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How to Write a Western
Do you want to write a story that evokes the feeling of a period of time lost forever, of a way of life dwindling faster than your protagonist can or will adjust? Does the idea of a creating a story set in the old American frontier rouse your imagination? Then come with me on a journey of learning about the Western. Let’s get to the lonely heart of the stories that combine Crime, the individual’s relationship to Society, and the Action of an old-time hero’s reluctant moral dilemma.
The 3 Golden Rules Of Writing A Western
Westerns are a strange genre of fiction. They’re generally set in one place, deal with one kind of character and utilize a specific but limited aesthetic language. At first glance, it seems like such a specific setup that this fully fledged genre should actually be just a niche interest. Cowboys on their horses always seem to belong to the generation before, yet the Western never really leaves, with constant new films, novels and video games published in the genre year after year.
How to Write a Kick-Ass Western
Using the 2007 western remake 3:10 to Yuma to examine the western genre in storytelling.
6 Tips for Western Fiction Writers
If you love books by Louis L’Amour, A.B. Guthrie (The Big Sky and The Way West) or Elmore Leonard (3:10 to Yuma), you may be a western fiction writer. In a nutshell, Western fiction deals with life and times of the American Wild West, mostly mid- to late- 1800’s. It used to be wildly popular, but is now less so, though those who follow it are eager for new, authentic publications.
@dpaterso wrote "[A Western] is a story, same as every other story, except for its setting".
I beg to differ.
OK, there are The Seven Basic Plots that are at the core of anything that hits the page, stage, or screen. So what. Putting Achilles under a Stetson, letting Chekov hang a Colt 1873 Army model revolver on the wall, putting Iron Man on "a fiery horse with the speed of light" doth not a Western make. Max Brand, Elmore Leonard, et al. also only have those seven basic plots to start from. Nonetheless, The Odyssey isn't likely to be confused for 3:10 to Yuma.
The distinction is a core philosophy, mind set that is unique to the Western. Setting definitely influences, even creates, where the mind set comes from, but it's not definitive.
For example, although set in the Australian outback, Quigley Down Under is a Western story (the film is an American cowboy takes a job on an Australian cattle [ranch]. The tension between Western Mathew Quigley and Australian/British Elliot Marston propels the story. The final scene between Quigley and Marston is nothing but Western. (further discussion of QDU requires a "spoiler alert")
Note to self: When people say this sort of thing, just take a big breath and think about something else for a while. Or go and do some gardening.Bad news - there are only The Seven Plots in the world.
No reason on earth why it couldn't be re-imagined in a Western form. It's "The Quest" plot, after all. I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the Westerns that involve quests. My point was only the original version isn't a Western solely by virtue of using the same plot basis as a myriad of Western stories.Why couldn't the Odyssey be reimagined as a Western? A soldier making his way back home faces many enemies, while his wife defends herself and their property from those who would take both for their own.
When you're done with your garden, we've got a patch what needs a mite o' attention. [/ wink & laugh]Note to self: When people say this sort of thing, just take a big breath and think about something else for a while. Or go and do some gardening.
Or go and find that old Which Is Best, Literary or Genre? thread.Because that was fun
Amen, and right on. [/ big smile]On one level, a story is a story is a story. Format (words on a page, TV/Movie) doesn't matter. Genre doesn't matter.
On another level, every genre has its own quirks, conventions, tropes and cliches.
It is honoring the genre conventions while telling a story that makes a Western a Western or a Mystery a Mystery or an SF/F an SF/F. As originally written, no, The Odessy is not a Western, but there is no reason why someone couldn't do a Western reinterpretation of it.
Is there a reason why this thread started in 2019 and sleeping since 2021 (other than one post ~3 months ago) is awakening?
I will bring my boots, my shovel, and a well-developed polemic about Literary v Genre.When you're done with your garden, we've got a patch what needs a mite o' attention. [/ wink & laugh]
I'm going to go way, way out on a limb and say Will Kane, in High Noon, doesn't really count on a horse. Yes, he and the missus do go for a carriage/buggy ride, but count it as window dressing.I reckon any story can be re-imagined and repurposed into almost any other genre. I recall once reading a hard core SF story that was -- okay, here's where I show my ignorance and bad memory -- the Shakespeare play where the guy drips poison into the other guy's ear.
But every genre, as noted above, has its expectations. Pretty hard to imagine a Western without horses!
Dude, I used to drive horse drawn carriages for a living. Them's fightin' words! I'll see you at the OK corral, mister.carriage/buggy ride, but count it as window dressing.
The distinction is a core philosophy, mind set that is unique to the Western. Setting definitely influences, even creates, where the mind set comes from, but it's not definitive.
For example, although set in the Australian outback, Quigley Down Under is a Western story (the film is an American cowboy takes a job on an Australian cattle [ranch]. The tension between Western Mathew Quigley and Australian/British Elliot Marston propels the story. The final scene between Quigley and Marston is nothing but Western. (further discussion of QDU requires a "spoiler alert")
A tip o' my Resistol for managing horse drawn carriages. "Di'n't mean nuthin' by 'window dressing'."Dude, I used to drive horse drawn carriages for a living. Them's fightin' words! I'll see you at the OK corral, mister.
ETA: and I wield a mighty fierce rolling pin, buster! Take that!
YouTube obligingly came up with exactly the QDU scenes I had in mind when I mentioned the film. If there was ever a demonstration of "Chekov's gun", this is it. The gun is hung on the wall early in the film, and definitely used in the third act. Oh my, yes it is!So what is this philosophy that distinguishes a Western story from other genres? Quigley was released in 1990, so spoil away. You can always use a spoiler tag, if you're worried.
YouTube obligingly came up with exactly the QDU scenes I had in mind when I mentioned the film. If there was ever a demonstration of "Chekov's gun", this is it. The gun is hung on the wall early in the film, and definitely used in the third act. Oh my, yes it is!
So... watch the video, and let's go on once that's done.