Milestone...of sorts

[Robbie C.]

I don't know if this is a good or bad thing, but after posting Part XV of Genesis I decided to do a word count of my Vice stories and novels. The combined word count of all my Vice stuff (including a couple chapters of Genesis that have yet to be posted) is now over 1 million words. I'm starting to think I need to find another hobby...

[Tom]

vor 22 Minuten schrieb Robbie C.:

I don't know if this is a good or bad thing, but after posting Part XV of Genesis I decided to do a word count of my Vice stories and novels. The combined word count of all my Vice stuff (including a couple chapters of Genesis that have yet to be posted) is now over 1 million words. I'm starting to think I need to find another hobby...

Compliments to your stories! I think you don´t need another hobby, but a modern "Izzy" to help you monetize the current count and a modern "Manny" (only works without speaking or asking questions) to type more words under your supervision 

Edited February 20, 2023 by Tom

[Robbie C.]

Joo got it, meng. The capitalization of the immutable assets are just what 'Emingway saw when he vizualizationed the mighty bulls of Pomploma. An' we all know the ladies LOVE 'Emingway. Even Iacocca, he says he loves 'Emingway.

The only trouble with Manny is he never quite managed to work. He moved around enough to create an illusion, but that's it. Now if you needed someone to dust your keyboard, Manny was the the guy.

[Dadrian]

“Leemitless potency!”  

[Robbie C.]

That, my fren, comes from the mighty perspirationals of the testiculations of those bulls. 

And no, don't ask Izzy how it's gathered. Some scientificalizations should remain mysterious....

[Dadrian]

“It’s the path of least resistance”    

[Vicefan7777]

You've just been assigned a thousand word essay on how to write a Miami Vice story. 

[Robbie C.]

58 minutes ago, Vicefan7777 said:

You've just been assigned a thousand word essay on how to write a Miami Vice story. 

That would take about half an hour...give or take...

[Dadrian]

Hey Mr. @pahonu gives the homework here!  

[pahonu]

6 hours ago, Dadrian said:

Hey Mr. @pahonu gives the homework here!  

I didn’t do it!  

[Robbie C.]

On 2/20/2023 at 2:42 PM, Vicefan7777 said:

You've just been assigned a thousand word essay on how to write a Miami Vice story. 

Here you go. Took me about half an hour.

 

Writing a Miami Vice short story is both simple and difficult at the same time. Before getting into it, you need to make a handful of key decisions before coming up with a plot.

1) Pick your Vice Era: Miami Vice can be divided into a handful of pretty distinct eras, based on both characters and episode style. This is an important decision, because plots that work really well in early Vice won’t seem quite as natural during season 4 or 5.

I divide Miami Vice into distinct eras: Pre-Series (meaning you can work in Scotty Wheeler, Eddie Rivera, Lou Rodriguez, and Sonny and Rico in earlier stages of their careers); Season 1 (Wheeler’s out as a character, but Lou’s still viable for a time and your plot choices tend to focus more on drugs and vice…there’s also lots of room for stories focusing on Sonny and Rico adjusting to each other as well as the whole team getting used to Castillo); Season 2, which is similar to Season 1 except you start seeing more location diversity and the team starts getting into some “topical” cases; Season 3, which is a major transition for Vice…you lose Zito as a character and on the whole the show itself started to change (which creates quite a few opportunities for things they missed or ignored); and then Seasons 4 and 5. I combine those two because they have more similarities than differences if we’re honest about it. The plots become darker, Sonny’s disillusionment with law enforcement becomes more and more obvious, and they’re bridged by the Burnett Arc.

2) Pick your Characters: Obviously you can’t have Larry Zito in a story set during Season 4, for example, which is why you pick era first. You also need to decide if you want to write from the point of view of one of the series regulars, a recurring character like Izzy, or someone you come up with yourself who happens to interact with the Vice team in some way. Although you can jump from character to character, I recommend sticking with one character for at least your first couple stories. That way you get used to the character’s voice and style.

If you add in characters, think about how they fit into Vice and some of the conventions used on the show. For example, FBI guys always wear bad suits, drive tan Fords, and exist only to give Crockett and Tubbs fits. CIA guys wear oddball clothes and always seem just slightly out of place.

3) Plot: When coming up with a plot for a story, your decision will be informed by the era and character decisions you’ve already made. A story showing Sonny as a burned-out cop won’t work in Season 1, for example, but is right at home in season 5. Some plots transcend eras…things like drug dealers, pimps, and assorted stings. But other plots, especially those with a political cast, fit much better into certain eras.

