TIME TO SELL SOME CLINIQUE —
*receives note*
Clinic? Not Clinique? Oh. Oh. Like, a, a… writer’s clinic. A story clinic, whatever.
Cool. I’m more of an Avon guy, anyway.
Here’s the drill, word-nerds and story-architects.
You’re writing something? Novel? Short story? Script? Etc? Let’s hear a status update. How’s it going? What problems are you having? Maybe we can all crowdsource some solutions or, at the very least, it’ll give me fodder for a future blog post. (Hey, nobody said I wasn’t at least a tiny bit lazy.) So, talk to me. What are you writing, how’s it going, and what problems are you having? Drop your answers in the comment section below. KAY THANKS BYE.
*takes off in a jetpack to battle psionic moon-bears*
Hawk Z (@HawkZeez) says:
I’m working on the central arc in a web series (the series is half serial, half anthology) about someone who wakes up in field, disoriented and surrounded by strange light, and has a problem… No one will believe her when she says she WASN’T abducted by aliens.
…And then she uncovers nefarious evuhl schemes, you know, like you do. The biggest problem I’m having is paying off that central “alien abduction” premise. The arc is 6 eps, 7/min each and a lot of *plot* is happening there. Which is fine, but most of that plot has to do with the *actual* evuhl scheme and not the alien abduction (she *wasn’t* abducted by the aliens, but it is the starting conceit and I want to deliver on it).
I feel like the answer lies in some kind of B plot, but it’s 6 bitty episodes that have a pretty driving place & I’m really not the *best* at B stories to begin with… So I’m feeling a little lost.
I’ve actually had a similar struggle with one of my world elements. The series is set in the future-seventies, with a lot of science fiction shenanigans. I feel like my tone/stories tend to drift toward more “straight” sci-fi so that the seventies thing plays as set dressing, when I want it to play a little more for comic and story effect.
February 26, 2014 — 5:08 PM
asthemoonclimbs says:
What’s up with your secondary characters? What are their goals and motivations? B-plots are often made for character interaction/development or exploration of the supporting cast’s stories. If you’ve got 7 minute to work with, you can maybe work in a 2-minute B-plot scene per episode. Two pages out of five doesn’t seem too outrageous, but it really does depend on how you’re handling the rest of the plot. Maybe you need to pare down to fit the medium?
February 27, 2014 — 12:32 PM
Rodney & Ian (@StrawberryCreek) says:
Your post on first chapters really helped me get through and evaluate the edits for chapter one of my memoir. But now I’m stuck on where chapter 2 should pick up. Exactly where the reader is most curious and it feels natural to go (which in this case might be a flashback to my childhood)? Or where the reader least expects to go. Do I jump right into the central story of the book (the first chapter only hints at it) or is it okay to tease for one more chapter with a flashback that starts to explain where it all started? It’s all pretty much written already, so this is just a matter of structuring and editing so the narrative flows smoothly and keeps the reader’s interest.
How about a post on that? Or advice here if it can be covered in a comment (I’m sure it can’t).
By the way, I saw mention of you doing a workshop. We’ve started a 4-day retreat series and so far the writing retreats have been the easiest to fill. Thinking of making the entire series consist only of writing retreats of various types. We’re in Southern California and would love to have you if you’re interested. http://www.StrawberryCreekInn.com.
February 26, 2014 — 5:35 PM
Jessica says:
I kinda-sorta fucked myself, sir. Not in the fun way, either.
I plowed through 50k+ words in November during NaNoWriMo and then put it aside to let it percolate. It percolated so much that when I picked it back up and dusted it off mid-January everything seemed wrong. I couldn’t pick up where I was, I went back to re-read and found myself muttering curses on my writing in languages I didn’t even know existed, let alone that I could speak.
So now I’m sitting here at the end of February, the first of the first rough-hewn drafts not even 2/3 of the way complete, staring at a pile of words that was beautiful in November but is now looking more and more like a disaster every time I try to fix it. I don’t want to start over from scratch, because I have faith that there’s a good story in this pile somewhere, but I feel like I’m stuck at a crossroads at night in the fog. And there’s a box over my head. And werewolves.
