by: Staci Stallings
If you took high school Chemistry, you may recall how in lab you were given assignments in which you took various chemicals, mixed them a certain way, and their bonding created a different substance. Theoretically you could take 2 hydrogen atoms and mix them with 1 oxygen atom, and the result would be water.
There were other experiments where you would mix two things, and the result was a separation or rearrangement of chemicals. For example, if you throw sodium or potassium in water, you really should have some safety measures in place for the explosion that will follow.
I recently told my sixth grade life skills class that by and large, we have taken the actual “experimenting” part out of so-called in-school lab experiments. Instead, what we now have are recipes. In middle school and high school, students are not encouraged to truly experiment. Instead, they are given a series of instructions to bring about an already-defined result.
True experiments would be to start throwing elements into a beaker and see what happens.
That’s why I think what I do in writing is much closer to a true experiment than what they do in high school labs nowadays.
I take various elements and put them together–sometimes by design and sometimes quite by accident–and see what happens.
For example, elements in my current series include:
music — instrumental such as guitars, piano, keyboard, and drums as well as vocal
poetry — both lyrical and word art
art — both appreciated in the form of learning about it as well as the actual painting of it
film — several characters study film in college, which includes watching films, discerning comparisons, and writing papers
dance — though not an overly-used medium in this series, two of the characters are now learning to swing dance
psychology — learning about self and the workings of the mind, at least three characters have taken or will take a psychology class
religion — multiple characters have been directly instructed by pastors and their wives
to that you can add (or subtract) the various settings and venues such as:
high school
college
home life
various work places
and activities and hobbies such as basketball and football games, trampolining, and snowball fights
as well as everyday life events such as
birthdays
graduations
parties
Christmas
Thanksgiving
and weddings
In all honesty, it’s been super-fun to watch all the elements mix and match, separate and come back together to form a whole that alone they could have never been.
It’s a lot like the six friends that this 10-book series follows because at various times, they come together for common purposes and then break apart as challenges happen. Fights, discussions, resolutions… All the elements that make up real life. How about that?
So, dear readers, what elements do you most like to read about? Is there one that is really a magnet to get you to buy and read? Do you care about the elements at all, or is it only a matter of whether it’s a good story? And have you ever read a story where the “experiment” just didn’t work at all? Without naming names, what about it did you think didn’t work?
Conversely, have you ever read a book that the experiment just took your breath away for its perfection?
In short, what’re your thoughts and experiences with story elements and experiments when it comes to romance and fiction? What chemical reactions make your heart beat a little faster or explode like sodium in water?
Spill, dear readers! I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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I don’t think about this when I’m reading. I just want a great story, well written.
Thanks for such a thoughtful post! I am like Mary, I just enjoy reading a great story!
I tend to be drawn to books about fall, second chances or small towns.
Thanks for sharing. Your posts are always so interesting. I never really thought about the individual elements before. I think, with few exceptions, the finished whole story should trump any one element because if you are solely focused on one part maybe it’s because it’s not really working.
I like any and all! I really don’t think of the individual elements. One thing I didn’t like in high school was dissecting the books we read. I’m sure the Bronte sisters didn’t intend for us to dissecting their books! I don’t mind “deep” books, but I prefer books that get their point across without my having to dissect them!
I don’t normally think of individual elements when reading, either, especially about the setting. I don’t care where or when the story is set, as long as the characters are relatable and realistic. However, I do pay extra attention when an element in a story is something I am personally interested in, like music or art or film.
But just because a story has one of those favorite elements doesn’t necessarily mean it works. For example, I recently read a science fiction short story that was in a collection of bests, but it didn’t work for me. It tried to mix genetic engineering with life as an insect. But it didn’t have relatable characters, and the story didn’t seem to have much of an arc. Individual elements are fun to mix up and experiment with, but they still need to fit within a framework of a well-crafted narrative, a plot with a beginning, middle, and end, a satisfying ending, and good character development.
Mix and match! Yes, it can be fun. I do that conscientiously with Christmas books, especially, picking from elements that suit the story. For instance The Cowboy’s Christmas Reunion has a sleigh ride or two in it, but only because it makes sense for the story… and furthers the plot.
