Daryl: I suspect ritual suicide is your only hope . . .

what can i do to fix myself of ruinous traits!!??^^**#@!?

creating a spreadsheet? gads! just something else to distract me from writing… *sigh*

I told her about it on her blog. And speaking of which, her book and Scott’s arrived in the mail yesterday. Yay!!

Sheta: there’s a feed already set up for lj:

http://syndicated.livejournal.com/larbalestier/

Great post. I bookmarked it.

And also, thanks for linking to Diana Peterfreund’s blog entry, b/c the whole tourist thing is exactly what I couldn’t figure out was wrong with my story. I had inkling, but until I read that post, I hadn’t really been able to pin it down.

i have a spreadsheet method sans computer i’d like to share:

i write my outline and chapters on recipe cards. then i can add, scribble and shuffle as much as i like, thus avoiding the temptation of turning on my beastly (but expensive and shiny!)computer and playing chess (or a million games of solitare) instead of organising my outline.

plus, i like the idea of writing out a ‘recipe’ for a book since I’ve always found writing and reading to be so nourishing.

I think jay is correct, you are creating memes all over the place.

(P.S. You reversed the “o” and “e” in my last name. A common error.)

I can give up anytime I want.

http://acidheadwar.blogspot.com

am I the friend you mention who’s been rearranging their novel? Just curious. I’ll send you a proper e-mail soon. Have to go and rearrange some more chapters

Jeannie

The only thing I’ve got to add to all this is that I sometimes do up a movie style trailer to pull all the bits together in the beginning.

Liset: You are free to love unicorns, often and long. Just no sticking them in novels.

Andrew: I notice you don’t deny using a foule and evil typewriter . . .

JeffV: You, sir, are mad! Mad, mad, mad!

Gwenda: Absolutely! I feel a whole new post coming on to reiterate the point. In the meantime I’ll add an extra “rewrite” after first readers in the summary.

Jay Lake: Excellent! [Rubs hand together] Just as long as you all recognise that mine is the one true way and you are all heretics.

http://jaylake.livejournal.com/639909.html

I believe eBear is doing the same.

Congratulations, you made a meme.

On this point, yes:

Simon: That’s what first readers are for. If you can’t spot what’s wrong—with luck they will. But you have pointed to one of the biggest probs for most beginning writers (and some who are well advanced in their careers) and inability to self-edit. Sadly, it’s something you learn with practice. Lots and lots of practice. But it’s not something you can learn alone which is why having other people read and critique you is so vital.

True, true, true. When I finished the first draft of the first book (that is currently resting) I did at least two revisions without knowing what I was doing that were line edits instead of the needed major surgery. I think I’m only now getting better at this and, to be honest, what did it was getting a SERIOUS red-line edit from Ms. Link. Seeing a really skillful edit, then going through and making every change just to see what would happen was a f-ing revelation. A tremendous gift. I instantly learned how to pull back and be more savage and generally how to edit my own work. Editing other people’s work helps, too.

I also suggest marrying or setting up house with another writer—that way you have at least one person who has to read your stuff and help edit it. No matter how short the turnaround!

Great post, Justine.

Myself, I write longhand so the computer cannot distract me with its games and IM and email. I couldn’t use a spreadsheet like that–it’d be as bad as outlining for me. But I do outline after I’ve done the rough draft. To look for plot holes and character holes and whatnot.

JeffV