February 26, 2014 — 6:20 PM
terribleminds says:
Starting from scratch can be very illuminating, for the record. I did that with BLACKBIRDS — I finally learned to outline and I took all the gems and discarded all the crap, arranged it in a row, then wrote it out. And, somehow, it worked.
February 26, 2014 — 6:21 PM
Louise says:
I had this trouble. I had some time off the novel I was working on at the beginning of last year (several months off) and when I came back to work on it, it just wasn’t working. In the end, I went right back to scratch. I wrote an outline (up until then I wasn’t an outliner), cut 40,000 words from a 70,000 word manuscript and once I’d re-written from the first few chapters onwards, I went back and rewrote them as well. Hardly anything remains of the original.
At the time, when I set aside that 40,000 I told myself I’d reuse it, bring it in somehow. But I never did. It was just a clever lie my brain spun to itself.
So, maybe start work on an outline. Look at the basic story structure from the beginning and work out where it needs to go. Look at the promises you made at the beginning and re-evaluate them. Look at the characters and what journey they need to be on. I imagine you’ve got to know those people really when writing what you already have, so use that
Good luck 🙂
February 26, 2014 — 7:07 PM
Adrienne says:
My biggest issue is my environment. Three kids, homeschooling the oldest while the younger two run rabid through the house, cleaning, cooking, blah blah blah. The little time I do have is usually spent taking deep breaths and assuring myself that everything will be ok. I’m hoping to finish a short story soon, still working on the third part of … I really don’t know what, but it’s fun, and I’m trying to get other things organized and off the ground. Life is busy, but not much to do but accept it and carry on.
February 26, 2014 — 6:37 PM
baronessvonsmith says:
(supposedly) Anne Rice locked herself in the bathroom for a couple hours each day to get away from just this situation. She’d put the toilet seat down, run the bathwater for white noise and write away…. Doesn’t seem like a terrible idea
February 26, 2014 — 8:08 PM
Wendy Christopher says:
Feeling your pain as a fellow mum and Domestic Manager, Adrienne. 🙂
I found the only thing that worked for me was to first a) determine EXACTLY how much time I had per day/week that I was prepared to devote to writing (even if it meant giving up other leisure activities like favourite tv programs, social stuff, etc.) And then b) plot that either onto a calendar, in an Excel spreadsheet – anything I could actually, physically look at to remind me (and anyone who tried to cut in on that time) of my commitment. Even if it’s only an hour or two a couple of times a week, be firm about it; that’s YOUR time, it’s PRE-BOOKED and it’s NON-NEGOTIABLE (except, of course in the most exceptional of circumstances.) Stick at it, and it will eventually become a routine. It doesn’t matter if, at first, you only seem to spend the whole of your allotted time staring at a blank screen or page because inspiration doesn’t hit; that’s not time wasted, because your brain is still absorbing the ‘time to write’ message and will eventually rewire itself to adapt to your new writing timeclock.
Hope that helps – and good luck 🙂
February 27, 2014 — 2:38 AM
Adrienne says:
I can definitely see how this could work, so I may give it a try. The bathroom idea could work, but not in this house!
February 27, 2014 — 12:35 PM
M T McGuire says:
YES! I have this. I have one kid who is five but my folks are old and a long way away so I often feel torn between the two. Sometimes I don’t have time to write and sometimes, if I’m worrying about the old dears, I encounter problems with my writing – like coming up with a two book horror fest as the sequel to two books of light comic whimsy, for example, because my ambient worry levels and a touch of personal melancholy, have got into my writing.
By the way any writer parents out there are welcome to rant about it using the #slowwriters twitter tag! 😉
Cheers
MTM
February 27, 2014 — 1:13 PM
Anya says:
I’m nearing the end of a workable draft of my first novel. I have a problem actually writing and trying to finish it, mostly from my depression (seeing a counselor, started medication and taking time off but still can’t recover yet).
Narrative-wise, my novel hinges on the relationship between two characters who probably should never be prominent in the same story. Flan is a cynical mecha test pilot who doesn’t have much to live for, and Alice is an insecure transgendered girl trying to find her place in life. Over the several drafts/iterations that I wrote I sometimes leaned heavily towards the military side of things, and other times leaned heavily towards the slice-of-life gender and relationship issues. Currently it leans more towards the interpersonal relationships, but I’m at a loss for what to do. I want to convey a lot about transgender issues and how Alice develops, but I don’t want to crowd out Flan’s side of the story.
