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mary rosenblum
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Hello all.
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mary rosenblum
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Welcome to our Tuesday Forum.
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mary rosenblum
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I hope you all had a great
weekend.
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mary rosenblum
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This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about the mystery of chapters. If you're new here, remember that
you need to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next to
the red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question
icon in order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach me! You
can also type /ask in front of your question in your regular send bar to
reach me.
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mary rosenblum
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I had a request last Friday
for a Forum on chapters and chaptering.
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mary rosenblum
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It can indeed be one of the
most confusing aspects of your first novel.
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mary rosenblum
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I remember starting my first
novel and searching for some definite information on how long a chapter
should be.
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mary rosenblum
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Couldn't find anything, and it
drove me nuts. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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The reason is...there IS not
definition of length.
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wolf122
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Do you write your novels with
chapter breaks in mind, or worry about breaking up the story into chapters
later?
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mary rosenblum
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I decide on my chapter breaks
as I rough out my story, wolf.
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mary rosenblum
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As I figure out where my
character will go next and what he/she will do, I decide where to end this
chapter and start a new one...
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mary rosenblum
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and if I should shift POV
there or stick with this one.
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mary rosenblum
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But when I first started out,
I often found that I ended up with two chapters where I thought I'd have
only one.
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mary rosenblum
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I've had a lot of practice at
this stage in my career, and I'm much better at estimating what a
particular scene will require in terms of length.
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gskearney
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Mary, did you hear what the wine
loving author wanted for his birthday? ... A BEST CELLAR. --GK
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mary rosenblum
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I had to post this!
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mary rosenblum
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I'm chuckling Gary.
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geezer
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Should there be a limit on the
number of scenes?
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mary rosenblum
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It's not necessary, but it
does make for more continuity in your chapters.
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mary rosenblum
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Generally, each of my chapters
now is a single scene.
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mary rosenblum
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I'm currently reediting my
first novel for release in a different form and there I often included two
scenes in one chapter.
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mary rosenblum
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I only do that now if the
chapter will be VERY short and I don't want a short chapter there.
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mary rosenblum
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A scene should have a natural
dramatic arc. So should a chapter. So if you include two scenes in one
chapter...
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mary rosenblum
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you have two smaller dramatic
arcs plus the overall dramatic arc of the chapter.
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mary rosenblum
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I have found that the single
dramatic arc of a single-scene chapter seems to increase the pace and drive
of the novel.
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mary rosenblum
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Some of the thriller authors
use extremely short chapters, one very brief scene, perhaps under ten
pages...down to a single page...
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mary rosenblum
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but they want a very hard
driving and taut pace.
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tolkienlvr
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Great topic, Mary! Question: For
novels, how many scenes should be in a chapter? I've been doing just one
big scene with little 2ndary conflict scenes around it per chap so that the
chapt title points to the big scene. But is is better to put more than one
big scene in some chapters? And is it best to break those scenes with ****
lines?
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mary rosenblum
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You can do that, Tolkien,
certainly.
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mary rosenblum
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If you read a lot of the
'classical' fantasy, you'll see that this is a pretty common form in
fantasy genre.
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mary rosenblum
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You have a main scene and a
couple or more supporting scenes, so you have a larger, overall dramatic
arc and...
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mary rosenblum
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two or three or even more
smaller scene arcs.
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mary rosenblum
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But the pace of most fantasy
novels is slower.
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kate basi
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My problem is similar--trying to
interweave several stories
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kate basi
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happening concurrently.
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mary rosenblum
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That can be a challenge, kate.
I have found that it seems to work better to shift story lines at the
chapter breaks.
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mary rosenblum
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You have to realize that not
all readers are careful. They can skim right through a shift in story
thread...
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mary rosenblum
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when it occurs in the middle
of a chapter and then they have to backtrack.
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mary rosenblum
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But chapter breaks are a
signal that 'things may change here' and nearly all readers pay
attention...
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mary rosenblum
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in that first new page for
clues of where we are, what is happening.
