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Q: SD, I lost
interest in the novel I was writing. How do I get it back?
A: I’m sorry to hear
that you are like everyone else. What has happened to you isn’t uncommon.
However, I’m wondering if you already have an ending to your manuscript or you
don’t know how it is to end or you are afraid of letting go your work now that
it is nearly complete. I’m only bring up these points because your question
seemed more in the area of that final hundred yard dash to the finish line than
losing interest in your story. Many people lose that excitement of coming up
with something they see as an emotionally and intellectually gripping story.
But, this erosion of interest is due to constant revision, the story being
worked over to make it perfect that it becomes boring, and the obvious you can
think of nothing else exciting you feel will engage the reader. When any of
these things happen to me (and they do happen to me), I start brainstorming on
three topics that had made me want to write the story in the first place. Under
each topic, I write down everything I can possibly think of no matter how small.
Once this is done, then I walk away from my work for a week or so. When I
return, I look over my list before I attempt to start writing again.
You can change these three topics to ones you wish, but try to keep them to three. These are the ones that are most important to me? My number one topic usually is; What made this story exciting to me in the first place. My second topic is; What characters I wanted to showcase most and why? The third topic is; Do I have enough material to end this story where I had left off? If not, why? At this juncture, if I haven’t thought up and ending, one normally comes and so does the excitement to find the most thrilling way to get from point A to point B. Some might call this refocusing or regrouping or reevaluating and they would be right. Sometimes we are so close or wrapped up with a particular piece or work that we end up counting flower peddles instead of enjoying the whole bouquet. I hope this helps. SD
You can change these three topics to ones you wish, but try to keep them to three. These are the ones that are most important to me? My number one topic usually is; What made this story exciting to me in the first place. My second topic is; What characters I wanted to showcase most and why? The third topic is; Do I have enough material to end this story where I had left off? If not, why? At this juncture, if I haven’t thought up and ending, one normally comes and so does the excitement to find the most thrilling way to get from point A to point B. Some might call this refocusing or regrouping or reevaluating and they would be right. Sometimes we are so close or wrapped up with a particular piece or work that we end up counting flower peddles instead of enjoying the whole bouquet. I hope this helps. SD
Q: SD, Is it really
important to write for a particular group of readers?
A: Knowing your
audience is important to focus all your attention to a singular point of
interest. There is an old saying that best describe this, (I know I’m going to
screw this one up so be nice). If you try to please everyone, you will end up
pleasing no one. I know you may be thinking that I’m avoiding the question, but
actually I’ve just answered it as simply as possible. There is no correct
answer to this question as there are no two snowflakes that are identical. Let
me give you an example. Let’s say I want to write a book on young vampires in
love.
Somewhere in the back of your mind you see two pale skinned blood suckers going through eternity looking deeply into each others eyes without seeing their own reflection in them. The two of them snacking on some poor virgin who was on their way home from midnight mass and the two of them high above the clouds having a really good time bumping and grinding with the moonlight as their backdrop. They will be young forever and have that one love that will span centuries and still feel as fresh as the first moonlit night they had met starving and shared a very nice plump librarian with high blood pressure. They always smile on the anniversary of that faithful night thinking how her blood just shot up their fangs with little effort at all and her screams in terror was music to their ears as they looked deeply in each other’s eyes as her arms flailed about as she went into convulsions. However, someone else is looking at this and seeing two warring clans ripping each other apart along with the countryside.
Blood and guts and fangs and wings are being flung everywhere and there is no hope in sight but mutual extermination. Soon a new threat moves in to take over because they see opportunity. They can easily defeat each of the clans separately and the clans know it. Soon and agreement is made and the children of the clan leaders marry to seal the pack between them to join forces to destroy the new threat. I believe that is called my enemy of my enemy is my friend. Although, the two newly married vampires fight because of over a millennium of hatred between the clans, they finally fall in love with each other after two or three hundred years. They may still catch one another off guard and break a bone or two, push a mirror in the way of the other as they are walking from one room to another, and try to drain each other dry from time to time, but they have learned to become a devoted loving blood sucking couple.
Both these stories fall into the suggested book topic, but they are far from the same group of readers. You can pinpoint with any accuracy. This doesn’t mean there are overall categories or genres, but don’t close yourself off to a small dash of something different in your quest of gaining the attention of a particular group. You do want to be spoken about and yet stand out from the pack. To me what is most important is that you enjoy writing, no matter what story you have in you that wants to come out to play. I hope this helps. SD
Somewhere in the back of your mind you see two pale skinned blood suckers going through eternity looking deeply into each others eyes without seeing their own reflection in them. The two of them snacking on some poor virgin who was on their way home from midnight mass and the two of them high above the clouds having a really good time bumping and grinding with the moonlight as their backdrop. They will be young forever and have that one love that will span centuries and still feel as fresh as the first moonlit night they had met starving and shared a very nice plump librarian with high blood pressure. They always smile on the anniversary of that faithful night thinking how her blood just shot up their fangs with little effort at all and her screams in terror was music to their ears as they looked deeply in each other’s eyes as her arms flailed about as she went into convulsions. However, someone else is looking at this and seeing two warring clans ripping each other apart along with the countryside.
