Official Site of author Laurel Dewey A few weeks ago we spoke to novelist Laurel Dewey about her approach to creating the lead character of her acclaimed suspense novel, Protector. That interview got us thinking about the bigger picture: How did Laurel develop her can't-put-it-down, page-turning story? We discovered that Laurel trained as a screenwriter -- and had applied techniques for writing for the silver screen to writing her novel. We asked Laurel to tell us about that, and she graciously shared this detailed -- and invaluable -- conversation with us: VT: How does screenwriting relate to writing a novel? Laurel: When I studied screenwriting at the California State University at Northridge, I had incredible professors who wrote Hollywood movies and television docudramas from the 1950's to 1960's. I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd be writing novels. VT: The "F" word? Laurel: Yes, "Formula." This is not cookie cutter. VT: How does it work? VT: Sounds like you're creating a system to organize your story.
Stop Glorifying the First Draft and Finish It - Alyssa Hollingsworth As a mentee for writers, a critique partner, and person who generally has a lot of friends in very different stages of the author business, I end up talking to a lot of people about their first drafts. Especially their first-manuscript first drafts. The attitude of many first-manuscript writers can be summed up nicely in this graphic, which I’ve grabbed off Pinterest: There’s something very sweet and appealing about this. It reminds me of the sentimental early days of writing, and how every part of it felt like a precious commission, before writing became a hurricane of habit. And there’s merit in that. Plus, every writer’s different! But. I’ll be honest. My gut response to said fluffy graphic is: The first draft — while a great stepping stone, a big leap forward, a mile marker you should aspire to and celebrate — is just the beginning. People stay in first-manuscript first draft mode for years. Everything in My Book has to be Perfect Now You. Can you clean some stuff up? Finish the draft.
Advanced Fiction Writing, By Randy Ingermanson, The "Snowflake Guy" Create A Plot Outline In 8 Easy Steps By Glen C. Strathy How would you like to create a plot outline for your novel in less than an hour that is emotionally compelling and dramatically sound? It's easier than you think. The secret is to incorporate the 8 Basic Plot Elements. Sound intriguing? I'll describe each of the eight elements in turn. On the other hand, if you already have a draft for a novel, that you're looking to revise, then ask yourself, as we go through these elements, whether you have included them in your story. 1. 15K+Save The first element to include in your plot outline is the Story Goal, which we covered in detail in the previous article, The Key to a Solid Plot: Choosing a Story Goal. For instance, let's say we want to write a story about a 38-year-old female executive who has always put off having a family for the sake of her career and now finds herself lonely and regretting her choices. There are many ways we could involve other characters in this goal. ... a mother who wants her to be happier. 2. 3.
How to Write What's Not Written (Subtext) I've been seeing a number of stories lately that are lacking in subtext. And honestly, it's no surprise. writing subtext (or, I guess not writing it) is flipping difficult to 1) understand 2) do. I had read about writing subtext like over two years ago, and only now do I feel like I'm starting to understand it and have conscious control over it. The best definition of subtext, in my opinion, is this: subtext is what's not said; it is what is implied. So subtext is what is implied. Here, we can tell that the teacher found whatever Robert said funny, but neither he nor the narrator comes out and tells the reader that. The fact he claims to find the joke offensive is straight-forward. The second example isn't wrong, per say, but see how the two examples are different from each other? Recently I ran into some stories that weren't wrong, per say, but I felt like subtext would have taken them to the next level and made the conversations in them much more interesting. Confused? Implication So
Home, index - Writers and Editors The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations is a descriptive list which was created by Georges Polti to categorize every dramatic situation that might occur in a story or performance. To do this Polti analyzed classical Greek texts, plus classical and contemporaneous French works. He also analyzed a handful of non-French authors. In his introduction, Polti claims to be continuing the work of Carlo Gozzi, who also identified 36 situations. Publication history[edit] “Gozzi maintained that there can be but thirty-six tragic situations. This list was published in a book of the same name, which contains extended explanations and examples. The list is popularized as an aid for writers, but it is also used by dramatists, storytellers and many others. The 36 situations[edit] Each situation is stated, then followed by the necessary elements for each situation and a brief description. See also[edit] References[edit] External links[edit]
Novelists - how to use MS Word as a powerful editing tool US author Maria Grace mentioned on facebook about using MS Word as an editing tool. I was intrigued so I asked her to come on the blog and tell us all about it. Over to Maria! Thanks so much for hosting me Deborah. I’m so excited to get to talk a little about the bones of the writing process. When it comes to writing, I have no qualms about saying that line editing is my least favorite stage of the writing process. So I did what all good writers do in such circumstances, I started researching. When I get in line editing mode, it is more than anything else, a search and destroy function. The function I use is the ‘replace all function.’ The basic process is simple. (Scroll down the blog for the pictures which are at the end of the instructions - sorry, blogger is just not co-operating to let me insert them in the text today - Deborah) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Naturally, the next question is what to highlight and why. Pass 1: Sloppy and wordy construction What is a young woman to do?
