tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982069049641262423.post4697009390919086768..comments2024-01-01T21:34:29.568-06:00Comments on C.J. Redwine: Step Away From The Paw-Print Bottoms!C.J. Redwinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18133349802945244028noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982069049641262423.post-45621457168253694522008-06-10T23:52:00.000-05:002008-06-10T23:52:00.000-05:00Mayberry - sometimes tossing out all but what you ...Mayberry - sometimes tossing out all but what you absolutely need and starting over is exactly what you need. I did that five times on DTR before I got it right, 3 times on SF.<BR/><BR/>Katy - only if the dream comes true. Lol.<BR/><BR/>Beth- Yay! Lost! Circular writing, yes, but it certainly kept me watching!<BR/><BR/>Jage - You don't need to let us know she's going to be pulled back into the supernatural world. Maybe just let us know she's got some experience with it and doesn't want to go back and then give us a piece of foreshadowing so we suspect she's got trouble coming.<BR/><BR/>Btw, this sounds like something I'd love to read!<BR/><BR/>Natalie - Long live the Pantsers! I've actually learned to be a combination of both (Katy is a much better pantser than me). I start with a vague overall idea that becomes more detailed and more complicated as I write. I can "plot" out the next 3 to 4 chapters at a time but even then, my "plotting" is just a quick list of what details need to come out, and what needs to happen to advance the overall conflict, individual conflict, or relational conflict. Then I just start writing and see how it all plays out.C.J. Redwinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18133349802945244028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982069049641262423.post-67486337119385987962008-06-10T23:40:00.000-05:002008-06-10T23:40:00.000-05:00Natalie - I'm a pantser too. *grins* One thing I'v...Natalie - <BR/><BR/>I'm a pantser too. *grins* One thing I've found that helps though is to do a rough (really really rough) outline that just hits the high points of the novel but leaves me a lot of room to play around in as I got.<BR/><BR/>And it gets changed on the fly a lot. *laughs* Which is okay.<BR/><BR/>KatyWandererInGrayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16379510416686650094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982069049641262423.post-51880038250383916392008-06-10T17:45:00.000-05:002008-06-10T17:45:00.000-05:00As a pantser, I'm finding it hard... repeat that h...As a pantser, I'm finding it hard... repeat that hard! to plot out chapter by chapter what's going to happen, but as part of a Year of the Novel course I'm doing with the Queensland Writers Centre I have to... homework? Me a teacher having homework? yeuch.<BR/>But anyway I'm still thinking that my black moment is going to be X, but as I'm writing I'm finding that its probably going to come earlier than that at about T.... shessh. So how do you go forward, are you a plotter or pantser?Natalie Hatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09377665702278806398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982069049641262423.post-4342713550335002212008-06-10T16:56:00.000-05:002008-06-10T16:56:00.000-05:00"3. Set up the conflict: You don't have to deliver..."3. Set up the conflict: You don't have to deliver the whole ball of wax in chapter one. You do, however, need to give me a sense of the stakes and a reason to keep reading."<BR/><BR/>I'm not sure if I have that set up well for my main WIP, I'm near the end [I write the whole novel and then go back and rewrite until it's perfect, makes it easier for me to avoid getting stuck and I can use the original as a detailed outline] and now that I'm going back to the beginning I thought I had set up the conflict but I'm not positive since the basis of the story is she gets thrown back in the supernatural world via a series of coincidences. <BR/><BR/>Great post as always, and really good points.Jammihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08762890797746556466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982069049641262423.post-36640223139036074012008-06-10T16:20:00.000-05:002008-06-10T16:20:00.000-05:00Great post, CJ. Ok, so what if you're in a plane ...Great post, CJ. Ok, so what if you're in a plane crash on this weird island and there's this scary monster out there (that we never really see) and your characters and plot points are riveting but none completes the story circle in a way that gives one any hope of ever figuring out what the heck is going on. Yes, I'm lost in LOST.Beth Trisselhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13742049964476824594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982069049641262423.post-68254589041666571602008-06-10T13:09:00.000-05:002008-06-10T13:09:00.000-05:00What if it's a dream about a flaming corpse?:DAwes...What if it's a dream about a flaming corpse?<BR/><BR/>:D<BR/><BR/>Awesome post. I've been guilty of a few of those things. Thankfully I think I've broken myself of the habit of needing to introduce every character in the book and their histories in the first five pages. *grins*<BR/><BR/>Mayberry - <BR/><BR/>Sometimes chucking it and starting over is the very best thing. *nods* I axed over 100 pages from one of my novels. *hangs head in shame* Because the action really didn't start until then. Thankfully I may have salvaged the book because of it.<BR/><BR/>KWandererInGrayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16379510416686650094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4982069049641262423.post-42583356777711432912008-06-10T13:00:00.000-05:002008-06-10T13:00:00.000-05:00Once again, you've delivered a very helpful post o...Once again, you've delivered a very helpful post on writing. My first chapter completely sucks. I know this. I just didn't know how to fix it. <BR/><BR/>Now I'm going to throw it out and start over with more action, less scenery, and a better feel for the hero.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com