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geezer
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So a brief scene can be ten
pages. What would a long and a too long chapter be?
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mary rosenblum
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Too long has nothing to do
with length, geeze.
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mary rosenblum
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It has to do with reader
exhaustion.
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mary rosenblum
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If the scene goes on and on it
tends to flatten the dramatic arc and the pace of the story sags.
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mary rosenblum
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Think of a flexible strip of
metal. Bring the ends close together and you have a steep bend and a lot of
tension in the springy metal.
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mary rosenblum
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Move the ends farther and
farther apart and the arch flattens, the tension is reduced.
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mary rosenblum
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Very long meandering chapters
can cause the reader to lose any sense of dramatic arc and they'll begin to
get boring even.
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mary rosenblum
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A long chapter where many
things happen, you have lots of sharp dramatic peaks in several scenes will
maintain the tension and pace...
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mary rosenblum
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but there you have the 'potty
break problem'.
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mary rosenblum
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Your reader may have to put
the book down in the middle of an exciting scene.
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mary rosenblum
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Yeah, he/she will come back to
it for sure, but you'll lose some of the power of that scene because of the
interruption.
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mary rosenblum
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That's no reason to cut a
powerful and long chapter down, but it is something to think about.
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mary rosenblum
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There is no right and wrong.
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mary rosenblum
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Ray Bradbury's very powerful,
still in print, Farenheit 451 has only four 'chapters' in the entire book.
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mary rosenblum
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This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about the mystery of chapters. If you're new here, remember that
you need to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next to
the red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question
icon in order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach me! You
can also type /ask in front of your question in your regular send bar to
reach me.
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gwanny
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My heavens I just looked over my
first chapter and there must be 10 scenes in it!. It's told in first
person...is this gonna work?
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mary rosenblum
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Hard to say, Gwanny.
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mary rosenblum
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You may have pacing problems
or the 10 scenes may offer nice, powerful dramatic arcs and your only issue
might be...
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mary rosenblum
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the potty break issue. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Generally, something happens
in each chapter.
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mary rosenblum
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That something provides the
dramatic arc for the chapter.
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mary rosenblum
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Other things can go on, too,
of course...I don't mean the chapter should be stripped-down simple.
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gwanny
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It's not a terribly long
chapter, just a "busy" one
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mary rosenblum
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then it might be fine, or it
might even be too rushed. We're always walking a fine line between too slow
and too fast. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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But generally, as a rule of
thumb, it's a good idea to stick with a single main-plot event per chapter.
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mary rosenblum
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Again...not a 'do it this way
only' rule, okay! :-)
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mary rosenblum
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But it allows you to focus on
that event.
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kate basi
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Right now I'm trying to
serializae a long novel and ...
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kate basi
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kind of limiting. Cramping my
style! :)
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mary rosenblum
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How are you serializing it,
Kate? For a magazine, as short segments? Or do you mean you're cutting a
1200 page novel into three?
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kate basi
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As short segments.
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mary rosenblum
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That is hard. YOu have to
catch up the readers who missed the first segments and you have to find
good breaks where readers...
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mary rosenblum
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can wait a month for the next
installment.
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mary rosenblum
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I've serialized novelettes
into several short segments, never an entire novel.
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mary rosenblum
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But the method I found that
worked best was to take the complete story...
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mary rosenblum
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and decide where to divide it
according to the plot...usually at a 'low point' with something coming up
on the horizon...
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mary rosenblum
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to hold reader interest until
the next installment. OR...at a dramatic point.
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mary rosenblum
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And then, once I had divided
the plot, I revised the end of each section to make it work better as a
longer break.
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mary rosenblum
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And even more importantly, I
had to revise the start of the next segment so that readers were
reminded...
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mary rosenblum
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of any important points they
might have forgotten without disturbing the story.
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mary rosenblum
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NOT an easy task. :-)
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kate basi
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I'm trying to submit to a
twice-weekly online serial.
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mary rosenblum
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If you're writing segments as
you go, that's a very different thing, Kate.
