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Hi! A professional writer would like to make 2 comments.
Hi! A professional writer would like to make 2 comments.
If I may.
First, in your opening statement, which I recreate below:
"Those of you that are curious to know where I've been, what I've been up to, what planet I've been on (okay, maybe not that, I've still been on earth), check out Tiger's Lair where I have a report on my new adorable and cuddly kittens (FINALLY!)"
You have committed a MAJOR snafu for any professional, competent writer. First a brief note on my qualifications: A BA in PhotoJournalism from Cal State U Northridge. A year on FULL Academic Scholarship at Pepperdine U as an undergraduate.
My credits include writing for the Space Station project (NASA), and the 777 project (Boeing), as well as a long list of DOD projects.
Now, on to your snafu. You introduced your entertaining and thought-provoking remarks with the following:
"Those of you that are curious to know...."
Human beings are quite simply NEVER referred to with the indefinite pronoun "that". Human beings are ALWAYS referred to with the indefinite pronoun "who".
I have a dog that is constantly barking!
I have a friend who is a cop.
The word "that" is reserved for animals, plants, and inanimate objects. In the same way you would NEVER tell me "I have a book in my library who tells you all about..." You don't say "I have a buddy that..."
And, yes, I know that we hear people misuse "that" a LOT, and we CONSTANTLY hear people being referred to as "that." Making the same mistake 20 Million times, like 2 + 2 = 17, doesn't make the mistake correct.
On to your 2nd comment, your final one.
"With my most recent novel, I know that I thought about making a change that would essentially delete the first 20 pages and change ten more. I still haven't decided if I'm going to make that change yet, but instead of obsessing over it, and waiting until I've decided I plunge on, going with the feeling that eventually the characters will tell me what to do."
I myself have now written 3 novels; well, actually one novel that became 2 novels because I had written a 1,000 + page first novel. The agent I contacted said, "first step, shorten it or chop it in half." So my LONG book became the novel and its sequel. As yet unpublished, and likely not publishable. I now understand why I hear so often that a writer's first novel was never published. It is frequently merely a learning tool to help the writer learn to write novels.
My 2nd novel-- a much better effort, I believe--actually just about wrote itself. It was / is autobiographical, but I had NO idea how to end it, and it pretty much ended itself.
So I certainly relate to the characters "taking over."
John Weatherly
posted by
JohnWeatherly
on September 27, 2006 at 10:51 PM
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Tigerprincess.
I have to agree that the characters eventually tell the writer where to go and how to sort out their various problems. Seems you'll do better with that next class. Good luck!
posted by
word.smith
on September 13, 2006 at 7:21 PM
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I've discovered over the previous two weeks of gardening - directed by Ell -that I always overthink. Looking at a garden which needs to be weeded and considering it is the wrong attitude. The right attitude is 'do it,' then it's done.
posted by
johnmacnab
on September 13, 2006 at 4:11 PM
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That's a good one - feel it, rather than overthink it
posted by
Straightforward
on September 13, 2006 at 8:18 AM
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When you over think something you end up doing nothing.
Well, at least I do. So sometimes it pays not to think...I think.
posted by
Whacky
on September 12, 2006 at 8:30 PM
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Tigerprincess--- Yes, overthinking is the cause of many so-called writers'
blocks. And, yes, writing and theater are similar in that regard. With writing, though, at some point, thinking must figure in, but not necessarily when you are trying to get started. Often, it's best to just start hitting the keys.
posted by
Jazwolf
on September 12, 2006 at 3:10 PM
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hey Tiger! good to see you again!!
posted by
Julia.
on September 12, 2006 at 1:37 PM
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Yep, the characters will tell you.
posted by
_dave_says_ack_
on September 12, 2006 at 12:42 PM
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When can we look for you
on "Last Comic Standing?" I love that program -- and watching comics learn the trade. Making people laugh is a wonderful gift - to everyone concerned. :)pat
posted by
Pat_B
on September 12, 2006 at 11:58 AM
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