What makes a scene?
My code-writing persona is considering developing an app for writers, so I’ve been musing on scenes.
Want to get technical? Want a comprehensive breakdown of the parts of a scene?
Continue readingFor Writers
Are you a writer? Check out my posts on the craft and business of writing.
Plotting vs. Pantsing: The Tension Between Overkill with Moving Forward
Certain writers fall securely into the plotter camp, while others write off-the-cuff. I jump back and forth between camps. And, at times, it’s wearying.
With Salvage, I’m really trying to plan my scenes more than before. I’m using a free airtable account to track my scene data, but it’s possible that it’s moving from useful planning to overkill.
So, just to dive in and write new scenes seems a little like wandering in a field of corn on a dark night (I come from a long line of Iowa corn farmers, and I live in Nebraska; the simile works for me).
Yet, after a certain level of planning and scene data, it’s like wandering through a very crowded cereal aisle, trying to figure out what take off the shelf.
So, I’m spending too much time trying to get the scene data just as I want it, and too little time moving Salvage forward.
What’s the right balance?
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What’s Your Writing Business?
Your Focus
How wide will you spread your net?
Going to concentrate just on that first novel? Are you going write short stories for publication? Sell articles online for money?
My Focus
- Writing fiction
- Other potential services (see below)
Brandon Sanderson
In my journey delving deeper into the craft of writing, I become more and more impressed with Brandon Sanderson: not just with his skill as a writer, but with his breadth of activity with writing as business.
Continue readingCraft Links: Scenes
- Sometimes you just need to get the scene out, in rough form.
- But, if you’re more a planner, you can try beat sheets.
- Found a solid, basic article on the two basic levels of scene structure
- Need a stronger opening for your scene? Jane Friedman’s article on 4 Key Ways to Launch a Scene is a good one.
- When you’re ready to add depth, Jodie Renner has excellent advice.
Business Plan Overview
Will this post help you with the business side of writing?
Despite my oh-so-limited time to spend on anything writing related, I am treating my writing as a business. I’ve had a business plan from the beginning. Not a professional, capture-venture-capital kind of business plan, but a comprehensive guide to my own efforts to be successful. It’s an ever-evolving document as I flesh out details.
This is the first in a series of posts about my business plan. Hope it helps!
Continue readingCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2019 Cindy Rae Johnson