Time’s up!
Our “Handwritten MS” Contest is complete. And the winner is…
Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category
The View from Here – Contest Results
Posted in Writing, tagged blogging, contest, creative writing, handwritten manuscript, novel writing, the view from here, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips on 01 Mar 2013| 1 Comment »
Backstory is a Harsh Mistress
Posted in Writing, tagged backstory, believable characters, character history, Characters, creative writing, novel writing, Writing, writing structure, writing techniques, writing tips on 28 Feb 2013| 7 Comments »
My recent reading has hammered it in: Backstory–a word my spellchecker hates (though it doesn’t have a problem with “spellchecker”)…I swear; it’s like being edited by a 6th grader with OCD–is absolutely crucial. I’ve known this for a long time, but I’m sort of obsessing about it, now, as I prepare for this new book. I see backstory everywhere in great writing, and it makes all the difference.
You’ve probably heard it: “Your characters aren’t born on Page One.” Meaning, our characters need a history, a reason to be the way they are, where they are, and with whom they are. Lately, I’ve also realized that this rule isn’t just for characters. Places and sometimes even objects need a backstory. The town they live in, that rocking chair in the corner, that leather-bound book there on the shelf, that old pitcher with the crack in it, the dog asleep in the corner…anything can benefit from a backstory. Problem is, I can’t put all that backstory in a book.
New writers often seem to think that, if something is not in the book, it’s not important. This may well be true, but with backstory, this attitude can lead to two major mistakes: putting backstory in the book, and not putting backstory in the book.
The View from Here – Contest Deadline
Posted in Writing, tagged contest, creative writing, fiction, handwritten manuscript, novel writing, the view from here, writing errors, writing mistakes, writing techniques, writing tips on 28 Feb 2013| Leave a Comment »
A quick reminder: Today is the last day to put in your bid for the “Cast in Stone” rewrite documents.
Go to the contest post for info on how to enter to win the original story, my handwritten rewrite, and the final draft with markup.
k
The View from Here – Cast in Stone – Final
Posted in Writing, tagged blogging, creative writing, editing, fiction, short story, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips on 26 Feb 2013| 4 Comments »
Drum roll, please….
This is the final version, rewritten top to bottom. As I was typing it all in from my handwritten rewrite (which you can win, by commenting on the “Contest” post before Friday), I found it interesting to have the original version open in a side-by-side window. When you look at them both, everything from the original version is here in this final, but it all (at least to my mind) has more depth, and the characters’ actions seem more thought out. Getting inside a character’s head is something I did not know how to do, twenty years ago (among other things!)
This has been a very educational trip, for me. Back when I started this series, I was writing down things that I’ve learned but never put into words. And, coming face-to-face with my former self, I could see all the things that editors were saying to me over and over. I never had a “light bulb” moment regarding these errors. Learning how to write, becoming a better writer, is an accretive process, not a sprint from one epiphany to another. You might “get” the concept in a flash, but learning how to do it takes time and practice.
Anyway, I hope you’ve found it as enlightening as I have, and now, the big reveal…
The View from Here – Contest Update
Posted in Writing, tagged blogging, contest, creative writing, handwritten manuscript, novel writing, the view from here, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips on 23 Feb 2013| 3 Comments »
I finished the rewrite of “Cast in Stone,” today. It’s longer and, in my opinion, much improved. I’m going to give it another read-through before posting it, but I’m pretty happy with it.
As a reminder, I’m giving away the original story, the hand-written rewrite, and now I’m adding the marked-up printout that I created during this rewrite process. To enter this contest, go to the original contest post and leave a comment (full rules after the jump).
Rewrites are always instructive, if you approach it with the right attitude. Problems I thought were insurmountable (albeit 20 years ago) I now find correctable.
- The “new character halfway through the story” issue was solved by bringing all three characters into the first scene.
- The “too-short scene near the end” issue was fixed by combining it with the following scene.
- The “too many POVs” issue I addressed by pulling the entire story up into full omniscient viewpoint.
But why rewrite the whole story, every word of it? Well, my style has changed a lot in 20 years, and I want it to sound like me, now, and not me, then.
Keep your eyes peeled.
The View from Here – Contest
Posted in Writing, tagged blogging, contest, creative writing, handwritten manuscript, novel writing, the view from here, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips on 21 Feb 2013| 12 Comments »
Tonight, as I was working on the rewrite of “Cast in Stone,” I thought it might be a lark to offer up my handwritten MS to anyone who wants it.
Full disclosure: If no one puts in for it, I’ll pout a wee bit.
And so…
If you want to receive in the post a printout of the original version of “Cast in Stone” (with colorized markup, as posted here on this blog) accompanied by my handwritten rewrite (I’m rewriting the entire story, not just sections, on Rhodia paper with a St Dupont pen using Noodler’s Baystate Blue ink), all you have to do is this: (more…)
At Blackbird House
Posted in Books, Writing, tagged Alice Hoffman, Blackbird House, books, creative writing, novel writing, novels, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips on 21 Feb 2013| 2 Comments »
I know you’re all anxiously awaiting the “big reveal” on my full rewrite of “Cast in Stone”–he said, his words dripping with sarcasm–but that’s still a couple of days away. Meanwhile, I’m still working on the analysis task I set for myself.
If you’ll recall, as preparation for my next book, I’ve been analyzing the writing of some writers whose style I’d like to emulate. I’ve started with Alice Hoffman’s Blackbird House, a set of vignettes describing centuries of life around a single location. My goal was to understand how she is able, with extremely simple language, to create the feeling of lyricism and the mystical atmosphere that imbue so much of her work.
Let me warn you, though, before you take on a task like this. Just as most sausage-lovers don’t like to see sausage being made, doing a breakdown/ analysis/ desconstruction of a favorite author’s work can take some of the magic out of the reading experience. Suddenly, you’ll see the elements on every page, in every paragraph, and it may take some time before you can stop seeing those elements (if at all).
Kurt R.A. Giambastiani 