tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post6813637331938358570..comments2024-03-29T09:16:30.082-04:00Comments on Writers Who Kill: Six Pointers in Writing a NovellaJim Jacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-86733806775678756282016-10-19T07:57:27.260-04:002016-10-19T07:57:27.260-04:00Funny you should mention computer user manuals. I ...Funny you should mention computer user manuals. I just pitched out (recycled!) a number of old manuals (Frontpage 2002!) and Writers' Market type with similar old dates, freeing up about 18" on a shelf. some fiction is nearly timeless, but most ends up in the scrap-heap of history. [How many Greek plays can you name of the thousands written?] However, while your stuff is out there, it's fun to have people reading it.Jim Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-57206290992676928482016-10-18T21:55:49.835-04:002016-10-18T21:55:49.835-04:00I'm late coming to your interesting post. I us...I'm late coming to your interesting post. I used to write computer user manuals, which with the fast changes in technology, are now in a landfill. With any luck they were recycled instead. We used to write for three categories of users: those users who would never read the manual unless absolutely stumped; users who might occasionally scan the manual, and those users who wouldn't take a step without following the guide step by step. It was challenging work to make the material clear and straight forward. <br /><br />But since my manuals are now outdated and of use to nobody, I'm motivated to write fiction that I hope will have a longer life span. <br /><br />Grace Toppinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10291304815273486038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-33480225052280705862016-10-17T13:31:42.724-04:002016-10-17T13:31:42.724-04:00My pleasure, Vicki.My pleasure, Vicki.Jim Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-21793017276448438152016-10-17T12:19:30.917-04:002016-10-17T12:19:30.917-04:00Good stuff, Jim! I write a lot of short stories. L...Good stuff, Jim! I write a lot of short stories. Lots of people say they can't but they can. Your points hit how to perfectly. Thank you for sharing.Vicki Batman, sassy writerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13846704675542248648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-31819863532838413472016-10-17T11:01:55.839-04:002016-10-17T11:01:55.839-04:00Suzanne -- Yep HATE that backstory color to show u...Suzanne -- Yep HATE that backstory color to show up in large blocks or very often in those first few pages.<br /><br />And then, when I've polished scene 1, I need to make sure scene 2 doesn't contain a ton of backstory either!!Jim Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-11046188519687129252016-10-17T10:49:26.242-04:002016-10-17T10:49:26.242-04:00The color analysis with markers is invaluable in p...The color analysis with markers is invaluable in polishing a manuscript. Margie Lawson also teaches the technique, although what she designates by colors differs from Ramona's designations. For example, Margie uses blue for dialogue. Regardless, it gets the job done.<br /><br />I just ran a color analysis on chapter one of my second draft. Zoiks, 25% of first page is backstory! <i>Must</i> do something about that today. The rest of the chapter, where they're finding the victim's body and endangering themselves in the process, is a much more balanced blend of action and description with a bit of dialogue thrown in.Suzannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11624472793275282926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-38075661964199139242016-10-16T17:28:29.219-04:002016-10-16T17:28:29.219-04:00When all else fails, read the directions.
Very in...When all else fails, read the directions.<br /><br />Very interesting, Jim. And in your usual organized fashion, you've laid it out very clearly, which is of tremendous value.<br /><br />I tend to write from a single POV, regardless of the length of the work, but the complexity certainly differs depending on the anticipated length.KM Rockwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03973749764907859829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-40443875086587019982016-10-16T16:04:27.691-04:002016-10-16T16:04:27.691-04:00Jim, thanks for the instructions. I've saved t...Jim, thanks for the instructions. I've saved them to my files for the time I decide I want to write a novella. <br /><br />I don't read instructions, either, until I get in trouble. Actually, if I think it's too big a problem from the beginning, I call on my son, grandson or one of my daughters to figure it out. Gloria Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13581719606924364447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-6140127602655822672016-10-16T14:54:10.360-04:002016-10-16T14:54:10.360-04:00Donnell -- So picture a Venn diagram with three ci...Donnell -- So picture a Venn diagram with three circles One is female, one is male and the third isthose who don't read instructions. There is no overlap of the male and female circles (although now they flatten out and touch a little to account for transgender). There is a large overlap between no instructions and males and a small overlap between no instructions and female -- That's You!!<br /><br />The three others are Polly Iyer, Tina Whittle, and Jon Bryant.Jim Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-26866999149608374722016-10-16T14:35:12.583-04:002016-10-16T14:35:12.583-04:00Thanks for the useful information.Thanks for the useful information.Warren Bullhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07789270258599769915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-6381656805089628142016-10-16T14:25:14.436-04:002016-10-16T14:25:14.436-04:00Oh good grief, all this time, I never knew, I'...Oh good grief, all this time, I never knew, I'm a guy! I always treat writing instructions like guidelines, but this one my feminine side took over and I decided to read every detail. Thanks Jim. Sounds like an interesting anthology. Who's participating? <br /><br />Donnell Ann Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07943037206984648849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-85873163660800533512016-10-16T08:32:51.542-04:002016-10-16T08:32:51.542-04:0020,000 words sounds about right--the length of fou...20,000 words sounds about right--the length of four 5,000 word short stories, enough for a satisfying character and plot arc without subplots. Thanks for the summary.Margaret S. Hamiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07979191318652199350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-91281030779745960952016-10-16T05:25:14.523-04:002016-10-16T05:25:14.523-04:00Kait -- The coloring system is something I teach i...Kait -- The coloring system is something I teach in my self-editing class, but stole from Ramona DeFelice Long. She describes it in this WWK blog: <a href="http://writerswhokill.blogspot.com/2010/07/first-chapter-coloring-project.html" rel="nofollow">http://writerswhokill.blogspot.com/2010/07/first-chapter-coloring-project.html</a><br /><br />In two senses, writing this novella has been easier for me. Because I have only one main storyline and one subplot, it is simpler to write because I didn't have to interweave multiple subplots. Also, since it is shorter, I could keep all the little details in mind while I rewrote and now polish.<br /><br />I find short stories harder to write because I struggle to bring my writing down to a single idea. My thinking (and therefore my writing) tends toward bringing in lots of bits and pieces to develop a coherent idea. I don't have time for that in a short story.<br /><br />Of course I'd need to write four novellas and a couple of short stories to equal the total words of a full novel, so it should be easier!<br /><br />Whether I have successfully written the novella will have to wait until I hear reader reactions.<br /><br />I'll be interested in what others who have written novels, short stories, and novellas have to say about the relative ease they experience.Jim Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15090252530437277145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-993649290245605005.post-61973240247169857372016-10-16T03:24:21.732-04:002016-10-16T03:24:21.732-04:00Interesting, Jim. I'm curious about the highli...Interesting, Jim. I'm curious about the highlighting on the page you show. Could you give us a cheat sheet for each color? It looks like an interesting visual system. Are you finding it easier or more difficult to write a novella than a novel or a short story? It seems like a comfortable length to work with. What's your take on it?Kaithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07758348842858993203noreply@blogger.com