tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post6263715200299569507..comments2024-03-29T05:45:39.184-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: Separate but EqualDanihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-49813610137316603792017-02-03T09:47:50.677-07:002017-02-03T09:47:50.677-07:00I love all of your books. All I can say is write f...I love all of your books. All I can say is write faster! LittleRedWitchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09173015889820180929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-70915773218106149842017-01-23T09:10:48.146-07:002017-01-23T09:10:48.146-07:00That's because the story is writing itself. Yo...That's because the story is writing itself. You are merely a conduit. :-)Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-24203771903006179092017-01-23T08:53:47.714-07:002017-01-23T08:53:47.714-07:00My original vision, the one in my head, never come...My original vision, the one in my head, never comes out exactly the same on paper. :)Diana Hurwitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18216220574149672733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-44354747310263646682017-01-19T11:14:37.172-07:002017-01-19T11:14:37.172-07:00Thanks for your confidence, Maryann. It is a chall...Thanks for your confidence, Maryann. It is a challenge, and I agree that we should stretch ourselves and not become predictable. I've been thinking hard about making each story hold the reader's attention while they're reading that segment without their losing interest in the alternate story. As I said, not sure I can pull it off, but readers will let me know. I've got a long way to go. Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-20593147872303361222017-01-19T08:17:56.516-07:002017-01-19T08:17:56.516-07:00I just finished listening to a book, Did You Ever ...I just finished listening to a book, Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg, that has won all kinds of critical acclaim. It is a story told by several characters who have alternating chapters and different story-lines. However, those do connect throughout the story. Loosely at first - very loosely - then the threads pull tighter and tighter toward the end. I don't think I've ever read a story told the way you propose for your WIP, but there is always a first time. :-)<br /><br />The key for me as a reader is that you would have to make me care about each character so much that I want to stay with their story even though it is interrupted by the other. Kind of what VR referred to, but unlike her, if I did not connect to one of the characters, I'd probably stop reading altogether rather than skip around.<br /><br />That said, it is always good to stretch ourselves as writers, and you are good enough to pull off something so different. Good luck!Maryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-15000731707044188712017-01-18T15:29:50.376-07:002017-01-18T15:29:50.376-07:00Thanks, Maggie. I'm sure you'll let me kno...Thanks, Maggie. I'm sure you'll let me know if I fail. I'm counting on you.Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-15502813815738310572017-01-18T13:40:58.342-07:002017-01-18T13:40:58.342-07:00I think the secret is in how suspenseful you play ...I think the secret is in how suspenseful you play out the information. You can do it!Maggie Toussainthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12011893139722870283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-28478532151395513042017-01-18T11:54:25.796-07:002017-01-18T11:54:25.796-07:00And that is the main problem, VR. Hopefully, I can...And that is the main problem, VR. Hopefully, I can make the plots interesting enough for the reader to be engaged in both of them. Like I said, not sure I can pull it off. (By the way, I've had the same situation with a few books myself.)Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-78942731763720508992017-01-18T11:42:44.431-07:002017-01-18T11:42:44.431-07:00I think the real challenge of writing dual plots i...I think the real challenge of writing dual plots is not ending up with readers who are engaged by one plot but not the other. You don’t want readers skimming chapters to get to the story they’re interested in. As a reader, this has happened to me more times than I can count. <br /><br /><a href="http://vrbarkowski.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow">VR Barkowski</a><br /><br />VR Barkowskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04927993233682731113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-52497851078668115042017-01-18T10:35:50.521-07:002017-01-18T10:35:50.521-07:00I think that's why I've always preferred t...I think that's why I've always preferred to write standalones. Keeping a series fresh is hard, and I've noticed that a lot lately reading established series where I think it's time for the author to move on. Thanks, Linda.Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-43573251620191967812017-01-18T10:33:46.730-07:002017-01-18T10:33:46.730-07:00Veering off course is never a problem for me, beca...Veering off course is never a problem for me, because I never have a course. :-) I'm at 50K words, and I was thinking about where I am in the story, and I'd never have been able to foresee what's happened. The story, as I'm writing it, dictates what comes next. Not everyone's way, but it seems to work for me.Polly Iyerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05729656119287702191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-3211763821671022812017-01-18T10:06:45.292-07:002017-01-18T10:06:45.292-07:00It's a challenge to bring new elements into a ...It's a challenge to bring new elements into a story, ones we've not before employed and are not sure how to make work. As experienced writers, we want our stories to be fresh and not predictable rather than formulaic because that keeps our readers waiting eagerly for our next book. You're a good writer, Polly, so it will no doubt come together, perhaps even better than you anticipate. Good discussion.<br />Linda Lanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16056682992943171805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-75936380240858118142017-01-18T09:51:03.208-07:002017-01-18T09:51:03.208-07:00My advice? Do a pencil sketch at the beginning as ...My advice? Do a pencil sketch at the beginning as to how you think it will go and then again at the end to see how far you've veered of course. I always do veer off course. :)Diana Hurwitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18216220574149672733noreply@blogger.com