Writing Writing novels

[YueLqn]

So uh, I've written a few novels which I then immediately dropped (nope nope too much dedication all yall who write are gods imo) but I want to write a lighthearted story.. something like a slice of life, where I dont need to use my brain for complicated plots and all

But I also find myself getting way too serious with things lol. Like with magic systems (and politics.. sobs), I always try and calculate everything and make sense of it all.. (this is also why I will NEVER write something with a game system.. too many numbers)
A few weeks ago I found a video on soft and hard world building/magic systems and I was like?? Why did this not occur to me before. That I could just.. not explain it all XD

My problem is, I cant help but explain everything, try and understand it thoroughly and such. Anyone got any tips for this kind of thing? Or should I just practice and write lots? Also interested to see if anyone else has something similar going on :3c?

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Anyone got any tips for this kind of thing?

Don't write fantasy\sci-fi.

 

[Gryphon]

Don't write fantasy\sci-fi.

Well if you're writing low fantasy or sci-fi, then you can get away with explaining jack shit. I remember reading a book called Scythe and it was about the human race becoming immortal thanks to complicated machinery, but it's barely explained at all.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Well if you're writing low fantasy or sci-fi, then you can get away with explaining jack shit. I remember reading a book called Scythe and it was about the human race becoming immortal thanks to complicated machinery, but it's barely explained at all.

If you can't stop yourself from explaining sci-fi or fantasy when writing and you don't like it, don't write sci-fi or fantasy. And that was the question of OP.
"I want to write a lighthearted story.. something like a slice of life"
"My problem is, I cant help but explain everything, try and understand it thoroughly and such. "

 

[BlackKnightX]

Nothing wrong with explaining things as long as it’s not boring. You can also try to weave it into the narrative; slowly reveal informations to the readers. You can only write one word at a time. Use it wisely.

 

[Fortunis]

I think there are two sides to information when it comes to world building, one is the side of the information the writer has, this is all the information needed for making a coherent plot. This side can be as complex as you need it to be to properly illustrate what your story needs and on which directions can it be headed towards. The other side is the information your readers will have, this one needs to be and feel as natural and concise as possible. A practical example would be a computer system that would allow the users to travel worlds, while the writer must think about how it works, limitations, drawbacks, previous models, future models, specs, ect, the reader only needs to know that it exists and how it has affected that world daily lives.

 

[Killokii]

I have a similar over explaining problem so feel you.

Writing and planning out your world is fun, but you don’t want to drown out the readers with lore that doesn’t impact the story or with long winded explanations that could have been cut down into a few words. The way I deal with it is I still write out all the lore I could ever want, but mostly outside the story with either extras or references I keep in private(especially if it contains information that could spoil some things). With established notes, I can dribble in relevant or interesting lore into the plot without giving the reader a wiki page on how certain races take a shit every two pages.

If you’re spending tons of time on would building and are invested in it, I would double down and first set up more important aspects of the world before getting deep into the plot. I find that a good world foundation makes it easier to write(for me at least as I’m more of a planning writer), as it gives you many pieces to play around with.

 

[Noel_Elitia]

i usually do not go into details of magic system in my chapter.
and if i need to delve into deper information, i make an information brochure at the end of each chapter.
somthing you would see many light novels adopting, especially irregular at magic high school

 

[RepresentingCaution]

All novels need conflict. Pick a conflict that everyday people face and go with that.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

Advice?

STOP TREATING YOUR AUDIENCE LIKE MORONS.

It sounds like you work out all the rules in your head, and because you did all that work you want to put that work to good use, so you explain it.

THE RULE OF DRAMATIC PHYSICS: If a rule of your universe has no direct effect on the story, and is something they could infer on their own, don't explain it.

Magic/Sci-fi is Dramatic Physics. It exists to create the story. Yes, you want to work out the whole magic system, but NOBODY CARES as long as YOU are consistent. If you feel explaining a rule adds conflict to the story, add it.

FOr example:
Using magic too much might kill you.

Explain that ahead of time so the reader will feel tension when the MC uses too much magic and thus heightens tension.

Using magic too much might change your eye color.

SHOW, DON'T TELL. The Reader can figure that out on his own, don't waste time explaining fluff.

Using Fire magic Eight times on a thursday will cause a frog to fart in Texas. (and nobdy has fire magic, and the universe doesn't have thursdays.)

Don't bring it up.


The LESS you TELL, as long as you SHOW, the better. You need to rules to follow, but the reader don't care. They will figure it out if you break your own rules, but as long as YOU follow them, only explain when it will make something LATER seem more interesting.


Even the first one might not need to be explained. It'll shock the MC when his friend casts too much magic and dies. Then the MC can ask others and they might explain, "He use too much magic. He'z ded."

The less you use, but the more the reader can extrapolate from what you wrote the better. Eye color is a short cut to explaining what magic the Character has in HKN, so when one nation changes the eye color of all it's magic users to Hazel, suddenly that's something the reader can go, "What's the reason?" and then figure it out. Hair color for my story indicates region that the person originates from and is a short cut to affiliations. The reader can figure it out themselves and then go, "OH! I IS SMRT! MUCH SMRT!" Don't get cocky, but don't treat them like idiots either. So many stories treat me like a moron.

 

[Vladarius]

In my opinion, if you like writing fantasy or other genre which ask of you to complicate and make things more complex, the easiest method of dealing with it is simply just writing the plot where its more oriented towards the slice of life while also creating some side plots with different characters which delve into your OCD of explaining stuff, that way, the main plot goes on while the side plot is written once in a week or two, so that way you wont burn out.