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kate basi
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Is that still applicable, or is
the time short enough?
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mary rosenblum
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The reminder?
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mary rosenblum
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I'd still remind readers of
the main points.
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mary rosenblum
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You'd be amazed how easily
they can forget.
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mary rosenblum
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It only takes a sentence
worth's of words to make sure they know what is going on.
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mary rosenblum
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Generally, I simply wove in a
bit more 'what,where,when,who' than I would have needed if the reader was
just turning the page from the previous chapter.
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mary rosenblum
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I don't mean doing an
expository 'Before this...' and launching into a recap of the entire story
to this point...
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mary rosenblum
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but rather giving the reader a
few clues so they can remember 'oh yes, we're in the parkinglot behind the
store and...
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mary rosenblum
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our POV just got confronted by
the gang he's feuding with'.
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gwanny
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Thats a tool of journalism is it
not Mary? reminding one of the main points of the story every couple of
paragraphs...but doing it with just a few choice words?
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mary rosenblum
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yeah, but you have to be a bit
more subtle in fiction. You can't just tell the reader.
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mary rosenblum
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Or it stands out as a
narrative intrusion.
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gwanny
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I am currentl y reading Peyton
place and I know what you mean about the potty break...she is a fab writer
but sometimes I have to put it down
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mary rosenblum
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Yeah, chapter length varies
all over the place. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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The chapters I write now, by
the way, are about 10 pages shorter than when I did my first novel.
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mary rosenblum
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This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about the mystery of chapters. If you're new here, remember that
you need to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next to
the red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question
icon in order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach me! You
can also type /ask in front of your question in your regular send bar to
reach me.
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tory
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Is it okay to vary the way you
move from chpt to chpt--sometimes breaking between two of those peaks even
if the action is the same day; and sometimes chpt break comes at change of
location, POV, etc? Or do readers prefer consistency in what's in a chapter?
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mary rosenblum
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Oh, I'd avoid strict
consistancy, Tory. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Predictable becomes kind of
boring.
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mary rosenblum
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If you always break with the
POV going to bed or to work or something...pretty soon reader notice it.
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mary rosenblum
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Sometimes you can break in the
middle of dramatic action...right at the climax of the chapter.
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mary rosenblum
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And pick up literally a few
moments later in the next chapter.
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mary rosenblum
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It can amplify that peak and
give your reader a moment to catch his or her breath before you continue.
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mary rosenblum
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But it can also flatten that
peak, so use caution there.
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mary rosenblum
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I've seen it done effectively
with a chapter that is mostly violent action...say a battle or a fight...
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mary rosenblum
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and the chapter might end at a
highpoint in the battle...
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mary rosenblum
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and often, when it resumes,
that focus has shifted from a more cinematic view of the battle, to a close
focus on the POV...
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mary rosenblum
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and the chapter break
highlights that 'zoom in' to the limited third POV again.
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tory
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In our critique group one writer
had a two-line chapter for just that reason--heighten the impact.
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mary rosenblum
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Oh yes. That can be a highly
effective way to dramatic and focus the spotlight on an event.
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mary rosenblum
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The moon flooded the hallway
with pale light as Ceritha crept along the icy flagstones. Silently, she
eased the door open and for one long moment, stared down at Sharl before
driving the dagger into his throat.
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mary rosenblum
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That could be a chapter.
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mary rosenblum
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Of course the context is all
set up ahead of time...
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mary rosenblum
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and that simply focuses the
reader intensely on her actions, and suggests that they are very important.
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mary rosenblum
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(of course they were
ultimately important to poor Sharl)
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mary rosenblum
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You can also use that ultra
short chapter to tell the readers that a seemingly mundane event is
important.
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gwanny
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Mary, how do you jump time? I
don't like the wway Grace did it in Peyton Place, opening a chapter with
"Two years had now passed...
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mary rosenblum
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It's hard to take the reader
smoothly through time changes.
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mary rosenblum
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I agree that the 'two years
had now passed' is clunky.
