tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post4639478623276160939..comments2024-01-12T00:48:48.031-06:00Comments on Go Teen Writers: 3 Reasons Why That Idea Isn't WorkingStephanie Morrillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-66390310593894937892012-05-01T22:13:18.888-05:002012-05-01T22:13:18.888-05:00Well, I think there are a couple ways to look at t...Well, I think there are a couple ways to look at this, Sarah. One is to consider the credentials of who is offering the feedback. When you say you respect them, I'm not sure if you mean that you respect them as people in general or if you respect their opinions about reading and writing. Are they your target audience? Have they read very much in that genre? These are good kinds of questions to ask when you're evaluating the merit of someone's poor (or good) opinion.<br /><br />The general rule among writers is if you hear negative feedback about an element but no one else agrees, then you're probably fine. But if you start hearing the same feedback from a variety of sources, it probably is something that needs to be addressed.<br /><br />One last thing I'll say is that when a critique partner points out a problem with my book, it's often something I suspected. Or it's something that as soon as they say it, I'm like, "Oh! I didn't even realize that!" What I'm trying to say is that it resonates, it doesn't often come out of the blue. Even in my early days of writing, I would argue why such-and-such did NOT need to be changed ... only to realize a day or two later that maybe that element could stand for some revising. So if you're completely shocked by their feedback, it's certainly possible that it's just not their type of book.Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-40195681746822505372012-04-26T23:41:45.546-05:002012-04-26T23:41:45.546-05:00I have a question: what happens when all the peopl...I have a question: what happens when all the people whose opinions you respect tell you that your book, basically, 'sucks'. Should you accept that opinion because it was a mutual agreement from your critique peers? Should you stick with it? What if they are right, and the book idea and writing is terrible, but you don't notice? I'm just wondering what your thoughts are. I was so proud of my latest book idea and writing, but it sounds like all the people whose opinions I respect don't like it at all. What do I do?Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13450915234455922031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-87374303988821710232012-04-23T11:25:26.851-05:002012-04-23T11:25:26.851-05:00You're absolutely right, Stephanie - sometimes...You're absolutely right, Stephanie - sometimes it's just not the right time for an idea! I've had a whole bunch of ideas that fizzled out before I'd gotten past the first few chapters, because the time wasn't right, or I didn't have enough experience/motivation to keep going. Sometimes, you've just got to let things compost for a bit longer. ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-34563416296359677532012-04-20T15:20:03.308-05:002012-04-20T15:20:03.308-05:00Yep! You'll also see it classified as "Yo...Yep! You'll also see it classified as "Young adult" or "YA."Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-4005447412708827022012-04-20T10:12:55.811-05:002012-04-20T10:12:55.811-05:00is teen fiction a genre? because I want to write t...is teen fiction a genre? because I want to write that for certain...Tessanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-74020326015722994132012-04-19T20:10:25.227-05:002012-04-19T20:10:25.227-05:00Wow, I love this list. Yes, there is totally a sto...Wow, I love this list. Yes, there is totally a story that I want to write someday but know I don't have anywhere near the skill or the maturity to tackle, but I feel like I'm ready to jump into a first for me this summer -- writing historical fiction that's not actually fantasy, but is set in medieval Europe. Very excited about that. :)<br /><br />Sometimes it takes a while, but I've come to see that improvement is very possible and always worth the (very) (very very) hard effort. :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06150136011032761640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-41368062311122469572012-04-19T19:05:15.104-05:002012-04-19T19:05:15.104-05:00Thank you! I should try that :) It sounds like som...Thank you! I should try that :) It sounds like something that would work for me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-38533281912584160972012-04-19T12:21:55.254-05:002012-04-19T12:21:55.254-05:00From a different Anonymous:
Absolutely! This is s...From a different Anonymous:<br />Absolutely! This is something I struggled with for awhile, and then I realized that when I get an idea, I need to write down anything/everything I have for it, whether I intend to go anywhere with it or not, or whether or not it's in order (after all, many stories aren't written in order anyway, and it's easier to write when you know where you're headed). That way, should I come back to it, I'll have plenty to go on. I do it like this: I start a Word document on that particular idea. I write down everything I have on characters, premise, etc. Then I go down a couple lines and write whatever scene is most pressing. I introduce it with this: ~ ,so I know that this is a scene. I do this for all the scenes I may have, and then I drag-and-drop them into whatever order I think they might appear in the story, including the ~ mark. If I come up with a new idea for a scene I add it, and sometimes I'll continue on from one of the scenes where I think it might belong. If I come up with a alternate idea like if the heroine goes out