Yay! I finished another chapter! I'm on a roll!
For those of you counting, that's 7/15 completed at exactly 19,000 words. I'm really hoping it works out to be over 50,000.
And even more good news! (I know, I'm extremely happy)
I sent Being Evil to my friend (not a real beta reader) and she called me up laughing from the first paragraph. How much better can it get?
Unfortunately I don't think I'll use her for a serious beta. But she will definitely help me with the more vague suggestions (such as this part was boring, this description took too long, or I didn't understand this part).
But OMG another party is in order. Only I am NOT buying the snacks.
-Jessie
Showing posts with label good. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good. Show all posts
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Rainstorm: Character Development
8/18/2010 5:50 PM
Character Development is a tricky rainstorm. Sometimes it can be on a warm summer evening, when you dance in the rain laughing just because the rain feels so good. But sometimes it can be a huge terrifying lightning storm that gives you nightmares of freaky bat aliens.
Just me?
And it all depends on whether all the pieces fit together or if they seem completely unrealistic. Characters are people. Where they come from, and what happened there define who they are in your book. And your character cannot be unrealistic. How can someone with a perfect life, and who was completely happy, suddenly become sullen in your book? No, don't give me that moody teenager excuse. Readers aren't stupid, and we don't like feeling cheated when we read. Characters are real to us. Make them real.
But don't stress. And never lose the essence of your character. Too many suggestions can drown your character. To strengthen your character, add controversy, and interesting stories. But remember; too much going on can leave the reader confused, and sometimes it may not make sense.
Which storm hit you?
-Jessie
Character Development is a tricky rainstorm. Sometimes it can be on a warm summer evening, when you dance in the rain laughing just because the rain feels so good. But sometimes it can be a huge terrifying lightning storm that gives you nightmares of freaky bat aliens.
Just me?
And it all depends on whether all the pieces fit together or if they seem completely unrealistic. Characters are people. Where they come from, and what happened there define who they are in your book. And your character cannot be unrealistic. How can someone with a perfect life, and who was completely happy, suddenly become sullen in your book? No, don't give me that moody teenager excuse. Readers aren't stupid, and we don't like feeling cheated when we read. Characters are real to us. Make them real.
But don't stress. And never lose the essence of your character. Too many suggestions can drown your character. To strengthen your character, add controversy, and interesting stories. But remember; too much going on can leave the reader confused, and sometimes it may not make sense.
Which storm hit you?
-Jessie
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Rainstorm: Plot Walls
8/8/2010 4:40 PM
Everyone hits plot walls. No matter how well thought out something is, when a hint of doubt enters your mind, suddenly everything is wrong.
This happened to me recently. I was feeling really down about my story, I kept feeling like something was wrong, something was pulling the story down, but I couldn't figure it out. Then I suddenly realized two of my characters were completely useless. I actually had to remind myself to write about them. It was as if they were completely invisible and, somehow, those two characters translated into a boring/depressing writing experience, that I avoided at any cost.
Plot walls are good. They're the stress button that tells a writer something's wrong, and something needs to be changed. But you have to be careful. If it's a big plot wall, that needs major editing and you're almost done writing, finish the book. Just write down your notes and finish the book. You would've had to rewrite eventually. You might as well have something to work with.
Hey, I think the clouds are clearing up...
-Jessie
Everyone hits plot walls. No matter how well thought out something is, when a hint of doubt enters your mind, suddenly everything is wrong.
This happened to me recently. I was feeling really down about my story, I kept feeling like something was wrong, something was pulling the story down, but I couldn't figure it out. Then I suddenly realized two of my characters were completely useless. I actually had to remind myself to write about them. It was as if they were completely invisible and, somehow, those two characters translated into a boring/depressing writing experience, that I avoided at any cost.
Plot walls are good. They're the stress button that tells a writer something's wrong, and something needs to be changed. But you have to be careful. If it's a big plot wall, that needs major editing and you're almost done writing, finish the book. Just write down your notes and finish the book. You would've had to rewrite eventually. You might as well have something to work with.
Hey, I think the clouds are clearing up...
-Jessie
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