tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post6042936352049573538..comments2024-03-29T07:29:32.276-04:00Comments on Janet Reid, Literary Agent: 24 really good ideas from Matthew FedermanJanet Reidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00615380335938685231noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-6561134409356851042018-09-26T21:18:08.248-04:002018-09-26T21:18:08.248-04:00L o v e.
Shall tuck this away for NaNoWriMo. Deli...L o v e.<br /><br />Shall tuck this away for NaNoWriMo. Deliberately not thinking of NaNo while I finish prepping three books for launch next month.Her Grace, Heidi, the Duchess of Knealehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17818060864422019573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-70077365859651508462018-09-26T13:27:53.239-04:002018-09-26T13:27:53.239-04:00Jennifer, you're right. It's the comedy th...Jennifer, you're right. It's the comedy that makes it work.Beth Carpenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02447148196867821907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-51189405396614319142018-09-26T01:33:27.292-04:002018-09-26T01:33:27.292-04:00
Very nice contemplative post.
Cheers.<br />Very nice contemplative post. <br /><br />Cheers.french sojournhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14262858704848580714noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-52933446542257363352018-09-25T22:40:58.825-04:002018-09-25T22:40:58.825-04:00These are gold.
Beth Carpenter:
I also immediat...These are gold.<br /><br />Beth Carpenter: <br />I also immediately thought of counterexamples when I saw #22. Monk, and Doc Martin. But then ... both of them are extremely good at *certain parts* of their chosen field, and that somehow makes up for the crippling anxieties, obsessions, phobias that give them such poor social skills. I love those characters because they are there for all the social anxiety sufferers to identify with, and to experience vicarious triumph through. <br /><br />Stephanie Plum is almost the opposite. She's cute, sexy, has decent social skills, but consistently makes a fool of herself on the job. I don't find that as fun because it means I'm constantly experiencing vicarious humiliation through her ... but I admit the books are darned funny, more for the colorful characters around her than for Stephanie herself.<br /><br />Now that I think about it, Monk and Dr. Martin are both conflicted-hero-in-insane-world, and Stephanie Plum is more sane-person-in-insane-world. <br /><br />Anyway, I do notice that in all three cases we mentioned where failure on the job is a regular feature, the story is a comedy. <br /><br />OK, sorry all, ramble over.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-82339759352972850772018-09-25T20:39:12.812-04:002018-09-25T20:39:12.812-04:00This is great! Thanks, Janet.
#11, #12, and #24...This is great! Thanks, Janet. <br /><br />#11, #12, and #24 are my favorites. I love it when stories mesh every scene into a really unique interaction between characters, action, and location. Lennon Farishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03570629350169504234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-55041411601008086332018-09-25T18:15:37.655-04:002018-09-25T18:15:37.655-04:00Thank you for sharing. I've already passed the...Thank you for sharing. I've already passed the link on to several writer friends AND have found multiple places in my WIP to sharpen, thanks to these.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02288010060936146108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-31078439962690452462018-09-25T16:46:54.845-04:002018-09-25T16:46:54.845-04:00These are great tips. But, as the immoral... I mea...These are great tips. But, as the immoral... I mean IMMORTAL Jeff Somers points out in his epic best seller (okay maybe not officially but it should be) WRITING WITHOUT RULES, there are no rules, so don't take these tips as rules. If you're stuck, or wrestling with a problem in your work, try one of these. It might help you. Alternatively, a bottle of Sapporo might work. :)Colin Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03292997431935215499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-10924656445802090892018-09-25T13:26:10.462-04:002018-09-25T13:26:10.462-04:00I agree with Ashes on #4 and #10. It *can* be true...I agree with <b>Ashes</b> on #4 and #10. It *can* be true, but I also remember nodding along when Neil Gaiman said some days are easy, and some are hard, and later he can't tell which bits were written on which day. (I wish I could find it, alas, I suspect it was a passing Twitter conversation.)<br /><br />Those are more true for me during editing. If I'm bored REREADING my saggy baggy middle, then that's a bad sign. But it's harder to tell during the day-to-day rough draft word count.Sam Millshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12069749673374661798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-49066821226714559942018-09-25T12:34:48.049-04:002018-09-25T12:34:48.049-04:00This was great! #12 was eye-opening for me, and I&...This was great! #12 was eye-opening for me, and I'll be chewing over #18 for a while. <br /><br />But I do take issue with sentiments like #4 and #10: "When you're going in the wrong direction it feels like a slog..." and "...use passion and enjoyment as indicators of whether or not the story is working. If you're bored, the audience likely will be as well."