Posted in Writing, tagged blogging, creative writing, editing, novel writing, novels, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips on 16 Apr 2013| 12 Comments »
Is there anything more desperate than an unpublished writer?
I’ve been participating in some of the writers’ group discussions over on LinkedIn and I swear, never have I seen so many people trying to augur the entrails of the publishing world, never have I read so many vaunted “rules” of writing, and never have I heard so much illogical “advice.” Never.
And yet, I understand it. I understand it all. (more…)
Posted in Writing, tagged blogging, books, cooking, creative writing, hard boiled egg, novel writing, perfect hard boiled egg, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips on 03 Apr 2013| 2 Comments »
There are some things I cannot do and will never be able to do. I will execute a perfect entrechat huit. I will never date Morena Baccarin. I will never be the conductor of a world-famous symphonic orchestra. I will never eat balut. The items on this list are there due to my physical limitations, my not having enough talent or time to achieve the goal, or my strong desire to not ever do such a stupid thing. (You can figure out which goes with which.)
There are other things I cannot do and should be able to do. These are things that are not beyond my physical capabilities or mental acumen. These are things I want to do but simply, at this point in time, cannot.
Like cooking the perfect hard-boiled egg. (more…)
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 »
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…
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.
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.
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…)
Posted in Writing, tagged blogging, creative writing, editing, novel writing, Writing, writing techniques, writing tips on 19 Feb 2013| Leave a Comment »
This edit only addresses the items highlighted in the original, and while I feel it is an improved version, there are still other problems–some of those “macro” level problems of the type I mentioned way back when I started this series. Problems like, say what? a new character halfway through a short story? Problems like, it’s just a bit dry and non-descript in places; too bland and banal. Problems like, it’s got a little too much sci-fi gimcrackery around the edges.
I’ll address these issues in a final rewrite, but for now, feel free to read and compare this to the original version.
Kurt R.A. Giambastiani 