Evolutionary Plume

Providing Explicit Critique Part II--Gibberish about characters

Well, the second part of my message disappeared so, any way to continue. Gibberish to me is noise that comes back after you have provided a critique to someone. The rules of the game we were given was 1) never argue. The critiquer isn't interested, in general, to why you think they are wrong about your story. Here's some common things that can go wrong and how you might interpret them:

1) I can't relate to character x--they are so unbelievable or that would never happen:

Think about who gave you the comment. Is such a character likely in their experience? I was on jury duty during a time when my girl friend and I partied at some of the night clubs around Pioneer Square. The question came up whether or not a "non-hooker" girl would ever be about on 1st Avenue in Seattle at 10:00 pm on a Sunday. My experience said yes. Two-thirds of the jury responded that only hookers would be out. Result : hung jury. This happened several times.

How do you fix this problem?

Maybe you don't. Maybe these people aren't in your target audience. Or maybe your story needs to add more information. Sometimes the problem is your character hasn't provided enough physical and emotional responses.

Providing explicit critique

When I started writing and learned how to give and recieve critique, I quickly found that my best friends were the ones that wanted to hear about the problems in their manuscript. To me it meant they were dedicated to turning their story into the best story they could make. It meant they didn't want to hide from work or from learning. I have never given harsh critique in the spirit of decimating my closest competitor. Instead, when I look at a story, I look to see how it is structured and how the character develops. If I supply an explicit explanation of what needs to happen, it is because I'm communicating what's wrong in something that I think has great potential to improve. And if I've given praise--that is not just because you're supposed to, but because I meant it. Don't cry about honest critique -- fix your story and profit from the help you were given.

Oh, by the way, don't waste my time with gibberish in response.

Believability & characterization in writing

I guess I read somewhere that if an author makes you cry, you can be sure that they have cried ten times or more while they've written it. People don't cry unless they've felt the pain and anguish involved. So in order to write it convincingly, an author has to have been there. If you read something and it is awful and yet it doesn't feel that awful--either the writer hasn't had the experience or they haven't allowed themselves into that pain.

It's not enough to have the flexibility of brain that allows you to see inside other human beings, but you have to have had the experience, at least a similarity of experience that allows you to write it. It seems that when you create a character that everyone wants to defend, they go to the nearest source--the one that looks similar to how I wrote it without every understanding that I would never write it that way. No character of mine resembles any of the people I have met in my life. I take one person's hair, another  person's problems, another persons way of walking, and make someone else that exists in my writing and no where else.

But every one of them was me first. That's why authors are told to write what they know.

And what is the biggest reason that someone will deny their feelings and the evidence before their eyes and reject a truth? It's because the evidence violates some deep seated-belief about the way that society operates. Like drug problems are a minority issue. Like behavior outside the norm causes ostracism rather than the opposite--the people doing the ostracism can't bend far enough to allow an outsider inside. Like a woman could know science and math.

Someday when you face death in the face, repeatedly, you too will know fear and when deaths calls for you wearing the face of someone you love you will know anguish.

Believability & characterization in writing

I guess I read somewhere that if an author makes you cry, you can be sure that they have cried ten times or more while they've written it. People don't cry unless they've felt the pain and anguish involved. So in order to write it convincingly, an author has to have been there. If you read something and it is awful and yet it doesn't feel that awful--either the writer hasn't had the experience or they haven't allowed themselves into that pain.

It's not enough to have the flexibility of brain that allows you to see inside other human beings, but you have to have had the experience, at least a similarity of experience that allows you to write it. It seems that when you create a character that everyone wants to defend, they go to the nearest source--the one that looks similar to how I wrote it without every understanding that I would never write it that way. No character of mine resembles any of the people I have met in my life. I take one person's hair, another  person's problems, another persons way of walking, and make someone else that exists in my writing and no where else.

But every one of them was me first. That's why authors are told to write what they know.

And what is the biggest reason that someone will deny their feelings and the evidence before their eyes and reject a truth? It's because the evidence violates some deep seated-belief about the way that society operates. Like drug problems are a minority issue. Like behavior outside the norm causes ostracism rather than the opposite--the people doing the ostracism can't bend far enough to allow an outsider inside. Like a woman could know science and math.

