KazG

Just dropping in quickly to say hello, and to apologise for my absence for the last few weeks. Will try and catch up soon. (Nanowrimo kind of took over).

It would be great if you could try and post some notes from the Stephanie Hutton workshop @raine. I’m at the stage where I find all the exercises very useful – end of first draft and starting the second which is when I try to do serious planning – but I agree timing is everything!

Sorry for not contributing this session. I did the reading, and enjoyed it, and think I’ll use some of the exercises to expand on what I already do when I’m planning. I didn’t get around to doing anything for this bit as I’m at totally the wrong point in any of my wips for it to work, and needed to get something finished, etc, etc!

Too late to…[Read more]

Sounds good @woolleybeans. Thank-you. 🙂

Wow. That went fast!

I’m happy with the timetable you suggest @woolleybeans and equally happy if anyone with a busier Christmas than mine wants to take it even slower. I’m getting a lot out of this and don’t see any need to rush!

Thanks for staying on top of it WB

Hi all.

Technically, we’re at the end of the 3 weeks for Class 2.

I, for one, am kind of all over the place. I’ve read all the core reading, shared my gleanings from Class 1 at my IRL writing group, done some exercises with them, but not done the exercises for Class 2 at all or really got going on the other elements. I was also meaning to join…[Read more]

Ha! Thanks @Squidge for the Julie Cohen notes, and I see I commented on your blog back in 2013,
(tho’ never went to one of her workshops) But immediately, with this, I see the beginnings of a character emerge. Admittedly, built onto the murderer I was groping for with the various questionnaires, but certainly growing.

I seem to be following @katemachon round the den and repeating everything she says. So once again… Thanks @squidge. It was a great blog. That Julie Cohen is a very clever person.

OK – here’s the link to Julie’s workshop at York (back in 2013! Yikes…) https://squidgesscribbles.blogspot.com/2013/09/playing-at-being-god-creating-characters.html

In this post is the link to a more creative – literally tear and stick version – way of answering questions about plot, characters etc. At the end of the post……[Read more]

I’ll try and dig them out later today. Think I might even have blogged about it, but we’re going back a few years. Also got something that might trigger the unconscious brain into devising your character…

@squidge I’d be interested in seeing those notes too.

I agree with you both about using the character questionnaire and other exercises at the early stages. It isn’t helpful for me. I need to write stuff and let them emerge. However at the end of first draft stage (which is where I’m at) I am finding it very useful for pinning down things about…[Read more]

Wonder if it’s worth doing Julie Cohen’s character idea from York? I’ll have to dig out my notes – it shows the character in action more than anything by posing a series of questions.

Starting to wonder if I read the right bit of Burroway, as I can’t remember reading anything about a waitress! Must revisit…

Afraid to say I find Burroway a bit wordy – which is ironic, given that I’m often too wordy myself! Still not had a chance to play with the characters yet…