I don't know -- I'm only up to the ninth tip, and it's reading to me like someone who's petrified of actually finishing. So much of what he's suggesting isn't necessary at all -- or it's going to be determined by another reader, not post-its in columns.
Sometimes I miss having powers... Oh. Oh! I know what this is! This is peer pressure! Any second now you're gonna make me smoke tobacco and--and have drugs!
Anya ,'Showtime'
The Great Write Way, Act Three: Where's the gun?
A place for Buffistas to discuss, beta and otherwise deal and dish on their non-fan fiction projects.
Amy - Jul 03, 2012 1:46:35 pm PDT #5331 of 6690
Because books.
Connie Neil - Jul 03, 2012 2:25:25 pm PDT #5332 of 6690
brillig
I'm always leery of advice that talks about tracking the theme or finding out what the story's about. If you don't know all that before you finish the first draft, I'd be worried. Granted, expressing it all clearly can be tweaked, but I suspect some folks just love to revise.
edit: but fixing typos is always in fashion
erikaj - Jul 03, 2012 2:29:28 pm PDT #5333 of 6690
Always Anti-fascist!
I found that advice kind of...masturbatory. But it could be I don't pay enough attention to revisions. But after eight years, are you still sure that's, you know, The One?
Connie Neil - Jul 03, 2012 2:30:59 pm PDT #5334 of 6690
brillig
I believe in Lawrence Bloch's advice about washing garbage. Sometimes you can revise all the interesting freshness of a work right out of it.
erikaj - Jul 03, 2012 2:43:53 pm PDT #5335 of 6690
Always Anti-fascist!
I'm not really a great judge of my own work.Especially the part where I'm bored means it's boring. Because sometimes I think everything I do is boring, am I always right? Sometimes I'm bored because it comes from life, and the last thing I want is to go over that shit again. Sometimes I'm bored because my facebook friends are all going on vacation or making love or something(maybe simultaneously...I've heard it happens) and I'm like "Guess what, you guys...I've nailed page 37!") and I want what they're having instead.
Connie Neil - Jul 03, 2012 2:47:08 pm PDT #5336 of 6690
brillig
Actually, the boring advice is somewhat useful. If I'm looking at a scene and I hate it, eventually it dawns on me that maybe the problem is with the scene and not me. Or if I'm racking my brain trying to think of a way to get someone into a car, I'll suddenly go "Duh!" and write "He got in the car."
I know, revelatory, isn't it?
Tom Scola - Jul 05, 2012 6:14:49 pm PDT #5337 of 6690
Remember that the frontier of the Rebellion is everywhere. And even the smallest act of insurrection pushes our lines forward.
From my local blog: Brooklyn Heights Novelist Jennifer Miller Hawks Her Book Via Novel Strategy: A ‘Novelade Stand’ (with free cookies).
Amy - Jul 05, 2012 6:20:40 pm PDT #5338 of 6690
Because books.
Great idea. And she's getting at least some press, which is part of the goal.
It hurts to hear things like that, though -- seven years spent writing a book, and it really does have only a very short window in which to make an impression, especially today. And the literary novel readership is harder to market to, I think.
hippocampus - Jul 06, 2012 5:24:04 am PDT #5339 of 6690
not your mom's socks.
Lovely DSF email story, Holli!
erikaj - Jul 06, 2012 9:22:27 am PDT #5340 of 6690
Always Anti-fascist!
I'd think so...some of the best ones don't have elevator-pitch thrills and chills.