting Incident \u2013 This is the event that activates the story and the character\u2019s journey (aliens invade, terrorists take over the building, Heroine accidentally summons a demon, etc.).\n\nAct Two \u2013 This section usually comprises the bulk of the story as she attempts to tackle the problem. She ultimately fails. The end of Act Two is generally the main character\u2019s lowest point (example: the antagonist defeats the Heroine and takes the guy). It\u2019s also important to note that in most cases, by the end of Act Two the main character knows the villain\u2019s plans.\n\nAct Three \u2013 The main character attempts to resolve the conflict\/defeat the villain and succeeds. Afterwards, she reflects on how she\u2019s changed or grown based on the events in the story; she\u2019s in a better place than when the story started.\n\nOnce again, this is a massively broad overview of the classic (optimistic) structure. There\u2019s also a similar name for this style of story called the Hero Cycle, made famous by author Joseph Campbell\u2019s book Hero with a Thousand Faces.\n\nI would highly recommend looking around online for writings about three-act structure. While it is the simplest form of storytelling, it can be very effective, and a phenomenal format to practice with if you\u2019re just starting out.\n\nPacing\n\nThis is a very subjective topic, dictated by the format of the story you\u2019re trying to tell (short story vs. novel), your personal voice\/style, and the genre of the story itself. In a nutshell, your pacing is the speed at which events unfold in your story. A good author knows when to increase the pace and when to slow things down. That ebb and flow is what creates effective tension and suspense.\n\nIn short, you always want your story to be moving forward. If the momentum starts to lag too much or cease altogether, you\u2019ll risk losing your audience. At the same time, if you try to maintain a breakneck action-like speed throughout your whole story, it will be exhausting to read and, more than likely, dramatic moments will be overlooked in the general rush.\n\nProbably the most practical approach to understanding pacing would be to study works of a similar theme or tone and see how they handle the pacing of their narrative (where it works and, more importantly, where it doesn\u2019t).\n\nCHARACTER\nThe reader\u2019s guide \u2014 your main character (our Heroine from earlier examples) \u2014 is the hub of the story. If she isn\u2019t, why is she the main character? Designing your main character and determining why she is in the story is absolutely essential. Do you need to write a fifty-page biography before writing your story? No, not necessarily, but go ahead if it helps you. The character\u2019s motivation should be fairly clear. Usually this is expressed as an active sentence (to get her husband back, to defeat the terrorists, to redeem herself). It generally comes from asking the question What does she want? The answer can be plot-based (to escape the prison) or more of a life-goal (to be the best pilot in the military). But this motivation is what helps dictate her actions and reactions to the story and obstacles she encounters in it.\n\nIdeally, you can tie in the character\u2019s need\/motivation\/want into the main conflict of the story (e.g., your hero attempts to save a little girl from slavers because she couldn\u2019t protect her little sister\/brother when slavers raided their settlement ten years ago).\n\nYou\u2019ve probably heard the term \u2018character arc\u2019 before. This concept is basically the character\u2019s change over the course of the story, or more specifically, your character\u2019s change because of the story. A simple contemporary example can be found in District 9, in which the main character Wikus starts the movie hating the aliens (look at how he giggles when setting the alien eggs on fire). Over the events of the movie, he comes to understand and even help them. The larger the distance between the starting and ending point of this arc, the more dramatic the change.\n\nPOINT OF VIEW\nPoint of view is how you tell your story, specifically what perspective the prose is coming from. 3 Person = There is an unseen narrator that can shift perspective (follows different characters in different sections). This is the most common perspective as it allows you to write out the thoughts of your characters and cross-cut between locations and situations.\n\n2 Person = There is a narrator, perhaps even the main character, who addresses the reader directly. Not as common, but (for example) the show Burn Notice uses this in its voice-over.\n\n1 Person = Written from the perspective of a single person (your main character). Allows you to write her thought processes and in her vernacular (speaking style), but you can\u2019t break from it. You can\u2019t switch easily out of first-person perspective, so you\u2019re pretty much locked into your main character\u2019s head, which can be limiting to your narrative.\n\nSUMMARY\nThis is really just scratching the surface of storytelling, but hopefully it\u2019s at least given you an idea of where to look further for information. Here are a few final points: Be clear. Clarity in your writing is a constant battle for everyone (myself especially). You have a story and characters in your head that you\u2019re attempting to translate onto paper (or screen) in the hopes of recreating that experience in another person\u2019s imagination. As you become more proficient, you will figure out ways to handle this more elegantly, but you can never go wrong with keeping your story and motivations simple and clear. Clarity becomes even more difficult when you\u2019re dealing with sci-fi. The nature of fantastical locations, technology or worlds require additional explanation, so keep your descriptions simple and to the point.\n\nFind your own voice. Writing and storytelling are fluids concepts, changing and adapting with the tastes of the era, so nothing is set in stone when it comes to telling your story. Everything I\u2019ve said about character arcs and narrative structure can be subverted or ignored completely and there are plenty of examples of how to successfully do it. But, until you find confidence in your skills and your voice, it doesn\u2019t hurt to lean heavily on the classic styles to get your footing. It\u2019s very easy to disregard storytelling structures that seem stale to you, but try adhering to them as you start to practice.\n\nLook at books, movies and comics that you love and think about them critically. Ask yourself how they reveal the story and character development. Where are the major turning points?\n\nRewrite. Get used to it. Don\u2019t expect everything to be gold. Try and fail. It\u2019s okay. If you love the process, just learn from it and keep going. Secondly, if you write something and give it to people, challenge them to give you honest feedback. Don\u2019t get angry if someone doesn\u2019t like it; try to discern what his issue was and if it\u2019s a stylistic preference on his part or lack of clarity on yours.\n\nMost of all \u2026\n\nPractice. Can\u2019t say it enough. Practice, practice, practice, practice \u2026 That\u2019s it for this week\u2019s entry. We are in the process of winding down the Writer\u2019s Guide and beginning a new serial that we\u2019re very excited about, which should start after the Livestream.\n\nTo fill out the final two weeks we\u2019re going to turn to you to help contribute to the Star Citizen universe. We\u2019ve been watching the forums for exciting explanations of the universe that we haven\u2019t covered so far. We will pick one idea a week and offer our designers\u2019 reactions and notes, and workshop the idea with the crowd.\n\nUntil next time \u2026"},"links_count":0,"comment_count":50,"created_at":"2013-06-13T00:00:00+00:00","created_at_human":"12 years ago"},"meta":{"processed_at":"2026-05-15 00:45:54","valid_relations":["images","links"],"prev_id":13051,"next_id":13055}}