tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post786337774445585484..comments2023-10-28T04:50:55.216-05:00Comments on Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life: Writing Lesson, Repetition #316Nancy Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05429062957063032872noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-42095675163749199622008-03-03T21:59:00.000-06:002008-03-03T21:59:00.000-06:00::waving back!::::waving back!::Nancy Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05429062957063032872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-433561922476575902008-03-03T21:48:00.000-06:002008-03-03T21:48:00.000-06:00Hi beth and nancy!Hi beth and nancy! < waving >boran2https://www.blogger.com/profile/10483728578007756485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-80515623621328322512008-03-03T21:44:00.000-06:002008-03-03T21:44:00.000-06:00Quck hi to the late boran2. :DQuck hi to the late boran2. :DNancy Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05429062957063032872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-8636911487565639812008-03-03T19:44:00.000-06:002008-03-03T19:44:00.000-06:00Boran, your work is a prime example of show, don't...Boran, your work is a prime example of show, don't tell. Although it probably would take less time to tell us about it! <BR/><BR/>Hope the rest of your week is less busy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-82755508198012671972008-03-03T19:41:00.000-06:002008-03-03T19:41:00.000-06:00Hi all. It was an especially busy Monday. I'm gl...Hi all. It was an especially busy Monday. I'm glad that it's over. I suppose that I could craft a picture rather than talk about it. But that might take a while. ;-)boran2https://www.blogger.com/profile/10483728578007756485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-42051951717090989892008-03-03T14:28:00.000-06:002008-03-03T14:28:00.000-06:00I get over-worried about beginners who may glance ...<I>I get over-worried about beginners who may glance in here. </I><BR/><BR/>I understand. It must get very stressful being a role model!<BR/><BR/><I>Jen, I love the idea of phone calls creating distance, showing avoidance. I never thought of it that way, and it sounds perfect in that situation.</I><BR/><BR/>Thanks, Beth, that helps me feel better about having made that narrative choice. I'm always worried about how things will convey to a reader, and how much of my intended meaning will make it across the gap, I'm sure you can relate. :)<BR/><BR/><I>Is a book ever really finished?? :-) I guess once it's on the shelf at B&N...</I><BR/><BR/>I read recently over at Paul Lamb's blog (hi Paul!) that John Irving has actually taken a pencil to his bound and published books, and I laughed for at least fifteen minutes because I can so easily see myself doing the same thing.<BR/><BR/>YAY Kelly! ::waves & grins as you drive by::Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00793793027935224823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-69647802071455453322008-03-03T14:04:00.000-06:002008-03-03T14:04:00.000-06:00{{{Nancy!!}}}Good luck and congrats, Kelly! All of...{{{Nancy!!}}}<BR/><BR/>Good luck and congrats, Kelly! All of that sounds really exciting. <BR/><BR/>Thanks, Nancy! I don't know that I'll ever feel as though I've learned everything I need to. It's nice to know that even experienced novelists feel that way. <BR/><BR/>Is a book ever really finished?? :-) I guess once it's on the shelf at B&N...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-26552529208680674392008-03-03T14:00:00.000-06:002008-03-03T14:00:00.000-06:00Hey all,Drive by today. Got a couple of book propo...Hey all,<BR/><BR/>Drive by today. Got a couple of book proposals that need to get finished after I get the beta draft done and I had big chunks of the plot of those fall in place today. Can't write as fast I need to right now.<BR/><BR/>TTFN<BR/><BR/>P.S. Andi, I absolutely love the last of those pictures.Kelly McCulloughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06399122960869198042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-6397310182428173092008-03-03T13:58:00.000-06:002008-03-03T13:58:00.000-06:00There are sooo many ways to be a beginner in writi...There are sooo many ways to be a beginner in writing, though I know what you mean, Beth. Every novelist I know feels like one all over again at some point in a new book. There's no "writer" who posts here who seems like a true beginner to me. Everybody's working hard and producing a lot (more than I do, frequently), and everybody's got quite a bit of experience in one form or more by now, including you with the book that is FINISHED and the new one you've started.Nancy Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05429062957063032872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-85291842861148976942008-03-03T13:49:00.001-06:002008-03-03T13:49:00.001-06:00I didn't mean to ignore you this morning, far - lo...I didn't mean to ignore you this morning, far - looks like we posted at the same time. Good luck in the fray - come back soon!