Why Industry Blogs Are Worth the Time Investment

I don't know about you but I must constantly scratch and claw to find time to do all the things I want/need to do.  It's like a horrendous battle every day.

One of the areas that I wrestle with is how much time to allow myself to read industry-related blogs and books on writing.  I know some writers who sniff in disdain at the thought of reading posts or books about writing and insist that you must simply write, not read about writing.  That's fine if that's what works for them.

But for me, I find reading about the techniques of writing beneficial.  Granted, too much writerly education can bore you stiff, but there's nothing more valuable to me that reading a blog post or a section in a craft book that triggers the lightbulb in your head and gives you an idea for exactly how you want to handle a scene or character. Personally, I have found that James Scott Bell and Donald Maass are best at triggering those lightbulb moments for your fiction.

Today over at Novel Matters, Bonnie Grove's post is "The First Two Questions To Ask When Starting To Write A Novel."  You can read it here:

 http://www.novelmatters.com/2012/05/first-two-questions-to-ask-when.html

Her blog post and the second question she posed immediately solidified in my mind how to open my current work in progress.  Thanks, Bonnie. 

To me, the beginning of a novel is the hardest part of the book.  Entering your story world at just the right time is critical, and I have a tendency, like most writers, to begin my story too early.  In the first draft stage, that's okay, because I am often feeling my way around the story and need to write scenes that will later be cut out.  That's just how I work.

But when it comes to final copy, your novel has to start at just the right spot in the story to launch the characters and your readers into a journey together.  Bonnie's post helped me focus on the reason this story and it's main character appealed to me, and to funnel that in to the book's opening scenes.

Do you draw value from blogs and books on writing?

Do Readers Warm Up To Your Protagonists?

For me, Donald Maass is one of the most inspiring writers of books on the writing craft, so I always enjoy his blog posts.  Today he once again provides great food for thought over at Writer Unboxed.

His comment about plot driven writers being afraid of getting too mushy is spot on.  You can read what he has to say here:

http://writerunboxed.com/2011/10/05/warmth/comment-page-1/#comment-169726

Fire In Fiction - Your Character's Impact

I first read The Fire In Fiction a few months ago when it first came out as a follow up to Writing The Breakout Novel (which still stands as my favorite on writing). But yesterday I picked it back up to scan the parts of the book I'd highlighted.

Specifically, pages 27-31, which talk about what makes your character great. On page 31 Mr. Maass says:

"In establishing her [protagonist] at the outset, it is important to look not toward what she will do later in the story but the impact she has on others now...who in your hero's circle already has respect, feels awe, so that we can feel it too?"

I don't know about you, but opening the story is for me the hardest part of a novel. Your first few pages have to accomplish so much. And part of what they have to accomplish is making you care about a character you haven't had time to get to know - which is what Mr. Maass is getting at here.

So I'm curious, for those of you who have read The Fire In Fiction - have you tried this particular exercise - reworking your beginning with this impact exercise in mind, and how did it work for you? I'm going to give it a whirl tonight and see how it goes. Thinking about the possibilities - I wonder if you can show that impact if you are writing a scene from that same protagonist's point of view, or is it better coming from a different character's POV? I think I may try it both ways and see how it pans out.

Have a blessed week of writing!