A PREDICAMENT RISES WHEN you're busy studying for a major exam and a package arrives from amazon, containing books from your favorite authors.
I mean, reading is a form of study, right?
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Too Tired to Title
THIS BLOG HAS BEEN bare of new posts for some time now. I suppose that is a good sign; if I'm not here, I'm writing other subjects, aren't I?
No big twist here, I'm afraid. Truth's as simple as "yes".
In similar news, I have finished my first novel. Or at least th latest edit of it. It's with my alpha readers.
While they're reading, I'm on to the next book.
I've world built as much as I felt neccesary and I'm already up to chapter three (which is actually chapter seven, but let's keep that between us).
My mind is blank of extra nonsense to spurt, so I will finish here.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
The Empty Dryness
FOR A WHILE NOW, I haven't written a thing in this blog. I don't really have anything special to say, but i don't want to forget about this blog, either. So, I'll ramble.
Im currently in a desert. Not the sandy, Arabian, camel-ride sort of desert, but the kind which offers little more than dry thorns and dull rocks. This will be a three day trip and since I have no other piece of technology besides this phone, I will not be doing much writing. Which is a shame, for I'm nearly done with the second draft of my book. My alpha readers are eager to recieve this piece of work I've been telling them about for the past year and a half.
Now, because I am not going to write much, I've decided that I must come up with the book's ending without the help of pages of text. In a way, I already have the ending, but during the second draft, I changed some of the characters a bit, some of the plotline a bit, some of the world a bit. So, now that I am approximately three chapters away from the ending, I have to decide between different characters and their different resolutions. Everyone can't have everything, so I must decide which characters get what they want and which characters must find solace.
I've spoken to my readers, those who have read two thirds of the book already, and together with them, I've figured out exactly what it is that must be concluded.
I know there is a message working it's way into one of the POV characters' story, but I don't know if he'll see it coming, or if it will blindside him.
I know that another character's end will return him to the same state of mind he had been in at the beginning of the book, but I do not know how those around him will react.
I know that another character will get what she wants, but I am still puzzling over how exactly she will manage it.
I have many things to work out, many doubts, and many uncertainties. In fact, the only thing I am certain about, is that the story is finally coming to an end.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Quick Schedule Update
I'VE DECIDED THE SCHEDULE of this blog. By that, I mean, not when I'll post, but what will be posted. The first post was more of a fun, comedy-driven thing, while the second was more of an idea-thing which came to my mind some time ago.
I enjoy doing both, so I've decided that's exactly what I will do; alternate between a fun, creative post, and boring writing related idea/tips/rules, which are more for myself than for you readers.
I will finish this post here and as I'm writing these last words, I think I might set this as a sidebar, or something. We'll see.
Peace off, readers, and expect something fun and creative soon enough,
Tal
I enjoy doing both, so I've decided that's exactly what I will do; alternate between a fun, creative post, and boring writing related idea/tips/rules, which are more for myself than for you readers.
I will finish this post here and as I'm writing these last words, I think I might set this as a sidebar, or something. We'll see.
Peace off, readers, and expect something fun and creative soon enough,
Tal
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Action and Development
I SUPPOSE I MUST have heard this somewhere, but in the little world of this blog, let's say I made up the following:
Writing, and by that I mean fiction writing, can be divided into two parts: Action and Development.
Action, is the name of the category of fast-paced scenes. Action-driven scenes will contain:
Development, on the other hand, is the mother name of slow-paced scenes. Mainly, these scenes will contain more description. However, these massive paragraphs, which will appear as massive blocks of words on you page, can be divided into multiple subjects:
Okay, now that explanation of the title subjects is out of the way, let us get to the 'and' part.
When we write action, be it fight scenes, or simply events happening to our characters, the story hurtles forward. Yet, usually, this stops any character, or setting development.
"Wait just a moment," You might say. "Characters doing things is the height of character development."
Well, there you are wrong. There is no need for a plot to move forward in order to develop a character. See, when 'stuff' happen to the character, they are not developing, but changing. While change is good and even great in a story, especially when you are nearing the end and you are feeling like the character had learned nothing from the events which fell upon them, change can sometimes be disastrous to your readers, especially in the early parts of the story.
Now, let me jump towards Development, for just a moment. When we want to develop our character, or our world/setting, events must freeze and the characters must come to a stand still.
As the author, you will have a much easier time keeping track of the events and the characters, especially by your third edit. So, while you might think that a reader can juggle the fact that brown haired, dimwitted Zalroot's father is a carpenter and that the dark lord has just killed everyone he loved and that his father was actually the daughter of the king's juggler and that the juggler sang a poem long ago which told of a man on a hill...
"Oh, don't be foolish," You might say. "I won't present the facts in such foolish a manner."
Yes, well, as the author, you can't really know what you are doing. This is because you spent endless hour after excruciating hour on every single paragraph.
Okay, now that that's cleared up, let us return to the topic of the title.
While fast-paced Action is fun and I myself spend most of my writing on such sections, one must learn how to speckle slow-paced Development. If not, you will find that the characters have not been developed enough so that the readers will give a crap.
