Showing posts with label Story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Story. Show all posts
Monday, June 18, 2012
Friday, November 4, 2011
What's in a Name?
A question that our good ol' friend William Shakespeare introduced. Ironically, now there's a question in on him. Though that really isn't old news, and completely irrelevant for that matter.
I just finished a manuscript that I've been working on for the last few months. I'm rather proud of it, though it is still a long way from being finished. It definitely needs some polishing and a bit more character development.
The major thing it needs is a title.
I've always felt that a title can say a thousand words. A title in the end can be the deciding factor on a story. I'm more likely to take a story seriously when it's given a thought provoking name such as And Then There Were None and Women of the Silk, compared to Harlequin titles that lay the plot of the story out ( I.E. our ever favorite The Prince Boss's Mistresses Secret Affair Million Dollar Baby). I'm not knocking Harlequin. When I was younger I totally cracked into my next door neighbor's Harles.
Of course I was like thirteen and had yet to develop taste buds when it came to literature.
I'm not saying you should judge a story by it's title fully, just like you shouldn't judge it by it's cover. In the end the writing is what matters. But lets face it, a title is important.
So when I finished my manuscript and sat down to pick a name, I was stumped. Because I want something that gives the full force of the story. It must be a powerful title because I want this story to be a powerful novel. When I first started I threw a title on and called it a day. But that doesn't suit it anymore.
Now I'm stuck picking something out.
Luckily, with the help of mulling over my work for a little bit and the help of some inspirational music, I think I've selected something that'll definitely have some driving force behind it. But I'm not going to settle until I've read through the manuscript one more time and decided that it's a good fit.
Oh titles, why must you elude me?!
I just finished a manuscript that I've been working on for the last few months. I'm rather proud of it, though it is still a long way from being finished. It definitely needs some polishing and a bit more character development.
The major thing it needs is a title.
I've always felt that a title can say a thousand words. A title in the end can be the deciding factor on a story. I'm more likely to take a story seriously when it's given a thought provoking name such as And Then There Were None and Women of the Silk, compared to Harlequin titles that lay the plot of the story out ( I.E. our ever favorite The Prince Boss's Mistresses Secret Affair Million Dollar Baby). I'm not knocking Harlequin. When I was younger I totally cracked into my next door neighbor's Harles.
Of course I was like thirteen and had yet to develop taste buds when it came to literature.
I'm not saying you should judge a story by it's title fully, just like you shouldn't judge it by it's cover. In the end the writing is what matters. But lets face it, a title is important.
So when I finished my manuscript and sat down to pick a name, I was stumped. Because I want something that gives the full force of the story. It must be a powerful title because I want this story to be a powerful novel. When I first started I threw a title on and called it a day. But that doesn't suit it anymore.
Now I'm stuck picking something out.
Luckily, with the help of mulling over my work for a little bit and the help of some inspirational music, I think I've selected something that'll definitely have some driving force behind it. But I'm not going to settle until I've read through the manuscript one more time and decided that it's a good fit.
Oh titles, why must you elude me?!
Monday, October 31, 2011
Freebies
Happy Halloween!
So I've spent the night carting kiddies around to collect candy and dishing out some candy myself. After all the festivities and a major case of sweet tooth, I've churned out a new publicity stunt -- eer I mean story!
In honor of the holiday I've started a horror story, which I'll be updating on my Tumblr account twice a month. Check it out and follow it, then check out my story available for purchase The Hunting Moon another grizzly horror/urban fantasy!
Cotton suffers from chronic nightmares. Just as he thought his and Esteban's life would settle into a peaceful normalcy, he finds that their quiet home holds dark secrets. Someone or something is out to get them. If Cotton wants to put an end to the nightmares, he and Esteban are going to have to put to rest the spirits that haunt their home.
PENROSE
So I've spent the night carting kiddies around to collect candy and dishing out some candy myself. After all the festivities and a major case of sweet tooth, I've churned out a new publicity stunt -- eer I mean story!
In honor of the holiday I've started a horror story, which I'll be updating on my Tumblr account twice a month. Check it out and follow it, then check out my story available for purchase The Hunting Moon another grizzly horror/urban fantasy!
Cotton suffers from chronic nightmares. Just as he thought his and Esteban's life would settle into a peaceful normalcy, he finds that their quiet home holds dark secrets. Someone or something is out to get them. If Cotton wants to put an end to the nightmares, he and Esteban are going to have to put to rest the spirits that haunt their home.
PENROSE
Thursday, March 3, 2011
To Outline or Not to Outline?
