Comments on: Interview With John Olson http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/12/01/interview-with-john-olson/ America's Mad Professor of Fiction Writing Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:38:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 By: Sheila Deeth http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/12/01/interview-with-john-olson/#comment-8078 Sheila Deeth Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:55:47 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/12/01/interview-with-john-olson/#comment-8078 Poor old Hailey. I can just imagine her casually observing the flowers at just the wrong moment. Very nice examples. Fun interview. Thanks. Poor old Hailey. I can just imagine her casually observing the flowers at just the wrong moment. Very nice examples. Fun interview. Thanks.

]]> By: ML Eqatin http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/12/01/interview-with-john-olson/#comment-8092 ML Eqatin Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:59:35 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/12/01/interview-with-john-olson/#comment-8092 I loved your course when I took it last year, John. I have listened to the audio a few times too. I thought I was pretty good on emotional scenes, but what you taught completely revolutionized my writing. I've spent the year going through my WIP and removing and rearranging information so that the tension most central to the scene is what I focus on. Donald Maas teaches a similar concept in his new book -- he calls it 'microtension'. But you explain it better. I hate to miss your seminar this coming year, but they scheduled the Renaissance Symposium that same weekend, and (per Randy's speaker teleseminar) I'm going to be there reprising my history talk. I loved your course when I took it last year, John. I have listened to the audio a few times too. I thought I was pretty good on emotional scenes, but what you taught completely revolutionized my writing. I’ve spent the year going through my WIP and removing and rearranging information so that the tension most central to the scene is what I focus on.

Donald Maas teaches a similar concept in his new book — he calls it ‘microtension’. But you explain it better.

I hate to miss your seminar this coming year, but they scheduled the Renaissance Symposium that same weekend, and (per Randy’s speaker teleseminar) I’m going to be there reprising my history talk.

]]> By: Don http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/12/01/interview-with-john-olson/#comment-8097 Don Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:19:14 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/12/01/interview-with-john-olson/#comment-8097 John Gardner made the same point (though without the catchy label) in his books on writing fiction. One of his exercises was to write a description of a man looking at a barn, when the man's son had recently died (and without mentioning that fact). He gave an example of Hemingway's use of the technique for the hero in The Sun Also Rises. John Gardner made the same point (though without the catchy label) in his books on writing fiction. One of his exercises was to write a description of a man looking at a barn, when the man’s son had recently died (and without mentioning that fact). He gave an example of Hemingway’s use of the technique for the hero in The Sun Also Rises.

]]> By: Wearing Emotions On My Character’s Sleeve « I don't want to write! http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/12/01/interview-with-john-olson/#comment-8157 Wearing Emotions On My Character’s Sleeve « I don't want to write! Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:07:48 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/12/01/interview-with-john-olson/#comment-8157 [...] I stumbled upon an interesting post while I was googling how to write a good plot. It was an interview with John Olson on the Advanced Fiction Writing blog where he discussed ”Writing in the Shadows”. [...] […] I stumbled upon an interesting post while I was googling how to write a good plot. It was an interview with John Olson on the Advanced Fiction Writing blog where he discussed ”Writing in the Shadows”. […]

]]> By: Bob Aldridge http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/12/01/interview-with-john-olson/#comment-8221 Bob Aldridge Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:52:24 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/12/01/interview-with-john-olson/#comment-8221 Pace is highly dependent on the kind of words you use - length in particular. Anything which slows the reader slows the pace. The advice I was given was "pace, pace, pace". That's true, but "writing in the shadows" almost requires a bit of long description sometimes, as the music slows and the Vasta Narada gather! Bob Pace is highly dependent on the kind of words you use - length in particular. Anything which slows the reader slows the pace. The advice I was given was “pace, pace, pace”. That’s true, but “writing in the shadows” almost requires a bit of long description sometimes, as the music slows and the Vasta Narada gather!
Bob

]]> By: The Directionality Effect: Part 2 « The Joyful Writer http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/12/01/interview-with-john-olson/#comment-8226 The Directionality Effect: Part 2 « The Joyful Writer Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:20:12 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/12/01/interview-with-john-olson/#comment-8226 [...] Olson about his lecture series on Writing In The Shadows. You can read the interview here. In a nutshell, the idea is that you can greatly influence the mood and emotions in the mental [...] […] Olson about his lecture series on Writing In The Shadows. You can read the interview here. In a nutshell, the idea is that you can greatly influence the mood and emotions in the mental […]

]]> By: Creative Writing Topics http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/12/01/interview-with-john-olson/#comment-8261 Creative Writing Topics Wed, 17 Feb 2010 22:58:39 +0000 http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2009/12/01/interview-with-john-olson/#comment-8261 Really interesting interview. Great explanations of pacing and point of view issues. Now I just have to get rid of the “aftertaste of decay and wet rat” left in my imagination from the vampire examples! Really interesting interview. Great explanations of pacing and point of view issues. Now I just have to get rid of the “aftertaste of decay and wet rat” left in my imagination from the vampire examples!

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