Writing the Breakout Novel by Don Maas, who's an established agent. It's a great resource.
Saffron: He's my husband. Mal: Well, who in the damn galaxy ain't?
'Trash'
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 - Feb 28, 2013 11:21:08 am PST #5574 of 6690
Because books.
hippocampus - Feb 28, 2013 11:24:23 am PST #5575 of 6690
not your mom's socks.
also The 90-day novel and Nancy Kress' Beginnings, Middles, and Ends.
Two totally different approaches.
Typo Boy - Feb 28, 2013 11:43:57 am PST #5576 of 6690
Calli: My people have a saying. A man who trusts can never be betrayed, only mistaken.Avon: Life expectancy among your people must be extremely short.
I'll try all of those. beginnings middels and ends sounds especially promising, cause "middles" is my worst weakness.
sj - Feb 28, 2013 11:45:32 am PST #5577 of 6690
"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."
I might look into some of those books too. I have an idea that I have had kicking around for a while, the characters and setting are very clear to me, but I have no idea how to actually plot out a novel.
Gudanov - Feb 28, 2013 11:53:09 am PST #5578 of 6690
Coding and Sleeping
Second Sight by Cheryl Klein (an editor at Scholastic) is pretty good. I have a copy. It covers more than plot, but I like how it deals with both the physical plot and the emotional plot of the story.
Connie Neil - Feb 28, 2013 12:05:48 pm PST #5579 of 6690
brillig
must resist buying more books
Burrell - Feb 28, 2013 12:52:26 pm PST #5580 of 6690
Why did Darth Vader cross the road? To get to the Dark Side!
Thanks Amy, Sox, and Gudanov. I realize that I need to push through my resistance to writing, whatever the hell it is that keeps me from ever finishing a project. And plot is a big part of my resistance.
Connie Neil - Feb 28, 2013 1:03:25 pm PST #5581 of 6690
brillig
I've got the plot, I just hate my character in this scene. And if I skip this scene and do the part I want, I'll never get back to it. Like saying you'll eat your green beans after you eat the mashed potatoes.
JZ - Mar 01, 2013 2:42:11 pm PST #5582 of 6690
See? I gave everybody here an opportunity to tell me what a bad person I am and nobody did, because I fuckin' rule.
Endings are my great white whale; they task me, they task me.
Next chunk is up; this section is unfinished, but maybe tomorrow, the good Lord willing and the Russian spambot trolls don't rise?
Amy - Mar 03, 2013 6:42:20 pm PST #5583 of 6690
Because books.
Wow, to be in the presence of the last True Artist writing today! This rationalization is so huge, it's bigger than Jared Padalecki. I sort of can't believe people let him publish that.