Comments on: MRUs Lesson 1

By: Daniel Smith

Daniel Smith — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:49:35 +0000

Just a thought: Why wasn’t your limerick poet named Dan? Or does naming him Ran somehow add to the humor? (I actually know someone named Three!)

Glad to hear you had a great time at the conference (and are now back with blog posts for us wee folk)! Looking forward to more about MRUs.

By: D.E. Hale

D.E. Hale — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:28:33 +0000

“Moral: If you have a choice between getting your MRU structure right and giving your reader a Powerful Emotional Experience, do the right thing.”

Okay, maybe I need to cross stitch this on a sampler or something.

By: Daan Van der Merwe

Daan Van der Merwe — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 06:43:27 +0000

Even when I began studying the craft in August 2007, I was fascinated by those pesky things, especially when I have read “How to Write the Perfect Scene”.

Thank you very much for sharing this with us.

I sincerely hope that Sam the Plumber will feature at least once in this workshop.

By: Carrie Neuman

Carrie Neuman — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:27:57 +0000

I think I’m looking forward to Slide 4 the most. I recently bought a book that lists the areas editors look at when they decide to trash a novel. But it’s like a checklist. There’s no depth or practical advice on how to fix those areas.

By the way, I’m looking for a good book on tension and pacing if anyone has any suggestions.

By: Kim

Kim — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:31:24 +0000

“Leave out the parts that people don’t read.”

Sounds like when I used to run a business. The catchphrase then was, “Half of my advertising doesn’t work. But I don’t know which half.”

By: Mark Goodyear

Mark Goodyear — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:22:12 +0000

You are once again my hero because you know what anapestic meter is!

And as an editor, I confess I tell writers to “show don’t tell” all the time. But it’s really just short hand to point out where they are making the mistake that I expect them to know how to fix. Maybe that’s not fair?

Also, I’m reminded of kindergarten show AND tell. Really that’s what we do in good writing, isn’t it? Teach AND delight? Entertain AND inspire?

By: Ann Isik

Ann Isik — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:22:34 +0000

“Leave out the parts that people don’t read.”

I think I have an example:

The first page of Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ describes Scrooge’s partner in business (Jacob Marley) as ‘dead as a doorknocker’. Dickens then writes at length on the expression ‘dead as a doorknocker’, in a manner which would have been considered humorous in 19th century England.

In the 21st century however, this section slams on the brakes of the plot so hard you almost need to be roped to your reading chair to survive the crash! I always make a detour round this bit.

Good to have you back Randy.

Ann

By: Paulette Harris

Paulette Harris — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:57:27 +0000

Thanks Randy for sharing this on behalf of all of us who couldn’t attend this year. Good stuff!

By: Camille

Camille — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:59:16 +0000

There was once a poet named Ran
whose slides from his workshop he scanned
for those who were left
of wisdom bereft
and couldn’t write a lick of poetry if their pitiful lives depended on it. Man.

I have an anaseptic meter in my bathroom and I’m not afraid to use it.

Welcome back.

By: Sheila Deeth

Sheila Deeth — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:51:16 +0000

Love your showing, not telling, with the haiku and limerick. Looking forward to more, and encouraging more friends to see what you have to say.

By: PatriciaW

PatriciaW — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:16:28 +0000

I’m looking forward to this. My eyes kind of glazed over and my head checked out the last time. But I know this topic’s important so I’m staying.

By: Amy VR

Amy VR — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:30:14 +0000

There’s this really smart guy named Ran
who does everything that he can
to teach us to do
those dang MRUs…
I hope he’s a miracle man!

My MRUs are even worse than my poetry… I so need this refresher right now. Thank you!

By: Liz C

Liz C — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:38:00 +0000

I think you should give in and call them TPMRUs: ‘Those Pesky Motivation-Reaction Units’.

I’m struggling with this, but with your help I think I’m actually starting to get it.

By: Barbara

Barbara — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:29:00 +0000

Hey Randy: I’ve taken some internet courses that cover this same subject. In one they were called scene-sequence units. In the one I’m taking now, they’re called action-reaction-decision units. The first one fits right in with what you’re teaching. But the second one — how does this fit in? The action-reaction part I get, but what about the decision part? How does this idea fit into your MRUs? What it comes down to is every time I think I understand something, someone comes along and throws a wrench (or a decision) into screw things up. Barbara

By: How to Edit Poetry and Meter | Good Word

How to Edit Poetry and Meter | Good Word — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:56:21 +0000

[…] “How do you edit poetry? How do you know what to cut and what to keep?” Then I read Randy Ingermanson’s discussion of anapests yesterday and got to thinking about how much I love poetry and […]

By: 5 Tips on Telling Backstory without Interrupting the Flow » be the story

5 Tips on Telling Backstory without Interrupting the Flow » be the story — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:45:05 +0000

[…] is usually referred to as an “MRU,” a motivation-response unit. (Randy Ingermanson had a good series on MRU’s on his blog.) I like the term ping-pong better. The idea, in brief, is that something happens to […]