Holly Lisle's Novel Writing Course: The Blog

What’s in a Theme?

Texanne — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:45:34 +0000

Very often, what’s in a theme is a huge, humbling surprise. Your you was working out plot details and making sure each scene had a proper structure and stressing over margins or typeface.

Your Muse was quietly revealing your heart, because that’s the beat she marches, slinks, bounces or tangos to.

HTRYN’s worksheets on theme have brought these writers some useful epiphanies. There’s room for you, too. Be brave and join in.

Screenwriting Sideways?

Texanne — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 00:00:19 +0000

In addition to the Writers’ Boot Camps, Holly offers downloadable clinics on topics vital to writers. It’s a scrumptious and nutritious buffet–but where does the line start?

After downloading and devouring Holly’s clinics, this writer took the plunge and signed up for HtTS. The question now is whether to work through the clinics first or HtTS.

Also, how do Holly’s classes work for screenplays?

Sideways Students chimed in with ideas and information. What can you add? What can you take away? Hmm?

Hey–How’d You Like to Build a World?

Texanne — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:00:33 +0000

Don’t you love it when you learn how to fix a problem you didn’t even know you had? That’s what happened for this HTRYN student:

Okay, I was guilty of the “I don’t need this, my story is set in the here and now” mindset when I first read this lesson material. BUT, I figured I would do this anyway. Grudgingly.

That’s when I realized that . . . I never truly grounded my reader in my world. I mean, I KNOW why this tale had to be set in this place, but I never got that across, and my story is weaker for it.

Thank, Holly! No doubt I will find more reasons to cry/hope as I wade through this lesson.

This is so cool.

Sideways into Suspense

Texanne — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:30:51 +0000

His muse brought him a romantic suspense whose heroine has a job so mysterious even he doesn’t know what it is. Hey, this is what you get when the muse brings you a story so superbly cool.

Using HTTS techniques this student is now teasing out his heroine’s job and story and the murder at the bottom of all the fictional conflict.

If you’re over 18, check this out. Fascinating.

Escalating Conflict–It’s a Good Thing.

Texanne — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:45:32 +0000

When real life is peaceful, calm, serene, yet informative, we rejoice.

When fiction is peaceful, calm serene, yet informative, we yawn, put down the book and go clean the gutters.

Lesson 5 of How to Revise Your Novel analyzes the overall conflict as well as the scene conflict and then brainstorms it higher and tighter and more interesting.

The gutters may never get cleaned again, and that’s a good thing for your novel-writing career.

Check it out.

Waking the Muse

Texanne — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:30:59 +0000

Your Muse demands to write in a lovely place with natural lighting, preferably while your grandmother bakes biscuits and your grandfather brews coffee. Or in a secluded cabin beside a mountain lake.

However, the reality is that most of your time is spent on the job or in your affordable apartment. How can you write when your Muse turns up her nose at your surroundings?

Donate, accept, or trade strategies here.

Dreaming the Muse

Texanne — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:15:46 +0000

This HTRYN student got an effortless insight, courtesy of the Muse who visits sleeping artists.

I had an experience last night/this morning that will help me explore a sub-theme and may illuminate a lot of threads in my revision novel. . . .
I dreamed. . . .
In the dream, I felt a sense-of-wonder jaw drop. I then forgot about the dream until I made my cup of coffee this morning, when it came back to me and I felt the same sense-of-wonder gooseflesh, both at the realization and that I’d dreamed it.

Have you had a similar experience? Would you like to ask more about this one?

Competition Deadline met with Grace.

Texanne — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:00:57 +0000

This HTRYN student didn’t wait for the course to be complete–she has already begun to use her new insights in writing and submitting a short story.

I have read the materials about promises, and applied them to that story. It was an absolute revelation! I was so happy to see that in most places my intuition was right. I was happy to be able to explain it using Holly’s text, the details, the scale, the reason behind it.

Share the joy.

First Draft vs. Revision

Texanne — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:00:16 +0000

Quite a few HTRYN students are also HtTS students. This makes for interesting thought convergences. Here some students discuss their wish lists of elements for first drafts and their plans for revision.

Homage? Theft? Or something else?

Texanne — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:00:13 +0000

This student loves a story written by someone else, and has felt inspired to try something similar to it. But there’s a troublesome doubt putting a hitch in his happy dance of creativity: is his story truly a new story or is it too much like the inspiration piece?

Hmm.

Sounds like a great topic for discussion.