Recent content by Claire

My husband loves to say that my first book is the worst book I'll ever write. He means it in the best way possible. If you're worried about your fanfic outshining the original, I guess I'd ask why that's a problem? You're writing it, I'd imagine, because you're inspired by the original and you...

If it is literally just because someone forgot something, is that important to the story? Does it move the plot forward, or reveal important character information? Is it interesting? If yes, go with it. In general, there are ways to "skip" over travel parts, if what happens during travel isn't...

I spend a fair amount of time brainstorming, pre-writing, planning and sort of outlining (I don't use a super detailed outline, but I do plan the skeleton of the story ahead of time). But none of that compares to the amount of time I spent hitting the keyboard and just writing. The...

Like a lot of things in the world of writing, it probably depends. I chose to write my first book knowing it would be part of a series, but it is still a full story with a beginning, middle and end. The main conflict is resolved by the end of the book, but it raises questions that lead into the...

I agree with TWErvin2 above. Splitting a novel into two books is a big task. You'd have to make certain they each have a solid story arc, even if one leads into the next. I actually had someone on a different author forum suggest I do the same (my upcoming novel is 114,000 words), but it wasn't...

True :). I'm sure there are plenty of examples of head-hopping and POV shifting that isn't clear. I think it is one of those things that can be done well, or done poorly - and ultimately it is rather subjective anyway. Some people don't notice the POV shifts and aren't bothered by them, clear or...

My WIP has three POV characters, and sometimes two of them are together. I approach each scene by asking myself which character's viewpoint is important in that particular scene. Sometimes it is obvious. There might be key information the reader needs that is best viewed through one character's...

Have you been to the Writer's Cafe at Kboards.com? That's where a big community of indie authors posts and the talk is predominantly publishing and marketing. Tons of good info there. (I hope it is okay to mention another forum here).

Agreed! I'm on a quest to learn as much a I can so when my WIP is ready, I'll be able to make a well informed decision. Mythopoet - thanks for the links and suggestions for further reading. I do have Kristine Kathryn Rusch's site bookmarked and have been going through her posts. Lots of great...

This is a great question. I'm hoping to drill down to find the truth in all the chatter when it comes to trad publishing and self-publishing. Or at least get a feel for the reality of the business. Everyone's input is great - thank you!!

Thank you! This helps clarify. I have to say, it is such an interesting time to be a writer. Much to think on!

I've been doing a lot of research and reading lately on the various avenues of publication - Big 5, small presses, "indie" publishing, and so forth. When it comes to marketing your book, I seem to be hearing two differing stories: 1. Some say something to the effect of, "Don't self publish...

I think the key is to make sure there are other characters the reader can root for. You don't want to lose the emotional connection you have with the readers by killing off their link to your story. But if you already have the story being told from different POVs and you weave in the new POV to...

Just adding another opinion... I do think I would notice, but if the book is written well and it works with the flow of the story, I think it would be fine. I'm picky about how an author handles POV shifts (I guess we all have our "thing" that rubs us wrong), but as long as it is clear the POV...

I agree, don't start too early. Backstory is only backstory if it's in the past - if you start in the past, pretty soon you'll realize you need more backstory from before your original backstory... and so on. Even really juicy, entertaining backstory probably needs to BE backstory if it takes...