As you well know, I tend to hang out here at Ye Olde Bloggeryville five out of seven days, which means I write somewhere around 250 posts in a given year, which further means that I am in near-constant danger of burning myself out of compelling topics.
That brings me to you once again where I shake you by your collar and say, “GIVE ME STUFF TO TALK ABOUT OR I’LL SHRIVEL UP AND DIE LIKE A BUG IN THE SUN.”
Meaning, what do you want from me here at the site? What topics — writing-related or otherwise — do you want to see me cover? Do you have questions you’d like answered? Fling anything and everything at my head. No guarantees I’ll end up talking about it (sometimes people suggest topics and, honestly, I got nuthin’), but I’d still like you to help me out.
Or, y’know, don’t help me out, at which point you’ll start getting posts that are ASCII drawings of penises. Or I may just type up the menus to the local take-out joints we use.
(For those who want me to talk about point-of-view in fiction, that one’s coming tomorrow.)
Thanks in advance for your suggestions, kind readers of this blog, whatever you’re called.
#highfive
Clay Ashby says:
Genre Fiction vs Literary Fiction – I’ve done some research on it but I’m still not convinced on the exact definitions.
Classic vs Recent – I’ve been reading some classic fiction lately (getting caught up – my school didn’t require any of this) and I’ve noticed some differences in writing style. I think exploring the nuances would be interesting. Take, for example, Asimov’s FOUNDATION. I honestly don’t think it would be accepted by any publisher these days.
Hope these aren’t repeat questions – I’ve only been following you now for a few months now.
February 11, 2013 — 8:23 AM
darleneaubol says:
I don’t think Asimov wrote that well…
February 11, 2013 — 11:01 AM
Schlessel says:
I am agape and heartily abashed at the Asimov bashing. This is not acceptable.
February 11, 2013 — 12:18 PM
Clay Ashby says:
I just started reading his stuff for the first time, so I’m no critic. I still respect him for what I know about him (without yet reading most of it for myself), but FOUNDATION has been a very slow and dry read for me thus far.
I’d love to see more discussion on this subject – here or elsewhere.
February 11, 2013 — 12:30 PM
Cat York says:
Agreed. Love his ideas. Great for the time. Too slow for reading. Too many long conversations with men sitting in rooms chatting. Not enough female representation for me either. But – he wrote what he wrote when he wrote it and he paved the way for others. Gotta bow to Asimov.
February 11, 2013 — 2:17 PM
Andy says:
Dry and slow. However, his mysteries were great. Find a copy of The Union Club Mysteries.
February 11, 2013 — 7:42 PM
David Zampa says:
If you do this one, you might want to do a quick clear-up of the term “Commercial fiction”, too. Lots of agents reference it, and there are many vague and contradictory definitions to be found online, from wiki to blogs to articles. Namely, it’s hard as hell to determine from online resources whether it includes genre fiction or not (it does, near as I can tell, so long as the given agent doesn’t specify otherwise– kinda reminds me of every rule in Magic: The Gathering).
February 11, 2013 — 12:36 PM
Blue Cole says:
Your writing process; from the germ on an idea, to fleshing it out, to getting a complete manuscript. What is your daily writing schedule? At what point do you ask for outside opinions? Who is your Wise Reader? Beta Readers? Any advice for upcoming writers? (Other than “sit your ass down a write”. That one’s a given.)
February 11, 2013 — 8:26 AM
Max says:
Hi Chuck,
I’m very happy about the blog being writing related, usually I immediately filter out feeds from writers who talk about their personal stuff no matter how much I like their books… So yeah, having a niche is good in that sense. 🙂 As for a topic I’d be interested in, mmm… How about grabbing a bunch of your favourite books (of any genre), and then demonstrating why / how whatever the authors did WORKED WELL in any particular instance, be it chapter, piece of dialogue, or whatever.
I’m also very interested in writing for role playing / video games / interactive media.
Cheers!