Someday when you face death in the face, repeatedly, you too will know fear and when deaths calls for you wearing the face of someone you love you will know anguish.

Margie Lawson EDITS Editing Class at Tacoma CC

Last weekend I spent two days in Margie Lawson's EDITS method editing class at Tacoma CC and had a great time working through four of my chapters of my novel. My husband also attended and worked on two of the chapters. I learned a few new techniques and a whole lot of vocabulary about things that I did in my writing sort of well, and how to improve it so it really rings true. Fun class.

Meanwhile, I've also judged in two contests and have been working on critiques to get my novel through the critique process, and of course I had to come down sick, too. Oh, well.

Finished a few writing articles :

Tips for Writing a Science Fiction Novel

Do Coloring Books Make Senior Citizens Brainier?

Top Ten MindBlowing Science Fiction Books

More fun coming down the road in the next months.

Writing Science Fiction

I've been in Florida for the past month visiting relatives, writing articles, and meeting some new favorite people and places. My novel is progressing well, have the outline settled and a good portion edited. While I've been editing, I've managed to iron down some of the tips for what makes good science fiction in my mind. This has been based on reading a variety of the classics and new books and from discussions with my friends. Read more> Oh, and also on reading those all time classics on how to write science fiction "World's of Wonder" by David Gerrold, "How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card, and "How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy, and Science Fiction" by Robert Bloch.

Marketing your articles at Specusphere

I wrote this article about using spreadsheet to manage the marketing of my writing. It includes spreadsheets for tracking hits and for managing your exposure. Included also is a discussion about managing your contacts, understanding your themes, and using bookmark services. It's a lot of hard work but eventually it pays off in hits.

read more | digg story

Using Spreadsheets to Track Tax Data for Your Writing

A neat article about how to use spreadsheets to collect the data you need to pay your taxes for your home business or writing business..

read more

Folders and other writing supplies from RapidSupplies

RapidSupplies is a great source for paper folders. They have folders of every type and size. They have medical folders, colored top tab folders and colored end tab folders, and more. They also have hanging folders and the tabs. You can also find dividers in the same area. They come in different amounts and RapidSupplies offers bulk discounts and free shipping on orders of more than $75. They take most credit cards in payment via GeoTrust hacker safe security. RapidSupplies carries most office supplies and offers them from a product sorted web site. You can track your order from their site. This is a paid post.

Home Writing Business: Build the Spreadsheets Needed for Taxes

The article discusses the basic book keeping information needed to file your taxes when operating a small home business, especially a writing or arts business. It describes how to set up spreadsheets. It discusses where the information is used when filing your taxes..

read more | digg story

Kaleidotrope and How to Start a Webzine

The editor, Fred Coppersmith at Kaleidotrope has a new blog. He's opened submissions to year-round. Kaleidotrope published one of my poems in March and two more are due out in October. This is a fun 'zine--the humor is good. I cracked up reading the "Reader Personality Quiz" and "Wonan the Barbarian and the Sentence of Certain Death". But not all the stories/articles/poems are funny. I really liked "Three Stories--Nothing was Enough, Spider's Landing, and Circle Run" by Beth Landford, possibly because I'm studying short fiction at the moment. Good value all around.

Fred's page points to two good article by John Klima, editor of Electric Velocipede about starting your own e-zine.

Kaleidotrope and How to Start a Webzine

The editor, Fred Coppersmith at Kaleidotrope has a new blog. He's opened submissions to year-round. Kaleidotrope published one of my poems in March and two more are due out in October. This is a fun 'zine--the humor is good. I cracked up reading the "Reader Personality Quiz" and "Wonan the Barbarian and the Sentence of Certain Death". But not all the stories/articles/poems are funny. I really liked "Three Stories--Nothing was Enough, Spider's Landing, and Circle Run" by Beth Landford, possibly because I'm studying short fiction at the moment. Good value all around.

Fred's page points to two good article by John Klima, editor of Electric Velocipede about starting your own e-zine.

