tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6577390914059951291.post1921742501545152112..comments2024-02-16T02:43:01.123-08:00Comments on The Writing Blog: Nine Items of Terror for WritersScotti Cohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03550034108886104840noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6577390914059951291.post-40390284211373439862010-05-08T07:23:35.190-07:002010-05-08T07:23:35.190-07:00Ah yes, the dreaded "plot" issue. People...Ah yes, the dreaded "plot" issue. People sometimes talk about "character-driven" vs "plot-driven" books, but even in a character-driven story, you have to have a decent plot (and the characters in a plot-driven story need to be well-rounded and engaging).<br /><br />(1) POV<br />(2) Moving targets<br />(3) Non-toxic backstory<br />(4) Voice<br />(5) Who cares?<br />(6) Tense<br />(7) Showing vs Telling <br />(8) Page-turning plotScotti Cohnhttp://www.scotticohn.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6577390914059951291.post-10130457537925944712010-05-05T18:15:15.890-07:002010-05-05T18:15:15.890-07:00I thought of another problem, one that is plaguing...I thought of another problem, one that is plaguing me right now--creating a plot that challenges my characters to grow while keeping readers engaged. I want my readers to feel compelled to keep turning the page, but I don't always know how to accomplish that.<br />Carmela<br /><a href="http://www.teachingauthors.com" rel="nofollow">TeachingAuthors</a>Carmela Martinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15543808551988338496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6577390914059951291.post-54200461251446622782010-05-05T15:08:20.771-07:002010-05-05T15:08:20.771-07:00Oh, Carmela, well played! I find myself coming to ...Oh, Carmela, well played! I find myself coming to a halt when reading someone else's (published) work because I *think* they are telling, not showing, and then I start wondering how they got away with it. It's so easy for me to get entangled in that web!<br /><br />(1) POV<br />(2) Moving targets<br />(3) Non-toxic backstory<br />(4) Voice<br />(5) Who cares?<br />(6) Tense <br />(7) Showing vs TellingScotti Cohnhttp://www.scotticohn.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6577390914059951291.post-18015132507026124532010-05-05T13:50:33.966-07:002010-05-05T13:50:33.966-07:00Great topic, Scotti. I know for many of my student...Great topic, Scotti. I know for many of my students (and me, too) finding the balance between showing vs. telling is a problem. Sometimes we worry so much about the adage "Show, Don't Tell" that we dramatize whole scenes that really don't add to the story and would be better summarized in a transition sentence.<br />Carmela<br /><a href="http://www.teachingauthors.com" rel="nofollow">TeachingAuthors</a>Carmela Martinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15543808551988338496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6577390914059951291.post-84146988929054715752010-05-05T10:59:27.322-07:002010-05-05T10:59:27.322-07:00No, Robert, you're not the only one! I also st...No, Robert, you're not the only one! I also struggle with the "who cares?" (also phrased as "why should anyone care?") question. <br /><br />Sheila - Yeah, "terror" is hyperbole in this case. And I know exactly what you mean about tense!<br /><br />Six down, three to go!<br /><br />(1) POV<br />(2) Moving targets<br />(3) Non-toxic backstory<br />(4) Voice <br />(5) Who cares?<br />(6) TenseScotti Cohnhttp://www.scotticohn.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6577390914059951291.post-48687553836433095492010-05-05T10:34:15.720-07:002010-05-05T10:34:15.720-07:00I am not exactly terrified of dealing with this, b...I am not exactly terrified of dealing with this, but do struggle with tense. For example, if I'm writing in first person, past tense, should I have my character say, "My brother was hitting me over the head with a stalk of rhubarb. He was three years older and weighed at least three times more than me." OR "My brother was .. . He is three years older than me and that summer weighed at least three times more than me." Now if the brother is dead . . . See? It gets complicated. And has anyone noticed that many books are now written in present tense? That's another decision to make about tense. Maybe it is one of the "Nine items!" <br />P.S. I would have said "than I was/am" in the above but doubt that my character would have.Sheilahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02891797060944709216noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6577390914059951291.post-80787704461396494352010-05-05T10:02:22.602-07:002010-05-05T10:02:22.602-07:00Is this interesting to others, or only to me? I a...Is this interesting to others, or only to me? I am constantly stressing over this question, and have tossed some pretty good ideas/passages because they didn't quite pass the "Interesting" test--or at least I didn't think they did.<br />There are simply too many brilliant writers out there and the pressure is on to avoid the mediocrity pool.Robert Leland Taylornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6577390914059951291.post-63747597701885433072010-05-05T09:49:07.411-07:002010-05-05T09:49:07.411-07:00Ah, yes, voice. Thank you, Megan. That's a pro...Ah, yes, voice. Thank you, Megan. That's a problem for me, too. (It's beginning to sound like everything about writing is a problem for me!)<br /><br />(1) POV<br />(2) Moving targets<br />(3) Non-toxic backstory<br />(4) VoiceScotti Cohnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03550034108886104840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6577390914059951291.post-30368309221201318042010-05-05T09:38:51.845-07:002010-05-05T09:38:51.845-07:00Voice. It's the main reason for all my reject...Voice. It's the main reason for all my rejections. I think I've got it down now, but it's not easy.Megan Bostichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08811715491350987530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6577390914059951291.post-29098426875679941972010-05-04T12:37:23.560-07:002010-05-04T12:37:23.560-07:00Okay! We're picking up steam now!
(1) POV
(2) ...Okay! We're picking up steam now!<br />(1) POV<br />(2) Moving targets<br />(3) Non-toxic backstory<br /><br />Who's next?Scotti Cohnhttp://www.scotticohn.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6577390914059951291.post-48748110106901851782010-05-04T12:33:53.004-07:002010-05-04T12:33:53.004-07:00Third item: Writing in backstory without creating ...Third item: Writing in backstory without creating a toxic information dump site!!!!Michelle Sussmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16107477002733143764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6577390914059951291.post-36855846073723860032010-05-03T20:33:46.280-07:002010-05-03T20:33:46.280-07:00It sounds like "the moving targets of genre f...It sounds like "the moving targets of genre fiction" can be our second Item of Terror. Becky, I don't doubt you, but personally, I don't want romance in the adult suspense novels I read!Scotti Cohnhttp://www.scotticohn.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6577390914059951291.post-61017030121235743972010-05-03T18:30:10.646-07:002010-05-03T18:30:10.646-07:00No, adult suspense needs romance now.No, adult suspense needs romance now.Rebecca McFarland Kylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14859160319335914160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6577390914059951291.post-83947476313848435832010-05-03T18:28:04.383-07:002010-05-03T18:28:04.383-07:00The moving target of YA. Paranormal is in--no wai...The moving target of YA. Paranormal is in--no wait it's out. Romance is in--nope not any more. Etc. Etc. If you write adult romance, mystery or science fiction the rules are fairly consistent but not YA.Genevieve Jackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16178276724159826428noreply@blogger.com