Yesterday I suffered a devastating loss.
I've been using my lap top's hard drive to save my work because my desk top is on the boat with the rest of our stuff (still not here) and the casing on my external hard drive has popped open, and I was worried it would stop working.
But when I booted up the lap top yesterday, the computer had reset itself to it's settings from almost two years ago. I knew it right away when I saw the wallpaper I was using at the time. I've run scans and rebooted it in hopes that all of my hard work would come back, but I don't think that's going to happen.
Luckily, I saved my work on my husband's computer about two weeks ago, so I'm only a little behind. And by a little, I mean I lost 20K words on both of the manuscripts I've been working on. Not to mention the notes, the brainstorming, the novels I've been critiquing. It's all gone.
I'm getting a new external hard drive for Christmas, and I'm looking into a Carbonite subscription. If not for Christmas, then definitely after. I cannot think of how much worse I would feel if I lost EVERYTHING instead of just two weeks worth of stuff.
There's also services like DropBox and the iCloud, depending on what you want to pay (or not) and how much space you need. I want more space because I have family photos to save in addition to writing.
The point is, you need to save your stuff. Right now. If you're broke, sign up for DropBox and use the free space for the most important stuff. Email yourself your manuscripts. Print everything out and put them in a safe deposit box. Make sure that if God forbid, your computer gets stolen by a pack of rabid chimps, sets itself on fire, or disappears into an alternate universe, you don't lose everything.
I've lost work before. When I was in high school and we were still using floppy disks (the hard kind, not the actual floppy ones) I lost some disks of poetry and stories. It was just gone. No idea where it is. It always feels like a sucker punch to the gut, like something deep and important is gone and there's nothing you can do but mourn.
There's a lot of so called negatives to living in the computer era we do. We're growing up with completely different experiences than our parents and parent's parents. One of the best things, though, is the ability to inexpensively store information. So take advantage of that, and make sure your work is safe.
If anyone needs me in the meantime, I'm going to be laying on the couch eating chocolate for breakfast.
Showing posts with label useful stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label useful stuff. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Return to Normalcy (Sort of)
Four days shy of my son turning six months old, and I finally feel like life is returning to something resembling what passes for normal in this house.
Of course, this is the new normal, the normal that includes having a baby doing barrel rolls across the living room floor.
I've gotten into a decent routine of picking up as I go along, and taking care of housework in short bursts. Writing comes in short bursts as well, but it's a little more of a stretch for me. I used to simply write for hours, and then go off and do other things.
Now I might have fifteen minutes there, and ten minutes here. It's harder to keep track of what I was able to write, what the scene was about, and the general thread of the book. Writing's slowed down to a crawl and it feels like this book is Taking Forever to Write. The "this sucks, let's burn it and dance on the ashes" period is lasting longer as a result, and things are generally difficult.
So, in addition to using nap times, I've decided to out source for help. My mom's going to watch the baby every Monday, and I am going to get some serious writing done. Today was the first day of this schedule, and it was glorious. I wrote for hours, got some plotting done, and had time to spare to make dinner and straighten up.
You see, it's hard to justify spending money on a babysitter when I am staying home to be with the baby. I feel like it will be easier once I have an agent and a book contract, because I'll be bringing money into the house, but for now it just feels...weird.
It's just me; my husband and family aren't making me feel this way, but it's there just the same. My mom watching the baby seems to be the best solution, since she gets to spend time with her grandson and I get to spend time working on my book.
This got me thinking about what people do to make their writing feel more legitimate. I think it's really important to not only tell yourself you're a writer, and act like a professional, but practice habits that reinforce that notion. At the moment my desk is in the living space, but when we move into a bigger house, I am going to have a separate room for an office. I've arranged to have the baby looked after so I have time to work. All of these things are scary in a way, but they feel necessary to ensure that I take myself seriously.
