Ransom Noble's Blog, page 28

You Can't Edit a Blank Page

This saying has been credited to many authors and I can't find the original. I do believe it's true, though.

The newest member of my writing group stated she had a story she had been writing in her head, and alarms went off in my head. How can she think she's writing if it hasn't left her head?

Perhaps it's fortunate I curbed my tongue. I did want her to come back. She seems like a good addition to the group.

However, I am wary of those who think they can create stories – which are made for...

Thorny Pitches

Do you call it a logline or a premise or a one-sentence pitch? And by whatever name you call it, is it really that much different?

The logline's history starts with scriptwriting, so if I have a novel, do I want to call it a logline?

The premise is a one-sentence summary of a novel, which may or may not be nearly the same as the one-sentence pitch.

Whichever one you think you're writing, it has to be catchy. Ever feel sorry for all the industry professionals who have these short pithy sayings...

Digging Into Plot

Yesterday I pulled out my synopsis and I started making notes. Finally!

I'm really glad I wrote the synopsis now. It makes it easier to figure out where to change things. My notes are in dark blue, littering the typed pages.

Today I think I'll add green or purple, whichever I can find first. I like adding a different color to show different kinds of work, and today I'll be making a new line for the plot. It might take two or three times to get where I need to go and changing colors in the...

The Market Says

Discussing the magazine market with my friend, she said there was a bigger market for 'how to write' especially in the speculative fiction field than there was for the fiction. She's been researching for her own magazine, and I don't doubt it.

But it's a little funny, since in order to write for any genre you need to be familiar with the genre. Of course, they're probably buying books instead of magazines, but why?

If we're out for the short story market, it's best to get our hands on the...

Do you ever wonder?

Why are there 40 phonemes in English and only 26 letters? Also, of those 26 letters, some of them duplicate sounds. No wonder everyone is confused about how to spell.

I'm not sure adding letters would have simplified the rules. There's probably some history behind why we have fewer letters than phonemes.

When we teach children to speak and read, we focus on the letters many times. I see alphabet books with all kinds of themes to check out the letters – just the 26 letters. As I learn more...

Monday Again

Bummer!

It seems odd to get attached to certain days of the week, but how often do you hear people say things like, "Oh, I can't wait until Friday." Friday may still be three days away, but they're pushing through their weeks to get there. Barely enough time to enjoy the weekend, and another week hits.

Why are we trying to travel so fast through the days? It's not like we're given extra. Even Mondays have their place, and I suppose I wouldn't prefer other days if there weren't Mondays to...

What's so funny?

Last night a group of my friends went to the Funny Bone to see D. L. Hughley. There was an emcee, whose name I do not remember, and an opening local comic named Danny T.

After the show, we discussed the humor – what we found funny and who, of the three, was the 'funniest'. Oh, funny's a difficult term to pin down. I know I don't write humor. My husband doesn't think I'm funny (something about my joke timing is off), though several of my friends laugh at my jokes. Well, they laugh when I'm not ...

A Title Is Only a Few Words

But, at least for a blog post, that may mean the difference between clicking a link and ignoring it.

A title or headline must grab interest in a few words, make the reader or listener pay attention for what comes afterward, and be descriptive of what comes afterward. So, no, we can't just type in all caps "REALLY COOL STUFF AHEAD" and expect anyone to read it. Bummer.

Some words might incite interest, like "free." If you use that method you'd better provide something free, though. And some...

A Blog Grader?

I saw my friend Sarah Holroyd posted about Twitter and how to find potential markets with it. Her link at the bottom was for Blog Grader.

So of course I ran over to check my blog. A lot of it is numbers that aren't explained in detail – like what does it mean to get 85 for a blog grade? Does that mean I passed something?

I love the links at the bottom of things that give you more information. The best time of day to post, how often to post, and a blogging kit. Do they normalize that for time...

Don't Forget the Science

Read the article here.

Oh, I love science and the opportunity to learn for free. The heart of science fiction is always in the science where it begins. The writer can take as many liberties as can be believed by the reader, but it has to start with known science and end where the imagination can logically take the story.

"What if?" is the best question to answer. It isn't always something from another world based on science to make the fiction. It's the driver for every story ever told.

Where...