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McAnally's (The Community Pub) => Author Craft => Topic started by: Starbeam on January 08, 2010, 10:39:13 PM
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Not so much about how to write, but just about writing. I went to the bookstore the other day, and browsed through the writing section, which I do sometimes when I get bored. I came across a couple books that kinda kicked my mind into overdrive. Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury, and I forgot the title of the other, but it's by Terry Brooks. Neither is really much about how to go about writing, but more just about how they write and some of the things that affected them. Somewhat similar to King's On Writing. Figured I'd mention them and maybe they'll be helpful to others.
Few others I bought but haven't read yet, Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maas, Janet Evanovich's book about how she writes(don't remember the title), and some book called Write. I skimmed the Evanovich book, and the one thing I pulled out of that was that she doesn't outline, she storyboards. Silly little word change to some, but for others, like me, that could be a huge change that makes it easier to do. The write book was something about making the left and right brain work together to overcome writer's block, but from doing the little exercises in the first few chapters, I don't seem to have the sort of problem that's geared toward. Though out of that, I got the setting word count goals for a reward, and wrote almost 1400 words this week, and now my b/f's going to take me out to eat.
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Writing the Breakout Novel was one of the rare writing books that had a piece of advice that I've used repeatedly since I read it. That alone makes it a book I always recommend to people.
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I usually don't bother with books that are more how to type things, but the guy owns/runs a literary agency with quite a few names I recognize on the client list. And has a seminar thing with the same name. I figured he probably knows what he's talking about.
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That's why I picked it up. So many books on writing are by people I've never heard of, it's hard to take them seriously. Well, to be fair I hadn't heard of Donald Maas at the time either, but like you said, his credentials spoke for themselves.
And it's different than other "how to write" books. It's not... It's not long, rambling discussions on the power of the outline or anything. It's practical advice, things you can try in your own writing. The bit I talked about above, for example, was when he suggested consolidating characters. If you have a bunch of characters, try combining two or more of them into one character. Then instead of having a lot of semi-formed characters, you get one really rich, layered character.
I have a before-and-after of a story I wrote where I combined the main character's ex-boyfriend and the man who wants to use her for her talent into the same guy. I ditched the ex-boyfriend idea, but gave the user and the main character the same sort of irritate-each-other vibe, plus gave the user the ex-boyfriend's role in the story -- that of partial antagonist and foil for the main -- and they clicked beautifully. I ended up with a really cool dynamic because of that change.
And I've used that advice in almost every story I've written since. In my NaNo, the two cops have become one cop with a dual function, most recently.
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Another good one by Stephen King was "Danse Macabre" - it was the text book he wrote to teach his horror writing class from. It's very good, and in it he goes into what makes horror scary.
I've also heard good things about Natalie Goldberg's "Writing Down the Bones", and Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird". But I've gotten the most use out of "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron.
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Have you everread Geogre Orwell " Why I write ". It is not a how to write manual but it deftinely got all my neurons firing
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Another good one by Stephen King was "Danse Macabre" - it was the text book he wrote to teach his horror writing class from. It's very good, and in it he goes into what makes horror scary.
I've also heard good things about Natalie Goldberg's "Writing Down the Bones", and Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird". But I've gotten the most use out of "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron.
That was something I didn't know about Danse Macabre. I thought it was a short story collection. Heh...I'm gonna write these titles down to browse for at the bookstore.
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That was something I didn't know about Danse Macabre. I thought it was a short story collection. Heh...I'm gonna write these titles down to browse for at the bookstore.
So did I, but I became fascinated quickly after actually beginning to read it! Enjoy!
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And I've used that advice in almost every story I've written since. In my NaNo, the two cops have become one cop with a dual function, most recently.
I've been doing that a lot myself, though admittedly it's largely because I tend to forget all about the second cop and realize I don't need him there at all.
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I reccomend "The Constant Art of Being a Writer" by N. M. Kelby. It's a great look into all facets of writing, whether you write casually or as a profession. The sections are also very convenient if there are things you are simply never going to do or to find that little piece of advice you want to read again. Everything from writer's block and the muse to writer's communities and residencies to outling and review.
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Have you everread Geogre Orwell " Why I write ". It is not a how to write manual but it deftinely got all my neurons firing
I actually just finished up a semester long project on Orwell. "Why I Write" came in pretty handy and gave all sorts of insight into his work. :)
I'll have to try out the consolidating characters idea, I'd never really thought of doing that before. I guess it makes sense though; the less characters you have the more you're able to develop each one.
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"Self-editing for Fiction Writers" enough said. goofy grin inserted here.
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"Writing Down the Bones." Cannot remember the Author.
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"Writing Down the Bones." Cannot remember the Author.
That would be Natalie Goldberg
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William Goldman's two volumes of Adventures in the Screen Trade; the how-to-write bits are mostly focused on screenplays, but contain much excellent understanding of story. (The books are at least as much memoir as manual, but most fun memoir.)