Vice stories can be heavy on action, but they also feature a certain amount of introspection. This is especially true for the later eras, when we see Sonny starting to question what he’s done and some of the choices he’s made. Castillo is also a natural for a more introspective or possibly political narrative. Stan and Larry have a wide range of options…even though the series often used them for comic relief we see snatches of their dramatic capabilities in some episodes and similar themes make for great stories. Stan in particular was ill-used by the series, and there are a number of great plots open for him in a Season 4 or 5 story. Gina and Trudy have the same options.

While it’s tempting to focus on Sonny or Rico, there’s a lot to be gained from using one of the other characters as a focus for your story. It gives you room to breathe and explore things, since those characters were often left fuzzy in the show.

No matter the character or era, it’s likely a Vice story will have an edge to it somewhere. Maybe a twist as well. Think of the episodes you enjoy and go from there.

Vice stories tend to be linear…beginning, middle and end. They don’t jump around much in terms of time because the series didn’t. But that doesn’t mean they follow a straight line to the end. And the end can be something surprising or distinct on its own (and there are examples from every era to back this up). Vice loves twists, and you should, too. Sure, the plot might be predictable, but what if it’s not really a drug dealer trying to kill Rico but rather one of Valerie’s old lovers with a score to settle? And what if that lover in turn was pointed at Rico by the aunt of Calderone? You get the idea. Vice loves wheels within familiar wheels.

4) Voice or Style: Miami Vice was a very visual show. That kind of thing doesn’t always translate well to the written word, but when you’re writing a scene you should always try to see it in your mind. What’s the weather like? What does it feel like? What colors surround the characters?

When writing Vice, you want your words to flow…to paint a picture as you’re reading them. Try to use as many of the characters’ familiar quirks as you can…from Sonny’s trademark “let’s blow this pop stand” and Rico calling people “chump” to Castillo pinching the bridge of his nose like he’s fighting off a migraine. Work in the familiar, then give it your own sensibility.

Then there’s the question of detail. It’s very easy to get incredibly technical when writing Vice, right down to the control layout on Sonny’s boat or the way Rico reloads his Smith & Wesson. Use detail when it’s appropriate or when it furthers the story in some way, but don’t get bogged down in it. Vice used detail to create the illusion of realism, not to be realistic. You should try to write the same way. Granted, I don’t always follow that advice…

Last but not least, you should have fun writing a Vice story. It’s your chance to climb in the Ferrari and drive off into the humid Miami night with “In the Air Tonight” or “Brothers in Arms” playing on the radio. And that’s something worth doing…

 

And there you have it…my quick guide to writing a Vice story in just over a thousand words. Enjoy!

[Glades]

6 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

Here you go. Took me about half an hour.

 

Writing a Miami Vice short story is both simple and difficult at the same time. Before getting into it, you need to make a handful of key decisions before coming up with a plot.

1) Pick your Vice Era: Miami Vice can be divided into a handful of pretty distinct eras, based on both characters and episode style. This is an important decision, because plots that work really well in early Vice won’t seem quite as natural during season 4 or 5.

I divide Miami Vice into distinct eras: Pre-Series (meaning you can work in Scotty Wheeler, Eddie Rivera, Lou Rodriguez, and Sonny and Rico in earlier stages of their careers); Season 1 (Wheeler’s out as a character, but Lou’s still viable for a time and your plot choices tend to focus more on drugs and vice…there’s also lots of room for stories focusing on Sonny and Rico adjusting to each other as well as the whole team getting used to Castillo); Season 2, which is similar to Season 1 except you start seeing more location diversity and the team starts getting into some “topical” cases; Season 3, which is a major transition for Vice…you lose Zito as a character and on the whole the show itself started to change (which creates quite a few opportunities for things they missed or ignored); and then Seasons 4 and 5. I combine those two because they have more similarities than differences if we’re honest about it. The plots become darker, Sonny’s disillusionment with law enforcement becomes more and more obvious, and they’re bridged by the Burnett Arc.

2) Pick your Characters: Obviously you can’t have Larry Zito in a story set during Season 4, for example, which is why you pick era first. You also need to decide if you want to write from the point of view of one of the series regulars, a recurring character like Izzy, or someone you come up with yourself who happens to interact with the Vice team in some way. Although you can jump from character to character, I recommend sticking with one character for at least your first couple stories. That way you get used to the character’s voice and style.

If you add in characters, think about how they fit into Vice and some of the conventions used on the show. For example, FBI guys always wear bad suits, drive tan Fords, and exist only to give Crockett and Tubbs fits. CIA guys wear oddball clothes and always seem just slightly out of place.

