Comments on: A Bit of Advice for The Writing with the Stars Contest http://www.bravaauthors.com/blog/2010/07/02/a-bit-of-advice-for-the-writing-with-the-stars-contest/ Group author website offers new books, excerpts, biographies, and appearance schedules. Tue, 22 May 2012 21:06:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Rebecca Zanetti http://www.bravaauthors.com/blog/2010/07/02/a-bit-of-advice-for-the-writing-with-the-stars-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-9946 Rebecca Zanetti Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:52:09 +0000 http://www.bravaauthors.com/?p=3303#comment-9946 Pamela - I so agree! In fact, the few times someone I just met did tell me their life story...I ran. :) Pamela – I so agree! In fact, the few times someone I just met did tell me their life story…I ran. :)

]]> By: Pamela Varnado http://www.bravaauthors.com/blog/2010/07/02/a-bit-of-advice-for-the-writing-with-the-stars-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-9945 Pamela Varnado Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:50:06 +0000 http://www.bravaauthors.com/?p=3303#comment-9945 I loved the second opening to Paul Revere's journey. It's full of action and makes me want to read more. It may have been easier for other writers, but keeping backstory out of the opening pages was the hardest skill I learned as a writer. I felt like readers wouldn't understand the story or characters unless they knew what had already happened. Nonsense. In real life, people don't dump their past experiences on you the first time they meet you. You get to know them through what is happening at the moment. Now I take my time and let the characters develop through action. They're living their lives on the pages instead of sitting on the sidelines telling me about their experiences. I loved the second opening to Paul Revere’s journey. It’s full of action and makes me want to read more. It may have been easier for other writers, but keeping backstory out of the opening pages was the hardest skill I learned as a writer. I felt like readers wouldn’t understand the story or characters unless they knew what had already happened. Nonsense. In real life, people don’t dump their past experiences on you the first time they meet you. You get to know them through what is happening at the moment. Now I take my time and let the characters develop through action. They’re living their lives on the pages instead of sitting on the sidelines telling me about their experiences.

]]> By: Kathy Crouch http://www.bravaauthors.com/blog/2010/07/02/a-bit-of-advice-for-the-writing-with-the-stars-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-9917 Kathy Crouch Sun, 04 Jul 2010 07:34:54 +0000 http://www.bravaauthors.com/?p=3303#comment-9917 I wrote over 4,000 words this week it was my best week ever since I started keeping track. I'm on a 100 x 100 word loop and some days I did good for a while to even make 100 words. The frustration led me to this rewrite. I'm not sure my opening is as good as it needs to be but for now when I change to what is happening with the hero from the heroine I change chapters lol. I'm hoping the friend that is going over it can show me how to blend it better lol. I wrote over 4,000 words this week it was my best week ever since I started keeping track. I’m on a 100 x 100 word loop and some days I did good for a while to even make 100 words. The frustration led me to this rewrite. I’m not sure my opening is as good as it needs to be but for now when I change to what is happening with the hero from the heroine I change chapters lol. I’m hoping the friend that is going over it can show me how to blend it better lol.

]]> By: Rebecca Zanetti http://www.bravaauthors.com/blog/2010/07/02/a-bit-of-advice-for-the-writing-with-the-stars-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-9915 Rebecca Zanetti Sun, 04 Jul 2010 04:21:53 +0000 http://www.bravaauthors.com/?p=3303#comment-9915 Kathy, I'm a panster, too. I admit I like the surprises that end up on the page that way! Good luck finishing your book - it sounds like you're on your way! :) Kathy, I’m a panster, too. I admit I like the surprises that end up on the page that way! Good luck finishing your book – it sounds like you’re on your way! :)

]]> By: Kathy Crouch http://www.bravaauthors.com/blog/2010/07/02/a-bit-of-advice-for-the-writing-with-the-stars-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-9914 Kathy Crouch Sun, 04 Jul 2010 04:04:02 +0000 http://www.bravaauthors.com/?p=3303#comment-9914 Maybe someday it will be ready :lol :-) Maybe someday it will be ready :lol :-)

