Love all this, especially about voice & in medias res. You once told me to write the whole backstory for me, but cut that out for the readers and start with slice of life, and in middle. Sure some of that info is going to go into flashback if needed. But it’s so true that it’s super boring to read the whole Wake up the in morning and press snooze opening.
I think a lot of the time I know this stuff intellectually but still have a hard time knowing what’s the middle. Or insecure about creating obfuscation. But this topic is prescient because many of us binge shows (or books—I know lately I read them faster) and we’re smarter—and more jaded to overdone storylines or ones that don’t have authentic voice. This is why I think every project whether a new poem, short story or novel is its own new “foundational” thing like you’re saying.
Yes--it was maybe an odd decision to place this in with "foundational"! A good reminder that--on so many levels--we're all 'foundational' throughout our writing years!
Love your "wake up, press snooze" opening--well put :)
Alison, this helps so much. I had to audition so many characters for my current book. I won't toss the scenes they were in, but curate them in a collection of short stories. As an emerging fiction writer it's easy to be confused on who is the main character and who can narrate the story most effectively. It depends.
It came out of my years studying theater and hearing directors talk about the how the chemistry between actors make a scene come alive. Before that, they were words on a page translated from the creator's ideas. I'm tired of being a shut-in as well.
Are we talking lock-down requirements or feeling ill? Or both? In my case, both. I've had symptoms since Saturday. Tired and sore all over.
BUT this is so interesting--the chemistry between actors--and actors playing characters... but the chem between them as actors comes first? That does make sense. And that translates to you auditioning for character-parts...
Alison, I'm so sorry you got Covid and hope you are holding up. So far, my family hasn't caught Covid. We test when we come down with something, but the line hasn't gone pink.
I was just rereading this post (trying to catch up on my reading and rereading) and it caused an interesting reaction in my brain. I have been revisiting a novel I put away a decade ago. It was crap, but the idea was good, so I did a bunch of background work on it with a goal of starting the writing soon, but that first scene just would not come . . . until this morning, when I read this post. It's like it pushed the key log and broke the logjam. I'm thrilled with these opening pages. Thanks, Alison! :-)
Yeah! You've made my day. So good to read. There's nothing quite like a real breaking through... as satisfying to us writing addicts as it is to find the close of a piece, the 'break through' is even more so--the answer to a puzzle. Most often, a very human puzzle.
Love all this, especially about voice & in medias res. You once told me to write the whole backstory for me, but cut that out for the readers and start with slice of life, and in middle. Sure some of that info is going to go into flashback if needed. But it’s so true that it’s super boring to read the whole Wake up the in morning and press snooze opening.
I think a lot of the time I know this stuff intellectually but still have a hard time knowing what’s the middle. Or insecure about creating obfuscation. But this topic is prescient because many of us binge shows (or books—I know lately I read them faster) and we’re smarter—and more jaded to overdone storylines or ones that don’t have authentic voice. This is why I think every project whether a new poem, short story or novel is its own new “foundational” thing like you’re saying.
Yes--it was maybe an odd decision to place this in with "foundational"! A good reminder that--on so many levels--we're all 'foundational' throughout our writing years!
Love your "wake up, press snooze" opening--well put :)
Alison, this helps so much. I had to audition so many characters for my current book. I won't toss the scenes they were in, but curate them in a collection of short stories. As an emerging fiction writer it's easy to be confused on who is the main character and who can narrate the story most effectively. It depends.
I love the concept of auditioning your characters.
Yes! Auditioning! Is this how you think of it at the time? Or in retrospect?
Months ago, I wrote a post about working on a collection of connected stories--sometimes that works to include characters who are jostling each other for starring roles! https://unschoolforwriters.substack.com/p/writing-the-collection-of-connected
Sorry for the slow response--been working on the newsletter for first of the month and dealing with the misery of covid--quite tired of it!
It came out of my years studying theater and hearing directors talk about the how the chemistry between actors make a scene come alive. Before that, they were words on a page translated from the creator's ideas. I'm tired of being a shut-in as well.
Are we talking lock-down requirements or feeling ill? Or both? In my case, both. I've had symptoms since Saturday. Tired and sore all over.
BUT this is so interesting--the chemistry between actors--and actors playing characters... but the chem between them as actors comes first? That does make sense. And that translates to you auditioning for character-parts...
Alison, I'm so sorry you got Covid and hope you are holding up. So far, my family hasn't caught Covid. We test when we come down with something, but the line hasn't gone pink.
I was just rereading this post (trying to catch up on my reading and rereading) and it caused an interesting reaction in my brain. I have been revisiting a novel I put away a decade ago. It was crap, but the idea was good, so I did a bunch of background work on it with a goal of starting the writing soon, but that first scene just would not come . . . until this morning, when I read this post. It's like it pushed the key log and broke the logjam. I'm thrilled with these opening pages. Thanks, Alison! :-)
Yeah! You've made my day. So good to read. There's nothing quite like a real breaking through... as satisfying to us writing addicts as it is to find the close of a piece, the 'break through' is even more so--the answer to a puzzle. Most often, a very human puzzle.