<br /><br />This mentality, to me, leans dangerously close to the idea that writers need to be *inspired* (chorus of angels) to write. It has been my own experience that whether a scene comes easily and enjoyably to me, or if it was like pulling teeth to get it to work, my critique partners and beta readers cannot tell the difference. <br /><br />The idea that everything you write should be exciting and easy, in order for it to be good, is a dangerous fallacy. Or as TheAngryViolinist puts it: <a href="http://i.imgur.com/sM00I9Q.jpg" rel="nofollow"> F*ck Motivation</a> (NSWF language in image)Asheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12797621675670255704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-11006988268304997632018-09-25T11:47:00.160-04:002018-09-25T11:47:00.160-04:00Great list! It went straight to the printer tray. ...Great list! It went straight to the printer tray. I'm going to have #7 tattooed on the back of my right hand, where I can see it as I'm writing. Thanks for sharing, Janet!Claire Bobrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15666082441972111293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-81475036471446587182018-09-25T10:55:01.249-04:002018-09-25T10:55:01.249-04:00Great list! When I think of #23, I think of Toby Z...Great list! When I think of #23, I think of Toby Ziegler's introduction in "West Wing." Everything you need to know about him is in that intro--from his insisting on working when he's told to turn off his phone, to his line where he didn't get his peanuts. Stacyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03365582623380288038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-40398127062007364912018-09-25T10:31:12.214-04:002018-09-25T10:31:12.214-04:00Good information. These are the sorts of things I ...Good information. These are the sorts of things I know instinctively and yet need someone to point out. Although when I saw #22, I immediately thought of Stephanie Plum. She must be one of those rarities.Beth Carpenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02447148196867821907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-56485348681759523122018-09-25T10:24:55.960-04:002018-09-25T10:24:55.960-04:00It would be nice to have all 57 of them together. ...It would be nice to have all 57 of them together. Just these 24 have addressed 85 or so percent of the speed bumps and potholes that have gotten my wheels out of round.<br /><br />Thanks for bringing this to our attention.Craig Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07157301156577795781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-30663992404926271532018-09-25T10:24:14.818-04:002018-09-25T10:24:14.818-04:0025) When your story stalls, your character deflate...25) When your story stalls, your character deflates, and your plot flows from page to page like molasses, buy Nyquil and plead #20. Carolynnwith2Nshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18394998702410764388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-52716598803538527282018-09-25T10:14:25.359-04:002018-09-25T10:14:25.359-04:00Thank you for posting this.
I agree about #23 for...Thank you for posting this.<br /><br />I agree about #23 for the query.<br /><br />I also like #2. That's the way it always works for me. They're all good observations. <br /><br />Sometimes, as Hemingway says, "There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it’s like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges."<br /><br />Sometimes you have to write through something and sometimes the reason it's so hard is because that scene doesn't belong to that character. The boys in the back often know more than we do about what's going on.Julie Weathershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13725236516593676381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-83697871914212216382018-09-25T09:48:05.395-04:002018-09-25T09:48:05.395-04:00FYI, if you scroll down his Twitter page, you'...FYI, if you scroll down his Twitter page, you'll find a continuation of this list (parts 2 and 3.)Amy Schaeferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17263719891092841767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-49448916898649744282018-09-25T09:13:38.061-04:002018-09-25T09:13:38.061-04:00This is great. I love #17 & #18. Thanks!This is great. I love #17 & #18. Thanks!Melanie Sue Bowleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11820711791019410116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-16627277775424077922018-09-25T08:54:58.541-04:002018-09-25T08:54:58.541-04:00Tip 11 is my favorite.
11) Action scenes are not ...Tip 11 is my favorite.<br /><br />11) Action scenes are not distinct from "character scenes" but a chance to test your characters' mettle, chart their growth or challenge their moral compass. Whether they succeed or fail we'll learn more about them. <br /><br />Action scenes should test your character. Action scenes should test your character. Action scenes should test your character.KariVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13824650323413004291noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-11043904702085662782018-09-25T08:38:22.957-04:002018-09-25T08:38:22.957-04:00Such a great compilation of valuable tips, Janet. ...Such a great compilation of valuable tips, Janet. Many thanks!Brenda Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14161539130987122737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-42554888555354316512018-09-25T08:28:45.222-04:002018-09-25T08:28:45.222-04:00This is incredibly helpful. Thank you so much!This is incredibly helpful. Thank you so much!Jeannettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00104848515612506410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-30700248565639098882018-09-25T07:37:07.526-04:002018-09-25T07:37:07.526-04:00These are fantastic. Great stuff. Thanks, Janet.These are fantastic. Great stuff. Thanks, Janet.E.M. Goldsmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18387494005655553037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17040756.post-21442044883280889322018-09-25T07:31:53.279-04:002018-09-25T07:31:53.279-04:00Wow. These are amazing. Thank you!!!Wow. These are amazing. Thank you!!!Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06909176210194176373noreply@blogger.com