Worse is I don’t know if there’s anyone who would enjoy this at all (which contributes to my depression) – someone who came for the mechs would probably not care for Alice’s story and vice versa.
February 26, 2014 — 6:44 PM
Ebony the Weirdo says:
I think what you should do is try to balance everything out. Think to yourself: what is the *core* of this story? What is the message this whole story is trying to convey? Once you realize that, you can see where the story is going.
Frankly, it’s best not to concern yourself with what the readers want at this point. First, write your story. Then, test it out by asking a few people to read it. See how that goes. Remember that any criticism should be constructive, and it not, it’s because they’re, to put it simply, assholes. Not everyone has the same opinion, and everyone has different tastes, but it’s their decision whether or not to read your book or not. Personally, I see it as a brilliant idea. But that’s just me.
I know what you’re going through. I’m struggling to recover myself.
February 26, 2014 — 6:55 PM
Kate Lowell says:
Depends on what market you’re after. If you’re after the romance market (which is huge, but easy to get lost in), you would focus on the relationship and let the rest become a subplot. If you’re after the sff market, you need to balance more and bring out the sff elements, although that doesn’t mean you have to neglect the relationship. Write your first draft and see if it makes you happy. If you feel that you haven’t told a part of the story, maybe that’s where the second draft needs to head.
However, as a note from someone who is not entirely hetero and not entirely cis, using the word transgendered will catch you some flak. It doesn’t bother me; I really don’t give a rat’s patootie about labels, but there are people who will be upset, because it implies to them some level of indifference or lack of understanding.
As for me, I’m on the downward slope, picking up speed toward the end of the first draft, after finally realising that the chapter I was trying to insert in the middle didn’t belong there. *throws arms in the air and dances wildly* Needless to say, my editor’s blood pressure is now in a much more healthy range.
February 26, 2014 — 9:46 PM
Wendy Christopher says:
Hi Anya
As someone who’s also had mental health issues in the past I can relate. From the plot of your novel it appears that you’re handling some quite heavy subjects, and if you’re going through depression at the same time that can make writing about those things much tougher. You may find it gets easier once you’ve been taking your medication and having counselling for a while; I know I’ve always struggled to write about the serious stuff when I’ve been unwell, with the fog only clearing once I started recovering. And it DOES clear, honestly. Be kind to yourself.
The best thing about writing a novel is that you can have as many goes at getting it right as you like. Don’t give up on yours and don’t beat yourself up about whether it’s ‘good enough’ or not. Give the medication and counselling some time to kick in and then come back to it; you may find your perspective have changed once you start feeling more able to cope with all the rotten stuff going on in your life.
Keep the faith 🙂
February 27, 2014 — 2:58 AM
MakeLifeMemorable says:
I’m at the half way point of a hugeeeeee core changing R&R and… Oh god, I’ve no idea how it’s going to end. I’ve never done that before. I’ve always plotted like a bastard for months on end before starting.
Good points? It’s tons better already. Every change asked makes complete sense and I’m so grateful for the guidance.
Bad points… One of those pointers including cutting 15k words (I thought I knew the phrase “kill your darlings”. I did not.) but I’ve created a new arch to fulfill other pointers. So basically… Arrrgh my brain is falling away like a wet cake. But I’m having fun!
February 26, 2014 — 6:49 PM
M T McGuire says:
As a fellow suffering from a brain like wet cake (love that) I feel your pain. If it helps, I’ve got 270k which I think is two books and I’ve already binned 70k. It came back from copy edit a few weeks ago and needs a lot of primping if it’s not going to be a dirgy tub of lard. Plus I have to turn it back into light comedy when it’s come out as this dark gore fest.
Good luck. It’s a bit like a magic eye picture. It all slides into focus eventually.
Cheers
MTM
February 27, 2014 — 1:18 PM
MakeLifeMemorable says:
Ha thanks for the reply! It did make me feel better! It’s sliding slowly into focus this week, I think. Just that slight, niggling (PANICCCC) sensation that comes with being 70k in and not yet knowing the ending. Coz yeah, I binned the ending. Fun!! I now have a new mantra… It all slides into focus eventually. I like it thanks!
