Nancy Christie's Blog, page 27
June 7, 2022
Thoughts on writing and life for June 2022
Photo by Eyasu Etsub on Unsplash
Just a few thoughts on the need to protect the light of creativity and how the power to do so rests with us: in our hands, in our minds, in our belief that we have something worth thinking, worth saying—something worth writing.
This is an excerpt from my newsletter, The Writing Life for June 2022. You can also listen to it on my Living the Writing Life podcast.
When it comes to the creative process...
May 25, 2022
Wednesday Writing Inspiration for 5.25.22 from Ethan Rutherford
The post Wednesday Writing Inspiration for 5.25.22 from Ethan Rutherford appeared first on The Writer's Place.
May 20, 2022
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: My WIP Renovation
Revising a piece of writing is like renovating a home. First you figure out what isn’t working: what needs fixed, replaced, or removed entirely. Next comes the actual labor: a series of hard, backbreaking (or confidence-destroying) tasks to make it ready for the improvements. Finally, comes the “making it better” part: you add new stuff that is better than the old, you move stuff to make the space better than it was, and if you’re lucky, you end up with a “better than” home—or manuscript.
So here is my take on the good, the bad and the ugly of that process—at least as it pertains to my current WIP.
THE GOOD
Strange as it sounds, I actually found working with developmental editor Dawn Reno Langley a good thing. This, despite the number of times that she flagged every mistake I made. While I do have to admit that there were times when my self-confidence level slid into negative digits, the fact that she took the time to explain why certain parts needed to be revised or eliminated proved very instructive. Having Dawn point them out was like taking a crash course in novel composition. Now onto the bad and ugly, which pretty much are the same thing. I pulled up the version of the manuscript that Dawn returned to me, and will (with much shame and chagrin) share her comments.THE BAD AND UGLY
Dialogue tag issues. I tend to make two errors when it comes to these little guys. I either put them too early in the dialogue or I add adverbs or explanations when the emotion should have been perfectly clear by what the character said.Tension deflation tendency. I am guilty of sidetracking the reader by including flashbacks or segues that short-circuit the tension. For example, in an early scene, Rita is baking muffins when she gets a call from her son. Right in the middle of the conversation, I bring in those darned baked goods repeatedly. While they are relevant to the story, they didn’t need to be part of that specific scene.
Lack of character description. I have a habit of not giving the reader good visual images for my characters, especially when I first introduce them. It's not that I don’t know what the characters looked like. I just don’t bother to share it with the readers!
Want to know more about what I learned through this editing process? Read my whole post
on Focus on Fiction!
May 18, 2022
Wednesday Writing Inspiration for 5.18.22 from Margaret Atwood
The post Wednesday Writing Inspiration for 5.18.22 from Margaret Atwood appeared first on The Writer's Place.
May 17, 2022
Thoughts on writing and life for May 2022
The surprises and joys that come from sowing seeds in a literary garden.Just a few thoughts on the surprises and joys that come from sowing seeds in a literary garden.
This is an excerpt from my newsletter, The Writing Life for May 2022.
You can also listen to it on my Living the Writing Life podcast.
This month marks the beginning of the third year for my Living the Writing Life podcast, and my third year as a podcast host. When I think about how the podcast came to be, I realize that in man...
May 11, 2022
Wednesday Writing Inspiration for 5.11.22 from George V. Higgins
The post Wednesday Writing Inspiration for 5.11.22 from George V. Higgins appeared first on The Writer's Place.
May 10, 2022
A Play on Words: Humorist’s Essays Performed on Stage—Guest Post by Dorothy Rosby
All writers dream of the day when our words will be enjoyed by readers. But award-winning humorist Dorothy Rosby has not only had her writing enjoyed by those who read her columns and books, she has also had the exciting opportunity to see her work performed onstage.
In this guest post, she shares her experience of watching her essays being shared aloud with an appreciative audience.
For more about Dorothy and her books, visit her website and follow her on Twitter (@dorothyrosby) or Facebook. Yo...
May 4, 2022
Wednesday Writing Inspiration for 5.4.22 from Esther Freud
The post Wednesday Writing Inspiration for 5.4.22 from Esther Freud appeared first on The Writer's Place.
April 27, 2022
Wednesday Writing Inspiration for 4.27.22 from Elizabeth Berg
The post Wednesday Writing Inspiration for 4.27.22 from Elizabeth Berg appeared first on The Writer's Place.
April 26, 2022
My Thoughts On… Lost & Found by Kathryn Schulz
I chose Kathryn Schulz’s memoir, Lost & Found, the way I choose so many of the books I read: because the subject matter resonated with me.
One point of connection was that she too had lost her father, and even after almost seven years, the loss of my own father at times can be a fresh and deep pain. A second was that she had unexpectedly found love and happiness—something I too have most gratefully experienced.
Kathryn Schulz’s memoir is not an emotional, agonizing depiction of the pain of watch...
