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Post by ABishop on Jan 25, 2005 23:14:21 GMT
I also would love to know the answer to this one - my relatives would all read something I got published, and if I ever wanted to write a sex scene or anything... it doesn't bear thinking about! It always comes down to being honest with the characters. You're all they've got to tell the truth about this moment in their lives. Now, that doesn't mean you have to provide a biology lesson, and there's nothing wrong with being misty and vague or leaving the reader on the other side of the door before things get too...interesting. Anne
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Post by Chirugal on Jan 26, 2005 0:32:43 GMT
It's just embarrassing to even imply it when you know your grandma will read it! >_<
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Post by firelight on Jan 26, 2005 9:38:41 GMT
Thanks for the advice, Anne. The 'tell not show' thing is my biggest weakness so I'll go try out your suggestion.
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Post by marianne on Jan 26, 2005 22:56:09 GMT
Hi Anne,
would you mind sharing some of your work habits? Are you a morning writer, late night person? Do you write quickly? I think other writers are always interested in these things...
Also what have you got coming up bookswise, in the future?
Marianne
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Post by ABishop on Jan 26, 2005 23:47:42 GMT
It's just embarrassing to even imply it when you know your grandma will read it! >_< I figure, if romance writers can get over the embarrassment, so can the rest of us. Anne
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Post by ABishop on Jan 27, 2005 0:08:24 GMT
would you mind sharing some of your work habits? Are you a morning writer, late night person? Do you write quickly? I think other writers are always interested in these things... Also what have you got coming up bookswise, in the future? Marianne Hi Marianne, Because of other time commitments during the weekdays, I mostly write on the weekends, which gives me long stretches of focused writing time. Based on the usual length of my books, I need to hit 5,000 - 6,000 words a week to finish a first draft and still have enough time for the second draft before deadline. I am not a fast writer, so that translates to 15 - 20 hours at the keyboard each week. It also depends on where I am in a story. I know the beginning is slow going because I'm setting up characters and story, so I start with "musings" -- short writing sessions that are my "meet the characters" and general thoughts about the story. Those sessions help me start visualizing the story and scenes. From there I take a deep breath and wade into the first chapter. Which, come Monday, is where I'll be again -- working on a new story. This year I'm working on the second book of the Ephemera duology. Don't know if it will be called that, but that's what I call it. I turned in the first book a couple of weeks ago, and, as I said, will be starting the second next week. It's a new world with a new cast of characters, so last year, with the first book, I had the challenge of building that world, getting to know those characters, and figuring out what magical properties the people and/or world contained. The first book is scheduled to come out February 2006. Anne
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Post by marianne on Jan 27, 2005 21:58:46 GMT
Because of other time commitments during the weekdays, I mostly write on the weekends, which gives and/or world contained. The first book is scheduled to come out February 2006. I seem to have learned to write in short bursts which becomes problematic when I actually get some space for a long stint! Anne would you write outside the fantasy genre? And do you read other fantasy? MDP
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Post by ABishop on Jan 28, 2005 0:01:40 GMT
I seem to have learned to write in short bursts which becomes problematic when I actually get some space for a long stint! Anne would you write outside the fantasy genre? And do you read other fantasy? MDP I like the longer writing times because I can settle into that world and run with a whole scene. A couple of years ago, I did write a story that was Southern contemporary for a series called Mossy Creek. A core of Southern women writers had created this fictional town in Georgia and peopled it with quirky characters. When they were getting ready to do the third book in the series, they began inviting "guest" writers to participate. That was my first experience in writing in a world that had been created by someone else and having my character interact with already established characters created by other people. Since I love the Mossy Creek series, that was fun. I also wrote a young adult science fiction novella for a series of books called the Wonder Zone. That was my first attempt at SF (but there were unicorns in the story, too) as well as my first story written for a younger audience. But I like the ability to play in the kind of magical worlds that can be constructed in the fantasy genre, so I don't think I'll ever leave it completely. I do read other fantasy, although my reading time tends to be in concentrated windows of time these days. I enjoy Lynn Flewelling, Charles de Lint, Kristen Britain. On the SF side is Julie Czerneda. Anne
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Post by marianne on Jan 28, 2005 4:29:24 GMT
Remember Anne only has one more day!
Do you write a profile for each character before starting a new series/book Anne? I'm in the middle of planning a space opera and I find I get caught up in the nuances of the plot. Characters tend to pop up of their own accord. Do you have any character in your novels that you think...'well where the heck did they come from?'...
MDP
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Post by Cj on Jan 28, 2005 9:38:24 GMT
Hi Anne Sorry i'm late You seem like a very organised writer, do you feel like a stronger writer having structure? (deadlines for yourself each week) Do you have any advice for writers block? (silly question i know, but i'm desperate for ideas!!) And i dont mean ideas in the head, got them, i mean writing them down! And does anyone else have the problem of having so many stories going on that in the end none seem to get down on paper??
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Post by marianne on Jan 28, 2005 22:05:34 GMT
Hi Cj,
Sorry, I think Anne has finished. Her dates are slightly different to mine due to location.