February 27, 2014 — 1:41 PM
Tia Kalla (@tiakall) says:
I am in desperate need of some good resources concerning Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, possibly others if I can find it) historical architecture and clothing – books, website or otherwise.
I also need to get my current projects finished, un-plotholed, edited, and beta’d without feeling like I’m not going to be done within the next ten years, but I’m pretty sure nothing short of a real-life deus ex machina will help that >>
February 26, 2014 — 7:01 PM
arilessiers says:
I’ve drafted book 1 of my YA dark fantasy series, (1 of 10) and sent to my first group of readers. Meanwhile I re-outline the rest of the series, create a world-bible and await the feedback of doom, all whilst starting a new series, so researching and word-bibling beforehand this time. The drafts will whizz out faster if its all set up before hand, i’m itching to write it, but the re-writes i did to my fantasy series tell me to wait and make sure its outlined and researched properly first.
February 26, 2014 — 7:11 PM
Donna says:
Irony. That’s what’s wrong.
Actually, I think it’s Karma. Maybe a little bit of both. Anyway, this story I’ve been working on is that one little jewel-story that I love to death, love to write, and love to work on in the dead of night. One would think that it should be smooth sailing…but it’s not. I’ve got my outline all pearly and nice, detailed enough to keep me on track while loose enough to give me growing room. I’ve got the character I love, the bad guy who’s a dick but likable, and free time out the ass.
AND YET IT FEELS SO WRONG.
It’s like that voice in the back of my head keeps telling me that something is off but I don’t know what. I’ve re-planned, rewritten, and re-casted and every time that little writer inside my brain keeps throwing up a red flag. However, the bitch won’t tell me what’s up. I’ve tried and tried to ignore the voice and write through it but it’s like the problem is never-ending, unsolvable.
It kills me because if I knew what was wrong, I could fix it. How do you fix a problem that’s invisible? (I tried to phrase that so many ways but it still sounds stupid. Oh well.)
I don’t know if I’m just being paranoid or what but it’s holding me and the story back.
February 26, 2014 — 7:47 PM
mckkenzie says:
In my experience, this is where you need another writer to critique it. When I get that “something I just don’t like” feeling, someone else can often tell me just what’s wrong where I can’t see it. The problem is finding those people…
February 26, 2014 — 8:17 PM
joannadacosta2014 says:
I’m writing a novel. I’ve finally got the first chapter on paper. I’ve written lots on it over several years, but this finally feels like it’s got body to it. I can see the structure. My issue is that I seem to write great, and with ease for my ancillary characters, but my main characters are difficult. It’s like pulling teeth. I’m not a fast writer, I can churn out 1500-2000 words a day before my brain goes squirrely. I’d like advise on how to unlock your protagonist. Also, I’d like a work on putting a period on the work. I’ve got pretty serious ADD, which means I’m a disorganized idea machine. I can rethink a story twenty times in an hour. I’ve got tens of notebooks filled with unrealized stories. I just want to get the first draft down.
February 26, 2014 — 8:26 PM
Kat Enright says:
I’m struggling to start writing my first novel. Got the whole thing outlined, got the characters ready and many of the key locations designed (if not all given proper names) but I’m struggling to get to the point where I will actually start writing. In spite of all my prep work, I am terrified of starting the actual, real writing.
I’m also tired all the time (literally wake up exhausted and spend the whole day that way), which I really need to get over so my motivation can rise again.
February 26, 2014 — 9:52 PM
Miranda says:
Sometimes what helps me is to start super ridiculous, like “SIT DOWN SON AND I’LL TELL YOU THIS KICKASS STORY. IT ALL STARTED…” Because the best thing about writing is that you can always delete it later. Sometimes having some fake words on a page makes it less intimidating.
February 27, 2014 — 11:47 AM
Kat Enright says:
Hmm, that’s a really interesting idea. Perhaps I’ll try it during my writing time this weekend. It will certainly make it feel less intimidating! 🙂
February 27, 2014 — 4:15 PM
Wesley James Robinson says:
I can’t really figure out my antagonist. I’ve got my main character all setup and ready to go. Hell, I’ve got my side characters all set up too, each with their own special backstory full of mystery and everything else I can think of, but I can’t come up with a decent enough villain for the story. It feels like it is time for the antagonist to at least be hinted at and I’m coming up empty.