Novel writing classes with Erica Orloff Are you ready to finally write your novel? Is 2014 your year? Is there a book in you? Are you ready to take your unfinished manuscript to the next level? Have you been writing for years but want to finally work with an experienced writing coach because this year, you’re dedicated to growing as a writer? This is your opportunity! Sign up for one of this course offered exclusively through Editing for Authors and taught by novelist Erica Orloff: Write Your Book in Six Months Beginning June 15, and running through December 15, this six-month classes will include: Biweekly assignments designed to get you writing and keeping you on track toward completing your book in six months.Exclusive vlogs to inspire you, get you thinking, and most importantly, keep you focused on your writing! Cost: $200 reserves your space in the class. $200 is due at the class inception. GIFT CERTIFICATES: Is there a writer in your life? We accept MC/Visa, and PayPal We can’t wait to write with you!
Give Your Writing More “Body” This month’s book review is an overview of my favorite “dead body” books. Whether you are writing a mystery, suspense, action, or any sort of fiction, these are excellent tools for getting the details right, plus they make for terrific Halloween reading. Another way you can use these books is as a brainstorming tool. When you research with these books (as opposed to the web) no gruesome or sensationalistic photos will take you by surprise and keep you up nights. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach Entertainment Weekly called Stiff “One of the funniest and most unusual books of the year…Gross, educational, and unexpectedly sidesplitting.” Beginning with stories from history, the author opens with tales of body snatching and instances of human dissection while anatomists tried to understand the body and its functioning. Death to Dust: What Happens to Dead Bodies? Death to Dust is pricey (around $50 on amazon) but worth every penny.
25 Steps To Edit The Unmerciful Suck Out Of Your Story I’m editing a book right now. It is its own happy brand of hell — but, for all its hellishness, it’s also a process I dearly love because it’s like purification through flames. It’s a powerful step in storytelling — often, I find that editing is the part where the story is truly constructed. So, here you go: steps I sometimes go through to get the job done. Stay sane. 1. Hey, you wrote a book! 2. Other human beings are essential to the editing process. 3. They gave you notes. 4. You need to re-read your book. 5. Your own notes should be cold. 6. You have identified the problems. 7. Here’s the part you will both hate and love. 8. Talk things out with another human being. 9. Put it all together. 10. Heat up a copper wire and dip it into the petri dish of blood, and if it’s the blood of The Thing, then the human meatbag will suddenly metamorphose — *is handed a note* — okay, that’s from a movie. 11. Have an adult beverage. 12. Maybe you used an outline to write that first draft. 13. 14.
Tension Hook Your Readers With Tension By Laura Backes, Write4Kids.com Tension. Without it, life would be—let's face it—boring. So would fiction. Tension works with conflict to raise the emotional level of the text to a boiling point. "Tension" is a loaded word, and can be misleading. Tension is what hooks readers of any age and keeps them turning the pages. * The ticking clock. * Dialogue. * Pacing. * Sentence structure. Each story requires a different kind of tension. Laura Backes is the author of Best Books for Kids Who (Think They) Hate to Read from Prima/Random House. Copyright © 2002, Children's Book Insider, LLC