Holly Lisle's Novel Writing Course: The Blog » Discussions In Class

If this is how Famous Author does it, shouldn’t I do it this way, too?

Texanne — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 06:15:20 +0000

Writing is rewriting, quoth the sage. How, exactly, do writing and revising share one writing brain? Should all the writing be done before the revising begins? One successful author revises as she writes, even going back to the beginning to change elements as new ideas come to her. Some writers can work this way. For others, this striving for daily perfection produces nothing more useful than a trunk full of novels that end on page 47.

No, it’s not too early (or too hot) to be thinking about NaNo 2010.

Texanne — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 23:15:51 +0000

Many of the students at HTRYN are revising the novels we wrote during National Novel Writing Month 2009.

NaNoWriMo happens every November. This is July. The cliffhanger for many of us is: Will the NaNovel from 2009 be revised in time for us to do this crazy thing all over again in November 2010?

Log in to join the goal-setting, progress-reporting, and gentle cross-nudging as the pioneers of HTRYN clear their decks for the next big writing challenge.

Who tells the story best?

Texanne — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 01:00:38 +0000

Some battles must be fought on a story-by-story basis. Selecting the POV or combination of POVs that reveals the finest detail but also illuminates the most sweeping theme, for instance, is one of those battles.

Here students discuss their approaches to this particular element of storytelling. Notice how each student expresses his opinion in first person singular. Does that have a hidden meaning?

Not your average swimming hole

Texanne — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:15:25 +0000

So the story came dressed as a fantasy. Cool. Sideways students know that stories are stories, and can’t be bound into just one genre or sub-genre.
That fantasy could be a science fiction story. That cozy could be a horror story.
What?
True. Just log in to take a voyage on the Amazon River.
Come on. No poison darts allowed.

How hard is it to type in a hammock?

Texanne — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 02:00:07 +0000

The temperature and the humidity are both high. Kids are home from school, wrecking the house or fussing about being bored. The grass needs to be mowed every other day, and the TV has nothing but re-runs and news, and re-runs of the news.

Is this the perfect time to be writing that novel? Yes, if it’s a one-character story set on a silent glacier. And yes, if you have the Sideways method and crew to urge you onward. Onward!

Sideways students are sorting themselves out, swapping congratulations, hugs, and a bit of advice. Log in and grab some iced tea and let us know how it’s going with you.

Beginning, middle, end. Peachy. Where’s the beginning?

Texanne — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:15:41 +0000

The writer knows the story inside and out, the world, the physics, the main character’s life from beginning (that word again) to end.

The writer knows all of that–but does he need to start his book with the main character’s childhood and early training? Or maybe start with the character’s quest, or when he’s a respected teacher, or–?

To add to the fun, the first book is a stand-alone that will be the start of a series, if the publisher agrees.

The End again–and this time, it’s final!

Texanne — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:10:34 +0000

Writing the book was pure joy, or thereabouts, but the finished product wasn’t the glowing gem the writer had set out to create. He realized that he needed to tweak it. Ah, but what a tweak! After twenty-one weeks of re-envisioning the book, of learning to find and fix problems while also learning to recognize and use hidden treasures, and many hours of keyboard glory, the writer knows the book is done.

Now what?

Party! Let there be singing, dancing, glittery confetti and the respect of peers.

Even if you haven’t personally experienced this yet, log in to throw some confetti, give congrats, and gather a little pixie dust on your shoes.

Why is the Voice of Doom always so authoritative?

Texanne — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 14:00:07 +0000

This writer cruised through the development of her idea into an outline. Excitement and happiness reigned.

Until she had written about 7,000 words. Then it all crashed and burned. That voice–that awful voice that rushes up from the pit of despair to warn the writer that the work is no good. In fact, the Voice of Failure whispers, your story sucks.

Sadness and fear grab the throne of emotion. Writing stops. Writer crumples.

Is there a cure? Or at least a work-around? Log in and find out. Totally commercial free!

Can you map a character’s mind?

Texanne — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0000

Sometimes characters like to play hard to get. They go all covert when it would be so much handier if they would just spill their guts. Is there any way to entice them out of their hidey-holes and loosen their tongues?

In fact, there are several tricks to make characters reveal themselves.

Here some Sideways students discuss a favorite method. Log in and join the conspiracy.

After the lightning, the brainstorm.

Texanne — Sat, 29 May 2010 13:45:02 +0000

One of the most useful aspects of the community of Sideways writers is the ability to nudge each other into looking more deeply into an idea or problem.

Here, a writer has received an idea that she initially likes but has a bit of trouble refining into The Sentence. Others pitch in with reminders and questions about the elements of the sentence.

Then, during part of the development of the idea the writer doubts the idea’s value. Watch how others support her through this time of doubt.

Warning: This is a cliffhanger! As yet, the fate of this idea is unknown. Will it grow up to be a fine, sturdy novel? Or will it languish for lack of an author?