Max
February 11, 2013 — 8:32 AM
Kandra says:
I’d be interested in this as well.
February 11, 2013 — 7:56 PM
PA Lassiter says:
You know, it’s cool with us if you want to cut back to three a week, or two, or even one…we’ll still be here. In fact, I rarely have the time to read all five, so I’m cherry-picking anyway. Unless you’re going specifically for quantity, you could consider metering out the good words. 🙂
February 11, 2013 — 8:41 AM
Audrey's Writing Closet says:
There’s too much advice out there on how NOT to write, like; no adverbs, no this, no that, don’t use these words, and what ever you do don’t do that too your ending. I used this advice with my last book and it didn’t turn out quite the way I wanted it to. I’ve been following your blog for about a month now and I like the in-your-face honesty you have. What is your advice on the what not to write “rules”?
February 11, 2013 — 8:42 AM
Anne says:
Now I’m going to be disappointed if we don’t get a blog post of ASCII penises.
February 11, 2013 — 8:44 AM
Rautenbach says:
I can always count on your content being anywhere on the spectrum of giggle-worthy to laugh-out-loud funny, with some cringe-y chuckling (see what I did there?) thrown in for good measure. What I love about comedic writing – whether it’s sitcom funny or darkly sardonic or dryly humorous – is that it needs to be intelligent and raw to be genuinely funny. You can always tell when a writer is *trying* to be funny vs. a writer who knows *exactly* what they’re doing when it comes to tickling the readers’ humerus (or yanking it around until they’re bruised and grinning).
I’ve read all sorts of “How to write funny” posts, with technical advice like “describe things in a minutae of detail – ie: name all the specifics” and “use plenty of unexpected but appropriate metaphors” and “work allusion into your tone”. Some of these posts seem to come off the template of comedy writers who haven’t quite made it and have subsequently taken up blogging.
So my ask is this: I know that that comedy sometimes isn’t something that can be pinpointed – it just seems to happen with the right blend of tone, vocabulary, imagery and the writer’s personality. But if you have a writing process that takes your content from “meh” to “ROTFLOL”, it would be awesome to get a peek through the keyhole and get inspired. Thanks!
February 11, 2013 — 8:45 AM
M.H. Lee says:
No! Please don’t cut back. There are too few good blogs that post most days of the week.
I’d love your thoughts on the genre books that get published as mainstream fiction and how/why that happens seeing as I feel like a SFF misfit with what I choose to write.
Also, maybe something about how to ramp up a story enough and how you choose which books you self-pub vs. traditionally pub.
February 11, 2013 — 8:53 AM
Lee says:
Talk to me of subplots O’ wise one!
February 11, 2013 — 9:03 AM
Cat York says:
You keep being you, Chuck, and I will read regardless,
Also – if you face burn out …. take a break. It’s really okay. We’ll miss you and read again when you get in a little VACA.
And penises can be good. Very Vonnegut.
February 11, 2013 — 9:08 AM
Gru'ud says:
I actually have two, not to copy any previous posters. ^-^
Magical realism vs. genre fantasy: how to tell the difference.
If a work makes ready use of fantasy tropes, but is written from the outset to be magical realism, is that really kosher? Can magical realism be written by middle aged white guys in the 21st century, as opposed to Latin American authors in the 50’s?
To quote Wikipedia: Terry Pratchett said magic realism “is like a polite way of saying you write fantasy.” But if you are consciously trying to follow the precepts, can a fantasy skin be used to clothe an MR work? I see several agents who seem to be looking for MR, agents that ostensibly represent genre fantasy. How would they tell the difference?
“New Adult” as an emerging trend: what the heck is it?
What is this, is it real; and, how dark (I refuse to use the word ‘gritty’. Gritty is a terrain type, with bare feet the preferred shodding for battle) could a work be and still be suitable for it? if a work was written for adult sensibilities, with borderline horror imagery and smatterings of sex (R rated, soft porn at most) can it still be qualified as “New Adult” and would one want to do so, and why?