But like anything else, this is a job, and I should act as such. It's easier, working from home, to feel like I am just playing around. There's no clear mark between when I am done working, and at home, so I have to make that mark myself. Part of that is finding a baby sitter, or once I am done with my word count for the day, walking away from the computer.
Of course, this sense of routine is going to be short lived since we're moving in November.
0_0
But until then!
What do you do to make your writing feel legitimate?
Of course, this is the new normal, the normal that includes having a baby doing barrel rolls across the living room floor.
I've gotten into a decent routine of picking up as I go along, and taking care of housework in short bursts. Writing comes in short bursts as well, but it's a little more of a stretch for me. I used to simply write for hours, and then go off and do other things.
Now I might have fifteen minutes there, and ten minutes here. It's harder to keep track of what I was able to write, what the scene was about, and the general thread of the book. Writing's slowed down to a crawl and it feels like this book is Taking Forever to Write. The "this sucks, let's burn it and dance on the ashes" period is lasting longer as a result, and things are generally difficult.
So, in addition to using nap times, I've decided to out source for help. My mom's going to watch the baby every Monday, and I am going to get some serious writing done. Today was the first day of this schedule, and it was glorious. I wrote for hours, got some plotting done, and had time to spare to make dinner and straighten up.
You see, it's hard to justify spending money on a babysitter when I am staying home to be with the baby. I feel like it will be easier once I have an agent and a book contract, because I'll be bringing money into the house, but for now it just feels...weird.
It's just me; my husband and family aren't making me feel this way, but it's there just the same. My mom watching the baby seems to be the best solution, since she gets to spend time with her grandson and I get to spend time working on my book.
This got me thinking about what people do to make their writing feel more legitimate. I think it's really important to not only tell yourself you're a writer, and act like a professional, but practice habits that reinforce that notion. At the moment my desk is in the living space, but when we move into a bigger house, I am going to have a separate room for an office. I've arranged to have the baby looked after so I have time to work. All of these things are scary in a way, but they feel necessary to ensure that I take myself seriously.
But like anything else, this is a job, and I should act as such. It's easier, working from home, to feel like I am just playing around. There's no clear mark between when I am done working, and at home, so I have to make that mark myself. Part of that is finding a baby sitter, or once I am done with my word count for the day, walking away from the computer.
Of course, this sense of routine is going to be short lived since we're moving in November.
0_0
But until then!
What do you do to make your writing feel legitimate?
Friday, June 15, 2012
Guest Post: Charity Bradford on How to Get Blog Followers
Back in December, I asked my friends if they wanted to write guest blog posts for me while I was busy giving birth. Charity very kindly stepped up to the plate. She's a wonderful person and one of the first people who followed me on this here blog. If you're not following her yet, I highly suggest you check her out. I loaded her post into my queue.
I then went into the hospital to have my baby, and well...life hasn't slowed down since. I just checked my archives and realized this has yet to go live. It's a shame, because this is an awesome post. So now I give unto you:
How to get blog followers
How do I get more followers?
Here's my first piece of advice--
Stop stressing about the number of followers you have. Yeah, I know. Considering I just had a 500+ giveaway makes me sound like a hypocrite. Watching the numbers go up is a form of validation.
And we all need that, but I'll let you in on a little secret--I was looking for an excuse to give away some books. And hitting a milestone seemed like a good excuse.
And the slightly crazy side of me really needed the likes to match up with the follows. 500 and 100 look so much nicer together than 500 and 63. You know what I mean?
However, you'll drive yourself crazy if the numbers is the only thing you concentrate on with your blog.
There are lots of posts out there that talk about ways to pull in followers, but I'm just going to talk about the three things that have helped me get followers.
1. Know your purpose as a blogger. This will help you know your audience. For example, my blog is about my writing journey. I talk about what I'm learning about the writing craft and industry, share story bits, review books, and interview other writers. My purpose is to learn and grow in the area of writing. My audience is me, and people like me.