I like when author put special elements I can relate to in a book–it’s a great hook to keep me hanging onto the story while reading.
Mary,
It’s funny because it’s such a different experience on this side of the keyboard. I do try to just let the story be the story, but there also has to be some continuity. The problem has been so many characters with such different talents. I think I’m realizing, I can’t be talented in everything! :D
Happy reading!
Paula,
I enjoy writing a great story. Unfortunately, they also have to make sense! :)
Have a blessed day!
Lori,
I tend to like anything with realistic romance. I’m not a big fan of the formula stuff, and after that, I’m pretty much cool with anything.
Have a great day!
Jessica,
I think, for me, it’s more a matter of paranoia that someone is going to be IN that field and know the details aren’t quite right. It’s funny because as a reader, I totally agree with you. As an author who gets the flak when something isn’t right, I think that’s what has me thinking about it more than normal.
Thanks for stopping by!
That’s cool, Denise! Hanging onto readers is very important to me. :)
Thanks for stopping by!
Valerie,
That’s one thing I try to stay away from is doing the same thing in every book. That gets trickier when you have 52 books. :)
Have a blessed day!
Trudy,
HAHAHAH! One of my books “If You Believed in Love” is actually ABOUT them dissecting books in a college class. I like to if it’s not down to the picky-picky stuff (I am a former English teacher). But I do also like to just read and not have to dig. I think both skills are important. I do think the Bronte sisters would like us to just give it a rest sometimes though. :)
Have a wonderful day!
Lila,
Yes, no easy task there! HAHHAHA!
And yes, some things work and others–though creative and out of the box–just don’t. I think sometimes as an author, we have to take the chance of it not working just to see if it will.
The setting issue is funny with this series because in the first book, I purposely didn’t give the town a name where they were. Now 9 books in, I’m regretting that decision because it’s hard to be continually vague about the town’s name, but if I haven’t named it to now, I think it would be weird to all of a sudden start naming it! :)
Thanks so much for stopping by!
What a great comparison. Thank you for all your hard work. Blessings
Hi, Lelia!
You’re welcome. :)
Thanks for stopping by today!
I picked up a book a while back called “Wired for Story”. The author’s premise was that we have an innate desire to fulfill our curiosity. A story that presents its “elements” and their interactions in a way that includes that sense of discovery, I think, makes for a good read. Balance that with comments from a friend of mine who said that good music (and by extension, any art that is taken in over a period of time) is a combination of the novel and the expected. The expected keeps us grounded and the novel feeds our desire for discovery. Of course, the grounding will vary from person to person but one person’s expected may be another person’s novel! Dawn Lee McKenna’s “See You” is an example where the “chemistry” is exquisite, IMHO.
Cool! I like that, Lincoln! Just enough normal to keep things grounded, just enough novel to keep things interesting!
God bless & thanks for stopping by!
That was informative. Those mixes and matches sound interesting.
Something that didn’t work for me, in a book I can’t remember the name of, was an over-the-top unrealistic situation. It was in a historical book but was really laughable. Kind of wooden, too.
Excellent post, Staci! I generally don’t think too much about the different elements of a story. I always enjoy stories that feature close knit siblings and lots of awesome banter. I also love to read about small towns.
I love books that feature my favorite elements and my favorite type of story, but I also am always drawn to a good experiment, those books that are a little different, a little outside the Christian fiction box from what I typically read! 😊💕
Interesting! I read a number of genres and I am aware of tropes, but I have never heard or thought much about the elements of a story. That being said, I do perk up my ears if a perspective novel includes a main character/plot/setting involving scuba diving; Park Rangers/smoke jumpers/forest fires/national parks/backpackers/wilderness; search & rescue/K9 teams or something flying related like the US Marshall service/crashes & rescues because those are hobbies/interests of mine.
As others have pointed out, a novel can have elements that intrigue me & nudged me to buy the book but if the story itself doesn’t captivate me, or if the knowledge of the material is severely lacking (I usually allow errors & just grin), or the book just falls flat for me then I may not purchase more books by that author. Or – if the book was a close “Miss” I might give the same elements (or another I like) by that author another shot. :D
Interesting topic. And I learned a new writing word. Ha.