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mary rosenblum
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It's simply the author
intruding and telling the reader when we are.
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mary rosenblum
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It takes more work to give the
reader 'signposts' that allow those readers to figure out the time lapse...
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mary rosenblum
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within the first page of the
new chapter. But you can do it.
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gwanny
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Show me a better way
please??????
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tolkienlvr
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can you give some good examples
of time jumping chapter beginnings? Thanks!
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mary rosenblum
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Okay, give me a minute to
create here... :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Let's say our chapter has
ended with Gwyneth angrily walking out of her parents' home in mid
summer...
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mary rosenblum
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after a fight.
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mary rosenblum
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She doesn't plan to come back.
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mary rosenblum
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So we've ended, let's say, at
the family Fourth of July picnic and a really nasty confrontation between
her and Dad.
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mary rosenblum
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New chapter:
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mary rosenblum
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Thick snowflakes swirled in
her headlights as Gwyneth turned onto their street, smearing under the
wipers faltering strokes. The house looked bereft in the snow...
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mary rosenblum
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a gap of darkness in the gaily
lighted homes that lined the street. Unlit strings of christmas lights
dangled...
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mary rosenblum
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from the naked maple trees
like debris left by a storm. Gwyneth pulled up to the curb and shut off the
engine.
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mary rosenblum
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She sat there, making no move
to open the door, as the cooling engine ticked and the snow whispered down.
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mary rosenblum
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She had not meant to come back
here. Not ever. Certainly not this soon.
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mary rosenblum
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The clues for the reader are
the Christmas lights and the 'this soon' that suggests it's the Christmas
after the fight, not ten years later.
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mary rosenblum
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The dark house and her 'didn't
mean to come back' suggest that something bad has happened.
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mary rosenblum
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So we have a when, where, why
right off the bat.
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tory
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And if you wanted to show it was
winter two years later, she could think something about those lights have
probably hung there through the past two summers she's been away
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mary rosenblum
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exactly.
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mary rosenblum
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You can give the reader the
most important clues right away, and then amplify them as the scene
progresses.
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mary rosenblum
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Ten years? Like this:
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mary rosenblum
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Unlit strings of christmas
lights dangled from the naked maples, now ten years taller. Nothing much
else had changed.
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gwanny
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And this is why writing is work!
You cant tell em, you gotta show em...even in first person. How did Grace
sell 12million copies with so much of the showing left out? She begins with
show but then kinda loses sight of it.
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mary rosenblum
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Oh, goodness, Gwanny, you can
find best seller examples of lousy writing all over the place.
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mary rosenblum
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If you let it get to you, the
unfairness of it all will drive you out of the business. It has done so to
many writers.
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mary rosenblum
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But you know what? I want to
be remembered for writing GOOD books.
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mary rosenblum
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I don't think anyone considers
Payton Place to be anything but a cult success.
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gwanny
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Amen Sistah, Amen
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mary rosenblum
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-)
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tkm
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What if it's done in the POV's
thoughts
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mary rosenblum
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tkm, so you mean as in first
person? Through Gwyneth's internal voice?
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tkm
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Yes
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mary rosenblum
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It's much easier, then. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Your first person POV simply
tells us.
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mary rosenblum
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The snow was really coming
down as I turned onto our street. The lights weren't on, of course, and the
house made a gap of darkness...
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mary rosenblum
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among all the over decorated
houses. Our street had always been competitive about who could hang the
most lights at Christmas. Dad had been right in there.
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mary rosenblum
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I hadn't meant to come back
here. Not this Christmas. Not ever again. I parked in my usual spot, but I
couldn't go it. Not yet.
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mary rosenblum
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No lights on anyway. Probably
off at some relative's house eating hotdish and grieving.
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cosmos
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It could also work to have
Gwyneth notice that the children on the street are grown up. Right? She
could wonder if that is her friend's little brother who used to be such a
pest.
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mary rosenblum
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Yep, that's another way to do
it.
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mary rosenblum
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Or notice the car in the
driveway and think about how the old Volvo has survived another decade.
