IngramElliott Publishing
  • Welcome
  • Titles
    • A Call to China
    • Benny Moon: Racing the Medicine Wheel
    • Benny Moon Eats Dirt
    • Between the Ocean and the Stars
    • Clown William
    • Clown William and the Lincoln County War
    • Clown William and the Wind of Vengeance
    • The Cornbread Letters
    • Crooked Lines
    • Highlights of Palmistry
    • Hungry
    • Indian Country
    • Island Whispers
    • Medicine Hat Moments
    • Ms. Mulligan and the Enchanted Ice Cream
    • Mystery Muffin & Soda Pop Slooth: The Legend of Mr. Creepy
    • Mystery Muffin & Soda Pop Slooth: The Ghost of Crippler's Creek
    • Path of the Half Moon
    • Courses of the Cursed
    • Merging Paths
    • Surrender
    • TimeLock
    • TimeLock 2: The Kyoto Conspiracy
    • Whispers on the Wind
    • WWCC Heroes
  • Submissions
    • Guidelines
  • News & Updates
  • Contact
  • Bookstore

Blue moon musings...writing about dreams, spirits, and magic.

4/28/2016

0 Comments

 
In his classic tome, Making Shapely Fiction, author Jerome Stern describes one (of many) fiction archetypes called Blue Moon stories. Blue Moon stories, according to Stern, "appeal to our deepest selves. We enter the world of magic, myth, and dream...our sleeping world, our childhood tales, our religious beliefs are full of happenings whose reality is not of this earth." These types of stories can make great suspense, spooky, or fantasy novels.

​These types of stories aren't just for grown-ups either. Classic blue moon stories from childhood often leave a lasting impression on our world view, inform our dreams, and inspire us in later life.  While it's tempting to go crazy with your imagination in these types of stories, they can end up with cliché ideas that readers will reject, and it can be hard to be fresh and new.

​If readers like the world you're creating, though, chances are the readers will follow you into it. Their 'willing suspension of disbelief" will get them through the door, but you have to keep them there. How? By having the storyteller go along for the ride with the reader and admit their limitations (I'm simply reporting what was told to me long ago by my grandfather, who heard it from his grandfather, and so on). 

Building the odd or mysterious events into the narrative early and having the narrator also experience moments of disbelief about the strange happenings is an effective tool. It helps the reader relate to the narrator and they'll be more open to magical and spiritual concepts.

​You can and should use magical and mystical elements in your story, but keep the rules consistent. If you are creating a galaxy where all beings are wisps of smoke, don't have them lounging in a chair. If you are working through time travel scenarios, make sure you lay out the rules early, and don't cheat the reader by breaking them at the last minute.

If you are mixing in normal people, places, or things into a story with magical elements, make sure the reality details add up. If your character that sees dead people has to pick up dry cleaning, follow the rules of our world and make sure they have their ticket. Be particular about plausibility. If magical or spiritual elements are going to resonate with readers, the world around them needs to be believable. You don't want your readers to get sidetracked figuring out why "that would never happen" when it's something simple and real and we all already know the rules.

​Save the special unbelievable elements for the fantasy aspects of the story...the magic, the spirits, the inner voice that calls all of us to believe in blue moons.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

      Join our mailing list

    Subscribe

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    November 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016

    Categories

    All
    Advertising
    Amazon
    Author Platform
    Authors
    Awards
    Barnes & Noble
    Blog Tours
    Blog Writing
    CIBA
    Contests
    Editing
    Events
    Gift Guide
    Goodreads
    Holidays
    IBPA
    Independent Publishers
    IndieBound
    IngramElliott
    IPPY
    Marketing Books
    New Releases
    NIEA
    Publishing
    Reading For Kids
    Reviews
    Social Media
    Uncommon Publishing
    Virtual Assistant
    Writing Tips

    RSS Feed

©2015-2023 IngramElliott, Inc.
  • Welcome
  • Titles
    • A Call to China
    • Benny Moon: Racing the Medicine Wheel
    • Benny Moon Eats Dirt
    • Between the Ocean and the Stars
    • Clown William
    • Clown William and the Lincoln County War
    • Clown William and the Wind of Vengeance
    • The Cornbread Letters
    • Crooked Lines
    • Highlights of Palmistry
    • Hungry
    • Indian Country
    • Island Whispers
    • Medicine Hat Moments
    • Ms. Mulligan and the Enchanted Ice Cream
    • Mystery Muffin & Soda Pop Slooth: The Legend of Mr. Creepy
    • Mystery Muffin & Soda Pop Slooth: The Ghost of Crippler's Creek
    • Path of the Half Moon
    • Courses of the Cursed
    • Merging Paths
    • Surrender
    • TimeLock
    • TimeLock 2: The Kyoto Conspiracy
    • Whispers on the Wind
    • WWCC Heroes
  • Submissions
    • Guidelines
  • News & Updates
  • Contact
  • Bookstore