So one of the biggest things I discuss with my friends (at least my fellow authors) is the beginning process. Everyone does it differently. And between gossiping about boys and clothes, we each break down how we start our novel. Seeing as how I've just begun my second novel in the Theo Bourne Series, I've decided that now would be a good time to discuss outlining processes. See, it isn't all about sex.
So the question is: to outline or not to outline? Good ol' Bill, I bet he never knew his one little quote would be butchered so horrifically.
In the end, it all depends on how you're comfortable. I know authors who don't outline. They get an idea and after working it through their heads, they start writing. Whatever comes, comes. If you're comfortable with that (I know I'm not) than you can definitely just ignore this post.
If you're someone that likes outlining, than maybe I can shed a bit of advice. There are hundreds of ways to outline, but I've found the two major ones are minor outlines and detailed. I've done them both and I prefer the detailed. I feel more in control.
I'll just give a brief breakdown of each forum:
Minor Outlines
This is when you just need a general direction to go with your story. Minor outlines for me consist of key points that will happen through out the story, major arcs. General I don't do a chapter breakdown with minor outlines. I have a list of characters, places, and a series of events. Usually ten. Minor outlines gives you a lot of elbow room to shift things around, without feeling too tied down to the plot. This is great for someone who doesn't like to sit down and work out the entire plot in one go. If you're a writer who wings it through the chapters, then I'd suggest this form of outlining.
Detailed Outlines
Detailed outlines are far more extensive. For me, this is an entire breakdown of the story. It sometimes ties you down to the plot (than again, maybe that's just me!) but it also gives you a clear view from beginning to end. You always have room to change the plot, never forget that. With a detailed, I break the entire story down from chapter to chapter. Each chapter has a list of major events that are going to happen. I also include days/time/seasons (whatever is relevant, important to note) and a list of places and characters. I find that with a detailed outline I have a clear view of where I'm going and I can't stray from the plot. It also helps me prevent events from getting confused/obscured/forgotten. For me, I have a tendency to forget what I write unless I look back. So with a detailed outline, I have the ability to go back and take a peek of what happened the previous chapter without actually having to reread the entire chapter.
I actually do both a minor and detailed outline. I use the minor to help place the larger events through out the story, breaking them down into each chapter. In the end, it's what you're comfortable with. There are plenty of other ways to outline. This is just how I roll! :)
A good resource for writing tips is Janet Evanovich's How I Write. I'd also check out Writer's Digest Magazine, which is loaded with oodles of tips for you lovely chickadees!
So the question is: to outline or not to outline? Good ol' Bill, I bet he never knew his one little quote would be butchered so horrifically.
In the end, it all depends on how you're comfortable. I know authors who don't outline. They get an idea and after working it through their heads, they start writing. Whatever comes, comes. If you're comfortable with that (I know I'm not) than you can definitely just ignore this post.
If you're someone that likes outlining, than maybe I can shed a bit of advice. There are hundreds of ways to outline, but I've found the two major ones are minor outlines and detailed. I've done them both and I prefer the detailed. I feel more in control.
I'll just give a brief breakdown of each forum:
Minor Outlines
This is when you just need a general direction to go with your story. Minor outlines for me consist of key points that will happen through out the story, major arcs. General I don't do a chapter breakdown with minor outlines. I have a list of characters, places, and a series of events. Usually ten. Minor outlines gives you a lot of elbow room to shift things around, without feeling too tied down to the plot. This is great for someone who doesn't like to sit down and work out the entire plot in one go. If you're a writer who wings it through the chapters, then I'd suggest this form of outlining.
Detailed Outlines
Detailed outlines are far more extensive. For me, this is an entire breakdown of the story. It sometimes ties you down to the plot (than again, maybe that's just me!) but it also gives you a clear view from beginning to end. You always have room to change the plot, never forget that. With a detailed, I break the entire story down from chapter to chapter. Each chapter has a list of major events that are going to happen. I also include days/time/seasons (whatever is relevant, important to note) and a list of places and characters. I find that with a detailed outline I have a clear view of where I'm going and I can't stray from the plot. It also helps me prevent events from getting confused/obscured/forgotten. For me, I have a tendency to forget what I write unless I look back. So with a detailed outline, I have the ability to go back and take a peek of what happened the previous chapter without actually having to reread the entire chapter.
I actually do both a minor and detailed outline. I use the minor to help place the larger events through out the story, breaking them down into each chapter. In the end, it's what you're comfortable with. There are plenty of other ways to outline. This is just how I roll! :)
A good resource for writing tips is Janet Evanovich's How I Write. I'd also check out Writer's Digest Magazine, which is loaded with oodles of tips for you lovely chickadees!
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