It’s almost midnight on Sunday and I’m ready to get rolling for this week! I spent most of Friday doing last-minute work to get ready for a conference. I spent all day Saturday at the conference.
The big question of the day: What shall we talk about next? Last week, many of you submitted questions for things to talk about. Some of those were easy to answer. Others are going to take some substantial time.
Let’s vote. Which of the following topics most interests you? Leave a comment here and I’ll look for a pattern:
- How do you design a novel?
- How do you construct a character?
- How do you research a given place or time?
- How do you write a proposal?
- How do you find an agent?
- How do you settle a disagreement with your editor?
- How do you develop your voice?
- How do you choose what facet of writing to work on next?
- How do you promote your novel?
- How do balance the rules versus creativity?
- How do you increase your daily word count?
- How do you use your writing time efficiently?
- How do you cut a book that’s too long?
- How do you develop your own personal style?
- How do create mystery without confusing your reader?
- How do you choose a writing conference?
- How do you behave at a writing conference?
- How do you keep track of all the story details?
- How do you teach a theme without being didactic?
- How do you develop story ideas before you’re ready to Snowflake it?
- How do find the ending?
- How do you layer in elements in your novel?
- How do you strengthen a weak plot?
- How do you find high concept stories?
- How do you turn a concept into a plot?
- How do you edit yourself effectively?
- How do you find a great title?
- How do you balance plot and character?
- How do you make a strong villain without cloning Darth Vader?
- How do you find the right beginning?
- How do you write an action scene?
Randy's Personal Site
How do you teach a theme without being didactic?
If we have two votes my second vote goes for how do you write an action scene?
I vote for ‘how do you promote’ a new novel
Too many choices, but I’ll have to put my two votes here.
1. How do balance the rules versus creativity?
2. How do you strengthen a weak plot?
With NaNo starting in a week, I’d like to know how to use my writing time efficiently and how to increase my daily word count.
They’re all great questions, though, so I’m happy no matter what you pick.
# How do you increase your daily word count?
# How do you use your writing time efficiently?
They both sound good to me, especially, as Carrie says, with NaNo coming up.
I’m going with #26. I’ve always heard that a good editor is worth his weight in red Sharpies, able to cut fiery diamonds from the unfinished rhinestones authors submit to them. Seems like a good skill to have, particularly if one wants to be published but can’t yet afford a professional editor.
All of the above!
My votes are 12,13 and 24,25.
I vote for number 7.
How do you develop your voice?
I say this since it can be very difficult, not only finding the style that suits you, but also finding the style that suits the story you’re trying to write.
How many times can I vote??
They’re all great topics, but my top picks would be:
# How do you edit yourself effectively?
# How do you research a given place or time? (And what is the best way of organising your notes.)
# How do you find a great title?
(P.S. I’m signed up to NaNo again too! If only I could keep that momentum going all year …)
How to strengthen a weak plot would be my first vote (#23).
Second vote: (#20) How do you develop ideas before you Snowflake it?
My picks are:
How do you find an agent? Especially if you can’t make it to writing conferences and aren’t close friends with a published author.
How do you use your writing time efficiently? Even when nothing wants to come out of your head.
How do you keep track of all the story details? I like the idea of using spreadsheets but are at a lost when I don’t know chapter by chapter what’s going to happen.
Voice.
With the burgeoning binders of research in mind that I’ve compiled for my current WIP here are my TOP 4 from most specific to most general:
How do you keep track of all the story details?
How do you layer in elements in your novel?
How do create mystery without confusing your reader?
How do you design a novel?
Ooo, so many to choose from! I vote for (I hope 4 is okay!):
2. How do you construct a character? (a realistic one, with a reasonable weakness, and not cliche)
22. How do you layer in elements in your novel? (as pertains to the suspense/mystery genre)
26. How do you edit yourself effectively?
28. How do you balance plot and character?
I confess – I want answers to them all! But I guess “How do you cut a book that’s too long?” might be top of my list.
#26 How to edit yourself effectively and,
#29 How to create a villan without cloning Darth Vadar.
Definitely, “How do you find an agent?”
The craft elements will grow and mature, but what good is all that great writing if no publisher ever sees it?
12- How do you use your writing time efficiently?
20- How do you develop story ideas before you’re ready to Snowflake it?
24- How do you find high concept stories?
So many great topics to choose from! I’d love to see your take on researching a certain place/time.
Cutting a book that’s too long, please.
#26 How to edit yourself effectively since I’m trying to get my WIP ready to submit after ACFW requests!
How do you develop story ideas before you’re ready to Snowflake it
If a second choice is okay,
How do you develop your own personal style
How do you edit yourself effectively?
How do you balance plot and character?
Thanks for all you shared at the OCW conference Saturday.
I agree all the questions are great. Some you have touched on before or address in your Fiction 101 & 201. Some topics are easily found on other writing websites and in craft books. I would especially like to see you deal with ones that are not often discussed or taught. I don’t know if it would be best to proceed in a “logical” order from those dealing with ideas and planning through ones about writing, then editing and promoting, etc., but that’s a possible route through the maze.