February 26, 2014 — 10:10 PM
Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes) says:
Sometimes the best antagonist is someone who is really similar to the protagonist. Someone who has the same general qualities, maybe even the same motivations, but took them in the “wrong” direction instead of the “right” one. Holding up that mirror can help the protagonist grow and change over the course of the story to overcome her flaws and, eventually, the antagonist.
February 27, 2014 — 12:58 PM
22pamela says:
I’ve written a book; number 1 of 7. Housewife porn-ish with a twinge of paranormal. Number 2 is well on it’s way…ok, not so much on paper but still in my head. I want to publish it the old fashioned way. I’ve written a query and let someone else read it and read their notes and re-edited it (for the 47th??? time) and I’m not sure where to go from here. Thank you.
February 26, 2014 — 11:06 PM
Tiago Andrade (Mad Max Andrade) says:
I’m working on two projects now. I like having two different works running in parallel so I can shift between them whenever I get stuck. It sounds stupid, I know, but it usually helps me.
One of them is a first-person narrated novel about a computer programmer who struggles with relationships. The kickstart for the whole plot comes after this guy breaks up with his control-freak girlfriend (who wanted to marry and move for a different state) AND is hit by a SUV in the same lunch hour. After a few weeks, he starts dating an old flame from college, now a veterinarian and divorcee soccer mom.
Problem is… I’ve planned the book to have 20 chapters (and I already have 1-6 and 16-20), but now my original idea seems too short. Guy meets girl, guy dates girl, guy does something stupid and loses girl, etc. I’ve been thinking about B-stories involving the protagonist’s parents, his geek friends and a Bill Lumbergh-type boss, but I’m afraid that I may ending biting more than I can chew. Should I write the main plot and then think of parallel stories to give the book some more volume? Or is it better to keep it focused by adding complications in the main love story? (the girl’s ex-husband shows up for a surprise visit, this kind of thing)
February 26, 2014 — 11:42 PM
Valerie Valdes (@valerievaldes) says:
I love this post by Jim Butcher about how to approach middles. He gives a few options you might consider. http://jimbutcher.livejournal.com/1865.html
February 27, 2014 — 1:00 PM
Tiago Andrade (Mad Max Andrade) says:
I’ve read this article yesterday and, in fact, found it pretty helpful. Also, I’ve started following Jim Butcher’s blog’s RSS feed.
March 1, 2014 — 4:06 AM
Jenny Condie (@JennyCondie) says:
First novel, partial draft written during Nano. Now trying to re-outline before going on to re-writing. Tried the South Park guys method you suggested, writing out the main beats of my story and trying to make sure they link together with a “therefore” or a “but” not just with “and then”.
(Worked great by the way.)
Over the course of a novel I have three “and thens” which I don’t think I can get rid of. For example, at one point the male and female leads have separated, “and then” his little sister gets appendicitis forcing them to spend time together when they might prefer not to.
Is it possible to completely avoid “and then”? Or are a few “and thens” permissible?
February 27, 2014 — 12:59 AM
Regina says:
I actually see that as a “but,” myself. “FMC and MMC would rather not spend time together, *but* lil sis’s appendicitis forces them to (whatever they end up doing).”
March 13, 2014 — 6:04 PM
velops says:
Hi there,
I’m writing my first novel, and I’m taking it slowly. I’m building a new world, and am coming closer to actually starting to write the book itself. Once the world is finished, I’ll start on that. But that’s not my problem, I have quite a clear view of what I have to do for the moment.
What is my problem though is this:
Due to the recent “publishing wars”, I’ve been thinking about publishing myself and have encountered a problem in that aspect. I live in Belgium, but I write in english. Life in general makes it somewhat impossible to move to england. So I’d want to publish my book in english, but there are no (that I know of) english publishers here.
Does this mean self-publishing is the only option for me? Or would it be possible to traditionally publish my book through an english publishing house, while still living in belgium?
February 27, 2014 — 7:35 AM
Kate Lowell says:
You aren’t bound to publishers in your country. My own publisher is in a different country–my only issue is dealing with the exchange rate when doing my taxes. And don’t restrict yourself to publishers in England, try the US or Canada too. It makes the accounting slightly more somplicated, but it certainly works. I know a number of US authors who are published with British publishers, and vice versa.