I must say either would be very timely for me, and seeing both would be sublime, especially rendered with your usual ribald wisdom.
February 11, 2013 — 9:10 AM
morgynstarz says:
Gru’ud, times two. Same questions.
Also, finding peers to critique or beta readers? Where, how? (It’s a zoo out here.)
How long you leave the body buried before digging it back and cutting out the rotten parts? (AKA, revising.)
Grit is very, very good. (Evil grin!)
February 11, 2013 — 10:17 AM
Cari Hislop says:
Instead of writing about writing, you could spend a week or so writing a short story off the cuff. A few paragraphs a day keeps the readers at bay! What about a short story competition (up to 5000 words) for your readers – choose several out of a hat and share them over a series of blog posts (you could have a proper brain-rest!). Off the writing subject…you could have a week where every day you take a few photographs and share your favorites.
February 11, 2013 — 9:12 AM
Alison Craig says:
I just love the pearls of wisdom, Chuck. (Or perils of wisdom, as they call them here is Scotland.) Keep them coming. Like PA Lassiter, I rarely have time to read all five posts, so do have to pick and choose as well. So you could cut the number down if you wanted and I’d still love you! But if you want a topic, how about procrastination? I’d just LOVE to see what you say about this!
February 11, 2013 — 9:12 AM
Alison Craig says:
That shoulda been “here in Scotland”, not “here is Scotland”.
February 11, 2013 — 9:14 AM
Aerin says:
I’d love some advice on handling multiple writing projects at once.
February 11, 2013 — 9:19 AM
Rebecca says:
I second the advice on handling multiple writing projects at once. The thing I struggle with is continuing to generate new material while managing the revision process for previously written stuff. Personally, my stories grow and are greatly improved by at least 2 to 3 revisions, which keeps me working on 2 to 3 different projects at a time. And, well, I really haven’t found a good way to do that and keep my head above water.
February 11, 2013 — 9:54 AM
Guido (@OdinChance) says:
I would like you to take a trip, alone or with family, to place that holds either good memories, or a place that you’ve never visited before but that has always inspired/enraged/enlightened/ you, and then tell us about it. That, or some more foodstuff. Keep it up, in your own pace. You’re an inspiration. k bye tnx.
February 11, 2013 — 10:04 AM
lambpost says:
Head Hopping – 3rd person omni. sin (or is it?)
February 11, 2013 — 10:09 AM
Mark Matthews says:
If your post has ’25’ in it, that’s usually the greatest. And the ‘pimp something besides your own book’ is great as well. I’ve picked up books this way.
February 11, 2013 — 10:10 AM
Remi Jones says:
How does one go about letting go of characters and stories? I’ve written two books now (first draft only, editing is hard) and I can’t stop thinking of them. I have two other story ideas but can’t commit to them because apparently I’ve lost my mind in the first fictional world I created. It was never my intention to write a series of books, and yes I’m playing around with a third book while I try to edit the first book.
Please tell me this is a common problem because this is not the way I want to be a special snowflake.
You’re the best.
February 11, 2013 — 10:19 AM
tracydurnell says:
I second this! I’m stuck on my first NaNoWriMo novel, from 2003!
February 11, 2013 — 11:54 AM
ewcrowe says:
Examples. Examples. Examples. As a visual learner, I’d love to see your outlines. Original outlines compared to what the final product actually looks like. Do you outline major plot points? How do you go about filling in the rest of the novel between those plot points? This is stuff I would find helpful.
February 11, 2013 — 10:27 AM
Casz Brewster says:
I’m happy to see that such a prolific writer as ye bearded self still has to do a raking of leaves of ideas. About once a year, I run out of ideas and I’m thrilled. I don’t do a damn thing about it. Eventually the idea fairy hits me so hard I can’t keep up. Course, if I hit the blog five times a week instead of 5 times a month (and that’s a good month), I’d probably have to corral some brain farts from others, too. With that said, I guess I’d like to see how having a yungin’ now changes your creative process. I’m constantly in search of folks who have followed their bliss, and kept modern responsibilities in check (spouse, kid, mortgage, nosy neighbors….), and still reached the ridge of happiness (dare I say, enlightenment). Now that’s some words I’d like to read. Barring that, some more Bdub videos hit the spot.
