Unique is not the word I'd give it, but in the case of novels, it might be. It is in play format, though.
No? Why would it. If you write a proper novel following the norms of the language (in this case, English), no one will have problems with that.
For example this is how you write a dialogue in Russian (the dialogue is put between two dashes), but that's just not how you do it in English. And even in Russian you don't put a line of dialogue on a separate line, it's still blended with the other text.
Ah, I get it, but still, there's really no limit to how you write and what you write about, and as someone who enjoys reading almost anything, it's still appealing to me personally.
What I am trying to say is that it is easier to skim through the dialogue all the more understanding it. Narration is the same, though.
Glad to know. My novel is coming out soon. So I was hoping to make sure it works before I release it.
I have a few questions.
What other novels/books have you been reading? Have you been able to finish them? If you had the means to tell the story you want to tell through a different medium instead, would you?
I mainly read comics. At least not for a few months now, but I have a good idea on how novels are written. Especially since I was writing a novel last year. However, I was too busy with work and all that I was starting to forget the plot and everything I have written thus far. Forcing me to cancel the series.
But with this novel, I can freely write with confidence.
As for your other question, I would definitely write it through other means. Especially if I can write it in the way I would want to write it.
Like most people here mentioned, I think that you definitely can, it's just a question of how it reads.
I personally find that this format (which resembles a screenplay or, a bit more distantly, a script) to be far less immersive than a traditional novel. As in, when I read something written in this format or a similar one I'm constantly being reminded of the fact I'm reading, which doesn't allow me to get fully engaged and immersed in the story. It somehow creates another degree of separation or a barrier, if that makes sense.
That being said, this is your story, and you should go with the format you think would work best for it. I genuinely believe there's no point in writing something we're not happy with - so at the end of the day, the decision is yours. Regardless of what it is, wishing you the best of luck with it.
I appreciate you. I hope to gain your thoughts about it should you be interested. Criticisms are very imporant to allow a great story take place.
The only place I've seen this sort of writing for a novel really work is in visiual novels, which as basically all formatted like that if you transcribe them to paper, and they work really well like that because you have everything else setting the scene and doing the heavy lifting. You certainly can write a novel like that, but I think you should ask yourself why are you doing it and what are the pros and cons. For instance, going "Kate: this is what Kate said" really doesn't leave much room for extra descriptions compared to "Kate yelled". You've given an example of basic action, but how would you handle description and scene setting and more detailed action. But this style is also not the norm to read so might put people off, even if it's a good story, not being formatted typically might make people look at it and go nope. Even in amateur sectors like fanfiction, this kind of script style story telling is generally consider unprofessional and skipped over (outside of chat fics which swing between a mess of unfunny memes and actually amazing some of the best stories ever and nothing in between). As yourself are you doing this to be not like other novels, are you doing it to skip the step of working on your grammar and descriptive skills (which I totally would get, dialogue is my strong point and it took me a long while to not use excessive dialogue as a crutch) or is it vital to your novel that it has to be written like this? Is being written like that so important to the novel that it outweighs the drawbacks of using an usual style or is it just easier for you? Are you taking the easy way out? Also, just look up HP Cursed Child reviews to see how well people take to reading stage play styles books. It's not great.
That's not to say novels can't be written unusually, but do you think House of Leaves looks like this:
because it was a cool look? Or because it's important to the plot?
And as for being easier, things that are usual aren't always easier. For instance "it would be easier if things were just spelled how they sound" right? Iain M Banks does this, several chapters are written how they sound in Feersum Endjinn (Fearsome Engine) for plot/character purposes because it's important, but damn is it so hard to read because nothing is how it's supposed to be and that was such a headache I had to put it down several times. And while I'll pick a book back up because I spent money on it, 9/10 times I won't come back to a webnovel if I click off before finishing.
I have seen quite a few novels written like this around the internet, and a lot on Tapas and Tumblr, but it does come off as a rough draft. Like scriptwriting isn't really "easier," because generally you're writing in that script format so it can be viewed in a different way than strictly reading it straight. You're thinking about how to make it work for actors and stagehands. I write in script format just like this for my comic actually, but I also have to be aware that I write like this because I already hold in my head valuable information that doesn't need to be written down on the page. I know what my characters look like, I know the subtle changes they're doing to their faces, what the smells are, what the feelings are. I don't need to write them in the script.
But, for your audience, who will not be watching this as a performance or as a comic, you may want to be aware that you'll have to put in more stage direction than you'd typically do for a play or a comic, just so your audience doesn't have gaps.
I mean, you can absolutely write it that way. But, personally, I wouldn't find something like that necessarily easy to read. I feel it would be simple, but it wouldn't be immersive for me. When I want to read a novel, I really want to find myself completely enwrapped. I feel like this type of style is just not as exciting as a commonly written novel. Again this is for me personally.
Why ask if you can do something when you're that dead set on doing it? Just write it how you want, publish it, then see how it does. It'll let you write how you want without having to defend yourself and it'll save everyone else time instead of needlessly trying to persuade you away from it.
Since you seem pretty set on writing it this way, just be prepared to have more of a challenge getting readers.
I used to write like this. A lot of what I used to have ended up getting used in my current story, but turned into paragraph form. Back when I wrote in script form, I thought it was just as good as prose, but looking back, it's pretty bare. I can't say it would be good for gaining an audience, but if you need to jot something down to turn into prose later, it's good for that.
Here's an example of a scene I wrote in script form, and later rewrote as prose for the story I have on Tapas. Technically, it's spoilers, but hopefully it helps.
Script Version
Emil: Um….Lorenzo?
Lorenzo: Yeah?
Emil: I’ve been thinking and, I’m not really interested in women.
Lorenzo: Me neither.