February 27, 2014 — 9:31 AM
Wulfie says:
I’ve mentioned my epic fail of a NaNo here before. I finished it but it blew chunks despite an interesting story line, a cast of supernatural and human characters, and plenty of conflict. The thing nearly put me into a coma. The MC became a bore. It took me forever to figure out that the reason was because there was no physical antagonist. The story wound around the MC’s internal drives, needs, and fears and despite that putting her up against the other characters and getting her into problems, there still was no clear antagonist. How do you play up an internal antagonist or an intangible one like…uh…time and keep the story interesting?
February 27, 2014 — 8:14 AM
Ebony the Weirdo says:
Internal antagonists are a bit trickier sometimes, but not imposible. What if the MC was both the protagonist and the antagonist? She/he can be the only one able to do something, yet due to her own inner desires and fears, she makes it harder? Or, if you have ever heard someone talk about their inner demons, use that as well. Say something or someone from the past is haunting them and there’s your antagonist. If you want it to be time, then your MC is going to have to have multiple deadlines and whatnot.
February 27, 2014 — 9:45 AM
Wulfie says:
Ooo. That is juicy! And helpful because it gives me another way of looking at the story and the MC’s major problem. Thanks again.
February 27, 2014 — 10:57 AM
Ebony the Weirdo says:
Just know that when doing the past-haunting technique, you’re going to have to go into a couple of flashbacks. Also, if it was a horrible event, there may be some lasting side-effects. Just a tip for if you want the character to be believable.
February 27, 2014 — 11:03 AM
Veronica Sicoe says:
When writing the first novel in a series or trilogy (not yet entirely defined, at this stage, just that it will have at least one sequel) is it best to approach it as a standalone and make it self-consistent, or is it ok to end it in a cliff-hanger and leave major threads in critical stages (to goad the reader)?
This is really making my brain itch right now. The fronts are apparently diverse and equally strongly defended. What say you, Chuck & co?
February 27, 2014 — 10:15 AM
Ebony the Weirdo says:
For someone who is writing a series herself, I can say now that it’s best to do a combination of both. Look at it as a standalone novel, yet at the same time leave a few things undone so the readers have something to look forward to. On another comment I mention to look at what is connected closest to the first major problem the MC encounters. This gives you the first novel in the series. Solve the major plot points so you can satify the reader, then leave a subplot or two not entirely complete for Book 2.
February 27, 2014 — 10:46 AM
terribleminds says:
I think for reader and publisher it’s best for that first book to be (fairly) complete. It can still have more to say, with hints of the larger story to come — but it should remain its own story just the same. IMHO, YMMV. 🙂
February 27, 2014 — 11:38 AM
Amalia Dillin says:
My alter ego is working on an historical fiction novel which is stalled only because I am suffering from a distinct lack of discipline at the moment, mostly relating to the project of getting my first self-pub novel out the door April 1.
How do people balance all the non-writing stuff with the writing stuff? This is the greatest mystery to me. If I have to do social media stuff or blog stuff or marketing stuff or publicity stuff, I have the worst time focusing on the new words in the manuscript stuff at the same time.
February 27, 2014 — 3:45 PM
sullivan102013 says:
For my creative writing class. My professor decided to pull the plug on us. Telling us to write about the last things we think about before we fall asleep and the first things we think about in the morning. The problem with this is I have no idea how either of them have any correlation, do they even have to correlate? I’ve just sat there staring at a blank page.
February 27, 2014 — 5:20 PM
curiouskermit says:
maybe treat it as a flash fiction exercise? The last thing before you go to sleep could be the start of the story, and the first thing in the morning could be the end.
February 27, 2014 — 9:41 PM
Wendy Christopher says:
The last thing you think about before you go to sleep = the Question and the first thing you think about in the morning = The Answer to that question? Via a night of freaky, stream-of-consciousness dreams? That would be one way of approaching it. I wouldn’t worry about it correlating – or even making sense. In fact it might be more fun if it doesn’t… 😉
February 28, 2014 — 4:41 PM
Al Stone says:
My main problems are the logic of my premise (Why wouldn’t antagonists do X instead of Y? It’s inefficient and opens them to scrutiny) and writing antagonists that aren’t one-dimensional. The big reveal is that the prime antagonists are the teachers at a school, but I can’t think of a way to make them complex, probably because I lucked out with my own high school teachers. The only bad ones weren’t malicious, they just couldn’t control a class full of kids.
