Comments on: Seven Questions http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/ More than you ever wanted to hear from Bestselling Author Jenny Crusie. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:42:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Scrivener http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-135483 Scrivener Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:56:47 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-135483 Dear Jenny, I built on your beautiful Curio NOVEL TEMPLATE and put it up for my fellow script writers on the Goldmine. We all love you for sharing that original template. http://www.screenwritinggoldmine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=24395#post24395 Dear Jenny, I built on your beautiful Curio NOVEL TEMPLATE and put it up for my fellow script writers on the Goldmine. We all love you for sharing that original template.
http://www.screenwritinggoldmine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=24395#post24395

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]]> By: Deborah Taylor-French http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134939 Deborah Taylor-French Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:56:16 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134939 Thanks for this post on 7 questions. I plan to share it with my writers' group. Enjoyed your wit and insight on your blog. I'll start following you on Twitter. See you in the clouds. Thanks for this post on 7 questions. I plan to share it with my writers’ group. Enjoyed your wit and insight on your blog. I’ll start following you on Twitter. See you in the clouds.

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]]> By: CrankyOtter http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134872 CrankyOtter Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:35:22 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134872 Critiqing and related skills isn't boring, it's fascinating! I'm a reader. Ok, I'm also a process engineer so seeing your process floats my boat in a big way, but still. Skill building posts are great. I've also learned a lot about writing (whether or not I ever do any outside work and personal communications) from you and other authors. Some authors outline extensively then have clean first drafts that need little work. Some authors like you need to write the book before you know what the outline is, then you go back and outline what the girls in the basement put forth, then go back and re-write. It's all the same stuff, just in a different order. Being taught to write in school for years from an outline generated before any sentences, which I fundamentally cannot do, killed most of my writing interest at an early age. Knowing now that I can throw stuff on a page THEN outline and make it coherent and that's NOT WRONG makes me feel more capable as a person and a writer. It turns out that's how I got through my college papers - but now I know what the process is enough that I can plan time for the steps, be ok with writing as a go along, and allow that process to work for me without beating myself up for not doing it "right". And then when I get stuck, answer the above questions (whether for fiction or academia...) Hrm. I have 3 weeks to write a conference paper abstract, but I can't write the abstract until I know what the paper will be on. Have over a year's worth of data, but what does the audience most want to know? Critiqing and related skills isn’t boring, it’s fascinating! I’m a reader. Ok, I’m also a process engineer so seeing your process floats my boat in a big way, but still. Skill building posts are great.

I’ve also learned a lot about writing (whether or not I ever do any outside work and personal communications) from you and other authors. Some authors outline extensively then have clean first drafts that need little work. Some authors like you need to write the book before you know what the outline is, then you go back and outline what the girls in the basement put forth, then go back and re-write. It’s all the same stuff, just in a different order. Being taught to write in school for years from an outline generated before any sentences, which I fundamentally cannot do, killed most of my writing interest at an early age. Knowing now that I can throw stuff on a page THEN outline and make it coherent and that’s NOT WRONG makes me feel more capable as a person and a writer.

It turns out that’s how I got through my college papers – but now I know what the process is enough that I can plan time for the steps, be ok with writing as a go along, and allow that process to work for me without beating myself up for not doing it “right”. And then when I get stuck, answer the above questions (whether for fiction or academia…) Hrm. I have 3 weeks to write a conference paper abstract, but I can’t write the abstract until I know what the paper will be on. Have over a year’s worth of data, but what does the audience most want to know?

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]]> By: AgTigress http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134751 AgTigress Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:32:18 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134751 Love prologues. And infodump. Just saying... Love prologues. And infodump. Just saying…

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]]> By: Carol Anne http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134724 Carol Anne Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:54:13 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134724 Thought so.... tried a third person limited POV, it IS a bear to do well. Half the critiques were brutal, the other half...not so bad and I did learn from it...after a day or two of eating chocolate and thinking the critiques through, well, except for one, I tore that one up. Not going to do that again! I developed another layer of "croc" skin...thank you. Thought so…. tried a third person limited POV, it IS a bear to do well. Half the critiques were brutal, the other half…not so bad and I did learn from it…after a day or two of eating chocolate and thinking the critiques through, well, except for one, I tore that one up. Not going to do that again! I developed another layer of “croc” skin…thank you.