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mary rosenblum
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This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about the mystery of chapters. If you're new here, remember that
you need to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next to
the red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question
icon in order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach me! You
can also type /ask in front of your question in your regular send bar to
reach me.
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geezer
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Editors don't get upset about
all the added white space that short chapters generate?
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mary rosenblum
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It depends, geeze.
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mary rosenblum
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The editor's job is to make
your book the strongest it can be....and the most successful.
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mary rosenblum
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If your many half pages of
space increase the page count so that yoru book will cost a buck more than
other books on the shelf...
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mary rosenblum
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and your editor feels that
your short chapters do not add significantly to the pace of the novel, then
yes...
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mary rosenblum
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you might be asked to either
trim out enough words to reduce the page count or to combine chapters.
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mary rosenblum
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If your editor feels that the
short chapters give the book a choppy feel...same request.
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mary rosenblum
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While your editor liked your
book enough to risk his/her reputation on publishing it, that does not
mean...
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mary rosenblum
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he/she thinks it's perfect as
is. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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But page numbers do matter at
time.
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mary rosenblum
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I increase my paragraph length
when I'm working on novels. :-)
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mary rosenblum
|
This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about the mystery of chapters. If you're new here, remember that
you need to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next to
the red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question
icon in order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach me! You
can also type /ask in front of your question in your regular send bar to
reach me.
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mary rosenblum
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The Rule of Three applies even
more strongly to chapters than it does to scenes, by the way.
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mary rosenblum
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That is; the chapter needs to
do three things:
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mary rosenblum
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Advance the plot.
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mary rosenblum
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Deepen the characterization
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mary rosenblum
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Enrich the setting.
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mary rosenblum
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You really should make sure
that every chapter does all three of those things, whether it includes one
scene or several.
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tkm
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Do you always have to make the
chages the editor asks for
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mary rosenblum
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Well, you and the editor are
working as a team here. You can discuss requests, you can argue about them.
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mary rosenblum
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They're negotiable.
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mary rosenblum
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But realize that editors do
this as a job and often their reasons are good ones.
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mary rosenblum
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Not always. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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I argue plenty and do
sometimes plant my feet and say 'no'.
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mary rosenblum
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I have no problem with change
if the book benefits.
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mary rosenblum
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An editor's comments are just
a highly informed critique.
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mary rosenblum
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Not all editors are good, and
many will do nothing but copy edit...
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mary rosenblum
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fix logic errors or grammar.
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mary rosenblum
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And not touch content at all.
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mary rosenblum
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Really good editors look at
content.
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mary rosenblum
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I've had two outstanding
editors in my career.
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gwanny
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I had an editor once who took my
article and changed things that were good, left terrible things in and in
general made me ashamed my name is on it
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mary rosenblum
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Yeah, nonficiton editors are
more apt to alter things to their taste.
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mary rosenblum
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It's a very different approach
than a fiction edtior or even a nonfiction book editor.
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gwanny
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I think she was the receptionist
actually LOL
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idwins
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Should you have your work edited
before sending out?
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mary rosenblum
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why?
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mary rosenblum
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You'll pay a fortune and if
you sell the work, the editor will still ask for changes.
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mary rosenblum
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Spend your time learning to
write powerfully.
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mary rosenblum
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The only time I recommend a
professional editor is when one of my students speaks English...
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mary rosenblum
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as a second language and has
powerful stories to tell but lacks the ability to put it into publishable
prose.
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tory
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Re: characters One of my readers
said to ALWAYS refer to a character using the full name, unless someone is
speaking and uses a different, but not to switch from Mrs. Adams to Stella;
or Dr. Smith, Thomas, and Tom when referring to a char. Any thoughts?
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mary rosenblum
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I wouldn't say 'always' use
the full name, but certainly if you are constantly switching from Dr.
Adams, to Thomas, to Tommy you're going to run..
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mary rosenblum
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the risk of confusing the
readers unless you are VERY careful.
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mary rosenblum
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But sometimes you do need to
use mutliple versions of that name.
