...not that I'm anywhere close, but...
The closer I get to putting "the end" on Hot Contract, the more I've been thinking about story structure. Y'know, the stuff that goes underneath, the framework...
I spent a lot of time reading Dunne's Emotional Structure, and McKee's Story, hell--every damned craft book I could get my hands on. Talk about putting people off, "so whattaya reading? Moral Premise for Screenwriters? Isn't that kind of heavy?!!" Yeah, well that one was kind of heavy (like a goddamned two-ton ROCK), but I took something away from it.
The more time I spend on Hot Contract--which was my first attempt at a "real" book. (Which makes Redemption and that damned regency not real? I dunno...) The more I appreciate the advanced plotting of Kill Velocity.. I was so wound up in pantsing my way through the adventures of Jen and Keegan, I didn't pay attention to my actual plot points. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad. And soon, it'll be damned good, but in the whole plotting versus pantsing question, I'm now firmly OCD.
Leslie Wainger, in her lecture on common mistakes for the Reno '05, was right. You NEED a plot if you want to succeed, because you can't write tight and fast without an idea of "what happens next, why, and how". Some of Laura's comments are damned embarrassing. Some of my self-realizations are excruciating.
One more week. I need a shovel.
2 comments:
*Hands Cup a Shovel*
Been there done that.
Wanna know what's worse? Discovering three plot holes AFTER edits!!!!!!! Hang in there. The more anal you get during edits, the better the book will feel at release date.
There's a reason it's called "release". LOL.
lol, thanks for the shovel, you're a friend :)
And there had better be no plot holes after edits. I have ALL my fingers in the dike and it's still hot here.
Thanks, Jen
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