BTFO!
February 11, 2013 — 10:42 AM
darleneaubol says:
I’ve been called lots of things.
We’ve talked about hiding bodies, which is easy in the desert, but not so easy in a long-settled place like New England, or England. I didn’t get a chance to read the comments when you last broached the subject; could you do a post?
Acquaintances in Minneapolis had a daughter disappear one evening. She didn’t take her purse and didn’t take her car keys. Mobile phones were uncommon at the time. She vanished without a trace. The parents thought she might have called (from her bedroom phone) an old boyfriend to pick her up and “talk,” but he seemed to be clean.
What about disposing of large bodies like Rush Limbaugh or Michael Moore (political parity)? Gotta move them.
aka Darlene Underdahl
http://www.VermillionRoadPress.com
February 11, 2013 — 10:59 AM
tssharp says:
I’d be interested on your thoughts on Orc Porn. Does it have a market, or are people totally over that and way bored of it?
February 11, 2013 — 10:59 AM
Remi Jones says:
I had never heard of orc porn before reading your comment. So I googled it. I regret that decision.
February 11, 2013 — 11:13 AM
tssharp says:
I honestly didn’t think to check, but I am Jack’s Total Lack of Surprise that there is something on the net for that. I apologise for any mental trauma I may have indirectly caused you.
February 11, 2013 — 11:34 AM
Clay Ashby says:
I believe that Orc Porn is on a ten year popularity cycle, but I’ll let Chuck verify that in a full length post.
February 11, 2013 — 11:17 AM
Todd Moody says:
Where do metaphors come from?
February 11, 2013 — 11:06 AM
tssharp says:
They’re like buses apparently…
February 11, 2013 — 11:07 AM
Maggie Dana says:
LOL !!!
February 11, 2013 — 11:42 PM
Tia Kalla (@tiakall) says:
Seconding the requests for thoughts on the “rules” and on writing for RPGs/etc. I’d also like to know your thoughts on how much grammar structure a writer needs to know/ a “25 rules of grammar you should know”, or your thoughts on plagiarism in the fiction world (is it just me, or is it getting MORE acceptable/brushed under the rug than it used to be?)
February 11, 2013 — 11:22 AM
Martin Cahill says:
I’d be interested to hear about opinions of short stories, how they work best, what your process is in approaching them, shorts vs novels, etc.
Also, I remember your work on worldbuilding Blackbloom, I believe it was. I’d love another fun foray into worldbuilding again, or at least a dissection of it, just for fun. It was a blast last time, seeing everyone get involved.
Hope your Monday is a Fun . . . Day, (damn it that could have been so much better). Thanks Chuck!
February 11, 2013 — 11:31 AM
Shecky says:
Benefits vs. drawbacks of a long, extended series. Some authors love the security of being able to know that they’ll be able to play indefinitely in the same, comfortable sandbox, while others chafe to varying degrees at the creative restriction that a locked-in long series places on them (i.e., they’re less able to branch out to different projects or ideas).
February 11, 2013 — 11:57 AM
Anita Siraki says:
Hi Chuck!
Longtime fan, admirer, and reader of your blog posts, which I thoroughly enjoy 🙂
If you haven’t already covered these themes in blog posts already, I’d love to hear your thoughts on paranormal romance and urban fantasy and the increasing objectification of women on book covers, which Jim C. Hines has done wonderful (and hilarious) responses to, or the increasing mashing together of PRN and UF despite the fact that they’re distinct, or how you think that writers who are writing UF can set themselves apart from everyone else.
And I agree with Audrey’s Writing Closet on getting too much advice on the “what not to write” column from sources, so maybe if you did a blog post on “Top 10 (or 25) Writing Dont’s and Why Should Stop Listening to Them Now!” or something along those lines.