On the other hand, if you find that all you're doing is describing the scenes and the character's emotions and the way the sun reflects off the glass windows of the palace, you will have to start writing faster, less descriptive, eventful scenes. That is, if you do not wish to drag your reader into the depths of boredom.
There must be a balance between Development and Action, in order to create an interesting, moving tale, with lovable characters. Or deliciously hateful villains, for that matter.
How do you do that?
Experimentation is really my best counsel. And also, keeping this article of advice in mind. If you find that a scene feels boring, despite plenty of explosions smashing against the text's walls,
or, of you find that your alpha readers are deterred from reading, despite the characters and world practically jumping out of the pages,
try to balance these two elements of writing. You'll be surprised by how well these two contradicting elements can compliment each other.
Finally, thanks for reading through my rambling,
Tal
Writing, and by that I mean fiction writing, can be divided into two parts: Action and Development.
Action, is the name of the category of fast-paced scenes. Action-driven scenes will contain:
- Dialogue
- Events
- Little to no description
Development, on the other hand, is the mother name of slow-paced scenes. Mainly, these scenes will contain more description. However, these massive paragraphs, which will appear as massive blocks of words on you page, can be divided into multiple subjects:
- Character (IE: Thoughts, physical description.)
- Setting (Ex: The mountains hung under an orange striped sky, painted such by the dawning sun.
- Historical/background (Otherwise known as Info Dumps)
Okay, now that explanation of the title subjects is out of the way, let us get to the 'and' part.
When we write action, be it fight scenes, or simply events happening to our characters, the story hurtles forward. Yet, usually, this stops any character, or setting development.
"Wait just a moment," You might say. "Characters doing things is the height of character development."
Well, there you are wrong. There is no need for a plot to move forward in order to develop a character. See, when 'stuff' happen to the character, they are not developing, but changing. While change is good and even great in a story, especially when you are nearing the end and you are feeling like the character had learned nothing from the events which fell upon them, change can sometimes be disastrous to your readers, especially in the early parts of the story.
Now, let me jump towards Development, for just a moment. When we want to develop our character, or our world/setting, events must freeze and the characters must come to a stand still.
As the author, you will have a much easier time keeping track of the events and the characters, especially by your third edit. So, while you might think that a reader can juggle the fact that brown haired, dimwitted Zalroot's father is a carpenter and that the dark lord has just killed everyone he loved and that his father was actually the daughter of the king's juggler and that the juggler sang a poem long ago which told of a man on a hill...
"Oh, don't be foolish," You might say. "I won't present the facts in such foolish a manner."
Yes, well, as the author, you can't really know what you are doing. This is because you spent endless hour after excruciating hour on every single paragraph.
Okay, now that that's cleared up, let us return to the topic of the title.
While fast-paced Action is fun and I myself spend most of my writing on such sections, one must learn how to speckle slow-paced Development. If not, you will find that the characters have not been developed enough so that the readers will give a crap.
On the other hand, if you find that all you're doing is describing the scenes and the character's emotions and the way the sun reflects off the glass windows of the palace, you will have to start writing faster, less descriptive, eventful scenes. That is, if you do not wish to drag your reader into the depths of boredom.
There must be a balance between Development and Action, in order to create an interesting, moving tale, with lovable characters. Or deliciously hateful villains, for that matter.
How do you do that?
Experimentation is really my best counsel. And also, keeping this article of advice in mind. If you find that a scene feels boring, despite plenty of explosions smashing against the text's walls,
or, of you find that your alpha readers are deterred from reading, despite the characters and world practically jumping out of the pages,
try to balance these two elements of writing. You'll be surprised by how well these two contradicting elements can compliment each other.
Finally, thanks for reading through my rambling,
Tal
Monday, February 10, 2014
First Post
A FIRST POST IS something which tends to get buried under its descendants. That thought should sadden any sane man.
However, such a post is a must, if one attempts to start the ball rolling. Without the first post, none of its followers would ever exist.
Though, we still mourn the first post. Yet, not with anguish and ache, but by cheer and laughter, so that it will not be forgotten. So that we will not be urged to hide it in the back of our minds.
You will never be forgotten, first post, even when we scroll down, down, down, find you... buried under your children, choking on the dust of their awesomeness. Even when we will regret every word we will read here. Even when you seem puny compared to any other writing we have done. Even then, we will remember you.
So, hello and goodbye, little post.
We will miss you.
However, such a post is a must, if one attempts to start the ball rolling. Without the first post, none of its followers would ever exist.
Though, we still mourn the first post. Yet, not with anguish and ache, but by cheer and laughter, so that it will not be forgotten. So that we will not be urged to hide it in the back of our minds.
You will never be forgotten, first post, even when we scroll down, down, down, find you... buried under your children, choking on the dust of their awesomeness. Even when we will regret every word we will read here. Even when you seem puny compared to any other writing we have done. Even then, we will remember you.
So, hello and goodbye, little post.
We will miss you.
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