As soon as the iPad inspired a slurry of Android clones I’m sure more than a few writers thought, “Now I can write that novel or screenplay in bed, waiting at the doctor office, or yes, even while sitting on the toilet!” But wait! Not so fast. How does the state of the art stack
Why shower crayons work: Routine. It forces us to focus and make decisions, even if it’s only for a few minutes a day. You don’t need hours, days, or weeks to make a decision. Most decisions can take place within a few seconds. Even the most creative thorny problems. You may not find the best
Novelists usually work by a process of drafting. They write straight through to a 1st draft. Then they change the things they don’t like in the 2nd draft, and iterate into a 3rd, etc. Drafting is a linear process. Plotting, also sometimes called ‘blocking,’ is used by script writers to establish economical scene flow.
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Posted by : | On : August 3, 2007
Novelist’s Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes is pretty good if you’re looking for something scene-centric.
The book is a great refresher, and it’s nice to read something focused around the building blocks of stories.
Gasoline on the fire!
I don’t read nearly as many craft books any more. When I find I have a problem with some aspect of my writing I’ll read one, or when some one suggest a really good book I’ll read it. Mainly I find I just read the same thing over and over…and I don’t have the patience for it. I rather write and rewrite to get a scene right. I’m more of a write and learn than read and learn person. Always have been, which is good sometimes and other times it wouldn’t hurt me to read a little more.
Not having the patience is sometimes exactly why I read them. If I don’t have the energy to write on a particular day, I’ll crack open a book on the craft, and pretty soon I have the energy.
I figure if I can read about it, I could be doing it, right?
Break glass in case of emergency…