February 11, 2013 — 12:01 PM
Ksenia Anske (@kseniaanske) says:
Reviews. Book reviews and pissed off authors who don’t like your book reviews. Because it’s your own opinion and it’s honest. Or perhaps because you’re a pile of shit. Either way, on writer’s ego and book reviews, please.
February 11, 2013 — 12:25 PM
terribleminds says:
You want me to write reviews, or ABOUT book reviews?
— c.
February 11, 2013 — 12:27 PM
ewcrowe says:
How Twitter and other social media should be used to build an audience for aspiring authors. Etiquette, marketing, humor.
February 11, 2013 — 12:41 PM
Beth L. says:
A post on how to write a decent synopsis would be lovely. I’ve found some other guidelines on how to do it, but I think I need it translated into Wendig to make sense. Also, even if only in jest, some sort of decoder ring for submission guidelines? (if this idea tickles your fancy, I’ve got a few suggestions on what kind of things it would be nice to have cleared up, though maybe it’s obvious to everyone else and I’m just a complete newbie.)
Looking forward to the posts! A lot of good suggestions here!
February 11, 2013 — 12:53 PM
Gru'ud says:
Ye gods yes on the synopsis thing, cuz mine is kicking my ass. It’s a twenty three chapter book of around 600 pages, and I’m on chapter 19 and I’m at twenty-five pages of synopsis!!
And the present tense is ruining my writer’s ear, or whatever you call it. Now everything written in past tense sounds wrong, and if I read back throgh my WIP it sounds wrong too … I;’m gonna get through this frst pass if it kills me, and then leave it lay for a while whilst I do another edit pass on the mss, if I can get the taste out of my mouth …
Synopses suxxors!
February 11, 2013 — 3:43 PM
Gru'ud says:
Dunno if you keep watching these posts … what, a week after they’re made … but I thought an update would be good, and — well … you’re the only one I can talk about this with …
I finished the synopsis first pass Saturday night (early Sunday morning) … and it’s thirty-five and a half pages long Chuck … 14,483 words …
Ya gotta help me Chuck … I’ve started speaking in future perfect tense … it’s a wonder I could write this post at all … how will I ever edit my mss now??
Everyone always speaks in platitudes about synopses … little dribbles of vague guidance amid walloping dollops of absolute shit …
It needs your take on it Chuck … it needs the depth of one of your 25 lists … before it swells and eats my whole desk …
Synopses Chuck .. synopses …
February 18, 2013 — 8:05 AM
David Zampa says:
I’d like to see:
1.) Your take on what an ending needs in order to be satisfying. Does the hero always have to one-up the villain? In what circumstances could it go the other way around and not piss off everyone from industry to reader? Why do plot holes still exist in professional fiction? Possible post title: How to Write LOST and Still Have a Great Career.
2.) Breakdowns of DOs regarding the usual stuff. Too many adverbs? What kinds of things can people look for to help figure out ways to replace them? Not rules. Not be-all end-alls. Just ideas for how writers can approach commonly referenced problem areas. I agree with Audrey’s Writing Closet. The don’ts are everywhere. They’re an infinitely valuable place to start, but there does come a point when our heads fill to capacity with what not to do and we just need to focus on what to do right. Disclaimer: You do this pretty well in many of your posts already. It’s one of the reasons I love the blog so much. Just saying, it’s a great thing to do more of.
3.) ASCII penii.
February 11, 2013 — 1:07 PM
Wendy says:
Because you write both screenplays and novels, I’d love to read a blog post on how us writers can make our fiction more visual. I ask because, when I decided to write fiction, I was drawn to first leanring how to tell a story via screenwriting methods and apply them to fiction. I’d be interested to know how, or if, you do the same.