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-52544014197458636942008-03-03T13:49:00.000-06:002008-03-03T13:49:00.000-06:00As one of those sorta-beginners (I'm not sure when...As one of those sorta-beginners (I'm not sure when I get to shed that label), no worries, Nancy. You do make it clear that rules can be broken, if done correctly. (We did an entire workshop on that last year at WRW.) But you better know what you're doing, and why.<BR/><BR/>Jen, I love the idea of phone calls creating distance, showing avoidance. I never thought of it that way, and it sounds perfect in that situation. <BR/><BR/>(Scribbling another rule in the Nancy Book of Not Really Rules But Kinda.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-33010844533007422812008-03-03T13:41:00.000-06:002008-03-03T13:41:00.000-06:00No, I know, Jen. I should have made some comment a...No, I know, Jen. I should have made some comment about the fact that it truly is a funny juxtaposition. <BR/><BR/>I get over-worried about beginners who may glance in here. I don't want them thinking there are rules they have to follow, or get their backs up in resistence to the idea of rules. Unless they're my rules, of course. That would be fine. :)Nancy Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05429062957063032872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-20163650489394511972008-03-03T13:34:00.000-06:002008-03-03T13:34:00.000-06:00I just thought it was a funny contrast in juxtapos...I just thought it was a funny contrast in juxtaposition; I wasn't trying to disagree with you, Nancy, and I hope that's not how my post came across. I wander afield from various accepted norms whenever it feels right but I'm actually very nervous about this making my work unmarketable.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00793793027935224823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-83045411615341549082008-03-03T13:04:00.000-06:002008-03-03T13:04:00.000-06:00Hey, Jen. Well, yeah, if there's a good reason for...Hey, Jen. Well, yeah, if there's a good reason for doing it, do it. <BR/><BR/>Anybody reading this--don't get hung up on the idea of rules or no rules. This isn't about conforming for the sake of conforming, or rebelling for the sake of rebelling. This is about writing the strongest, most involving scenes, whatever that may mean. The idea, and the only idea, is to be <B>conscious</B> of what we're doing and to know there are choices to make. Beginners usually don't even know there are choices between, say, showing and telling. They don't know what those are. <BR/><BR/>In any given scene, what works best? If showing makes it better, then show. If telling is more effective, then tell.Nancy Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05429062957063032872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-25737059752575895342008-03-03T12:24:00.000-06:002008-03-03T12:24:00.000-06:00Telephone scenes are my particular weakness. When ...<I>Telephone scenes are my particular weakness. When I write one of those, I know I'm avoiding something.</I><BR/><BR/>This made me laugh because I just wrote a chapter comprised entirely of three telephone calls back to back. The purpose of it, though, is to establish the protagonist as having been in a long-lasting mode of avoidance. Finally confronting that avoidance is a primary conflict in the rest of the story, so I think there'd be much less satisfying contrast and character development if I didn't open that way.<BR/><BR/>In a disclosure that will surprise exactly no one, I break a lot of rules when I write. :)Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00793793027935224823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-66821940717266766902008-03-03T11:46:00.000-06:002008-03-03T11:46:00.000-06:00Beth, lol! I LOVE that Susan G. story. And the mor...Beth, lol! <BR/><BR/>I LOVE that Susan G. story. And the moral of that, to me, is that sometimes we just have to go ahead and write that talking scene--in the car, on the phone, wherever--to see where it goes, or doesn't. For me, those scenes (most of which end up getting tossed) let me think out loud on the page. But oooo, to find holes in the roof and a great view! Nice.Nancy Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05429062957063032872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-74220421365102718182008-03-03T11:38:00.000-06:002008-03-03T11:38:00.000-06:00Mine all end up around the kitchen table, drinking...Mine all end up around the kitchen table, drinking coffee. (groan) But at least it's decaf! <BR/><BR/>Susan Goodwill told me a great story at WRW last year. When she was writing BrigaDOOM, she was looking for a new place to have a conversation, so she sent her characters up on the roof. Where they found holes drilled in it, and an amazing view of Lake Michigan. She didn't know the holes were there, nor the view. She found a new plot twist, and some great description.