@barrywalsh
Active 3 years, 11 months ago-
RichardB replied to the topic The $2,000,000 Guitar in the forum Blogs 6 years ago
Sadly, I have heard today that Peter Green, without whom this blog wouldn’t have been written, has died at the age of 73.
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RichardB posted an update 6 years ago
Something to celebrate on a grey, miserable day – at least it is where I live.
Some of you may remember me posting not long ago about the explosion that destroyed (and I mean destroyed) a house in Seven Sisters, just down the road from me, and how the neighbours (one of whom happens to be a retired firefighter) went in straight away, before t…[Read more]
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Such things as this are good for my own disillusioned heart to know as well. I can never be reminded too many times, people aren’t all bad. Thanks for sharing.
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RichardB replied to the topic Richard's Literary Byways: The Beginning Place, by Ursula K Le Guin in the forum Blogs 6 years ago
Not too challenging, Kaz, if you do what I did and go to abebooks.com. When I looked there were quite a few copies available from various sources.
As for fantasy speaking to human reality, a lot of the tide of stuff that’s come pouring out since LOTR opened the flood-gates simply doesn’t. As a matter of interest here is Le Guin herself’s rather…[Read more]
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RichardB replied to the topic The ultimate story/narrative arc in the forum
A place for Stupid Questoins 6 years agoI’m another one whose eyes glaze over at charts, grids, questionnaires and all the rest of it, and find the idea of forcing a story into a set framework very inhibiting. I’d come to suspect that lack of a coherent framework in my writing was one reason I’ve never got on the road to publication, but when I applied the 7 Cs to my last effort it…[Read more]
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Sandra replied to the topic The ultimate story/narrative arc in the forum
A place for Stupid Questoins 6 years agoThanks Sea – not heard of the ‘7 Cs’ but it makes perfect sense. Perhaps it is that it can’t be immediately applied from the start, i.e. you (meaning one, and definitely I) have to write quite a lot of scenes involving character and events before the story line appears, after which tweaking into shape can take place.
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Seagreen replied to the topic The ultimate story/narrative arc in the forum
A place for Stupid Questoins 6 years agoWhat about ‘Save the Cat’ by Blake Snyder, Sandra? It was one of the recommended reading books when I started Golden Egg.
Regarding plotting, I use the 7 Cs as a framework:
Connection to character – introduction to the character as he is now. Forging a connection i.e. why the reader should care about this person.
Catalyst – Inciting incident.…[Read more]-
Thank you, Seagreen. The 7 Cs is the most useful and memorable framework I’ve seen – and one comes across a lot of them. Definitely the 7 Cs is a mnemonic to save for next time I need to think about plots.
Many plotting techniques remind me of ‘My Way’. Techniques, I’ve seen a few/many/umpteen, but then again too few to mention.
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Sandra replied to the topic The ultimate story/narrative arc in the forum
A place for Stupid Questoins 6 years agoI’m relieved to hear I’m not the only one to have been unable to find a theoretical how-to-plot scheme that works for them, and I really have tried because plotting is certainly what I find hardest, not being a natura story-teller.
Screenwriter Jeremy Sheldon did a brilliant presentation at a Festival of Writing weekend, (2014?) and I’ve been…[Read more] -
Squidge replied to the topic The ultimate story/narrative arc in the forum
A place for Stupid Questoins 6 years agoI always sit in on these ‘story arc’ kinds of sessions in the hope I’ll find one that works for me. I never have…
I do have two that help remind me of the essentials though.
The triangle…I learnt it on the self edit course (now run by Jericho Writers) and blogged about it here:…[Read more]
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Squidge posted an update 6 years ago
Any more takers for the July comp? We’re halfway through the month…
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Go on! You know you want to. It’s only 400 words. Don’t let me be the winner by default – I want my brilliant words to do it!
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I’m half way through an entry.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Planning vs Winging it. in the forum
A place for Stupid Questoins 6 years agoThis is about as not stupid a question as I can think of. In essence it’s ‘how do you write’. The supposed divide (classically) is between pantsers and plotters. Plotters, apparently, plan every detail, before they begin. Every chapter and plot point is set out. if a chapter should end with a challenging hook, then it’s there in the plan. Once the…[Read more]
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I think most of us are probably ‘Plantsers’ in reality. And yeah, it means you do end up on the wrong path sometimes. Lots of times, actually… I’m trying to sort one out at the mo in Tilda #3, and it’s hard to back-track and find the point where you actually first stepped off the path.