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mary rosenblum
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Our MC might be Thomas to the
reader...in a limited third POV, we'll refer to him as Thomas.
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mary rosenblum
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But his Aunt Gracie might
always address him as Tommy.
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mary rosenblum
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And a stranger will address
him as Dr. Adams.
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tory
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For one, I used full name and
had POV shorten it (for Ex. Stanley to Stan) in high-pressure, quick-moving
scenes.
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mary rosenblum
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It is a good idea in limited
third to decide on the name you want to use for that POV character...
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mary rosenblum
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and use that one only. Other
characters can refer to that person by nickname or formal name.
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mary rosenblum
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I would not use both
names....Tom Spanos....or Dr. Greely...
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mary rosenblum
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because the 'formal feel' of
those complete titles will distance readers...
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mary rosenblum
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Unless you MEAN to distance
the reader from the character.
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tory
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What about "the
doctor" at times to avoid repeating the name?
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mary rosenblum
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In limited third you are
creating the sense that we are sharing that character's awarenes...his or
her point of view.
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mary rosenblum
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Do I ever think of myself as
'the writer'? No. I think of myself as Mary.
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mary rosenblum
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'The doctor' pushes us out of
the POV character's head and distances us from the scene.
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mary rosenblum
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Just use pronouns. They're
nearly invisible.
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mary rosenblum
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I only use the character's
name when I'm afraid the reader won't know who did or said what.
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tory
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I mean as the POV is observing
an action--could he say "The doctor..." instead of always using
the man's name?
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mary rosenblum
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Sure. If the POV would think
of the man as the doctor.
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mary rosenblum
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I rarely think of my friends
as the writer or the vet or the bus driver...
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geezer
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So, the characters can refer to
the person in various manners ( Dad, Dr.), but in the narration stick to
one name?
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mary rosenblum
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Yes.
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mary rosenblum
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I'm always going to refer to
my character Nita as Nita when the scene is in her POV...
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mary rosenblum
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rather than the woman or Ms.
Montoya or whatever.
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mary rosenblum
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If I'm in another character's
POV, he might refer to her as Nita or the girl or what have you.
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mary rosenblum
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This is the Tuesday Forum with
me Mary Rosenblum LR Web Editor, fiction and nonfiction writer. We're
talking about the mystery of chapters. If you're new here, remember that
you need to click on the Ask a Question button or the word bubble next to
the red question mark at the top of the screen, or use the ask a question
icon in order to ask a question. Your regular send bar won't reach me! You
can also type /ask in front of your question in your regular send bar to
reach me.
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idwins
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To make sure it is gramatically
correct
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mary rosenblum
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You're asking about the
editing, idwins?
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mary rosenblum
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If you need that much editing
on your grammar, I really think you're better off working on improving your
craft.
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mary rosenblum
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It's not an idea that will
sell your fiction, it's the story.
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mary rosenblum
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In nonfiction, that's
different, but there I'd say that it's only going to be worth the money....
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mary rosenblum
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if you have a powerful
personal narrative that a big publisher is interested in...
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mary rosenblum
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and then, the publisher may
well refer you to an editor.
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mary rosenblum
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Professional editing is VERY
expensive, to the tune of several bucks per page.
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idwins
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(still have my training wheels
on!) do not know how it works
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mary rosenblum
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Are you writing fiction, id,
or NF?
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idwins
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fiction
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mary rosenblum
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Just work on getting better. A
few grammatical errors won't cost you a sale if you have a powerful story.
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mary rosenblum
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Write lots of stories, get
lots of feedback on them, keep improving.
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writermom
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I had a quote of seventy to
ninety dollars for editing and that was from a scam agency
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mary rosenblum
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yeh, the 'editing' field is
rife with scammers.
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mary rosenblum
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Who promise you a
'publishable' book or even a best seller if you just pay them to edit.
Bleah.
