Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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Writing Questions for Josh
And let's not even START on taglines. My eyes, they bleed.Hmm. I feel a blog post coming on.
Tamara wrote: "K.Z. wrote: "About ten years ago, one of my first works accepted for publication was a longish dystopian thriller (subsequently released by Samhain)."Do you mind if I ask the title? By the way, M..."
Mara! It's always such a treat to hear from you. Sorry I didn't respond sooner, but I've just come off an Internet outage that lasted 20 hours. Ah, country living at its finest!
The title is Acts of the Saints, published under a different author name, and it bears my first-ever Anne Cain cover. :) It's not m/m, by the way. Book Utopia (gosh, I wish I knew what happened to her) did a long review of it some years back.
I'm truly humbled by your kind words. Thank you. They'll help me get through Machine, the final book in what's become an unintended trilogy.
an unintended trilogy I'd post something funny about that, but I'm in the same place. I'm currently banging my head against the third Scorpion book. Next time I turn a standalone into a trilogy, somebody hit me with a concrete pillar, please.
Or maybe I just need to get better at killing everybody so there CAN'T be a sequel.
Aleksandr wrote: "Or maybe I just need to get better at killing everybody so there CAN'T be a sequel."Where would the
Aleksandr wrote: "I'm in the same place. I'm currently banging my head against the third Scorpion book. Next time I turn a standalone into a trilogy, somebody hit me with a concrete pillar, please. ":) What drives us to do these things? In my case, it sure ain't the money.
Oh hey, I'm also having third-book trilogy trauma. Maybe we could all agree to skip book 3 and just, you know, say we wrote it?
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I know. I kind of have to see it or listen to it or read it again and again and again to get everything out of it. If I like something, I usually like it A LOT and I want to absorb it.
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I'm about midway through the rewrite now and I've added about 3K to the first half of the book. Meaning, I haven't even got to the parts that still had to be written (the little love scene and the grand finale). So far it's all tightening and tweaking and cleaning up dialog. Nothing major, thankfully. Nothing has changed as far as plot or structure, and I can't imagine anything will, so that makes it somewhat simpler.
If I was the kind of writer who did a lot of structural changes as I worked, serialization would be out of the question. This is bad enough!
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I'm totally in on that! Jeez. Am I EVER going to write this next H&M? It seems like every time I try to start, something comes up.
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My Mom's like that too. I have no idea how m..."
Ha!
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Everyone's got their own process. I've come to respect that more and more. I used to think that kind of creative evolution was just disorganized thinking, but then it finally occurred to me there is no wrong way to produce art. So long as you get there in the end, there is no wrong way to do it.
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I love the analysis and discussion because it's like a way of making the book last longer. But I prefer the discussion to be private for a number of reasons.
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Back cover copy is a real knack, though - learning to sell the book, not ..."
Because you're selling the SIZZLE not the story. Selling a book (or movie or music) is not about the product. It's about why someone wants to buy this product. Advertising, marketing, promotion...these are arts as well. Black arts, perhaps. :-D
Josh wrote: "I'm totally in on that! Jeez. Am I EVER going to write this next H&M? It seems like every time I try to start, something comes up. ..."That's MY question! Though I'll happily read anything else that comes out from you so no pressure... much.
:-D
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That makes perfect sense. It's the idea of never rereading anything at all that I don't get.
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I plot it so much detail people think I'm nuts when they see my notes and plot outline. It's basically the book but in a rough form. I can have whole scenes in my outline already written. It's the way things come to me, I have to write them down when they're fresh. That's probably why I could write my fanfic as I went and not worry too much about suddenly not knowing where to go and leaving a story stuck in the middle for months on end. I was pretty good about getting one chapter written and polished and posted per week. Occasionally I'd skip a week or two when life got in the way, and I read a heck of a lot less than I do now, so that helped too. lol.
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My Mom's like that too. I have no idea how m..."
lol
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It certainly wasn't easy, but I knew it had to be done.
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It is hard to pick a book apart. Often in English classes I wondered what the point was. As someone once said somewhere in the universe, the damned curtains are blue because the author felt like making them blue. They have no significance to anything whatsoever! lol.
I write book reviews for the blog at work, but I keep them very simple. I write a paragraph telling what the book's about and another paragraph explaining why I liked, or didn't like it, and why others might want to read it. That's it. I don't really pick it apart. It had good action, the characters were strong, witty, 3D, it got me to cry at the end, I felt like I learned something about life perhaps. That's usually what I talk about.
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I have to say, for the way you wrote those chapters they came out very clean and easy to read. I found very few mistakes. Nothing made me balk. Nice reading.