More on the Pacific Northwest Writer's Conference

One of the workshops I attended at the conference was hosted by Jennifer McCord of Jennifer McCord Associates, and Roberta Trahan, of Idyllwynd Communications. They put on a presentation on Business Etiquette which largely focused on a set of "bad ideas" authors get about conferences. Some of those include the idea that if a manuscript is requested, you shouldn't send it because they didn't really mean it. And dealt with the difficulties of waiting to find out the results. They also discussed how to dress and the differences between Seattle and New York, how to make conversations, and how to make contacts. Smiling, standing up straight, dressing comfortably in business casual were good ideas.

Mythology

In "The Writer's Journey" Christopher Vogler explains the importance of myths in our understanding of what makes a good story, see my list of useful writing books. Before I travel to any new country, I want to know the history and the mythology for that country. On one hand, the mythology tells the stories told by the common people and handed down through time. See my list of favorite mythology books. History, on the other hand, is told more from the point of view of the society and related events. In addition, I also want to know about the natural world environment that I will encounter, especially where to find birds and mammals and what some of the native plants look like. Travel guides explain some of the modern amenities like roads, hotels, restaurants and things to do. I like to write stories set in places I've visited because having done the research, I bring a lot of knowledge about the place tied with experiential memories. I believe this adds additional layers to my work.

Mythology

In "The Writer's Journey" Christopher Vogler explains the importance of myths in our understanding of what makes a good story, see my list of useful writing books. Before I travel to any new country, I want to know the history and the mythology for that country. On one hand, the mythology tells the stories told by the common people and handed down through time. See my list of favorite mythology books. History, on the other hand, is told more from the point of view of the society and related events. In addition, I also want to know about the natural world environment that I will encounter, especially where to find birds and mammals and what some of the native plants look like. Travel guides explain some of the modern amenities like roads, hotels, restaurants and things to do. I like to write stories set in places I've visited because having done the research, I bring a lot of knowledge about the place tied with experiential memories. I believe this adds additional layers to my work.

Doing research? Consider a free membership at Carmun

Doing research? Consider a free membership at Carmun

Review of: Carmun, Reference

By: Sheri F. on Judy's Book

Rating: 4 stars

Read review on Judy's Book.

The Carmun website is a useful site for those doing research, especially college students. Membership is free and you're allowed to select a university and its library for accessing ratings on resources. The best part of it is you can build your bibliography, both from typed in information about books you may have used and from clicking on links on a website. Your account allows you to establish as many projects as you want. You can also enter ratings descriptions of the books you use.

Where to build an archive?

This question came to mind, once I realized that I couldn't keep writing reviews and not have a place to store them. I decided my web page wasn't the correct place to put them, for one, it didn't have the built in capabilities that my blog had--those of a subject and yearly sort mechanism. Therefore, my blog will now become my store of old reviews that have no other place, or at least, will hold links to secondary sources for the same information.

Reviews can be sold to someone who will pay for them, or to a site that will store them online. Once they leave that site's archive, the potential is there to put them into one of the book store's reviews with a link in your blog or to rehost them on the blog itself.

Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms is a useful reference for the writer and poet.

Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms is a useful reference for the writer and poet.

Review of: Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms, Books

By: Sheri F. on Judy's Book

Rating: 4 stars

Read review on Judy's Book.

Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms is a useful reference for the writer and poet. It contains information about word roots, where they originated and in what language and the common meaning of that root. It does the same for combining forms -- these are the typical endings to words, an example is -merous for instance meaning many. It's organized alphabetically. It can help you identify what a foriegn work might mean without a dictionary for that language. It can also help with old latin forms and unusual names. By knowing the roots, a writer can have fun making sure their writing isn't too esoteric and too down to earth.

Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms is a useful reference for the writer and poet.

Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms is a useful reference for the writer and poet.

Review of: Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms, Books

By: Sheri F. on Judy's Book

Rating: 4 stars

Read review on Judy's Book.

Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms is a useful reference for the writer and poet. It contains information about word roots, where they originated and in what language and the common meaning of that root. It does the same for combining forms -- these are the typical endings to words, an example is -merous for instance meaning many. It's organized alphabetically. It can help you identify what a foriegn work might mean without a dictionary for that language. It can also help with old latin forms and unusual names. By knowing the roots, a writer can have fun making sure their writing isn't too esoteric and too down to earth.