2. Find similar blogs that you will enjoy reading and follow them. Once you follow make thoughtful comments. Participate in the discussions on those blogs. People will notice you and visit your blog to learn more about you.
And yes, I'm getting a D- in this area right now, but I hope to do better soon. Don't give up on me yet.
3. Participate in blogging events that are relevant to your blog content. For me, this means writing blogfests. Over the summer I didn't participate and my numbers stayed the same. Now that I'm getting involved in the social aspect of blogging, my numbers have started going up again. And you know what? I've met some new people that I have a lot in common with.
Just make sure you don't get so involved that you stop writing. You know that WIP or project that you started a while back?
That's it really. There are a few cautions that will help you along this path.
1. Be patient. Followers will come--and go. It doesn't mean you aren't a great blogger. Life is just that way.
2. Be as positive as possible. Don't bash people in the industry or other bloggers. Remember that what you post is out there for all the world to see.
3. Don't kill yourself trying to do it all. For most of us, blogging is not a paying job. You can't comment on every blog. You can't read every blog. I schedule time to write my blogs (usually a weeks worth at a time) and to scan the blogs in my google reader. Although I can't comment on each blog I follow every day, I do scan them. (Think 200+ blogs a day and you'll see why scanning is the only option.) When a post really speaks to me, I make a point to click over and comment. I wish I could comment more, but I've learned it isn't possible.
Remember, as wonderful as blogging is, the one thing that will improve your writing the most is living life.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Easy Plotting for Pantsers and Plotters Alike
Yesterday my friend Liz posted this helpful template about how to use Dan Wells's 7 Point Plot System in addition to, or instead of, the Save the Cat Beat Sheet for Novels.
The behind the scenes look at that post is Liz and I (or Liz and Liz if I refer to myself in third person) are obsessed with plotting. We'll dissect a favorite movie, book, or TV show for hours on end. I do it because I like analyzing things and I suck at plot, and Liz does it because she sees the structure of a novel first. The end result is we've spent countless hours breaking down the 7 Point Plot System and Save the Cat so you don't have to.
Liz mentioned in her post using the 7 Point Plot System to hammer out a basic plot before you start writing, and I can tell you it's awesome for that. It's quick and dirty. You just fill in what you think happens in the story and press on with the business of actually writing the darned thing.
Here is a reference guide so you don't have to keep looking at the outline on Liz's post:
Hook
The beginning. The mirror image of the end.
Turn 1
Introduces conflict and bridges the gap between the Hook and the Midpoint.
Pinch 1
Something bad happens.
Midpoint
Bridges the gap between the Hook and the Resolution.
Pinch 2
Something even worse happens.
Turn 2
Bridges the gap between Midpoint and End.
Resolution
The climax. Everything in the story leads to this moment.
If like me, you want a short outline before you start writing, you can fill in some vague thoughts and start typing. Or if you're pantsing the entire book from start to finish with nary a character sheet, you can fill in events as you go. The beauty of doing that is you'll start thinking about the next major plot event ahead of time. "Okay, well, I just hit the Midpoint, so the next major event should be Pinch 2: Something Even Worse Happens".
But the fun doesn't stop there! I use the 7 Point Plot System to check the fiddly bits of my plot too, not just the entire kit and caboodle. Let's say you have a romance as a subplot. You can take just the events of your novel that relate to the romance, and use the 7 Point Plot System to check how it progresses.
The application for this is endless. I've plotted out the relationship between the main character and the antagonist, the love interest, important secondary characters--any character relationships that I needed to see the progression of. I've plugged in just the action bits, the arc that leads to the betrayal, anything I felt would be important to track all the way through my novel. It's especially awesome if you have more than one point of view character. You can track their character arcs and have a quick and simple way of keeping track of what they are doing in the book and when.
Obviously you should only plot out what you feel like you need to know. If doing three separate 7 Point Plot Systems for your character makes you want to curl into the fetal position, uncurl. Take a deep breath. This is simply a tool for you to use as you need.