into the forest herself instead of waiting for the hero to get back, I do this: ~(If heroine went into forest by self). So far it's worked pretty well. Sorry for the long explanation ;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-35369252867253150912012-04-19T12:10:20.088-05:002012-04-19T12:10:20.088-05:00Oh, I have so much trouble with this! Sometimes I...Oh, I have so much trouble with this! Sometimes I get an idea in my head, and I don't write it down because I'm afraid that if I do I'll get it wrong, and once I've written it that way, I won't be able to remember what my original vision/impression was. It can be very difficult, but I've found that prayer helps. I've also found that footnotes while writing a rough draft can be very helpful (mine is full of them). I'm a perfectionist, and can usually spot when something needs to be fixed (this section is too choppy, this bit of dialog doesn't sound natural, this portion is going on too long, they need to get moving, where is this conversation heading, etc.) and so I quiet my perfectionism by creating a footnote at that spot about whatever I think needs to be fixed and how I might want to fix it. That way I can find it again later when I'm revising things. Sometimes I'll come back to it the next day and I'll be able to fix whatever it was in a way that makes more sense, because I'm able to look at it more objectively, and I know what needed to be fixed (as well as an idea or two for fixing it) from the footnote I left the day before. So far it's worked really well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-17162306583445150962012-04-19T12:01:31.486-05:002012-04-19T12:01:31.486-05:00Lousy, maybe, but certainly understandable! I sus...Lousy, maybe, but certainly understandable! I suspect that is what would be going through my head in such a situation...; ) Good luck with all your writing!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-10150535453502958612012-04-19T11:37:37.084-05:002012-04-19T11:37:37.084-05:00I've attempted to write a handful of novels si...I've attempted to write a handful of novels since I was eleven, and I only managed to finish one. It was six chapters and I threw it out because it was so awful. Since then, the farthest I've ever gotten in a book is eight and a half chapters. Unfortunately, that book is in a computer file that I don't have because the computer it's on is kind of broken. Whoop-dee-do.Rachel.Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07920478932425139342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-63426083833158507522012-04-19T02:01:33.021-05:002012-04-19T02:01:33.021-05:00"pinpoint what about the story has me disinte..."pinpoint what about the story has me disinterested"<br />Is it lame that all I saw in that sentence was the word 'pinterest'?emiihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02042164350910286833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-22809411218156383792012-04-19T01:07:51.740-05:002012-04-19T01:07:51.740-05:00This is the post for me!!!!! I try to start storie...This is the post for me!!!!! I try to start stories, and never finish them. And the premise-with-no-story thing is something I do all the time. Would it be possible for you to do a post on how to insert a plot into an interesting premise? Because I usually put little bumps in the road for my characters, not brick walls. <br /><br />And I've also noticed I like to skip around and think out the most interesting scenes in my head, but when I try to write, I feel like I should go in order, and then I get bored because I want to jump ahead. Is it okay to do your favorite scenes first and then go back and do the rest?<br /><br />Sorry, really long comment. Anyways, thanks for this post, and McKenna is sooooooo cute :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-61348420888827434412012-04-19T00:56:01.680-05:002012-04-19T00:56:01.680-05:00Same with me :) I think I get so attached to my ch...Same with me :) I think I get so attached to my characters that I don't think I can do them justice on paper. They're so like real people in my head, and on paper they always come out too 2D, no matter how hard I try. I want to portray them perfectly, and I'm not satisfied when it doesn't work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-45521673552183782312012-04-18T22:45:37.247-05:002012-04-18T22:45:37.247-05:00Leila, it can be very hard to balance the great, u...Leila, it can be very hard to balance the great, unique, eye-catching story idea/premise with realistic things. It can be such a struggle when you want, or need for this to happen, but you also need for it to be believable. I struggle with this a lot.Kate S (4readin)https://www.blogger.com/profile/03311476103331480075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-52167182742314853312012-04-18T22:40:30.118-05:002012-04-18T22:40:30.118-05:00Perfectionism. I have that problem too, Clarebear...Perfectionism. I have that problem too, Clarebear. I want everything to be perfect when I am writing, which is one of the reasons why the first draft is so hard for me. I want it o be so good, so perfect, that I do not get very far very fast.Kate S (4readin)https://www.blogger.com/profile/03311476103331480075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-75010470126233214612012-04-18T22:35:41.357-05:002012-04-18T22:35:41.357-05:00Wow! Eighteen! You must be very creative, Jess. ...Wow! Eighteen! You must be very creative, Jess. I have four, I think. And that's all I can handle! Way to go!Kate S (4readin)https://www.blogger.com/profile/03311476103331480075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-70685247087726723582012-04-18T22:23:56.153-05:002012-04-18T22:23:56.153-05:00Great post!
