Give yourself permission to follow your energy.If you have energy to write something even if it means writing and rewriting, so be it.Just remember, you are not looking for perfection here, you are looking to build the structure on which to rest the story (1st draft) or (subsequent drafts) opportunities to dig deeper and, as Kate Braverman once said to me: find the doors and open them.Do like Hollywood movie directors and cup your hands around one eye like a telescope. Write about that one …
Middle: Territory of the Antagonists
(**Coming soon = 2nd Annual International Plot WriMo Pre-plot new story Plot revision of NaNoWriMoFinal test plot before send-offBegins December 1, 2009)The Middle of a novel, memoir, screenplay encompasses a whooping 1/2 of the scene and page count of the entire story. More writers lose their nerve in the middle of the Middle than in any other spot of the writing process.Two ways out:1) Develop a list of all the antagonists that will interfere with the protagonist reaching both her long and …
Plot versus Character
Funny to have two plot consultations with two different writers with such antithetical points of view when it comes to Plot versus Character.In my previous blog post, I ranted about plot getting a bad rap. The day after, I consult with a writer who cares only for plot (or, since I believe character transformation is critical to plot, rather the dramatic action side of plot.) This writer states his preference right up front when he declares that he doesn't know how the character changes …
An Insult to Plot
At first, I'm offended. But I'm always a little touchy when it comes to put-downs on plot.A writer gives up dreams of literary genius. Okay... this could be good. Writing a novel is a journey; can't afford unnecessary baggage. Letting go of genius allows her to write what comes to her. Not to censor herself. Let it be crap. Trust the process as she messes around exploring different voices on her search for her own true, authentic voice. ...for a "mass market deal you buy in the airport." My fur …
Slogging through the 1st Draft
I wrote today's Twitter (1/2 pt. = commits to journey. Things seem to get a bit better. They're about to get way worse = Crisis 3/4 pt.) based on something I heard Andre Agassi say in an interview about his memoir. I missed the part about why he despises tennis from the start but at around the Middle of his journey to wholeness, he quits drugs and alcohol and commits to tennis for the very first time. Agassi's Halfway turning point does what all good Halfway turning points do: signals a move …
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