I can tell you though, working out the smaller pieces has really helped me see the inner cogs of the plot. If you see that the betrayal, romance, and action parts all share the exact same three events, then you can really amp those scenes up with focused purpose. It can help you spot plot holes a mile away, and also give you a clue how to fix those same holes.
It also helps with pacing. I've noticed that if all but two of points happen within the first forty pages, I've obviously front loaded the book. Same thing happened with all but one of the event happened after the midpoint.
Another way to approach this is in revision. All the stuff I talked about tracking you can hold off until you're done writing the novel. Rather than trying to read through your manuscript a bajillion (bajillion is a word, I swear) times, you can simply keep track of the important arcs of the story using that nifty guide.
Something else Liz and I discussed was using the 7 Point Plot System for a series. Are you plotting a gigantic epic fantasy series? Of course you are. Who isn't? You can check to see if your entire series is progressing in a coherent fashion by plugging in the important events. Book one might just be the Hook, and book two could cover the first Turn and Pinch. It would be a handy little reference guide to stick in your series bible, that's for sure.
If you would like specific examples, click on the link to Liz's post at the beginning of this post. Liz plotted out the musical Wicked in both the 7 Point Plot System and Save the Cat beat sheet. She's also linked to Dan Wells's Youtube series explaining the 7 Point Plot System in great detail, as well as uploaded the place you can download the slides from his presentation.
If you have any questions or need clarification on something, don't hesitate to ask. Also, if you find another use for this, let me know! I love finding new ways to plot.
The behind the scenes look at that post is Liz and I (or Liz and Liz if I refer to myself in third person) are obsessed with plotting. We'll dissect a favorite movie, book, or TV show for hours on end. I do it because I like analyzing things and I suck at plot, and Liz does it because she sees the structure of a novel first. The end result is we've spent countless hours breaking down the 7 Point Plot System and Save the Cat so you don't have to.
Liz mentioned in her post using the 7 Point Plot System to hammer out a basic plot before you start writing, and I can tell you it's awesome for that. It's quick and dirty. You just fill in what you think happens in the story and press on with the business of actually writing the darned thing.
Here is a reference guide so you don't have to keep looking at the outline on Liz's post:
The 7 Point Plot System
Hook
The beginning. The mirror image of the end.
Turn 1
Introduces conflict and bridges the gap between the Hook and the Midpoint.
Pinch 1
Something bad happens.
Midpoint
Bridges the gap between the Hook and the Resolution.
Pinch 2
Something even worse happens.
Turn 2
Bridges the gap between Midpoint and End.
Resolution
The climax. Everything in the story leads to this moment.
If like me, you want a short outline before you start writing, you can fill in some vague thoughts and start typing. Or if you're pantsing the entire book from start to finish with nary a character sheet, you can fill in events as you go. The beauty of doing that is you'll start thinking about the next major plot event ahead of time. "Okay, well, I just hit the Midpoint, so the next major event should be Pinch 2: Something Even Worse Happens".
But the fun doesn't stop there! I use the 7 Point Plot System to check the fiddly bits of my plot too, not just the entire kit and caboodle. Let's say you have a romance as a subplot. You can take just the events of your novel that relate to the romance, and use the 7 Point Plot System to check how it progresses.
The application for this is endless. I've plotted out the relationship between the main character and the antagonist, the love interest, important secondary characters--any character relationships that I needed to see the progression of. I've plugged in just the action bits, the arc that leads to the betrayal, anything I felt would be important to track all the way through my novel. It's especially awesome if you have more than one point of view character. You can track their character arcs and have a quick and simple way of keeping track of what they are doing in the book and when.
Obviously you should only plot out what you feel like you need to know. If doing three separate 7 Point Plot Systems for your character makes you want to curl into the fetal position, uncurl. Take a deep breath. This is simply a tool for you to use as you need.
