Learn Writing with Uncle Jim, Volume 1

Re: Inspiration

I have to construct a scene necessary for the plot of my novel, but for some reason, I am having trouble making it come to life. My protag is in a bookstore having coffee with an author who has just given a signing. They are talking. I am thinking - have them leave the bookstore and go to a go-go bar or something, change the scenery to make it come to life, but I also like the idea of them being in the bookstore.....anyone have any tricks to get them through those perfunctory but necessary scenes?

Re: Inspiration

Have a bad poetry slam going on in the background.

Re: Whoohoo! I made it!

Matrix, you have some kind of conflict in the scene, yes?

Re: Inspiration

Have a bad poetry slam going on in the background.

Click to expand...

I didn't know there was such a thing as a good one.

'shay

Re: Whoohoo! I made it!

HCONN, many thanks ....now that you mention it, I really don't have clear conflict in this scene. I am setting the characters up for later conflict; the scene I am writing pertains to their initial meeting. The author, so to speak, is trying to compel his coffee-drinking companion into a Faustian pact of sorts....

Should I layer conflict into this scene? Actually, I can think of a couple of ways to do this (now that you mentioned it)....

But this begs the question: Should every scene in a novel have conflict in it? Are there exceptions?

And from left field: Are sub plots necessary??

MANY THANKS!

Re: Inspiration

Subplots are not necessary, but are nice.

And there are many different kinds of conflict, and I think every scene needs at least one of them.

Re: Whoohoo! I made it!

Subplots make your story richer and more layered and more interesting.

Re: Inspiration

You're right to be wary of having two people sitting and talking. It can be done very well if there's conflict and something at stake, or with simply great dialogue (think of all the great mafia/hitman scenes in bar booths), but a little action is always good.

Conan Doyle would put Holmes and Watson into a carriage and have Holmes give all the background information as they rode through the city or countryside on the way to the case.

Bill Watterson wrote that he used the same technique in his "Calvin and Hobbes," always having them racing down a hill in a cart or sled as Calvin philosophized about life. It kept you reading 'cause you knew there'd be a crash at the end.

On Rewriting

I must say, I don't much like rewriting. That's why I spend more time up front getting the structure right. Once I have a pretty good idea of where all my crises, climaxes, and plot twists need to go I can write a first draft that won't need so much rewriting.

I don't do a plot outline, though. Plotting involves deciding how characters are going to act and react. To plot, I need to get inside the characters' heads, see the situation develop as they see it, and choose the responses that would make sense to them at the time. Making those decisions in a plot outline ahead of time is the best way to get yourself an idiot plot (i.e. a plot that only works because all the characters are idiots, incapable of making sensible decisions).

double-space within a line?

Is my newbie-ness showing? I just read that you should leave two spaces--not one--after the period at the end of each sentence in your manuscript. I am doing so in this post, and while it looks more appealing, is it necessary/required for novel-length submissions? I honestly never heard of this outside of journalism. I hate to think how many pages it adds to a manuscript, but more importantly, do we need to do this? The same artcile mentioned doing likewise after a colon: so that there are two spaces like I just left. Sorry for the anal question. UJ...? Others? Do we have a consensus? And are there other punctuation we need to leave two spaces after... like this one?

C-O-N-F-L-I-C-T

Thanks folks - your various comments regarding getting through the writing of a boring scene have helped expose an even greater flaw in my story, namely, that there is not enough conflict in the beginning. I think I am going to create a sign that says CONFLICT and hang it above my computer monitor. I guess I am too much of a conflict-avoider in life, and I have been trying to extend that characteristic into my fictional worlds. A big and obvious no-no.....

Re: double-space within a line?

One space after a period is standard in NA. I had thought it was universal but a writing friend in NZ says double spacing is still the norm for subs over there.

Re: Double Space After Period

As a business student, the rules for us are somewhat changing. When I was younger the rigid rule was two spaces after a period. Now, there seems to be a noncommittal response for either method. As such I have the hardest time because I will hybrid both methods into one piece of work.

But thanks for another editing point I need to check out when I get my ms done.

Pandemonium Books

Uncle Jim --

I just caught up on a few days' backlog of pages, and read your announcement about the book signing at Pandemonium Books in Cambridge. I'm definitely jazzed about coming along! Of course, a lot will depend on whether this infernal blizzard lets up, and how long it takes to dig the state out by that time. But you just might be seeing me there

Joan

Re: double-space within a line?

In a manuscript, use two spaces after each period. The book won’t be printed that way, but it helps make a manuscript easier for an editor to read.

And matrix - get mean! >: Let your characters be the ass within you!

Re: double-space within a line?

All that double-spacing after a period means is that you learned how to type on a real typewriter. Folks who learned how on a computer tend to use one space.

Be consistent, otherwise don't worry about it.

Meanwhile, a <a href="http://www.theonion.com/opinion/index.php?issue=4104&o=2" target="_new">charming story</a>.

Re: A Charming Story

Aw crap...she didn't give us her contact information...

Re: Pandemonium Books

That's okay, Mac. You can have mine.

She distinguished copy editing from line editing. What are the differences?

Re: Pandemonium Books

Hi, folks. I'm slipping on the board quietly. This is my first post. *looks over at the bizarre smilies 8o :b *

Jim,

I loved the link. I loved that she actually sees wisdom in the occasional split infinitive. (Geez, I hate taking those out sometimes.) Not to mention the fact that she understands the profound impact a good but-led sentence can have. Best of all, though, she wears noise-reduction headphones. I can finally know I'm not the only one sitting around looking like she’s waiting for the next plane to land. :lol

Also, I hope you're right about the single space after sentences. A well-known author was kind enough to respond to a letter I sent her, and the first thing I noticed was her use of double-spaces between sentences. :eek

Re: Pandemonium Books

Well-written and superbly punctuated.

Howcum green pencil and not red?

Re: A Charming Story

Red looks angry?

Re: Hello again

Uncle Jim et al,

I want to say a quick "hello." I disappeared from the board about 20 pages ago (yikes... I have a lot of reading to catch up!). I took a break from my novels and have been working on my picture books. Two very different writings, by the way.

I'm glad to see this thread is alive and kicking and many of the old familiar "faces" still present.

Julie

Re: Chess and writing

Reading this thread has gotten me back into the mode of writing. Okay, it's actually gotten the re-write done and a few queries sent. Huge progress there.

There is one thing I keep wondering about and that is the chess game business. My father taught me to play, but the silence of the game was the most difficult part. Later I read a few books on it, which I have now lost. I think one was by Capablanca (spell?) (Cuban chess master) and it helped.

It never occurred to me that there was a connection between chess and writing a novel. So, here are the questions what can you tell from a person's chess game about his/her writing style? Does a strong beginning game and a weak mid-game mean the individual has trouble with plotting? Does a strong beginning and mid-game and weak end game mean that the individual has difficulty developing a satisfying ending to his/her book?

This is a serious question because I've been told I play chess with a good beginning and mid game and a weak end game. I also have a tendency to talk while playing, which limits the number of people who are willing to play with me.

Stlight

chess and writing

Playing chess has nothing to do with writing a novel on anything but a metaphorical level. Well, maybe if you're writing a novel about chess it does, but that's it.

Re: chess and writing

Okay, that's good. At least it is for me since I got stuck on the end game thing.