Melanie Fraser

Thanks @JaneShuff. It’s really fascinating the amount of detail you’ve gone into, and you’re asking all sorts of questions that would never have occurred to me. I’ll have to ponder this for a while and try and apply it to a character. Many thanks.

Hi @JaneShuff – two brilliant characters here. One bursting off the page, and the other grinding their teeth in the background.

I’ve concentrated on the distinguishing features, and these are the impressions I got as I read:

The initial description of Dipsy’s (great name) clothes – ‘capacious’ and big pleated skirts’, made me think of someone on…[Read more]

Thanks WB. those writing exercises look like great fun.

Sounds good @woolleybeans.

Thanks @squidge – a great blog.

I’d be interested too @squidge.

I’m glad it wasn’t just me who read the wrong bits! Some of the suggestions in this chapter are quite subtle and may be beyond my sledgehammer approach. 🙂 Was interested at the example of the waitress and how she was characterised by her actions while the customers were characterised by their looks.

I shall have to give this questionnaire some…[Read more]

I haven’t finished this chapter yet, but I’m already fascinated. Love the Sloane rule that speech ‘must do more than one thing or it is too inert for the purposes of fiction.’

And the example of the argument about sinking the oil rigs was an eye opener – to engage us emotionally in a disagreement, the characters must have an emotional stake in…[Read more]

Thanks for all your hard work @woolleybeans.

Nice summary @JaneShuff. I think you’re right – it’s about getting in the mindset of making notes and creating work regularly. I read an interesting quote from Ira Glass about closing the gap between what you want to be creating and where you are now. That was all about doing a big volume of work and having deadlines. It’s back to the old idea of…[Read more]

Works for me. I’ve got my journal ready, just haven’t written in it yet! But a step in the right direction.

I believe there’s a chemical released in your brain during traumatic (or very happy) events that fixes the memory. Probably some sort of survival learning mechanism I would guess. But this does mean our I Remember pieces are like to be tear jerkers. I had a go yesterday and was reduced to sniffling. I’m going to a conference on UK GAAP this…[Read more]

So poignant, Hil. He sounded like a lovely person.