I can tell you though, working out the smaller pieces has really helped me see the inner cogs of the plot. If you see that the betrayal, romance, and action parts all share the exact same three events, then you can really amp those scenes up with focused purpose. It can help you spot plot holes a mile away, and also give you a clue how to fix those same holes.
It also helps with pacing. I've noticed that if all but two of points happen within the first forty pages, I've obviously front loaded the book. Same thing happened with all but one of the event happened after the midpoint.
Another way to approach this is in revision. All the stuff I talked about tracking you can hold off until you're done writing the novel. Rather than trying to read through your manuscript a bajillion (bajillion is a word, I swear) times, you can simply keep track of the important arcs of the story using that nifty guide.
Something else Liz and I discussed was using the 7 Point Plot System for a series. Are you plotting a gigantic epic fantasy series? Of course you are. Who isn't? You can check to see if your entire series is progressing in a coherent fashion by plugging in the important events. Book one might just be the Hook, and book two could cover the first Turn and Pinch. It would be a handy little reference guide to stick in your series bible, that's for sure.
If you would like specific examples, click on the link to Liz's post at the beginning of this post. Liz plotted out the musical Wicked in both the 7 Point Plot System and Save the Cat beat sheet. She's also linked to Dan Wells's Youtube series explaining the 7 Point Plot System in great detail, as well as uploaded the place you can download the slides from his presentation.
If you have any questions or need clarification on something, don't hesitate to ask. Also, if you find another use for this, let me know! I love finding new ways to plot.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Where Have All the Big Moments Gone?
Okay, maybe it's just me, but lately I've noticed there's not a lot of big moments in movies and books.
At least, not in the last few published novels I've read or movies I watched on Netflix. I know this is subjective, and I can still think of a bunch of movies and books that are exempt from this observation, so they are excused from class.
Perhaps I should explain what I mean by "big moment" so the rest of you at home can decipher my meaning.
Simply put, it's a turning point. It can be a major change of direction for the plot, or when some of what character is working towards pays off, or a major set back. The most obvious example is the climax of the plot, but there should be other, smaller climaxes.
And yeah, there were turning points in the offending books and movies, but they felt really small. Little Timmy made a B on his math test. Rhonda found her lucky penny. Events that progressed the plot, but they didn't feel like much. It was "meh" instead of "Wow, I can't wait to find out what happens next!"
Think about big moments. Harry Potter discovers he's a wizard. Po finds inner peace. A coach gives an inspiring speech in innumerable sports movies. John McClane walks across broken glass shoeless. Johnny gets Baby out of a corner. Frodo is entrusted with the One Ring.
There's a cathartic effect from these turning points, whether things are better or worse for the main character. Something important has changed, and life can never be the same again.
Not every moment in the movie or book needs to feel like this of course, but turning points should make you feel something. They should stir you, throw you towards the remaining turning points until the inevitable climax occurs and you feel the biggest release of all: the resolution (or conversely, you feel the most pissed off you spend X number of hours of your life on this piece of crap and can never get them back).
I'm not saying every turning point should be POW POW EXPLOSION OMG THE KILLER BEES ARE IN MY RACCOON WOUNDS!!!!!!!!!! but unless they are more dramatic than the events around them, they don't feel like anything at all.
I really believe that a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat or a book that is physically impossible to put down has among other things, a dynamic plot. There's twists and turns and high and lows and you're always emotionally engaged.
But that's just me. My attention span is currently that of a coked up squirrel, so I am harder to entertain at the moment. It might be why I've noticed it more, but it's still something to keep in mind.
What say you? How you do feel about turning points and how they relate to your own work?
At least, not in the last few published novels I've read or movies I watched on Netflix. I know this is subjective, and I can still think of a bunch of movies and books that are exempt from this observation, so they are excused from class.
Perhaps I should explain what I mean by "big moment" so the rest of you at home can decipher my meaning.