Lou wrote: "In college I picked up Film Studies as a minor because I took a film history class and really enjoyed taking movies apart in small class. I found all sorts of hidden layers in the process. It was t..."I agree with you, and always liked it when we discussed a poem or a story in Norwegian or English classes, I always learned something new. Like the BOM and chapter by chapter discussions we have here, peeling away layers and find what's underneath.
I agree too. I love discussions of books etc - someone else sees something you hadn't spotted which throws a whole new light on it. Often there are several different layers. I find that this type of analysis doesn't destroy the magic - it adds to it. I think it might be tied to whether one likes re-reading. It's a type of re-read, an analysis by someone else of a book.
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Lou wrote: "To me dissecting a piece of art is a learning experience, like taking apart a clock to see how the parts fit together, but there's also an element of wonder."
Yes, I agree with these two. :-) And I'll also add that the element of sharing — whether it's sharing wonder or sharing love for that particular art work — makes discussing it extremely enjoyable and worthwhile. For me, sharing the experience deepens it. (Sorry, if this doesn't sound very coherent.)
Johanna wrote: "Josh wrote: "I love the analysis and discussion because it's like a way of making the book last longer."Lou wrote: "To me dissecting a piece of art is a learning experience, like taking apart a c..."
I understand you perfectly, and the sharing of a book you care about do deepen the experience of reading, enriches it.
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Lou wrote: "To me dissecting a piece of art is a learning experience, like ..."
Yes. That. :-)
I'm so conflicted, I want to write, I need to write, but when I sit down, I'm surrounded by so much that makes me not write. HELP!On the plus side, something I wrote last year is in the hands of a beta and she likes it. So, that's good, right? Now to actually work on another project.
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On the plus side, something I wrote last year is in the hands of..."
So what are you surrounded by that keeps you from writing? Not that you have to tell me, but if you can get rid of some of those things that might help.
If internet is attracting your attention, get a computer that's not hooked to it. If it's screaming little kids, find a café down the street.
Of course, if it's more of an internal thing, that will be harder to work around. That's my issue right now. I've started research on a new project, but already my interest is flagging I think. This will make Nanowrimo interesting this year.
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I like to lurk on those discussions more than participate. Mostly because I miss so much when I'm reading, I love it when other people point out what I might have missed. But because I tend to miss stuff, I have nothing to add except the "Oh yeah! I totally agree!" line. lol.
Jordan wrote: "So what are you surrounded by that keeps you from writing? Not that you have to tell me, but if you can get rid of some of those things that might help. "It's mostly internet stuff... I switched off facebook, told people I was going to be writing. then I had to find the right music, then I keep questioning myself.
I'm also burned out from my other job, having worked 10 days in a row, I'm on day 10 now. I'm also thinking about the piece that's being read right now.
And, I didn't switch it all off, I'm still sitting here reading goodreads.
Oh, got my first negative review. Even though I was told the writing was good. As my friend said its good you got lots of good reviews first. I won't let this get me down.
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Bad reviews aren't fun, though tempered witha lot of good reviews helps. However, many published authors here I know advise not to read any reviews. In fanfiction, most reviews are good. In original fiction, not so much. Life's tough in the real world. Lol.
aww Joe, sorry about the review. I'm right there with you...I saw tonight someone left me one star. Didn't bother to leave a review but based on tags, she apparently didn't like the dub-con... which is warned about up front and specifically requested by the person who wrote the prompt.*deep breath* venting here because I know better than to respond to reviews. ;-)
Kari wrote: "Serials are just painful to me. PAINFUL. Do not like."I agree. I don't like waiting, and I don't think the end story is as good usually. Somehow the blind alleys and misapplied emphasis are never entirely fixed in the final product. Even Magic Mansion suffered from that I thought.
Kari wrote: "Getting into my Comfort Read collection on my kindle isn't a given, isn't guaranteed. I have over a thousand books loaded into my K3. I have less than 4dz in my repeat read file. "I am dying to know what's there. Pretty please?
Charming wrote: "I am dying to know what's there. Pretty please?"In public? Not on your life. LOL!
K.Z. wrote: "Tamara wrote: "K.Z. wrote: "About ten years ago, one of my first works accepted for publication was a longish dystopian thriller (subsequently released by Samhain)."
Do you mind if I ask the title..."
I'm so happy to know a third book is coming! The world and characters all just *live*. I love stories where I can daydream up new scenarios for the characters after the book has ended.
I miss Book Utopia Mom, too. :(
She could always find something positive to say, even if she didn't like your book. And just beyond reviewing, she was a really nice person. I emailed her but never heard back.
Do you mind if I ask the title..."
I'm so happy to know a third book is coming! The world and characters all just *live*. I love stories where I can daydream up new scenarios for the characters after the book has ended.
I miss Book Utopia Mom, too. :(
She could always find something positive to say, even if she didn't like your book. And just beyond reviewing, she was a really nice person. I emailed her but never heard back.