3) Plot: When coming up with a plot for a story, your decision will be informed by the era and character decisions you’ve already made. A story showing Sonny as a burned-out cop won’t work in Season 1, for example, but is right at home in season 5. Some plots transcend eras…things like drug dealers, pimps, and assorted stings. But other plots, especially those with a political cast, fit much better into certain eras.

Vice stories can be heavy on action, but they also feature a certain amount of introspection. This is especially true for the later eras, when we see Sonny starting to question what he’s done and some of the choices he’s made. Castillo is also a natural for a more introspective or possibly political narrative. Stan and Larry have a wide range of options…even though the series often used them for comic relief we see snatches of their dramatic capabilities in some episodes and similar themes make for great stories. Stan in particular was ill-used by the series, and there are a number of great plots open for him in a Season 4 or 5 story. Gina and Trudy have the same options.

While it’s tempting to focus on Sonny or Rico, there’s a lot to be gained from using one of the other characters as a focus for your story. It gives you room to breathe and explore things, since those characters were often left fuzzy in the show.

No matter the character or era, it’s likely a Vice story will have an edge to it somewhere. Maybe a twist as well. Think of the episodes you enjoy and go from there.

Vice stories tend to be linear…beginning, middle and end. They don’t jump around much in terms of time because the series didn’t. But that doesn’t mean they follow a straight line to the end. And the end can be something surprising or distinct on its own (and there are examples from every era to back this up). Vice loves twists, and you should, too. Sure, the plot might be predictable, but what if it’s not really a drug dealer trying to kill Rico but rather one of Valerie’s old lovers with a score to settle? And what if that lover in turn was pointed at Rico by the aunt of Calderone? You get the idea. Vice loves wheels within familiar wheels.

4) Voice or Style: Miami Vice was a very visual show. That kind of thing doesn’t always translate well to the written word, but when you’re writing a scene you should always try to see it in your mind. What’s the weather like? What does it feel like? What colors surround the characters?

When writing Vice, you want your words to flow…to paint a picture as you’re reading them. Try to use as many of the characters’ familiar quirks as you can…from Sonny’s trademark “let’s blow this pop stand” and Rico calling people “chump” to Castillo pinching the bridge of his nose like he’s fighting off a migraine. Work in the familiar, then give it your own sensibility.

Then there’s the question of detail. It’s very easy to get incredibly technical when writing Vice, right down to the control layout on Sonny’s boat or the way Rico reloads his Smith & Wesson. Use detail when it’s appropriate or when it furthers the story in some way, but don’t get bogged down in it. Vice used detail to create the illusion of realism, not to be realistic. You should try to write the same way. Granted, I don’t always follow that advice…

Last but not least, you should have fun writing a Vice story. It’s your chance to climb in the Ferrari and drive off into the humid Miami night with “In the Air Tonight” or “Brothers in Arms” playing on the radio. And that’s something worth doing…

 

And there you have it…my quick guide to writing a Vice story in just over a thousand words. Enjoy!

Thanks Robbie for the exciting insight into how you write an MV story!

[Robbie C.]

4 hours ago, Glades said:

Thanks Robbie for the exciting insight into how you write an MV story!

Thanks, but it's more of a guide for people who might be thinking about writing one themselves. I'm very character-driven, so I usually decide which character I want to focus on first. A plot idea usually springs from that, and then I figure out where it belongs in the Vice timeline. But for some it's likely easier to settle on the era first and then go from there.

[Vicefan7777]

17 hours ago, Robbie C. said:

When writing Vice, you want your words to flow…to paint a picture as you’re reading them. 

That is a great point.  Whenever I read your stories or any book if the words cannot create the scene in my mind then the author has failed to keep my interest in continued reading. Keep up the creative writing. 

[Robbie C.]

On 2/22/2023 at 2:54 PM, Vicefan7777 said:

That is a great point.  Whenever I read your stories or any book if the words cannot create the scene in my mind then the author has failed to keep my interest in continued reading. Keep up the creative writing. 

For me it's kind of a big deal. How successful I am at it is always up for debate, but it's the goal. I happen to like creating characters quite a bit, too, and also get really into how they're connected to each other (which might explain why I bring Vice villains back so often for a final resolution if that makes sense).

I think if I was to use my own list to describe my writing process, it would be 4-2-3-1. Or maybe 4 and 2 merge in some ways. I have to have a voice and character first, then a plot idea. Then I look at era and see where it might fit. But if you're just starting out, I think it's a really good idea to know what season vibe you're aiming for. That helps frame so many things. @mjcmmv might have some opinions on this, especially since we did write a story together.