Simply put, it's a turning point. It can be a major change of direction for the plot, or when some of what character is working towards pays off, or a major set back. The most obvious example is the climax of the plot, but there should be other, smaller climaxes.
And yeah, there were turning points in the offending books and movies, but they felt really small. Little Timmy made a B on his math test. Rhonda found her lucky penny. Events that progressed the plot, but they didn't feel like much. It was "meh" instead of "Wow, I can't wait to find out what happens next!"
Think about big moments. Harry Potter discovers he's a wizard. Po finds inner peace. A coach gives an inspiring speech in innumerable sports movies. John McClane walks across broken glass shoeless. Johnny gets Baby out of a corner. Frodo is entrusted with the One Ring.
There's a cathartic effect from these turning points, whether things are better or worse for the main character. Something important has changed, and life can never be the same again.
Not every moment in the movie or book needs to feel like this of course, but turning points should make you feel something. They should stir you, throw you towards the remaining turning points until the inevitable climax occurs and you feel the biggest release of all: the resolution (or conversely, you feel the most pissed off you spend X number of hours of your life on this piece of crap and can never get them back).
I'm not saying every turning point should be POW POW EXPLOSION OMG THE KILLER BEES ARE IN MY RACCOON WOUNDS!!!!!!!!!! but unless they are more dramatic than the events around them, they don't feel like anything at all.
I really believe that a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat or a book that is physically impossible to put down has among other things, a dynamic plot. There's twists and turns and high and lows and you're always emotionally engaged.
But that's just me. My attention span is currently that of a coked up squirrel, so I am harder to entertain at the moment. It might be why I've noticed it more, but it's still something to keep in mind.
What say you? How you do feel about turning points and how they relate to your own work?
Friday, December 9, 2011
Just So You Know...Plot Points
Yesterday I was being very good and working on my book. Problem is, I am stalled, big time. I don't know what happens next, and at the moment, I don't really care. It feels stupid, boring, and like hard, hard work.
I know a big part of this is because I haven't be able to work on my book for about a week and half (you know how I am always going on about writing the first draft as quickly as possible? This is totally why.). But I looked at my outline and make a startling realization.
I had very few plot points. And of those, most weren't even proper plot points.
Here's the thing. You can totally put "learns to accept herself" on your outline. You really can. You can put whatever you want on there. But the reality is this really doesn't help you with your story in a concrete way. I put notes on my outline like that, but only to remind myself of where I want the character to be at that point. It does nothing for me as a plot event.
Also? Settings do not make good plot points either. "Goes to a club and sees the evil monkey" doesn't really help you. You have the "sees the evil monkey" which is the point of the scene, but "goes to a club" really doesn't help you. I can almost guarantee that you will get to that point in your outline, and wonder what the heck the character is going to DO once they get to the club and see the monkey.
The really sad thing is I know this already. I know better than to jot down "sees largest ball of twine" as a plot point. But a lot of times while I am outlining I jot stuff down and never go back to add details.
Then I get to where I am now, where I have an idea of where I want my character to go, and what sort of emotional journey she experiences, but very little ideas in the way of the actual plot. So here's a friendly reminder for you:
A plot event is a concrete event that moves your character from point A to point b.
Obviously this is a basic definition, but I want it vague enough that it will apply to different people's writing styles. The important thing to remember is a specific event. Like "Sally fights the zombies that have broken into the secret lab". Or "Jonathan kisses Mabel, and Denise walks in the middle of it."
Something happens. It's usually action oriented, even if it's not guns exploding and kittens being saved from a burning building.
Hopefully this little reminder will help you guys in your plotting endeavors. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an outline to rip apart.
What litmus test do you use for your outline? Any hard and fast rules or do you just keep everything vague?
I know a big part of this is because I haven't be able to work on my book for about a week and half (you know how I am always going on about writing the first draft as quickly as possible? This is totally why.). But I looked at my outline and make a startling realization.
I had very few plot points. And of those, most weren't even proper plot points.