Susinok wrote: "Tamara wrote: "Who was the guy who did the art in Monty Python? His movies. That sort of dark, haunting, eerie, lush, colorful world...."
That was Terry Gilliam. Fantastic analogy, too! I agree."
Terry Gilliam! Thank you. I can't believe I forgot.
That was Terry Gilliam. Fantastic analogy, too! I agree."
Terry Gilliam! Thank you. I can't believe I forgot.
Josh wrote: "Tamara wrote: "Lou wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Josh wrote: " Having to hold to a deadline kept me steadily producing chapters to the Haunted Heart, but I didn't enjoy having to figure stuff out on the f..."
I think a lot of writers may start out slapdash and learn to outline beforehand, while other writers start out slapdash and learn to reshape from a first draft that's basically an outline.
You plan it out ahead of time, then start writing? My first draft is generally a long, dense outline. It's like a zoomed-in map that gives me more detail and more topographical cues along the way. Unfortunately, it tends to encourage meandering up and down streets that don't take me in the right direction. And I can end up with a much longer story that then needs massive trimming and I need an awesome editor and awesome editors are hard to find.
Still, it's an entertaining way to write a book.
I think a lot of writers may start out slapdash and learn to outline beforehand, while other writers start out slapdash and learn to reshape from a first draft that's basically an outline.
You plan it out ahead of time, then start writing? My first draft is generally a long, dense outline. It's like a zoomed-in map that gives me more detail and more topographical cues along the way. Unfortunately, it tends to encourage meandering up and down streets that don't take me in the right direction. And I can end up with a much longer story that then needs massive trimming and I need an awesome editor and awesome editors are hard to find.
Still, it's an entertaining way to write a book.
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That's MY question! Though I'll happily read an..."
HH is out of the way now, so this week I FINALLY tackle Kit and JX again.
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Thank you. The second draft is nearly 10K longer and extensively cleaned up and polished. :-D I keep telling people I write an ugly first draft!
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..."
I guess what I mean to say is, I enjoying sharing the discussion, but in a group like this. Not writing a review or blogging about it.
In fact, I was thinking about this. I read a number of books on vacation that I was tempted to write reviews of, just because I was exasperated at the lack of editing and the promise unfilled. But then I realized I didn't need to do that.
And I felt such pleasure at realizing I was no longer the kind of writer who needs to vent about other writers. (Or at least only indulges the impulse very rarely!) :-D I'm so far beyond that now. Could I give someone useful advice? Sure. But that's rarely the purpose of these rants by writers and wanna-be writers. Mostly it's all about releasing frustration. And these days my frustrations -- while plentiful -- are not focused on other writers and their work.
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It really does depend. Sometimes with a mystery I don't outline till I'm halfway through -- at that point I want to keep track of all my clues and red herrings. In general, I do less outlining than I used to, but that's probably more about how long I've been writing. And also about the fact that I don't work with publishers so much now, so there's not as great a need to supply an outline or synopsis ahead of time.
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That put a wide, goofy grin on my face and I can't seem to wipe it off either... :-)
Johanna wrote: "Josh wrote: "HH is out of the way now, so this week I FINALLY tackle Kit and JX again."That put a wide, goofy grin on my face and I can't seem to wipe it off either... :-)"
Don't get too excited. We've heard this before ;)
Hambel, you're harshing our mellow. Stop it. :) If we wanna believe Kit and JX are next... Josh did say the second half of the year, after all...
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That put a wide, goofy grin on my face and I can't seem to wipe it off either... :-)"
Don't get too excited. We've heard this before ;)"
I'm prepared to hear it as many times as it takes... it still puts the same goofy smile on my face every time. ;-)
Johanna wrote: "Hambel wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Josh wrote: "HH is out of the way now, so this week I FINALLY tackle Kit and JX again."That put a wide, goofy grin on my face and I can't seem to wipe it off either...
Don't get too excited. We've heard this before ;)"
I'm prepared to hear it as many times as it takes... it still puts the same goofy smile on my face every time. ;-)"
Me too!
Susinok wrote: "Hambel, you're harshing our mellow. Stop it. :) If we wanna believe Kit and JX are next... Josh did say the second half of the year, after all..."Totally off topic of course, but as a foreigner I love expressions like "harshing our mellow!" :) Very expressive in few words.
Johanna wrote: "I'm prepared to hear it as many times as it takes... it still puts the same goofy smile on my face every time. ;-) "Same here! *nod*
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Q&A with Josh Lanyon
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Wow, I bet you did!
It took me AGES to figure out I was selling the book not telling the story. And then even after I knew what I was doing in theory I still had to try and figure out how to make that happen. (lol)