Susanne Dunlap's Blog, page 6

Rewriting vs. editing—the painful difference

I wonder how many readers think that writers just sit down and pour out a story onto the page, that maybe with a few little edits and tweaks the story that first goes on the page is the one that ends up in the published book.

Sometimes that’s the case. I’ve been fortunate to have a few of my novels work that way, even if I had to rework substantial sections of them.

Editing is a pleasure. Rewriting is torture.

My current WIP is destined not to be one of those. I announced about two months ago...

Art and Story

I haven’t been to an art museum in quite a while. I used to go all the time. The only reason I went today was because there was such a long line at the Smith bulb show (my original destination). It’s not the Met or the MFA, but the Smith art museum—half a mile from my house—is a gem.

As I wandered through the galleries (I’m afraid my penchant is for the older works), I was struck by something I’d never really thought of before. No doubt it’s pretty obvious to anyone who knows anything about a...

Ruminations about structure

No two ways about it: I’m struggling with the structure of my WIP. It’s as if I’ve spent months making what I hoped would be a beautiful garment, something I could see so clearly in my imagination, only to discover that I put a piece in upside down, and to fix it I have to tear the whole thing apart and start over.

How does that happen?

Structure: plain and simple

I’m not talking about just organizing events so they follow the classic structure of inciting incident, pinch points, plot points,...

Where does the art of writing come from?

I firmly believe that 90% of writing is craft rather than art. But that ineffable 10%, the part that elevates a well-constructed, readable story to something more—where does that come from?

Knowing how is just the beginning

On an intellectual level, I know how a story works. I know that the protagonist has to want something, face obstacles, and eventually overcome them (or not), growing and developing in the process. I’ve read endless books about structuring a novel, about writing good dialog...

How do you know when you’re finished?

How do you know when you’re finished? How do you know when it’s time to let go of your manuscript and send it out, either to beta readers or to your agent or to querying agents? Because let’s face it: every time you look at it you will find something you want to change, sometimes even after the novel is published.

There isn’t a simple answer to that question. It’s something I’m asking myself right now, with my manuscript out to beta readers and my agent. Fortunately, this isn’t a final final...

Truth and Fiction

I’ve had a remarkable week or so, the land of both truth and fiction.

First, the fiction, because in many ways that’s easier and more predictable. My manuscript is going out to beta readers. Yay! Working title: The Adored. In some ways this novel has very quickly made it to this point. I didn’t start writing a single word of it until November 1, using the excuse of NaNoWriMo to jolt myself into starting.

So that’s 13 weeks from first word, to third draft polished up. (With several more to com...

Writing a Novel Beginning

One of the greatest challenges in writing any story is figuring out where it begins and where it ends—most writers know that all too well. What seems like the obvious beginning may not be, and the tidy ending might end up having to come unraveled in order to make the story hang together.

In life, there are lots of beginnings and endings that weave together seamlessly. So seamlessly, that sometimes we don’t even recognize them for what they are until we can look back and gain some perspective....

On finishing a draft

It’s 6:39am. I’m at my laptop in perfect writing position, just as I’ve been every morning since November 1 (that’s 55 days) as I struggled to put together my first draft of this new WIP. I realized at about 2pm yesterday that I’d actually done it. I got from the beginning to the end of my story (at least, I think I did—but more about that later), managed to connect events and figure out a maddeningly vague sequence of historical facts, and create at least a narrative, if not an actual, breat...

Failures and Triumphs

It’s been an interesting time for me in the world of writing and writer friends. I’m so pleased that two of my favorite authors—Kris Waldherr and Nancy Bilyeau—have sold historical novels to publishers in the last few weeks. I’m hoping this may be a sign that things are looking up in the world of historicals.

I can hope that the market makes a swing back around to the kind of novels I write. But that isn’t a determining factor. trends in the publishing world exist outside of the hard work of...

NaNoWriMo tips from the experts

I’ll be brief. Here are some really good tips about writing a novel, from a whole bunch of industry experts. Take a look!