Here's the thing. You can totally put "learns to accept herself" on your outline. You really can. You can put whatever you want on there. But the reality is this really doesn't help you with your story in a concrete way. I put notes on my outline like that, but only to remind myself of where I want the character to be at that point. It does nothing for me as a plot event.
Also? Settings do not make good plot points either. "Goes to a club and sees the evil monkey" doesn't really help you. You have the "sees the evil monkey" which is the point of the scene, but "goes to a club" really doesn't help you. I can almost guarantee that you will get to that point in your outline, and wonder what the heck the character is going to DO once they get to the club and see the monkey.
The really sad thing is I know this already. I know better than to jot down "sees largest ball of twine" as a plot point. But a lot of times while I am outlining I jot stuff down and never go back to add details.
Then I get to where I am now, where I have an idea of where I want my character to go, and what sort of emotional journey she experiences, but very little ideas in the way of the actual plot. So here's a friendly reminder for you:
A plot event is a concrete event that moves your character from point A to point b.
Obviously this is a basic definition, but I want it vague enough that it will apply to different people's writing styles. The important thing to remember is a specific event. Like "Sally fights the zombies that have broken into the secret lab". Or "Jonathan kisses Mabel, and Denise walks in the middle of it."
Something happens. It's usually action oriented, even if it's not guns exploding and kittens being saved from a burning building.
Hopefully this little reminder will help you guys in your plotting endeavors. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an outline to rip apart.
What litmus test do you use for your outline? Any hard and fast rules or do you just keep everything vague?
Friday, September 23, 2011
Brevity is the Soul of Wit
Chuck Wendig has a flash fiction challenge every Friday. He frequently picks out his favorite and gives them some sort of awesome prize, like one of his ebooks.
This week he's done something interesting: the limit is three sentences. Yes, he means for you to tell a story in three sentences. You can post your entry on his blog in the comments section, and or on your own blog.
You can read the entries in the comments section now, and it's really interesting to see what people do with just three sentences.
It's made me analyze what goes into a story. What absolutely has to be there. Books are thousands of words long. At first I think, "Madness. You can't tell a real story in three sentences." But as I read though the comments section, where you post your entries, I realized you can tell a good story in just three sentences. It's amazing to look at a story at the barest bones.
You'd think you need to load each sentence with words, description, action. But as I read through the entries, most of those stories don't work for me. It's too much detail. I can't hold it all in my head, and the story becomes muddled.
Then you have the really simple sentences. "A boy was hungry. So hungry. He ate the world." It's a story, sure. Problem presented, problem solved. But there's nothing else to it. It doesn't leap alive in your head. It doesn't have movement and weight.
Read through some of those entries, and you'll get an entire story. It flows towards a conclusion, even in just three sentences. There's a quickening, the words paint a tale of more than just what's there. There's subtext, and most importantly to me, it feels complete. It's not just a quick character sketch. It feels like it's as long as it needs to be.
For someone who is long winded, this is an interesting revelation for me. What if after writing a rough draft, I told myself I had to cut X number of words from this chapter? This scene? This paragraph? How would I tell the story differently? How could I make my point without bogging the story down with needless words?
It's something I want to try in the future. Not cutting away the important pieces of the story, but challenging myself and really making sure that every single word needs to be there, is pulling it's own weight.
What about you? What works and what doesn't for those very short stories?
This week he's done something interesting: the limit is three sentences. Yes, he means for you to tell a story in three sentences. You can post your entry on his blog in the comments section, and or on your own blog.
You can read the entries in the comments section now, and it's really interesting to see what people do with just three sentences.
It's made me analyze what goes into a story. What absolutely has to be there. Books are thousands of words long. At first I think, "Madness. You can't tell a real story in three sentences." But as I read though the comments section, where you post your entries, I realized you can tell a good story in just three sentences. It's amazing to look at a story at the barest bones.
