Thank you, Kathy. A few weeks ago I went back to a book draft I had let sit for about 3 years. The story was OK, but the writing... I saw so many flaws in it, so many annoying traits that I was completely blind to when I was deep into it. I isn't that I learned a lot in 3 years (I did one workshop, lol!), but I wrote a lot and these muscles got more limber. Like ballet.
Oh my goodness, I thought I was the only child who did that, learning ballet from books (those were the days before YouTube, obviously). My mother refused to spend money on ballet lessons, plus she had been in the same hospital ward as a ballerina whose partner had dropped her and she ended up paralyzed, so she never allowed me to attend lessons, even though the doctor said it might help with my scoliosis. I was so determined to learn, that I borrowed books and religiously practised several times a week, choreographing my own dances, doing all the barre exercises and so on.
Now... if only I could apply this consistency to my writing!
Oh wow! Another writer told me the same thing. Maybe it's an early desire for self-expression and beauty. Marina, that is a fascinating story. Feels like the bones of a personal essay. Just sayin'! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Oh, Kathy, thank you for this article -- it's been a long year of feeling like I'm all thumbs when I'm trying to put a story together, and sometimes it's hard to imagine anyone else going through it, too. So this meant a lot -- thank you. :)
Loved this article— thank you Kathy. I especially love the last challenge where you asked us to try adding in a vice we were always told not to do. I had to do that in my latest book, due out spring 2022, because I couldn’t figure out any way around it and I just had to try to see if I could make it work.
I hope when it hits the shelves people feel it was done successfully!
Thanks for reading, Mari! Congratulations on your latest book! Interesting that you used deux ex machina. I bet you managed to incorporate it seamlessly. : )
Thank you for saying that, I sure hope I did and I would give you the example but it would give away a big surprise in the book, so I can’t! (Since it’s the third in a three book series I try to keep some secrets in my back pocket!)
Thank you, Kathy. A few weeks ago I went back to a book draft I had let sit for about 3 years. The story was OK, but the writing... I saw so many flaws in it, so many annoying traits that I was completely blind to when I was deep into it. I isn't that I learned a lot in 3 years (I did one workshop, lol!), but I wrote a lot and these muscles got more limber. Like ballet.
Ah, yes! We do see our work differently as our writing muscles get more limber. Great analogy. Thanks for stopping by, Martine!
Oh my goodness, I thought I was the only child who did that, learning ballet from books (those were the days before YouTube, obviously). My mother refused to spend money on ballet lessons, plus she had been in the same hospital ward as a ballerina whose partner had dropped her and she ended up paralyzed, so she never allowed me to attend lessons, even though the doctor said it might help with my scoliosis. I was so determined to learn, that I borrowed books and religiously practised several times a week, choreographing my own dances, doing all the barre exercises and so on.
Now... if only I could apply this consistency to my writing!
Oh wow! Another writer told me the same thing. Maybe it's an early desire for self-expression and beauty. Marina, that is a fascinating story. Feels like the bones of a personal essay. Just sayin'! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Oh, Kathy, thank you for this article -- it's been a long year of feeling like I'm all thumbs when I'm trying to put a story together, and sometimes it's hard to imagine anyone else going through it, too. So this meant a lot -- thank you. :)
I'm so glad you found it useful, Wendy. I'm with you, about this long year. Thanks for reading and this lovely comment.
Loved this article— thank you Kathy. I especially love the last challenge where you asked us to try adding in a vice we were always told not to do. I had to do that in my latest book, due out spring 2022, because I couldn’t figure out any way around it and I just had to try to see if I could make it work.
I hope when it hits the shelves people feel it was done successfully!
Thanks for reading, Mari! Congratulations on your latest book! Interesting that you used deux ex machina. I bet you managed to incorporate it seamlessly. : )
Thank you for saying that, I sure hope I did and I would give you the example but it would give away a big surprise in the book, so I can’t! (Since it’s the third in a three book series I try to keep some secrets in my back pocket!)
Oh, this landed at such a perfect time! Thank you!!
Ah, I'm glad to hear it, Anne! Thanks for reading!
Super good.
Thanks for reading!