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]]> By: orangehands http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134723 orangehands Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:45:49 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134723 Briana: Nah, if you really want to you can. Heck, the only reason I'm still reading Lee Child is because of his infodump. (Which is good, since it makes up 85% of the story.) :) I love learning critique stuff. I don't really use it, but its always there as an option, just in case. Briana: Nah, if you really want to you can. Heck, the only reason I’m still reading Lee Child is because of his infodump. (Which is good, since it makes up 85% of the story.) :)

I love learning critique stuff. I don’t really use it, but its always there as an option, just in case.

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]]> By: Briana http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134718 Briana Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:41:02 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134718 Oh, crap. Because I always WANT to. Especially infodump. And, maybe a prologue. And stuff. Oh, crap. Because I always WANT to. Especially infodump. And, maybe a prologue. And stuff.

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]]> By: Jenny http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134709 Jenny Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:26:22 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134709 Headhopping is a break in third person limited POV, which is telling the story from the POV of only one character in the scene, so that you see what that characters sees, hear what that character hears, feel what that character feels, think what that character thinks. If you headhop, or move into another character's head, you break the you-are-there connection with the reader which is one of the few reasons for doing third limited since it's a bear to do well. Headhopping is a break in third person limited POV, which is telling the story from the POV of only one character in the scene, so that you see what that characters sees, hear what that character hears, feel what that character feels, think what that character thinks. If you headhop, or move into another character’s head, you break the you-are-there connection with the reader which is one of the few reasons for doing third limited since it’s a bear to do well.

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]]> By: Carol Anne http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134707 Carol Anne Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:04:01 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134707 "back and fore" Back and forth. To and fro. You know. “back and fore” Back and forth. To and fro. You know.

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]]> By: Carol Anne http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134706 Carol Anne Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:02:21 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134706 Headhopping - is that a "one character says/thinks, another character says/thinks," the characters are speaking back and fore in their heads? Could you explain this please? Headhopping – is that a “one character says/thinks, another character says/thinks,” the characters are speaking back and fore in their heads? Could you explain this please?

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]]> By: robena grant http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134704 robena grant Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:56:03 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134704 Oh, thanks for this. I just started back with a critique partner after a four year break. I will share your advice with her. : ) Happy writing. Oh, thanks for this. I just started back with a critique partner after a four year break. I will share your advice with her. : )
Happy writing.

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]]> By: Micki http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134672 Micki Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:26:55 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134672 Your blog is always a lot of fun -- whether it is practical critiquing, or creating luggage with personality. Your blog is always a lot of fun — whether it is practical critiquing, or creating luggage with personality.

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]]> By: inkgrrl http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134655 inkgrrl Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:23:49 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134655 Not boring at all babe - this is totally useful. Thank you! Not boring at all babe – this is totally useful. Thank you!

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]]> By: Jenny http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134650 Jenny Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:43:55 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134650 Absolutely. As long as you're the one determining the right or wrong for your work, you're good. It's when you let the "Never do this" crowd in that you start going crazy. Except, you know, prologues and headhopping and infodump: NEVER DO THAT. Absolutely. As long as you’re the one determining the right or wrong for your work, you’re good. It’s when you let the “Never do this” crowd in that you start going crazy.
Except, you know, prologues and headhopping and infodump: NEVER DO THAT.

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]]> By: Briana http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134644 Briana Sun, 18 Oct 2009 16:33:38 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134644 Good point about "right." But it is helpful to have some reasons why it might be "not-quite-right." There are times when I read something and it's....OK. But not quite how I wanted it. And times when I'm not sure how to fix it. This gives me a place to start! Good point about “right.” But it is helpful to have some reasons why it might be “not-quite-right.” There are times when I read something and it’s….OK. But not quite how I wanted it. And times when I’m not sure how to fix it. This gives me a place to start!