You'd think you need to load each sentence with words, description, action. But as I read through the entries, most of those stories don't work for me. It's too much detail. I can't hold it all in my head, and the story becomes muddled.
Then you have the really simple sentences. "A boy was hungry. So hungry. He ate the world." It's a story, sure. Problem presented, problem solved. But there's nothing else to it. It doesn't leap alive in your head. It doesn't have movement and weight.
Read through some of those entries, and you'll get an entire story. It flows towards a conclusion, even in just three sentences. There's a quickening, the words paint a tale of more than just what's there. There's subtext, and most importantly to me, it feels complete. It's not just a quick character sketch. It feels like it's as long as it needs to be.
For someone who is long winded, this is an interesting revelation for me. What if after writing a rough draft, I told myself I had to cut X number of words from this chapter? This scene? This paragraph? How would I tell the story differently? How could I make my point without bogging the story down with needless words?
It's something I want to try in the future. Not cutting away the important pieces of the story, but challenging myself and really making sure that every single word needs to be there, is pulling it's own weight.
What about you? What works and what doesn't for those very short stories?
Friday, July 29, 2011
A Brilliant Post As Written By Others
Today I was going to write a post about the journey of the writer never getting easier, but why that's a good thing. I was going to talk about the ups and downs.
But it seems Beth Revis and Elizabeth Davis have already beaten me to the punch.
Liz has a visual representation of what it's like to write a book that had me cracking up.
Beth Revis has an amazing post, complete with a graph, of why you're never going to feel like it's "good enough" and why that's okay.
So away! Feast your eyes on their wisdom!
But it seems Beth Revis and Elizabeth Davis have already beaten me to the punch.
Liz has a visual representation of what it's like to write a book that had me cracking up.
Beth Revis has an amazing post, complete with a graph, of why you're never going to feel like it's "good enough" and why that's okay.
So away! Feast your eyes on their wisdom!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Great Article on Voice
Hello! Late post due to unexpected work conflict. A therapist quit today and I had to pick up some of the slack. Tomorrow will be busy as well, but never fear! We have another author interview!
But for today, let me direct you in the direction of this wonderful article Nathan Bransford wrote on How to Craft Great Voice.
I have read many articles on how to craft voice, but this one really sums everything up in a nice, neat fashion.
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/05/how-to-craft-great-voice.html
But for today, let me direct you in the direction of this wonderful article Nathan Bransford wrote on How to Craft Great Voice.
I have read many articles on how to craft voice, but this one really sums everything up in a nice, neat fashion.
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/05/how-to-craft-great-voice.html
Friday, April 30, 2010
Awesome Websites
I am feeling very drained today, if you couldn’t already tell from the lateness of this post.
But I do want to blog on a regular basis, and I don’t want to just post the scattered renants that used to be my thoughts before revision killed them all.
So. Lucky for me, some cool people did some awesome stuff with their blogs today, so allow me to direction your attention there, and ignore the revision-machete in my other hand.
This is Timothy Hallinan’s series of post of how to finish a novel. Before you phiffle that you’ve already finished a novel, I would take a look anyway. There is some useful stuff here.
Finishing Your Novel
Also, Kierstan White and some of her buddies posts their various writing processes. I found Kierstan’s especially amusing.
My Process
So there you go. You can haz links.
Back to the trenches!
But I do want to blog on a regular basis, and I don’t want to just post the scattered renants that used to be my thoughts before revision killed them all.
So. Lucky for me, some cool people did some awesome stuff with their blogs today, so allow me to direction your attention there, and ignore the revision-machete in my other hand.
This is Timothy Hallinan’s series of post of how to finish a novel. Before you phiffle that you’ve already finished a novel, I would take a look anyway. There is some useful stuff here.
Finishing Your Novel
Also, Kierstan White and some of her buddies posts their various writing processes. I found Kierstan’s especially amusing.
My Process
So there you go. You can haz links.
Back to the trenches!
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