Sunday, December 27, 2009
And in the meantime...
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Why isn't everyone reading Rett MacPherson?
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Great ideas come from other people
Because of my background in journalism, and since this is my first foray into fiction, I'm always hunting around
the world for ideas and information that will help my writing process. Becky Levine, an author I've mentioned here before, has a great blog about her writing . ( Why is this stupid thing indenting? I wish I were more techy.)
It gives me lots of great info. This list came just in time, since I'm hung up about where to go next in my novel.
I've revised it by leaving out the name of Becky's heroine, but otherwise, these questions are straight from her.
Questions to ask about my heroine:
• What did she do in the previous scene or few scenes?
• What were the consequences of those recent actions?
• How does she feel about what she did and about what happened?
• Who did she set up a conflict with?
• What other character has a strong goal at this time?
• What story element have I not dealt with in, perhaps, too long?
Saturday, November 28, 2009
A little more here, and a lot more there
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Of time and rewrites.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
All right, all ready!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Playing make believe
Sunday, October 4, 2009
The source of what you write
Saturday, August 29, 2009
After the big hooray
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
the big hooray
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
I'm writing my wish
Friday, August 7, 2009
Of plants and bridges and research
Friday, July 31, 2009
down time
Monday, July 20, 2009
editing, rewriting, and reconstruction
Friday, July 3, 2009
The value of friends
Friday, June 26, 2009
the novel that ought to be???
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
and then she said...
“Why don’t you just kill her off?” Yvonne grimaced and slurped her tea at my kitchen table. “She’s such a burden.” My precious older sister fingered the flowered saucer rim as if it were in Braille and might give her some further insight. The light in my kitchen flamed her short, auburn hair.I like using the dialog and tags to reveal something about the character, instead of just "she said." I want my readers to see Yvonne with her short auburn hair, making a face and running her finger around the saucer rim. I want them to see action, not just hear her voice--which is pretty matter-of-fact. Yvonne sees life very simply. What works, works. What doesn't ought to get dumped. And she feels that having an alter-ego author of best-selling books (Claire) is making her sister Anna (the heroine) crazy. Or maybe just crazier.