Tips for getting started as a writer:

Tips for getting started as a writer:

By: Sheri Fresonke Harper

Category: Opinion > Other

Read the article on Judy's Book.

I haven't been all that successful, but here's what I've learned so far:
1) decide what areas of interest you have and focus on those areas when writing articles -- Money pleases many people, gardens, crafts.
2) Writer's Digest and Writers, and Poets and Writers, Byline magazine and other market sites are useful in planning where to submit your articles.
3) Start small and build to larger pieces. Write short short stories, limited tips and helpful hints, and send to the smaller markets. Try blogging. Keep trying everything you can think of. Find markets for book and business reviews.
4) Submit a piece at least 15 times before retiring it.
5) If a novelist -- choose your genre, study it, and stay with it, don't try to get too large an area of focus.
6) Meet people and network. The web is an easy way to socialize. Be nice and helpful.
7) Focus on the long term and not the short.
8) Focus on a piece until it is finished, then work other ideas.
9) Organize your writing life -- have a filing system, money tracking system, idea system.
10) Use online resources -- laptop, web, etc. as much as you can and back up your data thoroughly.
11) Join a critique group.

My list of Useful References for Writing Poetry

My list of Useful References for Writing Poetry

By: Sheri Fresonke Harper

Category: Opinion > Other

Read the article on Judy's Book.

A rich repetoire of poetry includes unusual topics, different forms, different voices, good music and the like. Anyone thinking of trying should consider these references, easily used by a beginner (click on link to read my review):
- The Making of a Poem by Mark Strand and Eavan Boland
- Creating Poetry by John Drury
- The Art and Craft of Poetry by Michael Bugeja
- The Practice of Poetry edited by Robin Behn & Chase Twichell
- Merriam Webster Rhyming Dictionary

My list of Useful References for Writing Poetry

My list of Useful References for Writing Poetry

By: Sheri Fresonke Harper

Category: Opinion > Other

Read the article on Judy's Book.

A rich repetoire of poetry includes unusual topics, different forms, different voices, good music and the like. Anyone thinking of trying should consider these references, easily used by a beginner (click on link to read my review):
- The Making of a Poem by Mark Strand and Eavan Boland
- Creating Poetry by John Drury
- The Art and Craft of Poetry by Michael Bugeja
- The Practice of Poetry edited by Robin Behn & Chase Twichell
- Merriam Webster Rhyming Dictionary

Monk at the Moment of Enlightment and writing prompts

Went to Seattle's Asian Art Museum to do my assignment with the "monk at the moment of enlightenment", a cool wooden sculpture. He looks like someone I know, someone staid, meditative who suddenly had the urge to turn into a dancing girl, one of the other artworks there.

I've heard lots about how to go about writing and making one's own writing prompts, but... it's a lot more fun to write with one, almost like playing a game to trick oneself into a new mind. A bunch of my writing has come from finding a piece of art I relate to, a sudden idea, a mood, or from a variety of writing prompts. See my webpage for an Amazon linked list to my favorite writing prompt sources and Judy's Books for my reviews:

A Writer's Book of Days by Judy Reeves

poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge

Fruitflesh by Gayle Brandeis

The Pocket Muse by Monica Wood

The Writer's Idea Book by Jack Heffron

One thing I can say is that the prompts that work best are open-ended. They don't imply a character, a storyline, or a genre. They imply a mood, provide specificity, tie into imagination with non-concrete space, imply place, style or action. One's that insist on some character spoil my intent, to find some part of the story I'm working on and take me to some other story. Think about it. If you're working a story, how does it help you to go to someone else story and if I were to do that, why wouldn't I just read? One's that insist on some plot point may entirely miss my story by not fitting into my character's growth. Most of all they should be fun, they should send me to another source, provide me new information, give me a new tool for my toolbox of writing tricks.

Monk at the Moment of Enlightment and writing prompts

Went to Seattle's Asian Art Museum to do my assignment with the "monk at the moment of enlightenment", a cool wooden sculpture. He looks like someone I know, someone staid, meditative who suddenly had the urge to turn into a dancing girl, one of the other artworks there.