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-31998714034844272852008-03-03T11:34:00.000-06:002008-03-03T11:34:00.000-06:00LOL, Nancy! See what happens when I post before br...LOL, Nancy! See what happens when I post before breakfast?<BR/><BR/>As for the tattoo, VERY good point. Maybe I should do it in reverse, so I can look in the mirror and read it.<BR/><BR/>Or would that make the flashers show me their backsides, instead?<BR/><BR/>Hmmmm.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-12666253867993253982008-03-03T11:33:00.000-06:002008-03-03T11:33:00.000-06:00Hi, Kimberly. Nobody is sterner on us than we are,...Hi, Kimberly. Nobody is sterner on us than we are, I'm guessing. I see myself approaching myself with a wagging finger, even now. :)<BR/><BR/>Conda, "the dreaded tea scene," lol! Was it somebody here who advised against all scenes with conversations in cars? Of course, we know these "rules" can be too arbitrary, but they're handy little red flags. Telephone scenes are my particular weakness. When I write one of those, I know I'm avoiding something. In my last book, I think I let one stay in. You should have seen the number of them before editing. Yuk.Nancy Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05429062957063032872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-68183362430268081452008-03-03T11:30:00.000-06:002008-03-03T11:30:00.000-06:00Paul, I do think that some telling is good enough ...Paul, I do think that some telling is good enough to do just fine. But that kind of scene blares: Danger, Nan Robinson to me. Which only means that I make myself check it out to make absolutely sure that it really IS good enough.Nancy Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05429062957063032872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-86365152873869238932008-03-03T11:26:00.000-06:002008-03-03T11:26:00.000-06:00The last one is my favorite, andi, although they a...<I>The last one is my favorite, andi, although they are all quite telling.</I><BR/><BR/>lol! No, no, Beth! They are all quite <B>showing</B>. And may an older forehead offer you a bit of advice? Stamping "Show, Don't Tell," on your forehead could bring out the, er, worst in flashers.<BR/><BR/>:DNancy Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05429062957063032872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-4000723631000634112008-03-03T11:24:00.000-06:002008-03-03T11:24:00.000-06:00Far, about now probably EVERYthing is reminding yo...Far, about now probably EVERYthing is reminding you of something to do with ocmputers. <BR/><BR/><BR/>Rick, but it's only a repetition. You sure you want to read 315 earlier iterations of it?Nancy Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05429062957063032872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-29081030217256652722008-03-03T11:22:00.000-06:002008-03-03T11:22:00.000-06:00Wow, Andi, thank you! But in that first one? Who t...Wow, Andi, thank you! But in that first one? Who took down the Washington Monument?Nancy Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05429062957063032872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-88545213987349498422008-03-03T09:59:00.000-06:002008-03-03T09:59:00.000-06:00Ah, a reminder about what my w.g. has started call...Ah, a reminder about what my w.g. has started calling "the dreaded tea scene" ala Donald Maass, which goes: "Did you know?" "No, did you know?"<BR/><BR/>One of my w.g. members once said, early on when we were newbies: "It's in a coffee shop, that doesn't count."<BR/><BR/>Wrong.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the much needed reminder, Nancy.Conda Douglashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12972790965426924941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004909290975090333.post-11907275014991280902008-03-03T08:47:00.000-06:002008-03-03T08:47:00.000-06:00LOL regarding your "Dear Nancy, from Nancy." Somet...LOL regarding your "Dear Nancy, from Nancy." Sometimes I need to give myself a stern talking to as well. :)<BR/><BR/>Good morning, everyone.Kimberly Frosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01858506885360410658noreply@blogger.com