Recently I began to think about the (fiction-writing) imperative that a main character must make things happen. One of the most consistent criticisms of Linnea, the central character of my Lindorm novel, is that she’s too passive. “Everything happens to her,” someone said, “and she’s always having to close the Read more »
Category Archives: Writing
Thinking Links
Two posts I read last week made me think about my writing in a new way: The Seven Virtues Every Writer Needs to Succeed Which was a nice change from “discipline-” “organization-” “perseverance-” type lists I’ve read many times before. What’s your Signature? A lot of writing arenas talk about Read more »
Novel Samples Available
To give a quick update, I am now ~2/5ths through my latest revision (at least, there are 5 distinct sections, and I’m one chapter from being done with section #2). I have had difficulty staying focused this round, and was relieved to find a reason. The short version is that Read more »
Weaving Tales is Live
So I did it. Turns out (and I was very excited to learn this) the package currently supporting my blog has a lot more room than I’m using. So all I had to do was buy the domain ($4.99 the first year; I can so do this), and put my Read more »
Meeting the Readers
There’s not a lot (in my writing world) much more exciting to me than meeting and talking with the type of young people who will be reading my book. I’ve had a few delicious encounters with teenage fantasy fans, and they all go about the same way. In my half-curious, Read more »
Staying Happy
I started writing a different post, about what I would change if I didn’t “owe” anyone, if I were free to be self-centered and do whatever I want to do. Then I realized, I kinda am. That is, unlike the people I genuinely pity, I really am living the life Read more »
Tragicomedy
I was just working out some story grids for my POV characters [Character] wants [Goal] In order to [Motivation] But [Complications complicate] And Tykone’s grid cracked me up. There seems to be a fine potential for comedy here (something I’ve felt deficient in), but I have to work into mean-author Read more »
Yippee!
There it is: I did it. 50,024 words in 30 days. I have discovered things I didn’t know were in it (Basketball tryouts, just today), and found new things that were in me (attitudes toward the challenges and delights of witnessing). A summary: It’s not until 17-year-old Gydeon Calder visits Read more »
I’m Not the Reader You’re Writing For
Readers read to worry. They want to be lost in the intense emotional anticipation over the plight of a character in trouble. –The Kill Zone This is only the latest place I’ve read this analysis/assertion. And this has never been true of me. (I don’t think it’s a small thing Read more »
NaNo 2010
Barring other changes, I’m planning to go for it this year. For real. I haven’t seriously tried NaNoWriMo (as in, a fully new work from page one) since I began the Lindorm in 2006. Now I am in a critique group and getting serious help (and pushing!) on my novel, Read more »