I've heard lots about how to go about writing and making one's own writing prompts, but... it's a lot more fun to write with one, almost like playing a game to trick oneself into a new mind. A bunch of my writing has come from finding a piece of art I relate to, a sudden idea, a mood, or from a variety of writing prompts. See my webpage for an Amazon linked list to my favorite writing prompt sources and Judy's Books for my reviews:

A Writer's Book of Days by Judy Reeves

poemcrazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge

Fruitflesh by Gayle Brandeis

The Pocket Muse by Monica Wood

The Writer's Idea Book by Jack Heffron

One thing I can say is that the prompts that work best are open-ended. They don't imply a character, a storyline, or a genre. They imply a mood, provide specificity, tie into imagination with non-concrete space, imply place, style or action. One's that insist on some character spoil my intent, to find some part of the story I'm working on and take me to some other story. Think about it. If you're working a story, how does it help you to go to someone else story and if I were to do that, why wouldn't I just read? One's that insist on some plot point may entirely miss my story by not fitting into my character's growth. Most of all they should be fun, they should send me to another source, provide me new information, give me a new tool for my toolbox of writing tricks.

Character physicalities in prose

One of the things I learned to delete were excess physicalities in my prose by choosing the one that provides the most information about the character. The other one can be added later or used to replace less helpful activities i.e. Meg took a deep breath, Meg stood, Meg looked. The three examples are often overused, showing up again and again throughout my story. So it helped to have a main mannerism. Also, looking can be replaced by allowing the action to just happen.

After discussing this with friends, submitted to 7 sets of material out. One came back rejected really quickly from Lone Star stories, so I submitted elsewhere right away. Also went to Epilogue books, bought three good science texts, listened to poets at the PoetsWest reading -- we showed up 1/2 hour late and all the seats were taken except way up front. Still very interesting, one young enthusiastic woman, and a much quieter reader -- Alexandra Oliver Basekic, Diane Brement, Loraine Campbell were scheduled to read so I don't know which was which.

Universal Studios

Universal Studios was good inspiration as well as background on an LA story for me, as well as just plain fun. We saw lots of burning hot flame, crashes, sets, fun rides, good VR, and had well, fun. Favorites were Back to the Future and Jurassic Park rides. The kids couldn't tolerate Van Helsing's -- live people / creatures jumping out at you from the dark was too much. I got scared three times and took to hiding behind Bob's shoulder so he got the last good surprise. The youngster amongst us couldn't handle the Revenge of the Mummy ride -- Bob said it was a real treat. The park is low density, I guess because we're here between two holidays. That means 5-15 minute waits max. almost a walk on at each one and the seats not all full when we do go. We all loved the tour of the sets -- with lots of action re: Jaws, War of the Worlds, Earthquake, and King Kong. I liked that dude!

People on the bus find it hard not to talk with each other. Apparently there's some sort of war gaming going on the rest of the week here, too.

Book list in Amazon for becoming a writer.

This list is of my favorite guides to the process. Hope you enjoy them.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/listmania/fullview/R3LYYKQTYN6X8I/102-5771080-5887302

Book list in Amazon for becoming a writer.

This list is of my favorite guides to the process. Hope you enjoy them.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/listmania/fullview/R3LYYKQTYN6X8I/102-5771080-5887302

Ideas of where to cut a too long manuscript

I wrote this up as a critique feedback then thought it might be generally helpful and something I might want to remember, based on my experience with my first novel  -- my main difficulty was an overly slow opening.  Any one or more of these tips may come in handy in dealing with cuts.

1) Are there any point of view (POV) characters who do not have the five minimum scenes needed to define them in general -- entry scene, action scene, sensual scene, conflict scene, resolution scene? If not, are they needed? Could some other character provide the same role?

2) Are there (POV) characters that have more than the minimum five scenes? If there are, is there any scenes which don't follow the main plot line i.e. (more than one entry, sensual, or action only) scene?

3) If you have a 500 page novel and 50 chapters, each chapter must be 10 pages long -- looking at each chapter, which parts of the chapter can be reduced or cut?

4) If you have a 500 page novel, that implies the opening 150 pages deals with introducing the characters -- anything more should be reduced, any action, conflict and sensual scenes that can be moved into this section will make the novel move quicker.

