tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post8012082303999799233..comments2023-10-15T11:23:35.339+01:00Comments on Hawkins Bizarre: Getting things in focusAlishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18406189984167289987noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-29643997433331279272008-07-08T18:23:00.000+01:002008-07-08T18:23:00.000+01:00I plowed on through to the end in my first (very u...I plowed on through to the end in my first (very unpublished) novel. It's a mess. The only virtue in having done it that way is that it got me to where I could type "The End." I found that to be an important step in learning to write--but I would have a better novel if I'd spent less time writing and more time gnawing on my knuckles, thinking it over.<BR/><BR/>When I can't get a secondary character to come alive for me, sometimes I write a "throw-away scene" starring that character: something outside the storyline, a scene I have no intention of using. Sometimes I even write it first person.<BR/><BR/>The only danger is that the character may beoome too big in your mind and start demanding too much screen time.David Isaakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04928598446742324391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-32778482545364733552008-07-08T16:06:00.000+01:002008-07-08T16:06:00.000+01:00It really is hard to concentrate with a houseful. ...It really is hard to concentrate with a houseful. Trying to understand what's going on in my children's heads is hard enough with attempting to suss out my characters at the same time!<BR/><BR/>At the moment I'm in danger of preferring my MC's friend and am trying to work out why :(Karenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05986874444030474719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-18743489464754470192008-07-08T09:20:00.000+01:002008-07-08T09:20:00.000+01:00Thanks for your comments, guys, it helps to know t...Thanks for your comments, guys, it helps to know that I'm not just going a little bit doo-lally!Alishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18406189984167289987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-31963349541278707462008-07-08T09:09:00.000+01:002008-07-08T09:09:00.000+01:00I'm having a similar experience at the moment, Ali...I'm having a similar experience at the moment, Alis. I'm finding the "flog on to the end" approach isn't working for me at the moment, and I'm going to fix the 2/3rds of the draft I have down before I finish.<BR/><BR/>Every time I start a new novel I surprise myself when I find out that there's no single right way. But by the time I start the next one I've forgotten it again.<BR/><BR/>A post on this topic will follow...Tim Strettonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08598897603628943741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-80354351864352213392008-07-07T21:14:00.000+01:002008-07-07T21:14:00.000+01:00I know what you mean. If you get a character wrong...I know what you mean. If you get a character wrong and leave it until the second draft, you run the risk of having to unpick many stitches and do a complicated repair job. On the other hand, if you stop too long to worry about a niggle, will you be worrying unecessarily and just be holding up the completion of the draft? Well, this is how it is for me. <BR/><BR/>Kat :-)Kat Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14176200521240664479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-51521416670753726042008-07-07T20:47:00.000+01:002008-07-07T20:47:00.000+01:00I agree that it is difficult to get into the head ...I agree that it is difficult to get into the head of more than a couple of characters at a time, although my main character: Erzsebet Bathory, seems to have a mind of her own and keeps surprising me by going her own way - does that sound really weird? - but my other characters are very obliging about me entering their minds! What I find really helps my writing though, is when I sit down at my computer I shake off the 'real' me and put on the mantle of Akasha Savage...Akasha writes a lot better than I ever will!!<BR/>:)Akasha Savage.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13482147165827577180noreply@blogger.com