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Infodumping: It’s A Multi-Genre Issue

6 Jul

Believe it or not, I’m going to keep this one brief today.

I told myself a few weeks ago that I wasn’t going to read while trying to edit the rest of my novel (ha!) because sometimes it becomes distracting or discouraging.  But sometimes…I want to compare apples to oranges, you know?  See what’s happening in other genres.

Infodumping in Historical Fiction

Despite what I told myself, I’ve been reading a couple of novels on an off (because apparently I don’t just sit down and read novels straight through anymore; I either think too much about them or they bore me before they can get on a roll…100+ pages into the story).  Both are works of historical fiction with espionage elements in them because that’s what I’ve been craving of late, and I find myself getting frustrated because both do something that is highly frowned upon and typically attributed to the science fiction and fantasy genres: giving too much exposition at once.

And it’s not just any kind of exposition; it’s that tediously dry kind that seems to just carry on and on and on…because hey, it’s history-cal fiction and I have to tell you about the history of this setting, doggonit–even if it is done in the most boring/irrelevant manner ever.

Now, when a fantasy writer tries this it’s called “infodumping;” when a writer of historical fiction does it it’s called “lush period detail.”

Okay, maybe I’m just being cynical now.  Or maybe I’ve just become an impatient reader.  Or both.  (Lord, help me.)

Objective Subjectivity

Personally, if I have to sit through more than half a page of information that seemingly has nothing to do with furthering the immediate situation at hand, then I’ll get bored.  “Immediate relevancy” is kind of my litmus test as to whether certain information belongs in a particular scene–something I’m trying to live by in my own writing.

Key word “trying.”  (Sometimes you just want to hold on to bits of info because you’ve somehow managed to make it all nice and shiny.  Sometimes it’s just hard to let go of such golden nuggets.)

However, I’ve also come across longer stretches of information in novels that don’t bore me at all because they are told in a voice or manner that I personally think is interesting.

Anyhow, I get the feeling that labeling anything as an infodump is a partly subjective process because there aren’t a whole lot of quantitative guidelines out there (if any) and people always have different ideas about what’s interesting and what’s not.  I’m curious about what others think of infodumping, so here’s my question(s) to you all:

In your opinion, what qualifies as “infodumping?”

What doesn’t?  Is there a certain length or amount you just won’t put up with?  That you will put up with?

Also, how do you gauge what stays and goes in your own writing when you come across something that just screams, or maybe even just whispers, infoduuuuuuump…?

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Style in Literary & Genre Fiction

23 Mar

For the love of brevity, why can’t I ever blog about something that can be addressed in under 500 words?  Maybe I should just blog about comic books and YouTube videos, heh.

In any case, I think today’s post was partly inspired by one of T.S. Bazelli’s.

Literary Technique & Snobbery

I’d like some perspective on this because I think it directly affects my work and has been on my mind recently.

I have this notion in my head that literary fiction is still somewhat regarded as “snob” fiction today, and also that the use of literary techniques such as metaphor, allusion, alliteration, etc. is something that’s paid more attention to in literary fiction than it is in genre.

Is this true?

Admittedly, I don’t read a whole lot of literary fiction these days.  I still cherish certain classics I had to read in high school and have come to appreciate them way more than I could have at that age, but really I haven’t read much more of that stuff since then.  Though, I distinctly recall that the literary techniques used in those novels were a distinguishing feature in what made them so special (along with their characters’ stories).  But maybe this is only because that’s what we focused on in class!

It’s strange…ever since it’s been suggested to me that I’m working on a character-driven story, I’ve been thinking more about what, exactly, makes literary fiction literary (and genre fiction genre).  I’ve been wondering if my own perception of it is skewed.  I’ve also wondered whether I’m writing something that straddles the border between genre and literary because character-driven stories and literary fiction are so often linked together, and plot also gets some prominent stage time in my WIP, mostly in the second half.

Didn’t you just write a couple of posts on the difference between genre and literary fiction when you talked about plot- and character-driven stories?  I thought we’ve been over this before.

Yes, I have, but I still feel the need to contemplate on this.  I originally wrote those posts because I wasn’t sure which one I was writing.  To be honest, I feel like I may be writing both.  (Of course, it’s hard for someone else gauge these things if you’ve only shown your work to one person, heh.)  I like to focus on character and use literary techniques–not because it’s been ingrained in our brains in school to look out for these things but because that is naturally what I do.  The more I edit and get past plot inconsistencies, the more I seem to pay attention to my writing style.

At first, it was all about getting the story right–the plot and characters and whatnot; now, I feel it’s more about getting the execution of that story right aesthetically–paying attention to things like rhythm and cadence (sometimes I will switch out a word simply because it doesn’t fit the “rhythm” of a line as I hear it in my head).

Anyway, all of this makes me wonder whether my developing writing style is more fitting to genre or literary fiction.

What does it matter whether your work is more “genre-ish” or “literary?”

It doesn’t really, per se; I’m just not sure where I stand.

Naturally, I don’t like to pigeonhole myself into categories, but you kind of have to know how to explain your work to other people if you plan on selling it eventually, right?  If you tell people you’re writing fantasy and you give them something that reads like The Puttermesser Papers (not comparing myself here, just pulling out a crazy example), then is “fantasy” really an appropriate genre description?  (The same goes for the flip side, too.)

Essentially, I’m writing fantasy because there’s a fantastical element.  I just wonder why it seems like mostly literary fiction uses literary devices more prominently than genre fiction does.  I’m not saying this is good or bad, but when I read something like Grimspace by Ann Aguirre, or Sun of Suns by Karl Schroeder, the use of literary techniques doesn’t exactly pop out at me.  They may be in there every now and then, but they don’t really stand out (which, to me, seems is what happens in literary fiction).  I don’t remember these books because of their literary style but rather the plot/adventure and worldbuilding.