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gwanny
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I have a character named
Gwendolyn...her friends call her Gwen, but her beloved Uncle and father
call her Gwenny Penny...pet name
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mary rosenblum
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It's fine to have other
characters call your character by various names, just make sure readers
know they're the same person.
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mary rosenblum
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Here, it's pretty obvious.
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mary rosenblum
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If your POV is Cara and
someone suddenly says, "Hey, Kitten, when did you get in?"
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mary rosenblum
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You'd better let Cara
immediately answer 'Hi, Tom. Long time no see' so that we know Cara =
Kitten
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mary rosenblum
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If Tom starts talking about
Kitten in the middle of a scene and we don't know Cara = Kitten...confusion
results!
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redwagonmaster
|
What should I include in a
"short bio" when submitting work?
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mary rosenblum
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anything that's interesting or
at all connected to what you are submitting red.
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mary rosenblum
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Don't bore the editor or
reader. Imagine it at the top of the page, above your piece. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Pick a few salient 'high
points' from your life.
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mary rosenblum
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And of course, anything that
relates to what you are offering.
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mary rosenblum
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If I'm sending a mystery that
involves tracking dogs to a new editor...
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mary rosenblum
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I would certainly mention that
I trained tracking dogs. :-)
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mary rosenblum
|
That kind of thing.
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mary rosenblum
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The bio is about you, red...
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mary rosenblum
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sometimes the editor just
wants it in case he/she runs the piece...
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mary rosenblum
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it'll go above the piece.
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mary rosenblum
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Other times the editor wants
to know whether you have any expertise in what you're writing about.
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writermom
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I'm glad someone asked that
because I am working on a fantasy and can't figure out what an agent would
want to see as far as my experience related to fantasy the only experience
I have is that I read fantasy
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mary rosenblum
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YOu probably can't offer much
except that you write seriously, writer. And read fantasy.
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mary rosenblum
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THe story will speak for
itself.
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mary rosenblum
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You spot all kinds of
'warnings' when you ask for a bio. :-)
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mary rosenblum
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Such as ...this is the first
story I've ever written and I know it's a blockbuster'.
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mary rosenblum
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Or...I don't read much, but I
wanted to write this novel.
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idwins
|
So if I have credentials (RPSGT)
that would help me?
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mary rosenblum
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any credentials related to
what you are offering are very good, id.
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redwagonmaster
|
What should I do if I submitted
a story, but messed up the bio? Should I reemail the editor or leave her
alone?
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mary rosenblum
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Oh, goodness, leave her alone.
She's not going to reject your story because of a bio, LOL.
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mary rosenblum
|
If she likes the story the bio
doesn't count.
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tory
|
And you mention you are an avid
reader?
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mary rosenblum
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Sure.
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mary rosenblum
|
You wouldn't believe how many
people who never read decide to write a novel. Don't ask me why.
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mary rosenblum
|
The results are pretty much
what you'd expect.
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dwkav
|
How about "Graduate of Long
Ridge Writers Group"?
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mary rosenblum
|
It won't hurt you but it won't
help you unless the editor knows the group.
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mary rosenblum
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Some do because they know me
and know I teach for them. :-)
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gwanny
|
Tory, mine says I am a voracious
reader...hope I spelled that right LOL
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mary rosenblum
|
You reveal a lot in a query
letter or a bio.
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mary rosenblum
|
It's usually pretty obvious
whether you're a novice or not...that's why it pays to learn to write a
professional query or cover letter.
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writermom
|
what about name dropping by
mentioning some of the authors you have read, not to compare your work to
theirs but just to say you have read their work, if it is the same genre
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mary rosenblum
|
I don't know that will help
you any, writer.
|
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mary rosenblum
|
You can compare your book in
style to another well known author.
|
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mary rosenblum
|
My book is reminiscent of
Grisham, but with tightly paced, high drive courtroom scenes.
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tory
|
Typical proposal asks you to
discuss the competiton and how your book compares. In fiction--seems almost
pointless. Yes they ask for it.
|
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mary rosenblum
|
In fiction, it's not a bad
idea to give the agent or editor an idea of where in the market you fit.
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