tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874501477620914375.post9193165172874571854..comments2024-03-28T09:00:44.576-04:00Comments on YA Authors You've Never Heard Of: Beginnings and Endings and Dingles. Oh my!Christine Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657651210128892443noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874501477620914375.post-81415649216282310202010-11-12T12:23:21.210-05:002010-11-12T12:23:21.210-05:00Hi, Brandon! Thanks for sharing your strategies on...Hi, Brandon! Thanks for sharing your strategies on the beginnings of your stories. I think that praying before each writing session is a great idea.<br /><br />I'm glad that the characters sometimes help you to fill in details about themselves. In my experience this tends to happen in fits and starts, just as you described. If we think about it, it' better than getting flooded with too much about a character all at once--just as we wouldn't want to run through all of the characteristics and motivations of a character in one place in our stories.<br /><br />I am very glad that you know have an end spot. Have you ever heard about the artist's strategy for drawing a straight line? Not with a straight edge, as you might think. Instead, you put your pencil on the spot where the line is to begin, then stare at the spot where the line needs to end. With eyes fixed, you move the pencil swiftly until it ends up on the goal. You get a straight line with a tiny bit of life to it, according to those who know. ;-)<br /><br />As for Dingle, I'm beginning to think that I've stumped everyone with what to do about the fragment I posted. I agree that there's an awful lot of ways to head with this fragment as a beginning. (Technically, it doesn't even have to be fantasy-with a couple of changes.)<br /><br />I think one of the problems I've always had with this fragment is similar to my problems with the Sequel to "Earthbow" -- I have too many options with how the story might go, not too few.<br />Thanks for writing!<br />SherryTSherryThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02964221770863733221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874501477620914375.post-45295501912562350522010-11-11T22:28:00.546-05:002010-11-11T22:28:00.546-05:00Hi Sherry!
We've talked more than a little a...Hi Sherry!<br /> We've talked more than a little about the story I'm working on... the first one I've been earnestly involved with in quite a long while. But I'll share again that I started with an idea for how the story started, and have just kind of gone from there. I've worked on developing the characters, although most often they develop in fits and starts that I can't explain. I didn't have an ending in mind, but I pray before I write, let God and the characters take me where they will, and we'll see. I now have a mental image of where the last scene will end up, but I don't know how all the subplots will resolve. For now, it's just part of the adventure, I suppose!<br /><br />So, long story short, started with a beginning, recently kinda was gifted with an ending, and we'll see how the rest fills in!<br /><br />As for Dingle, that is a most interesting way to start the story! In my limited imagination and certainly limited grasp of the world of fantasy and related genres, I am not sure where I'd take that story. It is a dramatic way to start a tale that leaves open many, many possible directions. I'll have to think about it and perhaps return to it when I can. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, experiences, and story with us!BrandonZnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874501477620914375.post-71363794928901092092010-11-11T16:07:31.194-05:002010-11-11T16:07:31.194-05:00Hi, Beverly!
Not to worry! It will still be here.
...Hi, Beverly!<br />Not to worry! It will still be here.<br /><br />Re "So much to do. So little time," you'll notice that I'm answering you three days later. I 'get' the lack of time.<br /><br />Are you involved in NaNoWriMo? My local writers' group (Written Remains Writers Guild) is doing a MiniWriMo, and posting our daily totals at Facebook's "How Many Pages Have You Written Today?" <br /><br />Keeping to the daily totals for a publisher's deadline or for a version of Nano really eats up the time, doesn't it? Good luck with whatever is eating up your time!<br /><br />SherryTSherryThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02964221770863733221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874501477620914375.post-53459636593422764692010-11-08T15:37:37.954-05:002010-11-08T15:37:37.954-05:00I'd love to read this when I have the chance. ...I'd love to read this when I have the chance. Will try to get back later. So much to do. So little time.Beverly Stowe McClurehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02176195451841801819noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874501477620914375.post-76914664332446680742010-11-08T09:17:26.594-05:002010-11-08T09:17:26.594-05:00Hi, JL!
Yeah, I like the beginning too which is wh...Hi, JL!<br />Yeah, I like the beginning too which is why it's always frustrated me.<br /><br />As for starting to write a minute before or after the action begins, I agree in principle. I just have trouble deciding what serves as the first and most important action to kick things off.<br /><br />I'm glad to read that I'm not the only person who has written a book/series with never-ending story. Actually, funny thing is I have two drafts for the last chapter of what I might as well admit is either a trilogy or a quadrology?/tetra-logy?.<br /><br />My problem is that I have several different ways that the various problems and personal conflicts can be resolved. Some of them were meant to be red herrings or dead-end approaches to these problems. But after all these years I don't remember which approaches would be likely to work best to resolve everything. <br /><br />My reluctant guess is that no combination of tools I've given the characters to work with so far is going to resolve everything to the readers' satisfaction. And I'm fresh out of new strategies with which the main characters can experiment. They are in a pickle, so I am in a pickle. Sigh.SherryThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02964221770863733221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874501477620914375.post-82278405316856126712010-11-07T16:15:27.952-05:002010-11-07T16:15:27.952-05:00Do like the beginning scene. I was always told to ...Do like the beginning scene. I was always told to start in the middle of the action or a moment before the action begins or a moment after it begins. By action I have come to figure this is the event that starts the story. I do like your book that never ends I have one of those also and I'm working on ending it now.Janet Lane Waltershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15488093917556546485noreply@blogger.com