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Q: SD, Can you
explain (in your own way) what is this Three Part of a Story?
A: Well, I don’t know if it is a standard, and I’m sure there are many different interpretations out there in the wonderful world of writing. I had answered a similar question in Ask SD #32. For me the three parts of most stories are introduction, conflict, and resolution. The introduction should not only set the environment (world building), emotional (tone of the story if dark and sinister or bright and lively or cold and distant), and physical (action). Also substantial parts of the introduction are the main character(s) and their starting point (background development). Next is the conflict. This is some great need of the main character or something or some event that is out of their control. They will have to or is forced to change who they were in the introduction to deal with the conflict. Lastly is the resolution. This is the most difficult. This is the final impression that will make or break your overall story. This is where the outcome is in question and where the villain shines and the hero or happy ending is in question. Each of these three is broken in three again and the same theory applies to each main three section. In other words, use each three at a main section and within each section list introduction, conflict, and resolution and get to work. I hope this helps. SD
Q: SD, How many
drafts you do before you sent your manuscript out to your readers or editor?
A: There are many factors that are involved in my process.
I’ve read a statement somewhere that another name of your first draft is crap.
Oh how true that is. For me, I actually write my story from beginning to end.
At that point, I consider it my first draft. Once the (overall) story is done,
then the paranoia kicks in. the next two or three cuts, add, and clearly
happens after several days of me not looking at the story so I can look at it
with different expectation and story flow. After this first retooling come the
grammar check, story continuity, and prospective (who controlling the focus of
the story and speaking in the first person). This is the stage that things are
the most crucial because I know the overall story is ready for me to get
another prospective. I call this first day at school because, like most parents
who child is separated from them (longer than a date night) due to the sheer
panic that occurs until it is over. Once again, there is a process of addition,
subtraction, clarification, and grimmer check. This is when I’m ready to send
it to my editor for the meat grinder. I must say once again that depending on
my attachment to any given manuscripts differs, but the basic flow (for me)
remains the same. Find out what works for you. However, we no longer write on
stone and your process should not be. I hope this helps. SD
Q: SD, How do you
get over the anxiety when you send your manuscript to publishers and agents?
A: I don’t. A friend of mine had once told me not to freak
out whenever I receive a response to look at it as a Christmas present. You are
looking forward to that elusive gift you want, but should be grateful to get
anything. Another friend of mine would bring up that all writers receive
rejection letters and even some of the most famous ones have their manuscript
rejected so many times that they can open their own recycling center. And, yet
another told me that I shouldn’t happy either way. If I don’t get selected some
will give me information about what they would consider acceptable or what I
need to correct for them to reconsider my manuscript. Either way, it’s a win
win for me. My favorite bit of wisdom is a friend of mine telling me that it
only takes one acceptance letter to help me forget all the rejections. All I
had to do was to keep looking for it. Did I forget to say my friends are full
of crap! There is nothing you can do but open the response and hope for the
best, but expect the worst. I know this doesn’t help, but no one is perfect.
Just enjoy the ride. SD
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