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]]> By: Jenny http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134641 Jenny Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:33:31 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134641 You have to be careful about "right." There are a lot of books out there that didn't do anything right and are still good reads, and lot of books that did everything right and are just flat out boring. Formalist criticism like this is really to help you fix a scene you're not happy with. If you like the scene, don't mess with it even if you can't answer all the protag/antag stuff. Ag, I think a lot of evaluative questions really come down to the same thing: Is this valuable for your audience? Does it give them what they need in a form that's most helpful to them? If you're writing a diary, none of that matters, but the minute you hand your writing to another person--friend, teacher, editor, whatever--you have to put audience first. So a lot of rewriting is just fixing the draft-that-was-for-you so that it's the draft-that-is-for-them. You have to be careful about “right.” There are a lot of books out there that didn’t do anything right and are still good reads, and lot of books that did everything right and are just flat out boring. Formalist criticism like this is really to help you fix a scene you’re not happy with. If you like the scene, don’t mess with it even if you can’t answer all the protag/antag stuff.

Ag, I think a lot of evaluative questions really come down to the same thing: Is this valuable for your audience? Does it give them what they need in a form that’s most helpful to them? If you’re writing a diary, none of that matters, but the minute you hand your writing to another person–friend, teacher, editor, whatever–you have to put audience first. So a lot of rewriting is just fixing the draft-that-was-for-you so that it’s the draft-that-is-for-them.

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]]> By: Briana http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134640 Briana Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:24:28 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134640 I love your books -- really. I buy them for friends; I've bought a whole set for my sister; whenever anyone asks about a favorite "feel-good" read, I point to you. So, I agree with the others. It's very interesting to see the process of how it comes together. Besides, like everyone else, I like to write. It's interesting to see whether or not I'm doing anything right when I do it. ;-) I love your books — really. I buy them for friends; I’ve bought a whole set for my sister; whenever anyone asks about a favorite “feel-good” read, I point to you.
So, I agree with the others. It’s very interesting to see the process of how it comes together.
Besides, like everyone else, I like to write. It’s interesting to see whether or not I’m doing anything right when I do it. ;-)

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]]> By: AgTigress http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134639 AgTigress Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:23:56 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134639 Very interesting. I find it quite intriguing to compare that list of questions with the kind of questions one automatically asks when refereeing an academic book or paper. Although the actual questions are different (e.g. Is this a significant contribution to the field? Is the research original? Are the arguments clearly presented and the illustrative examples apposite?), both focus in just the same way on the basic aims and objectives of the work, on its underlying framework and purpose. Very interesting. I find it quite intriguing to compare that list of questions with the kind of questions one automatically asks when refereeing an academic book or paper. Although the actual questions are different (e.g. Is this a significant contribution to the field? Is the research original? Are the arguments clearly presented and the illustrative examples apposite?), both focus in just the same way on the basic aims and objectives of the work, on its underlying framework and purpose.

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]]> By: Reb http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134629 Reb Sun, 18 Oct 2009 09:12:59 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134629 This critiquing stuff is fascinating! especially when it's illustrated by chapters of AKMG. Please keep it up. This critiquing stuff is fascinating! especially when it’s illustrated by chapters of AKMG. Please keep it up.

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]]> By: AlienEeeter http://www.arghink.com/2009/10/18/seven-questions/#comment-134622 AlienEeeter Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:46:11 +0000 http://www.arghink.com/?p=1872#comment-134622 There's nothing boring about the critiquing stuff. I've had a first draft sitting on my computer for four months and I'm finally confident enough to wrestle into a second draft. These posts have been infinitely helpful in showing me what I'm going to have to do to my book. (I'm afraid, but determined.) There’s nothing boring about the critiquing stuff. I’ve had a first draft sitting on my computer for four months and I’m finally confident enough to wrestle into a second draft. These posts have been infinitely helpful in showing me what I’m going to have to do to my book. (I’m afraid, but determined.)

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