Verbose

Outlining, again

Much as I hate “how to write” books that are not “Hi, I, an author you really like, will muse about how I go about things,” because I am actually a point where I can’t progress without outlining I reluctantly picked up a book about outlining novels. It’s not bad, though I find myself skipping large sections that are more about figuring out your characters’ motivations and so forth rather than outlining as such. Sadly, I’m not finding the Save the Cat! method, which is great for screenwriting mainstream films, to work well for novels.

How about you?

December 30, 2011 – 11:22 pm | By Ms. Grue | Posted in writing | Tagged meta, outlining | Comments (3)

Wakeland

My hotel was in fact one where Americans stayed, and as Valentin predicted, it therefore had very good vodka. I don’t drink very much, as a rule, especially when I’m in company where keeping a clear head is a good idea, but Valentin insisted, and very quickly I realized I was actually drunk. When I …

November 23, 2011 – 9:35 pm | By Ms. Grue | Posted in writing | Tagged novels, the long con | Comments (1)

The meeting, second half

I gently pushed Valentin ahead of me. He plodded dutifully after Petrakos and I trailed after him. Adrenaline made my hands shake. I took deep, slow breaths, willing myself to calm. I can hurt and kill when I have to, but I am not a brute like Valentin; the fear I had pushed off in …

October 31, 2011 – 12:01 am | By Ms. Grue | Posted in writing | Tagged novels, the long con | Comments (0)

Guzal

The wind was moving faster as I followed Valentin through unfamiliar streets. We were racing the sunset, the air growing cold and moving faster as the light ebbed. I turned up my collar. I’ve been to Russia more times than I can recall and yet the cold always surprises me. The traffic on the sidewalks …

October 3, 2011 – 10:43 pm | By Ms. Grue | Posted in writing | Tagged novels, the long con | Comments (0)

Volgograd, the second

The people who move in the margins, the pretenders and tyros who think themselves sorcerers because they’ve read a few books or called up a forest spirit, believe that the body and the mind are enemies; that if you choose to walk the path of magic, you must neglect the strength of your body. This …

September 22, 2011 – 9:53 pm | By Ms. Grue | Posted in writing | Tagged novels, the long con, with friends like these | Comments (0)

Volgograd

You there. I’ll give you five thousand rubles for your chalk.” The boy on the sidewalk looked up. It took him a few seconds to focus; he had the dull, slack face of a heroin addict. Tourists walked by without looking at his half-finished drawing of the Kremlin or the cap he’d placed next to it …

September 17, 2011 – 11:16 pm | By Ms. Grue | Posted in writing | Tagged novels, the long con | Comments (0)

The meeting

And at some point I guess I’ll have to explain who Valentin is.

September 4, 2011 – 12:45 am | By Ms. Grue | Posted in writing | Tagged novels, the long con, with friends like these | Comments (1)

Snippet, the second half

And what are you calling yourself these days?” he said. “Something American, yeah? To go with that bloody accent?” “I could talk Lanky if it makes you feel better.” “God, no,” he said. “I wouldn’t understand what the hell you were saying. But really, what is that? It’s like you have a grudge against the …

August 28, 2011 – 9:26 am | By Ms. Grue | Posted in writing | Tagged the long con, with friends like these | Comments (0)

Another snippet from the long con

Someone did not quite slam a pint glass on the table in front of me; foamy ale sloshed out of the glass and soaked the cheap coaster. I looked up to see Atlas sitting in the booth across from me. He grinned and toasted me with a glass of something that was nearly black. “Cheers, …

August 27, 2011 – 7:59 am | By Ms. Grue | Posted in writing | Tagged novels, the long con, with friends like these | Comments (2)

E-mail notification

I’m experimenting with Subscribe2, an e-mail notification service that will automatically notify you (at the e-mail you used to register, or your update e-mail if that has changed) of any new posts at this blog. Since the blog is updated infrequently this will avoid your having to check back to see if anything’s new. A …

August 1, 2011 – 5:50 pm | By admin | Posted in writing | Tagged administration | Comments (0)