5) If you have a 500 page novel, that implies the closing 50 to 100 pages deals with resolving all conflicts -- if there are scenes in this section that deal with anything else or this section is longer, you might want to cut in this section.

6) If you have a 500 page novel, that implies a very hefty 250 pages dealing with conflict that is escalating -- is it escalating? Are their scenes that aren't dedicated to the main plot line? Think about cutting these scenes.

7) Are there any scenes dedicated to just passing information? Could this be handled better through a memo, email, epigraph, historical document excerpt?

8) For each of your characters -- what is their emotional curve? and what is happening to them along the plot line? Do you have one or more of these? If you have more than one emotional development series of events, you might be undercutting the readers ability to understand who they are clearly ie they may flop emotionally back and forth (true in life but maybe not good fiction). Which scenes are stronger? Weaker? Is all the conflict personal? or at multiple levels i.e. family, workplace, world, environment?

9) Do you have any scenes dedicated to just thinking? Can the thinking be mood setting to start an active scene i.e. can you combine one or more of your scenes to have more impact?

10) Do you have scene breaks where there has been a time shift that isn't apparent to the reader but adds transitional sentences -- this might be a place to cut.

critique group, critique and flogging thyself

Critiqued pages, met with Joe and Joan -- good general discussion on cutting, organization, purpose. Brought a dumpy scene -- more suitable as backstory, I guess though, one needs to get through that first before the scenes come. Or maybe they become one of the scenes left out that helps provide a sense of mystery. That scene will work that way since it is the foundation for my characters bad behavior. Oh, and burned 430 calories with additional sets(24's) on  weights.

Discussed some other rules of the road, many learned at Viable Paradise including the leave out scene hint above:

- just show the sensory data -- > don't lead in with I smelled, saw, heard etc.

- allow whitespace in scenery and description, only include what the reader needs to know, emotional cues, and really unique bits

- keep a scene focused on one purpose

- don't explain how, just use what with regard to technical/scientific data

- unique, futuristic names of common objects and specificity

- make sure time, place, setting is clear at the start of a story

- allow sensuality even without romance, its impingement of sensory data on the body

- process names don't change -- copy means the same thing whether using monks in a cave or a Xerox machine or a fax machine or a digital rewrite

- careful how much lump data one dumps on a reader

- money flows to the author (Yes, let it do that!)

- to cut, an author needs to get into a different mindset that during creation. I had to hate my novel and just want to get done with editing before I could do this.

Good resources for a believable world

Some of my favorite books for use in writing Earth based setting include:

• Sunset's Western Garden Book, Landscaping Book
• Any of the Tory Peterson Field Guides -- includes mushrooms, mammals, sealife, also any of the Birding Guides out there
• AAA Guides for states
• Ultimate Visual Dictionary
• Art Books
• Maps
• My old college textbook : Human Geography
• web research results and blog photo's
• Herb and herbal medicine books

Good resources for a believable world

Some of my favorite books for use in writing Earth based setting include:

• Sunset's Western Garden Book, Landscaping Book
• Any of the Tory Peterson Field Guides -- includes mushrooms, mammals, sealife, also any of the Birding Guides out there
• AAA Guides for states
• Ultimate Visual Dictionary
• Art Books
• Maps
• My old college textbook : Human Geography
• web research results and blog photo's
• Herb and herbal medicine books

Scene setting and planning

One of the things I've learned after writing my first book is to always make sure that the scenery is changing. To do this, I planned each set of rooms out first and am tracking them in my scene database. This way, if a discussion is going to take place, I can choose what characters are involved by which scenery hasn't been used up yet. Same as to technological issues. By tracking which ones I want to cover, I can tie it into my plot where it fits best. So overall today, I've been collecting my information so that I can spin out my scenes efficiently, no looking around for the information I know I have somewhere. Also made minor changes to No Placers.

Cutting -- a handy list

Well, this list has worked very well for both Bob and I as we take a look how to tighten up No Placers:

Things to Cut:

-- too wordy reactions

-- travel i.e. went from here to there and explanations about travel (doesn't include technical details needed to set sf)

-- unneeded detail

-- unneeded dialogue

-- overly complex sentences

-- too many thoughts

On average, looking for these things has cut 400 words per chapter. It makes it a quite worthy exercise.

-- explanations