Emil: [Thinking] Wha??? [speaking] I prefer men…
Lorenzo: I have no preference.
Emil: You’re… not gonna say anything about the ‘me liking men’ thing?
Lorenzo: You know, I was thinking and, I always thought I was straight because I don’t like guys, but then I realized I don’t like women either, so what does that make me?
Emil: That does not answer my question at all. Also, you’d probably be considered asexual, to answer yours.
Lorenzo: I was getting to it! Anyway, I was trying to say that now I get that you can’t choose what you like.
Emil: Phew…That was much easier than anticipated.
Lorenzo: You were that afraid to tell me?
Emil: I know you’re more of a traditional guy, so I thought maybe you wouldn’t be so thrilled…
Lorenzo: …I’m sorry if I did anything to make you feel that way. Though…it’s good that you told me now instead of earlier or I probably wouldn’t have been as understanding. What made you tell me?
Emil: You’re kind of the last person on the ship to know. I didn’t want it to slip out from someone else and surprise you.
Lorenzo: Last pers--? [sigh] Whatever…
Emil: I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of me.
Lorenzo: I’m glad.
[Nothing is said, but Emil is extremely glad that Lorenzo cares about his feelings]
Prose Version
Emil entered the captains’ quarters, prepared to tell his brother what he’d meant to tell him days ago. It couldn’t wait any longer. He had to do this now.
“Um….Lorenzo?”
Lorenzo turned his head. “Yes?”
The blond thought about addressing this information more formally, but he decided to go with something more his style, simple and quick. “I’ve been thinking aaand, I’m not-- I don’t think I’ve ever been really interested in women.”
“Me neither.”
This took Emil so off-guard, he assumed it was an auditory hallucination. He continued. “I prefer men…”
“I have no preference.”
“Wh--??” The lieutenant squinted. “So… you’re okay with the whole ‘me liking men’ thing?”
Lorenzo didn’t even look at him. “You know, for the past few days I was thinking and, I always thought I was straight because I don’t have an interest in men, but then I realized that when women expressed attraction toward me, I felt trapped and wanted nothing more than to be out of the situation. Is that weird?”
Emil rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, III don’t really feel that way. I like the attention, but I’m not really into them the same way, you get it?”
“Yes, you seem like that type.”
“What’s that supposed to mean??” Emil gave a faux-indignant huff. He then thought back on Lorenzo’s interactions with the girls he tried setting him up with. “But… Now that I think about it, you did always look kinda uncomfortable in those situations... I never woulda guessed that was the reason why, though. My bad!”
“But if I don’t like men or women, what does that make me...?”
Emil couldn’t believe he was having this conversation. He was overjoyed. “Y-You still didn’t answer my question though!” He waved. “To answer yours, I guess you’d be asexual, or was it aromantic? You should probably ask Jun about it! They know more.”
“Oh, there’s actually a word for--?” The captain abruptly cleared his throat. “I was getting to you! Anyway, I was trying to say that now I get that you can’t really choose what you like. I only thought you could because I thought everyone was like me.”
“I… had no idea.” Emil experienced a whirlwind of emotions. He couldn’t stop laughing. Tears formed in his eyes. “Phew…That was much easier than anticipated.”
“You were that afraid to tell me?”
He looked away. “I know you’re more of a traditional guy, so I thought maybe you wouldn’t be so thrilled…”
Lorenzo thought for a moment. “…I’m sorry if I did anything to make you feel that way. Though…it’s good that you told me now instead of earlier or I probably wouldn’t have been as understanding.” He looked toward Emil. “What made you tell me?”
“You’re kind of the last person on the ship to know.” Emil scratched his hair, looking away. “I didn’t want it to slip out from someone else and surprise you.”
“Last person…?” The captain looked sad in a way. “That’s understandable.”
“I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of me...”
Lorenzo looked toward his brother. “I’m glad.”
Nothing is said, but Emil screamed internally. It was a rarity to hear his brother express something like that so directly. So, even if he proved it in his own way, it was still nice to hear.
I like the barebones of how this scene plays out, but in my opinion, the prose one has a lot more impact. Part of this probably comes from me just refining my abilities as a writer. But I also think writing in prose gives you a little more freedom to describe characters thoughts and actions, and color the scene through their eyes.
It did begin to sound like they were looking for confirmation. Certainly, they can write in whatever manner they choose. However, I think the usual thing is to write with the reader in mind. Unusual presentation methods might become distracting from the story itself.
well yeah I've seen a lot of webnovels written in this style.
My novel has a LOT of dialogue but I balance it out pretty well and it still looks like a normal novel. If you're not comfortable with this or think people won't like it, then you can add more to it, easiest way to do this is to add descriptions.
If this was traditional publishing I would have strongly disagreed because traditional publishing REJECTS flawless manuscripts and it's really tough to get them to accept you, and this would never get them interested, but this is a webnovel. You don't have to obey any rules. If you have a good enough story, you'll be okay, and that's what's good about webnovels. Your story plays the main role not the style.
If you think this is your style and writing descriptions is not your thing (I myself have very little description but make it up with the cr*p ton of dialogue), I personally think you'll be a lot better off writing either visual novels or game scripts or plays and movie/animation scripts or working with an artist on an interesting idea you have. That'll be a lot better and it fits your style.
You can also work on "Choose your own adventure" stories. There are sites dedicated to people who make them and people who read them. It might be a good chance to meet someone for a visual novel collab. There's also an app named Hooky which has text-based stories. I don't know if they accept writers or not but I've read some good stuff there in their horror genre.
But be comfortable with your style, and at the same time, try to improve it. You can post your story here for a while, ask for reviews, and decide based on the feedbacks you get
Hope this was useful
1 month later
closed Feb 20, '23