February 11, 2013 — 1:13 PM
BA Boucher says:
I think there was a good question during your recent AMA about Orsen Scott Card and how we should as a reading public view his work when his true colors came out. I personally grew up loving Ender’s Game and cherish that book, but his outlandish stance on homosexuality has destroyed those characters for me. So much so that I can’t even get one ounce of excitement about the movie adaptation.
Is the politics of an author separate from a work, or is it there subconsciously, like a hate bomb.
February 11, 2013 — 1:24 PM
Jules says:
Dogs. I love how you write about your dogs. Let us know when they do something cute or naughty. And the missives from toddler land are so fun! As for writing, you always say write a buncha different things from short stories to RPGs to comics to screenplays, etc. What I would love is some resources on how and where to submit such things. Maybe list some mags that still take short story submissions (aside from Fireside, which was a great tip), and what to look for when trying to submit other forms of story.
I second the idea of a short story competition and the one about you, yourself, short-story-ing in this space.
Hell, Chuck, do whatever you want! I’ll read it all 🙂
February 11, 2013 — 1:25 PM
Eva T says:
I’d love to see ’25 things you should know about giving feedback’. Or just something about how to give qualified feedback. I would especially appreciate your take on how to know the difference between when something is bad in a story and when you just don’t like something, because of personal preferences.
February 11, 2013 — 1:33 PM
Sigil says:
Hi Chuck,
You often talk about how you had to force yourself out of the ‘panster’ habit (heh heh). I’d like to know how you actually plan your stories now. I.e. how you map out the hook, pinches, plot turns whilst at the same time making sure your characters are true to their internal/external conflicts and motivations. Is there a particular template you use? How do you do it all and how much do you do before you actually start writing?
February 11, 2013 — 1:35 PM
chulaslim says:
I agree with a previous post. You seem to have a way with contemporary words, one that i find refreshing and ‘rolling on the floor, laughing’, type of humor.
How do you arrive at the word images or do they just arrive naturally in your mind? I confess admiration for your writing ability and only wish I could emulate it.
Some television and movie scripts evidence the same kind of word choice with unexpected witty replies to seemingly innocuous statements.
Although most people don’t really speak like that, (a few grunts, ‘naws’ and lots of fragments) when it’s presented as a form of entertainment, it enriches the script and makes what could be a mediocre story a cut above the rest.
February 11, 2013 — 1:48 PM
Maureen C Berry says:
I’m a new TM follower. I love your rants, lists, and snark-filled posts. Oh yes, the how-to stuff also.
But I wondered when you’d have this conversation. Even newbie eager-beavers like myself have a hard time keeping up with the daily posts.
I enjoy the contest-like posts with a timeline. I’d like to read (and write) more of those. I like the flash fiction challenge (still polishing my haiku). More on epublishing-what not to do, other than not do it. Aside from wanting to know how to keep my girlish figure while I eat my way through the making of a cookbook and having sex like I’m twenty, I think you’ve got this blogging thing figured out.
Is this fodder for a new book btw? 🙂
February 11, 2013 — 1:52 PM
Kate says:
I love reading the stuff about your dogs and your kid and food and making ice-cream. I love your writers-inspiration posts, and Iove the author interviews.
Maybe you could interview some of your fans too?? You know how you do your prompt posts and people link their flash fiction here – well do you have any favorites? Could you interview them too?? Where they get their inspiration, what their aspirations are, what other blogs they follow other than your own? I found you through another writer on another blog – maybe there are other awesome people out there I can follow too!
February 11, 2013 — 2:02 PM
kingpoiuy says:
I second the other blogs idea. I stumbled upon this one completely randomly and if there is another one half as good as this one I’d subscribe immediately.
February 11, 2013 — 2:05 PM
Andrew Jack says:
It would be great if we could have a post on pacing, especially pacing for different genres and lengths of work. Also more recipes of face exploding awesomeness.
