Seven
Posted: November 7, 2010 Filed under: NANOWRIMO, Writers Write | Tags: Jennifer Crusie, NANOWRIMO, writers, writing Leave a comment »
Last night I figured out how to work two methods into one good planning device. The comic throughlines (Vorhaus) that I posted last week appear in the chart above. Vertically, each character answers his or her own question from the top of the page. I reworked the answers until I liked the way the conflict locked in the story. Then, I superimposed the Four Act Structure graphic (Jennifer Crusie) on top. This allowed me to break the book into acts based on the throughlines. Immediately, I saw holes for new scenes.
Sunday: Crisp@Random
Posted: March 8, 2009 Filed under: Aha!, Writers Write | Tags: Jennifer Crusie, Susan Wiggs, Suzanne Vega, writers, writing Leave a comment »- Here’s the thing about doing anything for the first time. I find all kinds of things that don’t work. I stumble around in the land of Chaos looking for what is Repeatable.
- I’m rewriting. Rewrite is different than Revise. To revise means to change a word here or there. Maybe, I’ll move a comma or cut a scene. Rewriting means sitting with a marked-up tattered manuscript and retyping it into a completely new file. Every word, every space is examined. I know I have the whole story next to me, but I’m a perfectionist. I have to try every idea and pick the best one. I’m on page 66. I can do three to five pages a day before I’m a maniac.
- When will the manuscript be finished? When it is, I’ll know.
- How do I know if it’s funny? If I can make Bacon laugh, it works. Getting ANY reaction from him is good.
Link Soup
- Author, Susan Wiggs is running an interview series on writing that’s been very helpful. Check out The View From Here . The interviewer is Deb Bouziden, and the posts begin on March 1, 2009 with Rolling Up My Sleeves.
- Author, Jennifer Crusie posted another wonderful collage for a current work. Take a look here. I’m amazed by the visuals she creates.
- Suzanne Vega inspired me with her NYT post about song writing and the value of arts education. Read it here.
Link Soup w/Crisp Lettuce
Posted: February 14, 2009 Filed under: Aha!, cottage garden, Writers Write | Tags: Anne Stewart, cottage garden, Jennifer Crusie, Lani Diane Rich, writers, writing 2 Comments »I’m working–trying to finish the third draft of this story before the pop culture references are completely outdated, so I apologize for the lack of posts in the last week.
Here are a few things I’ve read lately that keep me thinking.
The economy has hit the magazine industry hard. In the last month my two favorites have folded. Domino and Cottage Living are no longer published. They had plenty of subscribers, but advertising dollars drive that industry. The NYT explains it all here. I’m hoarding my last few issues. Most of what I know about garden design came from Cottage Living. I’m sad.
Here is a wonderful blog on “budget philanthropy, making a difference on a dime.” Spread Change will make you feel good just reading it. Enjoy.
The Book Deal is a recent discovery of mine. It’s for writers and book people, and full of good advice. It’s now one of my regular reads.
The character I’m currently writing has a huge passive aggressive streak. Bacon claims I’m all aggressive, and he’s probably right. I’ve been called blunt. I may resemble that remark. But . . . I live with two classic P.A.’s, and I laughed out loud when I first saw passiveaggressivenotes.com
And finally, If you haven’t read Dogs and Goddesses by Jennifer Crusie, Anne Stewart, and Lani Diane Rich, you should. It’s funny, sexy, and not of this world. Here’s the link to the blog by the authors.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
