The Realms of a Fantastical Mind

No, not the end of the world.  I've spent the last few days away from the computer. Yes I was still writing. I was back to the old, can't go wrong, pen and paper method.  I have to say that I really did miss that free flow of ink to paper feel. So why the switch? Am I still working on that stubborn MS or did I create a new one? Answer: Both. I've been having difficulties in some chapters. I had written a full first draft. It was alright but on the editing I found I needed a revamp, bad. So I started the rewrite. I cannot state this enough, don't just focus on the first chapter till you think it's perfect, because you'll end up spending the rest of your life 'perfecting' it. Impossible to do. My suggestion: rewrite it and move on and rewrite each and every chapter. Life too short to focus too much on how well you opening line catches the reader's attention. That can come when you're into a deeper edit. From Cliffhanger Editing Website ...

I think the first thing that comes to mind on this is... "All Hale George R.R. Martin!" Okay, maybe not everyone feels that way.  I've only read his first book and was wowed by it.  There is so much depth, so much to every banner, every household.  So much that I didn't think of... back to the drawing board. When writing fiction there are some basic backgrounds that need to be established. The Main Character.  Where did they come from?  How did they get to be the way they are at the beginning of the book?  What effects them the most positively and negatively? The Supporting Characters.  Again, where did they come from? How did they get to be the way they are at the beginning of the book? What effects them the most positively and negatively? The Land around them.  Yup even the land needs a history.  When writing Urban stories things are easier because the history was already made.  We know about what has happened in Bo...

Oh look, it's a guest, on my blog.  Wait... when did that happen?  Um, now?   I'd like to welcome Dean C. Rich to the Realm. I met him at AQC . He's part of the Speculative Fiction group I joined several months ago, where he does critiques for fellow members, and adds to the helpful silliness that makes me love the group. He has a blog called The Write Time where he has advice for us writers and several guests from AQC and beyond. You can also find him on twitter as @DeanCRich   And so without further ado and with now more delay I give you dum dum duuummm ... Dean Plotter or Pantster I once saw a sports commentator inside the football locker room showing the offensive line’s lockers. Everything was nice and tidy. The jersey’s were hung up neatly, the cleats were lined up. It looked like Monk’s closet. Then the commentators went over to the defensive line’s lockers. Those looked like tornados had ripped through them. They laughed and said this ...