#12 and 22 would be at the top of my list.
I vote for how do you research, but they’re all great questions.
Hi, I’m new, sort of. I’ve been lurking around for a while and really enjoy the advice you’ve given. My top picks would be:
How to Edit yourself & how to cut down your novel.
Ditto Mary’s thanks on the conference.
What a list! I gotta ditto Mary again: some of these topics are already available here (previous blog discussion, snowflake article, fic 101, etc) and elsewhere.
I’m gonna stick to my guns with #10, 11 & 12, (making the most of writing time) and I’d like to explore #7 and #14 (developing voice & style) at some point too.
Just so many to choose from, but I will go with number 17. It’s important not to get on a blacklist, if there is one.
I vote for 20 or 25.
How do you make a strong villain without cloning Darth Vader?
How do you develop your own personal style?
How do you develop your voice?
I third the great conference comment. Thanks for giving us the cold, hard reality with a punch of “Go for it anyway!”
For our next topic I vote for:
How do create mystery without confusing your reader?
or
How do you teach a theme without being didactic?
Thanks for helping all of us pre-published authors out here.
Wow, they’are all good.
How do you edit yourself effectively?
How do you find the right beginning?
I’m doing NaNo, too, for the discipline, so I guess using my time effectively would be a good choice, too.
There are quite a few contenders here but I think ‘How do you turn a concept into a plot?’ is the winner.
26 and 22
1). How do you design a novel? and 12). How do you use your writing time efficiently? and 17). How do you behave at a writer’s conference? would be the most helpful topics to me. Thanks for investing in us!
I’m glad I came to the OCW conference. I always learn something from your classes. I appreciate that you e-mail your notes.
I vote for 22, How do you layer in elements in your novel?
Also, 26, How do you edit yourself effectively?
Destiny Says:
# How do you increase your daily word count?
# How do you use your writing time efficiently?
I say:
I second those two choices!
I think from all those questions, these two are the most important for everyone. Because if there’s one big lesson that stuck with me from reading books on Novel Writing and sitting through Randy’s Fiction 101, it’s that to improve your craft you need to write write write. Daily.
So these two should make for a good lesson for everyone! (How’s that for advocating my personal favorites :p)
What facet of writing to work on next (#8)
Development of personal style (#14)
Using writing time effectively and increasing daily word count get my vote(s).
I vote for:
#18 — How you do keep track of all the story details, and #20 — How do you develop story ideas before you’re ready to Snowflake it?
#9, promotion.
#7 or #25
Well, it’s looking like we may be talking about editing- definitely alright with me. I’m fortunate to have two editors in my home- my two teenage daughters, who are writing novels along with me. It’s great fun.
Other than that, I wouldn’t mind talking about writing conferences. I’m hoping to be able to attend Mt. Hermon in March.
I’ll join my vote with the others who said, #26 How do you edit yourself effectively?
Thanks!
My vote would be for
# 7 develop your voice
#14 develop your own personal style
#30 find the right beginning
I’ll vote for #1 for starters.
Followed closely by numbers 8, 12, 20, 22, 23. And 24 and 25.
I’ll add to what Carrie said about #11, how do you increase your daily word count, and recommend participating in National Novel Writing Month (coming very soon: November 1!). I’ve done it a few years now and, while I may not always come out with useable copy or a saleable book, what I’ve learned from it (like about writing fast, what I need to have to write a book/story, and much more) has affected ALL my writing in wonderful ways. Find more info here: http://www.NaNoWriMo.org.
A quick note: A while back someone asked about what “platform” is. I just wrote about that very thing in the October issue of my free writing newsletter. Find a link to it at the bottom of the “About Writing” page of http://www.DianneEButts.com.
Hope that helps someone…
Dianne
I vote #20!
I am currently Snowflaking in anticipation of NaNoWriMo, which is a great experience in itself as I’ve never written a complete Snowflake before. I’d be really interested in hearing about the pre-Snowflake process so my next one can go even better.
Lots of good choices, but I narrowed them down to two: How do you turn a concept into a plot? How do you use your writing time efficiently?
As a freshman I would like the answers to a lot of the questions. Here are my preferences.
How do you develop your own personal style?
How do you develop your voice?
14. How do you develop your own personal style?
30. How do you find the right beginning?
31. How do you write an action scene?
My three choices. I honestly can’t pick one.
This has to be my choice, Randy.
How do you find high concept stories?
Thanks again for your generosity.
I vote for 1. and then 18.
DC
#1 How do you teach a theme without being didactic?
#2 How do you keep track of all the story details?
#3 How do you develop story ideas before you’re ready to Snowflake it?
I appreciate learning more about all of these questions. However, my current interests are more with #’s 2, 7, 22, and 25.
How do you research a given place or time?
How do you construct a character and how do you strengthen a weak plot.
How do you find an agent