For what its worth, this my take on Writers Block. It's a sign you need to take pressure off yourself. Go and do something else. If you feel frightened taking a total break from words then stick to writing very straightforward stuff. Write character descriptions, list items in scene, just don't try and write a story. The story will sneak up on you in the end!
I would think Anne's deadlines are driven by book contracts. When you have the sort of deadlines she has then you must write a certain amount of words a day/week/month to produce the work. There is a lot of pressure in have multiple book contracts although it sounds wonderful. When you do it year in year out like Laurel K. Hamilton, you have to be practical ie x words a day mean a novel by x. Not always ideal but that's the reality. Some authors don't want to have to do this - I know several who have turned down multiple book contracts. Other gets so popular they can take a bit longer because their readership will wait ie JKR.
Just keep being creative in other ways, Cj (art, cooking, swearing, whatever). The words will flow in time.
Marianne
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Post by Cj on Jan 28, 2005 23:29:04 GMT
Thanks Marianne, brilliant advice, i'll go get some character sketches done, i've been meaning to do them for ages! ;D (in case Anne ever drops back to the page) sorry i missed you I got a lot of help from your posts and i wish you luck in the future
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Post by ABishop on Jan 29, 2005 1:42:44 GMT
Do you write a profile for each character before starting a new series/book Anne? I'm in the middle of planning a space opera and I find I get caught up in the nuances of the plot. Characters tend to pop up of their own accord. Do you have any character in your novels that you think...'well where the heck did they come from?'... MDP Not a profile, because that sounds like I'm abitrarily assigning personality traits to a character, which I don't do. I think of it more like sitting at a table in a coffee shop and characters come in. Some look interesting but don't look at me twice (they're obviously not meant for me but for someone else) while others will come over to the table and chat. There's an initial sense of who that character is and what he or she looks like. So I get a superficial sense of who characters are, then get to know them through writing their story. When a character pops up unexpectedly, it's not so much a "where did you come from?" as "who are you?" And characters can surprise me. When I first started the Tir Alainn trilogy, I though Morag was going to be a minor character. Shows you how much I knew about Morag. Anne
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Post by ABishop on Jan 29, 2005 2:15:48 GMT
You seem like a very organised writer, do you feel like a stronger writer having structure? (deadlines for yourself each week) Do you have any advice for writers block? (silly question i know, but i'm desperate for ideas!!) And i dont mean ideas in the head, got them, i mean writing them down! And does anyone else have the problem of having so many stories going on that in the end none seem to get down on paper?? I don't know if I'm a stronger writer, but the discipline is required if I'm going to produce a book within the contract's timeframe. I can think of three reasons for writer's block. 1. The creative well is so dry you can't scrape mud from the bottom. That means you need to do things to feed the well and nurture your creativity. 2. You're trying to push the story in the direction you want it to go instead of writing the story as it's meant to be. 3. You've got the right framework (or bones) but you're not telling the right story. 4. (Did I say three before? I fibbed.) There's something missing, a gap in the chain of events, and until you figure out what it is, you're stuck. I use timed writings to get past any stumbling blocks. I'll sit down for 15 minutes (and I time it) and write down everything I can think of about the story and ask questions about characters and why they're doing what they're doing. Or just rant about the fact that I'm stuck and the characters aren't being helpful, and I'm coming down with a cold and feel rotten, and HOW IS X SUPPOSED TO FIND THE IMPORTANT CLUE IF HE KEEPS FLIRTING WITH THE TAVERN GIRL INSTEAD OF PAYING ATTENTION TO THE OLD MAN IN THE CORNER WHO IS ACTUALLY A WIZARD IN DISGUISE??? And after a few days of timed writings, I'll realize I figured it out and go back to the story. Too many stories? I think most writers start out with that flood of ideas and don't know which to grab. Or we start several and get a few pages into each, enjoying that rush of beginning something. The trick is continuing. No matter how much fun it is, writing is also work, and seeing a story through to the end isn't easy. So there are a couple of things you can do. Create a file folder of story ideas. When a story idea comes along, give it no more than a page, just enough to remind yourself of the characters and place and the story idea. Then file it and continue working on the story in progress. Or if you're looking to start a new story, skim through the file, then go do something else--and see which story rises to the surface and is the most demanding about being written. Also keep in mind stories have different gestation periods. Some will whack you upside the head and be there from beginning to end. Others might take weeks, months, even years to develop in the background while you work on other things. And some ideas, which seem wonderful at the time, will never be a story you write. Because it wasn't really your story to tell. Let them go. The stories that belong to you, that need your voice to come alive, they'll find you. When people ask why I write the stories I write, my only reply is, "I don't choose the stories. The stories choose me." And that, for me, is true. Anne
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Post by ABishop on Jan 29, 2005 2:21:51 GMT
Just keep being creative in other ways, Cj (art, cooking, swearing, whatever). The words will flow in time. Marianne A wonderful book about the spirituality of creativity is The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. I tend to read through it about once a year to help fill the well. And now it is time for me to go. I'm turning off the computer for the weekend to spend time thinking of the new story and filling the creative well. Marianne, it's been delightful being here. Thank you for inviting me. Anne
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