Noticed McKenna had on her beauty and...Great post!<br /><br />Noticed McKenna had on her beauty and the beast tee shirt (you werent joking when you said she really loves beauty and the beast).Carolinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16597878688437106753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-82737096016345905882012-04-18T21:02:00.902-05:002012-04-18T21:02:00.902-05:00Lol, Jess. He sends me those messages sometimes to...Lol, Jess. He sends me those messages sometimes too :)<br /><br />It took a long time for me to accept that first drafts, unfinished manuscripts, and books that were not-quite-publishable were all part of the process. Sigh.Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-33240789838670479662012-04-18T20:59:56.786-05:002012-04-18T20:59:56.786-05:00Clarebear, I've gone through times like that t...Clarebear, I've gone through times like that too. Actually, the book I'm working on now is a completely different project for me (a dystopian) and there was some blood and sweat that went into my synopsis. It felt HARD. But now that I've accepted I'm going to make mistakes, it's been a lot easier to forge ahead with the story. I can fix them - but they have to be on the page first!<br /><br />And thank you! We think she's cute :) It's actually McKenna, but when you throw a capital letter into your kid's name, I don't think you should get too bent out of shape if others make it lowercase. But she will tell you her name is spelled M-c-capital K-e-n-n-a.Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-68939018436775820382012-04-18T20:52:33.284-05:002012-04-18T20:52:33.284-05:00I literally have 18 manuscripts (that I've sta...I literally have 18 manuscripts (that I've started) I plan on finishing some day. I know I can finis a novel, but nothing seems to click! Realized yesterday that maybe I need to stop worrying about publishing something and more about writing it for me--even if no one likes the first draft!<br />God was sending me a message to chill out. ;-D<br /><br />This is a great post!<br /><br />-Jessaquillpenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12776545474920605016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-79177283124961064122012-04-18T20:49:42.701-05:002012-04-18T20:49:42.701-05:00I have so many story ideas in my head, but I feel ...I have so many story ideas in my head, but I feel hesitant to write most of them because I'm afraid I won't do them justice. I am such a perfectionist that I wouldn't want to settle for anything less for those stories tucked away in my "someday" file in my head. <br /><br />My problem is I wonder if I'll ever be ready to write them. :P<br /><br />I also love that picture of Mckenna(did I spell her name right?). Soooooooooooo adorable!Clarebearhttp://www.unitedinhislove.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-42752028642821266092012-04-18T20:47:07.628-05:002012-04-18T20:47:07.628-05:00Thank you, Allison! I think it could be really gre...Thank you, Allison! I think it could be really great, I just need to get past the mentality of, "They are SO going down. When they read this, they're going to regret how they behaved!" Lousy motivations for writing a story :)Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-24066717620191640712012-04-18T20:43:44.143-05:002012-04-18T20:43:44.143-05:00Great insights, Leila! And you're very welcome...Great insights, Leila! And you're very welcome. It's fun :)Stephanie Morrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128389560727867719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024721400572472213.post-70627030425475266622012-04-18T18:29:49.584-05:002012-04-18T18:29:49.584-05:00Recently I had an idea for a high fantasy, but I f...Recently I had an idea for a high fantasy, but I felt it was too complicated. So I've put it aside for later, if I ever write it. <br /><br />Also, that story idea that you mentioned is too person sounds AWESOME Stephanie.Allisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05433338978586263492noreply@blogger.com