Which is fine.

I guess I just want to learn to write fiction that has both sides to it–memorable worlds and adventures as well as a distinctive style (and memorable characters.)  Maybe that’s why it’s taking me longer to finish my WIP?  Heh.

I know there’s more and more crossover fiction being written these days that traverses genre and literary, and I really should read more of them.  I think this would give me a better idea of what I’m trying to explore/understand.  (I suspect Neil Gaiman fits this bill, though I haven’t read him yet–don’t stone me!–and I’m currently reading Susanna Clarke now.  After reading Windup Girl, I think Paolo Bacigalupi might fit into this category, too, but I’m not all that sure.)

Am I making any sense today?

I find all of this hard to sort out and express clearly.  I just feel like there’s a lot of greyness in my understanding of these things.  (And maybe that writer’s/blogger’s “identity crisis”  I mentioned the other day has something to do with this.)

So…am I asking a question here?  Hm, I don’t know.  Let me see…

All right, so here’s my question to you: What do you make of the role of style in genre and literary fiction?  Does that matter to you?  Also, would you say your style seems to be a better fit for genre or literary fiction?  How come?

I’ve read plenty of articles on the old genre vs. literary fiction debate, but really I’m more interested in the general public’s perception of this issue.  I wonder how well that perception lines up with everything that’s been written about it.  Sometimes, I wonder why the distinction is even necessary, and if people even care.  (And by the way, I don’t want to seem like I’m getting overly caught-up on this stuff.  I’m just trying to get some perspective.)

Okay, break time’s over for me.  Back to work. ~

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The Imaginary War: Plot- vs. Character-Driven Story Development (Part I)

23 Feb

On the matter of plot-driven vs. character-driven stories, I am a little conflicted.  The novel I’m currently working on has taken on a more character-driven orientation since I’ve decided to stick with my latest draft.  However, I did start off on the plot-driven route but then decided to switch gears after my sixth-and-a-half (failed) attempt.

Why?

Well, that’s what I plan on talking about this week.  There are reasons to approach stories from either angle at first, but once the story is underway does it have to remain that way?  Should it remain that way?

The PvC Issue

For those who may not know what the PvC (plot vs. character, not polyvinyl chloride!) issue pertains to, I’ll try to summarize it.

Basically, there are two schools of thought out there that favor either a more plot-driven story or a character-driven one.  I imagine you already gathered that much, though, being the bright folks that you are, so let’s just get into the deeper aspects of the issue.

Often, the term “plot-driven” is associated with genre fiction (science fiction, fantasy, mystery, romance, etc.).  The focus, when you read a plot-driven story, tends to be on the plot itself.  When you close a plot-driven novel, what you remember most–the most poignant element–is the journey, the events that took place and/or the settings you were taken to.  Not necessarily the characters who were in it.

Its aftertaste is something like, “Yeah, I’ll remember going on that ride.”  (Star Wars, anyone?)  And actually, with an excessively plot-driven story, you may find that the characters are lacking development.  They are either cliché or boring.  Or worse, both.

A science fiction example might be Karl Schroeder’s Sun of Suns, or Cherie Priest’s Dreadnought.  Philip Pullman’s fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials is definitely plot-driven, in my opinion, particularly in the two last novels.  I’d like to point out that all three of these are more-or-less known for their detailed or unique worldbuilding, as well.

On the other hand, character-driven stories are, well, most memorable for their characters (go figure), and the plot takes secondary priority in the grand scheme of things.  Your literary classics tend to fall into this group.  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is certainly one of them, as is Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.  (Daisy and Rochester were some of the characters that especially stood out for me.)  I’d like to point out that these novels are heavy on themes surrounding human nature, as well–shallowness amongst the upper class, for example, in The Great Gatsby and bigamous love and differences in social class in Jane Eyre.  Symbolism and motifs, which are especially characteristic of literary novels, were also important in these two stories.  (Remember the green light in The Great Gatsby?)

The literary novel’s aftertaste might be something like, “Huh, I need to think on that one.”  Or even, “What the f#@! did I just read?”  (And if you read it back in junior high or high school, like I did with The Puttermesser Papers, then you still may be wondering the answer to that question.)

The character-driven story really, really makes you think about the characters’ choices and the implications of said choices because they are typically implied and not spelled out for the reader.  And if that wasn’t enough, you might also have trouble remembering what, exactly, happened in the novel (aka the plot) because the emotional experience of it all was so strong by comparison.  In contrast with the plot-driven story, I think with the excessively character-driven novel you may find that it is the author’s plot that is lacking development–i.e. rottenly cliché and/or boring.  Or just non-present/-evident.

At least, that’s how I understand it.

Take a look at what other people have to say on this topic, if you’re interested:

I think I’ve said enough about that.  Now, on to the actual issue.

What is the issue, really?

I don’t think that the real plot- vs. character-driven debate has anything to do with whether or not your story should include plot or character.  Any sensible writer knows that a good story should include both, so there is no versus, no actual war between those two concepts.  Not really.

As I see it, the PvC issue is a matter of approach and story orientation.  It is usually discussed as a matter of end result, but I think it starts earlier in the writing process, before an author even begins to write, and it might even shift for an author in the middle of the writing process.

I’ve got a few more thoughts on this, so I’ll be splitting this topic up into two posts again (Part II).

In the meantime, what are your thoughts on plot- and character-driven stories?  What type of story do you find yourself currently working on, or perhaps reading?  Is it difficult to tell?  Also, do you have experience writing both types?

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