tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post6691606100964905590..comments2024-03-27T10:02:56.747-04:00Comments on Fiction University: Why You Should Tighten Your Novel's Narrative FocusJanice Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-35298087052218891232011-10-30T20:07:33.621-04:002011-10-30T20:07:33.621-04:00Great post. Thanks for adding the examples they w...Great post. Thanks for adding the examples they were really help. I will be storing this away for future use.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-85610978990747880672011-10-20T15:44:20.994-04:002011-10-20T15:44:20.994-04:00Danielle, hang in there! You'll see so much m...Danielle, hang in there! You'll see so much more after that rest. But I know it's hard :) especially when you find ways to improve and want to put them into use.<br /><br />Jacquelin, you might be right there. Conversations tend to go off in all kinds of directions. Works in real life, but it does lose you in a story.<br /><br />Jennifer, thanks! It's both fun and challenging to write them. Who knew bad writing could be hard!<br /><br />CO, grats! What works for me is to think about how what they do in the climax teaches them whatever they need for their growth. Like, if they need to learn to trust people, it's only by trusting someone do they succeed. <br /><br />Amelia, that's awesome, grats! <br /><br />PW, thanks!Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-89766328204417700572011-10-20T12:41:16.376-04:002011-10-20T12:41:16.376-04:00Excellent way of putting it. It's very easy to...Excellent way of putting it. It's very easy to get tangled up in what you're trying to convey that you often overlook how you're conveying it. Great examples too.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01046515540256155412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-59150882482354396772011-10-19T18:56:56.897-04:002011-10-19T18:56:56.897-04:00This post was perfect for me. I really needed exa...This post was perfect for me. I really needed examples to go by so now everything clicked. I finally get it. :)<br /><br />I'm submitting my first two chapters to a scholarship and when I went through for line-by-line editing, I ended up shaving off a good two or three pages just from irrelevant detail. :/ But! The story was improved for it. :)<br /><br />Thanks for the post!Ameliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03813360493444535554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-8602063934417330102011-10-19T18:02:54.552-04:002011-10-19T18:02:54.552-04:00Very interesting. I'm judging a writing contes...Very interesting. I'm judging a writing contest too. Some of the entries I had read are a little unpolished, so to speak, but saying it lacks focus would be a better way to state it. Hopefully, this'll help me explain my scores better and give better advice.<br /><br />Oh, and I'm writing my climax scene right now, where the protagonist finally regains control once and for all and defeat the antagonist. I'm taking a time out of the day to write it out and enjoy that writer's high I got on Draft One.<br /><br />I'm still figuring out how to exactly tie in the "Character Development" narrative arc in the scene, though.chihuahuazerohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15677672177353350936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-66861184042351999362011-10-19T16:30:03.164-04:002011-10-19T16:30:03.164-04:00Another great post. I really appreciate your abili...Another great post. I really appreciate your ability to break down each concept and show with examples - this is really helping me in my edits!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09978176432357891953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-35543083277145607042011-10-19T14:33:01.487-04:002011-10-19T14:33:01.487-04:00This is so helpful, Janice. Those examples were gr...This is so helpful, Janice. Those examples were great. Do you find that a loss of focus happens when people try to "write like they talk?"Jacquelin Cangrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08519794075504781974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-86265883050019108352011-10-19T12:55:42.567-04:002011-10-19T12:55:42.567-04:00Thanks for this! I loved the examples. It will rea...Thanks for this! I loved the examples. It will really help when I reread my draft again in a couple weeks (must let it sit *pout*)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12964473925684317787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-20078083056791553722011-10-19T12:47:03.274-04:002011-10-19T12:47:03.274-04:00Anne, indeed. The inspiration for this post was my...Anne, indeed. The inspiration for this post was my fifth pass through my current WIP, tightening the plot even more. This one has certainly been a "three steps forward two steps back" kinda manuscript :) But I guess that means the "first draft" will be pretty solid since it keeps getting reworked as I go.<br /><br />Terry, most welcome! Sounds like you keep pretty focused. I wonder if outliners have this easier than pansters?<br /><br />Janet, thanks! Glad it was helpful.<br /><br />Matthew, wow, you cut 100K? You do write long first drafts :) I get it as good as I can, then it goes to my crit groups. I don't send anything in that hasn't been critiqued by my writer pals first.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-25190868591060600172011-10-19T12:32:01.884-04:002011-10-19T12:32:01.884-04:00This is great advice! Awesome examples, too. I'...This is great advice! Awesome examples, too. I've personally narrowed the focus of a novel by over 100,000 words (yes I WAY over-write when drafting) and it makes a huge difference. After a certain point though, I have to get help from other sets of eyes.Matthew MacNishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03264738483763244969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-33299047110586090092011-10-19T11:00:24.131-04:002011-10-19T11:00:24.131-04:00Brilliant post! I love how you break it down, show...Brilliant post! I love how you break it down, showing it step by step. <br /><br />Very helpful!Janet Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12688012956157161889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-7060857536679815262011-10-19T10:55:16.085-04:002011-10-19T10:55:16.085-04:00Thanks for giving me the right words to use when I...Thanks for giving me the right words to use when I turn in the contest entries I'm judging. I knew something was "off" in the writing, but now I have a name for it!<br /><br />When I read my own stuff, I look for flow and transitions--whether or not one phrase, sentence, paragraph leads logically to the next.<br /><br />Since I normally have my plot points for the scene figured out, I guess I'm narrowing my narrative focus.<br /><br />Terry <br /><a href="http://terryodell.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Terry's Place</a><br /><a href="http://www.terryodell.com" rel="nofollow">Romance with a Twist--of Mystery</a>Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-26399833541964604542011-10-19T08:45:14.022-04:002011-10-19T08:45:14.022-04:00Love what you did here. I usually have to go thro...Love what you did here. I usually have to go through 3 passes before I get the overkill out. But that's what revisions are for.Anne Gallagherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05816355522284492131noreply@blogger.com