I know that’s more than a little vague, but my deep seated insecurity and narcissism says one of you is going to steal my idea. I guess that’s problem three right there
February 27, 2014 — 10:12 PM
Wendy Christopher says:
When real-life teachers are bad, they don’t do it in ways that are specifically ‘teacher-bad’ – they’re just ‘people-bad.’ 🙂 You can nick any examples of badness you like, from anyone of any profession, and slap them all over your teachers if that’s the kind of badness required for your story.
If your antagonists are doing something that just isn’t logical, you have two options; you either a) change your PLOT so that what they’re doing IS logical, or b) change what THEY do to something that IS logical to your existing plot. Even in a fantasy novel, stuff still has to make sense. The only exception to this is if, for some reason, they don’t realise what they’re doing isn’t logical or they’re not thinking in a logical manner when they do it (and in both cases that would still have to be for a logical reason.) For example, if a character hadn’t eaten for two days and was starving, it would be completely illogical of him to look at a plate of fish and say “Nah, don’t fancy that, thanks,” wouldn’t it? Unless… he was violently allergic to fish, and knew that just one bite would kill him. Even if characters make the crappiest of choices when the brown stuff hits the fan, the reader still needs to believe they did it for reasons that make complete and utter sense TO THEM.
So that could be your option three – dream up some mitigating circumstances for your antagonists’ logic-screwing choices. Otherwise… you might have some plot-restructuring to do, I’m afraid.
And don’t worry – I pinkie-promise I won’t steal your idea. 🙂
February 28, 2014 — 5:11 PM
Wendy Christopher says:
Actually I stuffed up the fish example at bit – it would be better to say if he had a PHOBIA of fish rather than a deadly allergy, because then, even though he WOULD be considered crazy for not eating it, it wouldn’t seem crazy to him. So yeah. Phobia, not allergy. 🙂
February 28, 2014 — 5:22 PM
Shelly Tennyson Taylor says:
I have started a lot of stories over the years… I mean A LOT… in 2012 after my mother died, I realized I was ready to write. She loved to read and was my best beta reader, but I never finished anything for her…. Fast forward and in 5 months I wrote and finished my first book. But now I am going on almost a year revising.
My problem… I don’t know when to stop… How do you know when to stop? I could revise it forever, I think.
February 27, 2014 — 11:39 PM
Tami Veldura says:
This is the point where you need to find some beta readers. You’re done (ish), there’s stuff to fix, but you don’t have clear direction. Get the story out to 3-6 beta readers (some people like less advice, some people like more, pick what works for you) and while they’re reading and taking notes, force yourself to start on a new project. Let the new project consume you until your last beta reader gets back to you. By then you’ll have enough distance from the piece to read their advice and be practical about taking or ignoring it.
February 28, 2014 — 1:04 PM
Shelly Tennyson Taylor says:
Thanks Tami, I have a few beta readers right now. I am fixing nits along the way as they find them. I think my problem may be, I haven’t stepped away. Hopefully when they are done I will be ready to sign off on a finished product. 🙂
February 28, 2014 — 9:30 PM
Shelly Tennyson Taylor says:
Not sure where my first reply disappeared too! …If it shows up I am sorry for the repetition. I have a few beta readers right now. And I think from your comment that one of my problems was I didn’t step away. I am fixing nits chapter at a time while they review it. I think next time I will just do like you suggested and focus/delve into something else for a while.
Hopefully when they are done I will feel confident enough to stop and consider it done…
February 28, 2014 — 9:33 PM
Tyro says:
Hi Chuck Wendig.
Thanks for the opportunity.
I’d finished the story. It’s called
Soft Love / Hard Dreams
O.o 🙂
Thank you for the opportunity. There are 333 replies, so yeah … oh well, here goes. Here is my problem:
The story is in 5 parts.
