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Fixating on a Story

Fixating on a Story

What Does "Fixating" Mean?

Remember when you were young and your mother or father read a favorite story to you over and over? Or do you recall that one book or movie that you wanted to read or watch again and again?

Most people have a few “all-time favorites.” For me, when I was a toddler, it was Jack and the Beanstalk. Then in school I became a fan of Aesop’s Fables. Later, it was Swiss Family RobinsonLord of the Rings, and Dune. As a teen I discovered films like “Star Wars,” “Bladerunner,” and “The Road Warrior.”

Have you ever considered what happens when you read or watch them over and over?

I can tell you what happens: to some degree, it helps train your tastes for story. I call it “fixating.”

Stories Can Become A Part of You

As you hear a favorite tale over and over again, so that you relive it, the story becomes more real, a bigger part of your psyche. I’ve had readers who have re-read some of my stories dozens of times over. As one college student put it, “Back in 1991 I re-read your novel On My Way to Paradise three times, and it became one of the most important experiences of my life. It changed me. I don’t remember much at all about my classes that semester, but I remember every page of that book.”

As a teen, I re-read Lord of the Rings half a dozen times, so I know what that student means. Stories can become a part of you. In fact, they become so much a part of you, that when you begin writing your own tales, the ones that affected you as a child begin to echo in what you write.

For example, one author friend of mine, Larry Niven, wrote a popular science fiction series called Ringworld. A scholar wrote a paper on it, in which he spoke about how the author had drawn upon influences from The Wizard of Oz. Larry was astonished by this. He said, “I hadn’t drawn on that at all on the conscious level, but I had loved The Wizard of Oz as a child and must have read it a hundred times.”

So it came out in the choices that he made as he penned his own epic. That’s what I want to point out here. The stories that you love help define your tastes—and they inform the stories that you will write.

The Language of the Heart

If you’ve read my book Drawing on the Power of Resonance in Writing, you know that as authors, we need to be aware of the books and movies and video games that our own readers are fixating upon.

Yet as I grow older, I find that the tales that children today are enjoying are . . . not as engrossing to me as the tales that I once loved.

So it becomes important to study what’s new. Did you see Disney’s “Frozen,” or have you re-watched James Cameron’s “Avatar” lately? Most likely, your younger fans have. What cartoons have you watched, and what video games have you played? Me, I’m afraid that I don’t do much of that anymore.

I think that often as writers age, their stories seem to age with them, become less accessible to young readers until they feel irrelevant to them. So it’s important to keep reading, to keep watching, to keep playing and studying, so that you keep learning to speak in the same language of the heart as your fans.

In other words, find the great stories of today and then work to “fix” them into your mind. Let them educate your tastes, at least a little.

Originally written in 2015

Guest Speakers on Apex

On Apex, we’re getting into the new year with our weekly Accelerator Program with Forrest Wolverton. This program is every Wednesday at 7 pm Mountain Time (this is happening tonight!), and it’s all about empowering writers to overcome the obstacles in their own lives that prevent them from becoming the best writer they can possibly be. This program is highly recommended and is included in the Apex membership. Don’t miss out!

Last, but certainly not least, this Saturday, we have the honor of hosting Elise Kova, USA Today Bestselling Author of several series: The Loom Saga, Air Awakens, A Trial of Sorcerers, Married to Magic, among others. We look forward to chatting with her this weekend, and those who haven’t joined us on Apex yet–whether you’re new or still deciding–should definitely check it out. We are a community of serious writers who love to learn from various experts in various industries. There are monthly and yearly payment options. We’d love to have you!

Social Media

Runelords Facebook Group

One of David Farland’s lasting legacies was his much-beloved Runelords epic fantasy series and he always wanted to create his own official Facebook group to be closer to his fans. This is a public group for anyone to join. Even if you haven’t read the books, you’re welcome to join and be amongst David’s fans.

If you haven’t already, sign up for the official Fans of David Farland and get a FREE short story called “Barbarians” set in the Runelords universe.

Long before the Runelords ruled Mystarria, a young Inkarran boy named Dval rose to power, waging war against his own people, a mad foreign king, and the terrifying new creatures called the “Toth” that threaten to destroy all of mankind.

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