February 11, 2013 — 2:03 PM
brandil79 says:
I am always keen on your “advice” blogs and love the “25 things…” posts. As for specific writing related topics, Killing off Characters (knowing when to let go), working on multiple projects at once (how to keep them all from having the same “story”) Nurturing the story from lumpy nugget to full blown diamondy goodness, when to let others in on the joke (or when to let others read your work, this is a hard one for me, once someone reads a portion, I tend to lose motivation to keep writing. Is there a name for that?) When and how to contact the powers that be (agents, editors, publishers, djinn) and related, how to effectively market oneself.
I know you touch on a lot of these topics in previous posts but it’s always good to hear it again or see it in a fresh format.
Please don’t ever stop giving out flash fiction challenges, those are just too juicy and can help a stuck mind feel productive. They are also good for a person like me who tends to use too many words to describe the color blue. Sort of like this comment, which started out small and has now taken on it’s own zip code.
Lastly, any reading recommendations. In the past year I have picked up several books by authors I had NEVER heard of thanks to your twitter feed and or blog posts and my reading life has been significantly enriched because of it.
February 11, 2013 — 2:22 PM
S.W. Sondheimer says:
Action vs. “downtime” balance in a novel. Readers (and characters) get burnt out if the ENTIRE 300-infinite number of pages is “GO! GO! GO!” (especially if it’s a series). Backstory, life details, characters descriptions, etc are necessary to bring characters, worlds, and thus novels, to life. But how much of each? What’s a good balance? What’s the best way to transition without punching readers in the face with words and stuff? When is it good to punch readers in the face with words and stuff?
February 11, 2013 — 2:25 PM
Serenpidity says:
Would love, love , love some insight on the editing process, from you and/or guest writers, with concrete before/ after examples, but I don’t know if that’s feasible.
And also, more insight about the publishing process: finding an agent, getting published, dealing with a publishing house, all that stuff (on the traditional publishing side); and (on the self publishing side), more insight on promotion, especially self promotion for the introvert (which I suspect a lot of writers are…).
And, yeah, all the stuff mentioned by everybody else.
And thanks for all the exposure you give to new writers, that’s fifty shades of awesome. Please keep doing that, if you can.
Oh, and as some people have said above …please cut back (if you’d prefer) rather than burn out. I can’t tell you how much I LOVE your blog, and I’m in awe of the way you crank out brilliant posts day after day. I tend to unsubscribe from blogs that have a new post every day (or close enough), because it usually means lots of fluff and very little content, and I’m in awe of the fact that you generate worthwhile content day after day. So, you know…thank you…
February 11, 2013 — 3:25 PM
Seamus says:
How do you know an idea is worth using? What makes you say “ah, this one is one I am going to water and nuture” as opposed to “huh, interesting… nope, moving on.”
February 11, 2013 — 3:43 PM
Haralambi Markov says:
How the hell do you make the subplots work? Slippery fuckers always make a mess, when I attempt novel writing. I miss some, others I focus too much on. Assholes is what I say. How do you preserve your precious penmonkey fingers? Cause I suffer from pains and you seem like you are giving birth to more novels than an octomom per year, so you know, what’s your man-hand-secret.
Also, talk books. WHAT DO YOU LOVE READING? What makes you tick as a reader? Which are the tropes you hate? Also, challenge yourself and write the tropes you hate in a way that will make them fresh again.
Do you want more, penmonkey! Cause I can keep going. AND YES, I LOST MY SANITY READING YOUR BOOK ON WRITING! Grr. Bacon.
February 11, 2013 — 4:43 PM
Exi says:
I like to watch when inchoate story ideas snuggle up to produce a tangible product. Example: Bait Dog ended with a veritable .mpg of story-on-story procreation in the form of your “Author’s Notes”. More, please. I’m over 18.
Don’t believe me? Fine. I’ll settle for ‘G’-rated case studies on how you did (or might) grow the germ of an idea into a unique story world populated by a compelling mix of characters.
February 11, 2013 — 6:06 PM
Sara Davies says:
Always looking for more on how to construct a functional plot, big picture style – dramatic structure, keeping the threads logical, developing a master plan, scene construction.
February 11, 2013 — 6:32 PM