1. Girl wakes from cryosleep, amputates atrophied limbs.
2. MC wakes without memory of who he is.
3. MC remembers backstory about the end of civilzation. MC watches girl mutliate herself and become a cyborg.
4. Girl works on restoring civilization.
5. Girl & MC meet, love commences.
The story is currently 4,300 words, I want it to be 5,000. Where do you think I can put in another 1,000 words that would benefit the story?
Thank you.
Here is some music for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vNROYrXw8o&feature=share
February 28, 2014 — 12:51 AM
Fi Phillips says:
What a great idea. I’m re-writing my fantasy novel. It was originally for adults but it never felt quite right, so I threw around the doubts with my husband and some writer friends, and came to the conclusion that my audience is really 9-12 year olds or 12+. This has taken me from writing adult characters to writing two young (14 and 11) characters as the leads with a supporting cast of adults. The villains are one adult and one teen. This mean that the chapters have to be rejigged, rewritten and some new chapters inserted. In a lot of ways, I feel freed by this move. I’m stalling on the current new chapter though because I’m suddenly seeing the story through the eyes of a character who had always been in the background before. I need to get into her (11 year old Blessing’s) mind and she’s resisting.
March 2, 2014 — 3:39 PM
angelacavanaugh says:
I’m working on a few projects right now.
I just finished a polish on my novel Otherworlders, and entered it into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. So, fingers crossed! And so glad that it’s off my plate for a while!
I’m writing a new novel that I’m intending to be a serial fiction story to be self released one at a time, with a couple weeks separating them. I’m just over 14,000 words into the first part, and it’s growing every day. I’m really excited about it. It’s scifi, and there are nanites, but I think what will help separate it from what’s already out there is that it’s more than that. There’s also a tribal people in what used to be America, and they are completely void of technology. They collide when they are discovered power-hungry AI that runs the Skyland (where the nanite people live) wants to bring them into the fold. The protagonist must stop it to save the free will of human kind. He does this because his body rejected the nanites, and he’s working with a completely submerged society who’s main focus is survival and stopping the AI. There may be a surprise-ish ending.
The challenges with that are many.
Marketing? Who knows how to do that…
I adapted a short story from it and submitted it to Lightspeed and Clarksworld, and they said it “wasn’t what they are looking for at this time”. Which is discouraging. But who really publishes the first thing they try to, and on the first try?
The biggest challenge so far with this, I think, is creating stories within stories. Each individual story has to be whole and of it’s own merit, but has to fit into the bigger story as well. I think I’ve got it figured out. Normally I outline every scene, but these stories keeps growing and evolving on their own. It’s neat.
Speaking of Serial Fiction, I’ve started posting a different kind on my blog. I’ve dubbed it Serial Sunday. I’m writing a fantasy novel, loosely based on tarot and cross-bred with a splash of steam-punk (I hope). I post about a thousand words of it each week. I’m on my second installment. Hopefully I can keep up with it.
Did someone mention 1000 words? Oh yeah, I just did. Anyway, I also post Flash Fiction every Friday on my blog. Sometimes it’s from the prompts found here, sometimes it’s my own. Lots of free stories there, Like, over 50 I think. Gonna catalog them soon.
I’ve also decided to throw my hat into the writing-about-writing ring. I do a Writing Wednesday where I talk about something related to either my experience writing, the business of writing, or the craft.
I’m also about to start working on some Fan Fiction. I’ve never done that, but this whole Kindle Worlds thing excites me. I’m going to write a Silo Saga, based on the Wool World. I think a challenge there will be finding my own story and not rehashing what’s already been told, but keeping it true to the environment. I’m in the seed planting stage, where I’ve got some ideas, and now they have to grow.
Phew, out of breath. I have so many more projects that I want to be working on. But there is only so much time in the day. Plus I work 5-6 days a week, I’ve got a boyfriend, a dog, gotta work out… life, huh? Get’s in the way of writing sometimes.
If you actually read all of this, THANKS!
If you want to know more or see some of my work, you can find it at:
angelacavanaugh.wordpress.com
March 2, 2014 — 5:41 PM
chloeroberts93 says:
I’m constantly writing because my degree involves a minor in Creative Writing. Chuck, why don’t you do your own variation on William Burrough’s cut-up technique? I did my own, and anyone interested can find it under ‘creative writing exercises’ on my blog HERE http://theartofwritingfiction.wordpress.com/
March 15, 2014 — 11:34 AM