Blood and guts and fangs and wings are being flung everywhere and there is no hope in sight but mutual extermination. Soon a new threat moves in to take over because they see opportunity. They can easily defeat each of the clans separately and the clans know it. Soon and agreement is made and the children of the clan leaders marry to seal the pack between them to join forces to destroy the new threat. I believe that is called my enemy of my enemy is my friend. Although, the two newly married vampires fight because of over a millennium of hatred between the clans, they finally fall in love with each other after two or three hundred years. They may still catch one another off guard and break a bone or two, push a mirror in the way of the other as they are walking from one room to another, and try to drain each other dry from time to time, but they have learned to become a devoted loving blood sucking couple.
Both these stories fall into the suggested book topic, but they are far from the same group of readers. You can pinpoint with any accuracy. This doesn’t mean there are overall categories or genres, but don’t close yourself off to a small dash of something different in your quest of gaining the attention of a particular group. You do want to be spoken about and yet stand out from the pack. To me what is most important is that you enjoy writing, no matter what story you have in you that wants to come out to play. I hope this helps. SD
Q: SD, why are love
triangles are in most books dealing with relationships?
A: I know what you
are asking, but do you really want to know the answer? Well, here comes another triangle. The reason
why this scenario is prevalent in stories dealing with relationship is
because they practically write
themselves, they fulfill and basic desire in both men and women that no one
wish to openly talk about, and it’s a perfect tried and true formula that is
easily accepted and acceptable. Let’s look at this in simple terms.
How can you have trouble writing something that can practically write itself? Boy sees girl and falls in love, girl like some guy, guy picks on the boy because the boy will do anything to be with the girl who doesn’t recognize him until the guy goes too far and boy saves girl, and the girl now knows she always had what she always wanted with her from the start with the boy. The end and everyone’s happy because the guy is a jerk, the girl realized she found what she was searching for and the boy gets the girl. As far as deep hidden desires with both men and women, just ask yourself one simple question. Would you be upset if two gorgeous women or two handsome men were fighting each other to have you? We’ll gloss over the fact that the winner would more than likely kill you if you ever change your mind that they aren’t your soul mate. And finally the ultimate reason why love triangles are used so much is because everyone likes drama in one form or fashion.
This drama can exist across multiple genres and still stand up as a valuable baseline. It matters little of it is a romantic comedy, young adult mystery, horror of two none humans viewing for the love of a human, or wizards having the hots for some witch or witches. No matter what your writing preference is, there isn’t much heavy lifting if you are using a love triangle. You can also get a bit fancier by adding triangles within triangles as long as there is someone who wants someone they are afraid the person they like may not want them because they are always interested in someone not like them. Just remember, someone has to win, someone has to lose, and someone has to be surprised that they always had what they wanted with them all the time. It’s called healing the dumb, because there is no hope for curing stupid. I hope this helps. SD
How can you have trouble writing something that can practically write itself? Boy sees girl and falls in love, girl like some guy, guy picks on the boy because the boy will do anything to be with the girl who doesn’t recognize him until the guy goes too far and boy saves girl, and the girl now knows she always had what she always wanted with her from the start with the boy. The end and everyone’s happy because the guy is a jerk, the girl realized she found what she was searching for and the boy gets the girl. As far as deep hidden desires with both men and women, just ask yourself one simple question. Would you be upset if two gorgeous women or two handsome men were fighting each other to have you? We’ll gloss over the fact that the winner would more than likely kill you if you ever change your mind that they aren’t your soul mate. And finally the ultimate reason why love triangles are used so much is because everyone likes drama in one form or fashion.
This drama can exist across multiple genres and still stand up as a valuable baseline. It matters little of it is a romantic comedy, young adult mystery, horror of two none humans viewing for the love of a human, or wizards having the hots for some witch or witches. No matter what your writing preference is, there isn’t much heavy lifting if you are using a love triangle. You can also get a bit fancier by adding triangles within triangles as long as there is someone who wants someone they are afraid the person they like may not want them because they are always interested in someone not like them. Just remember, someone has to win, someone has to lose, and someone has to be surprised that they always had what they wanted with them all the time. It’s called healing the dumb, because there is no hope for curing stupid. I hope this helps. SD
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