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I’m convinced that you need to be both a planner and a pantser – yes, a planster. The planning and pantsing parts of your brain need to find a way not to just to give each other space but to support each other.
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Seagreen replied to the topic Planning vs Winging it. in the forum
A place for Stupid Questoins 6 years agoI start with a name – a character who rattles a stick along the boundaries of my subconscious. Someone who, when I am not looking, will sneak through a gap in the railings and broadcast snippets of conversation to pique my interest. If this character stalks me when I am waling the dog, or when I’m driving, then I might allow him/her free-write…[Read more]
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Squidge replied to the topic Planning vs Winging it. in the forum
A place for Stupid Questoins 6 years agoI normally have a character and and end in sight when I start. Apart from that, I don’t do much planning at all – my brain simply doesn’t work like that. I’d love to be more organised, but personally it’s stifling. I am full of admiration for peeps who do the whole character file/in depth plot/post-it scene arrangements etc!
I do a lot of…[Read more]
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Squidge posted an update 6 years ago
In case Denizens are interested… I’m doing a digital zoom launch for Tilda#2 next Friday – details here: https://squidgesscribbles.blogspot.com/2020/07/you-are-invited-totilda-2s-book-launch.html
If you can’t make it, there’ll be a recording which I’ll post at some point in the future.
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Sandra replied to the topic Planning vs Winging it. in the forum
A place for Stupid Questoins 6 years agoI used to begin with a conversation between two characters and spread from there. One book I was ~20K in before I knew who would die, and a further 20K before I knew who did it. Even so it turned out to be someone else.
Now that those characters have become so familiar and the twists and turns of their lives compelling enough to become a…[Read more]
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Checking something else, I came across this 2015 blogpost about a book now awaiting a final beta reader : http://sandra-linesofcommunication.blogspot.com/2015/08/back-to-front-strange-and-alien-progress.html
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Athelstone replied to the topic Richard's Literary Byways: The Beginning Place, by Ursula K Le Guin in the forum Blogs 6 years ago
Aha, this was the first Ursula K Le Guin book that I read and it made quite an impression on me.
I think you’ve put your finger on why a mixture of normality and fantasy is so effective. The magic becomes a metaphor for the way that changes happen in our lives. As well as providing entertainment for those of us who like a bit of magic in our…[Read more]
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RichardB started the topic Richard's Literary Byways: The Beginning Place, by Ursula K Le Guin in the forum Blogs 6 years ago
The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that this is the second book by Ursula K Le Guin that I have featured in these blogs. This is not a coincidence. I apologise to no one for my admiration of her writing: I believe that she deserves to be ranked, not only as a great writer of sci-fi and fantasy, but as a great writer full stop. I once (or…[Read more]
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A lovely blog, @richardb, and I wholeheartedly agree with your summary of le Guin – she is absolutely one of my favourite writers. I loved her as a young thing and my admiration has only deepened as my own writing journey progresses. Ive never read this and will seek it out – thank you!
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly comp: July 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 1 month ago
Month of the Cat
To be clear, although Gus didn’t get on with the cat, he was never cruel to it. When his wife, Mildred, died he didn’t want to go on taking care of it.
‘It’s vindictive,’ he said, ‘it kills half a dozen birds every day. It craps on the decking, wrecks my flower borders, and last week it scratched up the wallpaper.’…[Read more]
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Squidge posted an update 6 years, 1 month ago
@knickylaurelle – Hi Knicks…sorry but I can see your question but can’t find a way to reply to it! Glad to hear you’re doing OK in spite of everything…having littlies around while studying is HARD! Well done you for getting through it all x
I’m good, ta… writing is much slower going, cos my head’s not always in the right place to…[Read more]
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Hey Squidge! I’m glad I can see your reply and post one of my own. I just finished posting a reply to Kaz and can’t seem to find my way back to it. The Forest of Vanishing Posts is simply marvellous 😌 I’m so glad you’re good, and I absolutely understand the headspace. Socks make life worth living, don’t even @ me on this haha. Comfy feet are the b…[Read more]
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Should be available on Amazon, but also available via the publisher direct http://bbp.bedazzledink.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=6&zenid=961f25f4969463b72b3509e3392cd593
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Competition: June 2020 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 1 month ago
Congratulations, Squidge. Great story.
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Thanks, Ath. Dare I say it was something I rushed off? Not sure why, but they seem to be the better of my short pieces. Perhaps because I didn’t examine it too much?
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