Sandra Gulland's Blog, page 41
September 20, 2010
Construction site revision
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Years ago, I came upon a slender little book titled My Editor, by M.B. Goffstein. It's a poem of few lines, with simple, geometric illustrations, describing the process of working with an editor on revision.
I loved it so much I bought three, thinking of people I knew who might love it too. Now I only have one.
I've been thinking of it a lot, of late, going though the revision of The Next Novel, working with The Taskmaster (editor). The poem evokes the rewriting process as a construction site:...
Years ago, I came upon a slender little book titled My Editor, by M.B. Goffstein. It's a poem of few lines, with simple, geometric illustrations, describing the process of working with an editor on revision.
I loved it so much I bought three, thinking of people I knew who might love it too. Now I only have one.
I've been thinking of it a lot, of late, going though the revision of The Next Novel, working with The Taskmaster (editor). The poem evokes the rewriting process as a construction site:...
September 19, 2010
September 17, 2010
Research overload
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It's fall, and time for me to begin thinking of what research books I'm going to take south with me this winter. What am I going to need as I continue work on The Next Novel?
The technology changes so quickly, my database and library systems have radically changed. Now I note which books are searchable on Amazon.com and which on Books Google. Other books are fully on-line or downloaded onto my computer.
I've a towering stack of books that I've already read and marked with notes. I'm consideri...
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It's fall, and time for me to begin thinking of what research books I'm going to take south with me this winter. What am I going to need as I continue work on The Next Novel?
The technology changes so quickly, my database and library systems have radically changed. Now I note which books are searchable on Amazon.com and which on Books Google. Other books are fully on-line or downloaded onto my computer.
I've a towering stack of books that I've already read and marked with notes. I'm consideri...
August 29, 2010
A Revision Rule-of-Thumb
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In A Writer's Time (a book I recommend), the author Kenneth Atchity describes the state called End Time, when the work at hand is approaching finish. He says:
In A Writer's Time (a book I recommend), the author Kenneth Atchity describes the state called End Time, when the work at hand is approaching finish. He says:
"End Time is characterized by high energy flow and pressure to finish. ... Think of the slow-moving horse, after an exhausting day in the field, who hears the whistle and gallops at high speed for the barn. ... Lock yourself up if necessary, turn off the phone, leave home, anything to allow End Time its way once you're sure its way can...
August 26, 2010
Time management for authors
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I love InkyGirl cartoons:
This is, alas, too true! I start my day with a mug of coffee and the Social Net. Then: to work.
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I love InkyGirl cartoons:
This is, alas, too true! I start my day with a mug of coffee and the Social Net. Then: to work.
August 22, 2010
Novelists: a magpie mind
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I love Sunday mornings with the Ottawa Citizen's wonderful book pages.
This morning I very much enjoyed an interview of David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas and, newly-out, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. Here are the passages I highlighted:
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I love Sunday mornings with the Ottawa Citizen's wonderful book pages.
This morning I very much enjoyed an interview of David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas and, newly-out, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. Here are the passages I highlighted:
"Sometimes I try to write a scene, sometimes a sentence, and I can't get to the end of it without half a morning's research."I often fall into what I call "The Black Hole" of research when writing, and Mitchell's statement makes me feel better abo...
August 18, 2010
A beautiful cover!
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I'm thrilled with the Talpress Czech edition of Mistress of the Sun. It's gorgeous, ribbon bookmark and everything!
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I'm thrilled with the Talpress Czech edition of Mistress of the Sun. It's gorgeous, ribbon bookmark and everything!
August 9, 2010
In praise of ugly ducklings
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I've been having a beastly time with the chapters I'm working on now. My characters are not speaking to me. That's a writerly, romantic way of saying I've lost contact with them, I'm not seeing them.
I've hit that patch of despond every writer knows:
When not writing (that is, wrestling), I've been compulsively reading a wonderful novel: The Lovers by Vendela Vida. It's a short, elegant, emotionally gripping story.
And word perfect — the sort of ...
I've been having a beastly time with the chapters I'm working on now. My characters are not speaking to me. That's a writerly, romantic way of saying I've lost contact with them, I'm not seeing them.
I've hit that patch of despond every writer knows:
"I should give up writing."
"I'm no good at this."
When not writing (that is, wrestling), I've been compulsively reading a wonderful novel: The Lovers by Vendela Vida. It's a short, elegant, emotionally gripping story.And word perfect — the sort of ...
August 7, 2010
Lost and found in revision
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This morning, braced by a good sleep, I went through my manuscript scene by scene, listing the changes I would have to make were I to change the Mortemart mansion to the left bank, where I now believe it did exist. (See my early post: here.)
And decided: I would make the move.
Making the decision is half the battle. Making the changes will be painful, but I like the security of place, the foundation of fact. Plus, there's an excellent floor plan: how delicious.
To see my findings, a map and th...
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This morning, braced by a good sleep, I went through my manuscript scene by scene, listing the changes I would have to make were I to change the Mortemart mansion to the left bank, where I now believe it did exist. (See my early post: here.)
And decided: I would make the move.
Making the decision is half the battle. Making the changes will be painful, but I like the security of place, the foundation of fact. Plus, there's an excellent floor plan: how delicious.
To see my findings, a map and th...
August 6, 2010
The problem writing with fact-based fiction
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The problem with fact-based fiction is ... well ... facts. They can really mess up a good story.
I'd read that the Mortemarts, the family of Athénaïs, Madame de Montespan, lived on rue de Rosiers.
Perfect: rue des Rosiers is not far from where Claude des Oeillets, my main character, lived when she first came to Paris. It worked into the story perfectly. Their lives do become entwined; nobody knows how their relationship began, but as a novelist it helped that they were walking distance from o...
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The problem with fact-based fiction is ... well ... facts. They can really mess up a good story.
I'd read that the Mortemarts, the family of Athénaïs, Madame de Montespan, lived on rue de Rosiers.
Perfect: rue des Rosiers is not far from where Claude des Oeillets, my main character, lived when she first came to Paris. It worked into the story perfectly. Their lives do become entwined; nobody knows how their relationship began, but as a novelist it helped that they were walking distance from o...