]]> By: Kathy Crouch http://www.bravaauthors.com/blog/2010/07/02/a-bit-of-advice-for-the-writing-with-the-stars-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-9913 Kathy Crouch Sun, 04 Jul 2010 03:56:35 +0000 http://www.bravaauthors.com/?p=3303#comment-9913 :lol: NiCe to know we don't have to keep our openings that they can change. I probably will change mine farther into the book. For now It works to get me going lol. I had one version where the beginning rocked, but I didn't know where to go from there so I started over and now this is about the third revsion. Somewhere between where I began and this one and maybe another rewrite I'll fingure out what I'm doing. I'm having too much fun right now. I've never ahd a destination in mind when I wrote. I just wrote with no clue what was going on in the story. But this time I did a summary to get the idea and now it's rolling along. :oops: Not ready for a contest I don't think. I have to finish it first. ;-) :lol. :lol: NiCe to know we don’t have to keep our openings that they can change. I probably will change mine farther into the book. For now It works to get me going lol. I had one version where the beginning rocked, but I didn’t know where to go from there so I started over and now this is about the third revsion. Somewhere between where I began and this one and maybe another rewrite I’ll fingure out what I’m doing. I’m having too much fun right now. I’ve never ahd a destination in mind when I wrote. I just wrote with no clue what was going on in the story. But this time I did a summary to get the idea and now it’s rolling along. :oops:
Not ready for a contest I don’t think. I have to finish it first. ;-) :lol.

]]> By: Rebecca Zanetti http://www.bravaauthors.com/blog/2010/07/02/a-bit-of-advice-for-the-writing-with-the-stars-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-9896 Rebecca Zanetti Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:27:38 +0000 http://www.bravaauthors.com/?p=3303#comment-9896 Hey Mary! I so agree. Sometimes you have to push forward and then go back later to revise. In fact, there are a couple of tweaks I'd like to make to the Paul Revere paragraph above... :) Hey Mary! I so agree. Sometimes you have to push forward and then go back later to revise. In fact, there are a couple of tweaks I’d like to make to the Paul Revere paragraph above… :)

]]> By: Mary Marvella http://www.bravaauthors.com/blog/2010/07/02/a-bit-of-advice-for-the-writing-with-the-stars-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-9895 Mary Marvella Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:24:30 +0000 http://www.bravaauthors.com/?p=3303#comment-9895 Hi, Rebecca, Excellent advice and a well-crafted example. Thanks ladies for the reminder that we can edit and rewrite our openings later. I watch people stall out because the beginning isn't perfect. I'm liable to learn important things halfway through the book that could influence my opening paragraphs. Hi, Rebecca,

Excellent advice and a well-crafted example. Thanks ladies for the reminder that we can edit and rewrite our openings later.

I watch people stall out because the beginning isn’t perfect. I’m liable to learn important things halfway through the book that could influence my opening paragraphs.

]]> By: Diane Garner http://www.bravaauthors.com/blog/2010/07/02/a-bit-of-advice-for-the-writing-with-the-stars-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-9894 Diane Garner Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:09:13 +0000 http://www.bravaauthors.com/?p=3303#comment-9894 Thanks Rebecca for the contest info from Megan. Isn't it funny how your initial impression of where/how a story should start can end up being so different from your final decision? I guess as we get more involved in the plot and characters everything becomes clearer. At least we hope so. ;-) Diane Thanks Rebecca for the contest info from Megan.
Isn’t it funny how your initial impression of where/how a story should start can end up being so different from your final decision? I guess as we get more involved in the plot and characters everything becomes clearer. At least we hope so. ;-)
Diane

]]> By: Rebecca Zanetti http://www.bravaauthors.com/blog/2010/07/02/a-bit-of-advice-for-the-writing-with-the-stars-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-9893 Rebecca Zanetti Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:03:29 +0000 http://www.bravaauthors.com/?p=3303#comment-9893 Hi Jeanette! Thanks for commenting. I was thinking about my first opening for FATED - and that scene is actually now in chapter 2 of the book! I guess I got ahead of myself a bit... Hi Jeanette! Thanks for commenting. I was thinking about my first opening for FATED – and that scene is actually now in chapter 2 of the book! I guess I got ahead of myself a bit…

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