tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237439668554338567.post3441868838179644915..comments2024-01-07T19:22:21.305-06:00Comments on All write with coffee...: Problems with my writingAnn Elle Altmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02192162600274764681noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237439668554338567.post-20299375972274685492010-04-01T13:30:32.714-06:002010-04-01T13:30:32.714-06:00Great question. Sometimes I put things aside and c...Great question. Sometimes I put things aside and contemplate if the idea is as good as I originally thought - if it has enough 'legs' to carry it through. If I still really like the premise, then I think about how I can introduce more conflict or complications.Talli Rolandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04780882465745107715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237439668554338567.post-73957397604031991542010-04-01T13:24:02.668-06:002010-04-01T13:24:02.668-06:00Sometimes I'll put two characters together who...Sometimes I'll put two characters together who normally wouldn't be. The scene most likely won't stay, but I usually learn more about each one. Another thing I do is try to think of one adjective to describe the character's personality or outlook or attitude. Then I play up that aspect of the character and how it affects all they do. Great post.Carol Kilgorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15168273312704732896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237439668554338567.post-6296952149731946512010-04-01T11:05:38.017-06:002010-04-01T11:05:38.017-06:00My writing gets doesn't really bore me but it ...My writing gets doesn't really bore me but it can irritate me plenty, and when that happens, I usually need some distance. I write in deep third person, so sometimes coming back and changing up a few passages with some added thoughts or more character quirkiness is all it takes to reignite my passion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237439668554338567.post-45796102890142507482010-04-01T04:12:41.562-06:002010-04-01T04:12:41.562-06:00I usually look for more conflict for the scene..ev...I usually look for more conflict for the scene..even minor conflict. And I'll model the character off an amalgam of interesting people I know if I'm stalling out on creating a good minor character.<br /><br />ElizabethElizabeth Spann Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15625595247828274405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237439668554338567.post-80894243717171070972010-03-31T21:10:42.078-06:002010-03-31T21:10:42.078-06:00If any part of what I'm writing bores me, I pu...If any part of what I'm writing bores me, I put it off. And put it off. And put it off. Then realize I don't like it so it's scrapped. No reason to write a scene I hate, right? Find a different route: that's always my answer. Change perspective, sum up, recount in dialogue.Christi Goddardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08590491851753709622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237439668554338567.post-3131193620829540562010-03-31T18:32:59.767-06:002010-03-31T18:32:59.767-06:00Be like the murderer and take to the boring scenes...Be like the murderer and take to the boring scenes with a knife! Well that's what I do when I find a boring scene. <br /><br />I've been reading the kids book Percy Jackson and what Rick Riordan does so well (and he does this in the first 39 Clues book) is keep the action moving. Lots of hooks lots of movement.<br /><br />Could one of your non-killer suspects be violent in nature and react badly to being questioned, perhaps attack? There's a great saying for writing when things get dull bring in a guy with a gun.<br /><br />Good luck with it and when you're stuck work on the bits you do love.Charmaine Clancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06642615452680721583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237439668554338567.post-65486924994051246822010-03-31T17:54:27.049-06:002010-03-31T17:54:27.049-06:00When my characters get boring I get them to start ...When my characters get boring I get them to start talking, and write tons of dialogue until they come to life again. If yours is a murder mystery, can you just kill off the boring characters lol?Karen Jones Gowenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01153821980625034810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237439668554338567.post-77349007716071715762010-03-31T17:52:09.872-06:002010-03-31T17:52:09.872-06:00Interesting question! If I'm bored, I tend to ...Interesting question! If I'm bored, I tend to save to a new version and delete, delete, delete. :) Then start again.Jemi Fraserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02214408467456320167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237439668554338567.post-35611450164948901722010-03-31T17:36:54.753-06:002010-03-31T17:36:54.753-06:00Margot, thanks for your comment. Yes, it's a d...Margot, thanks for your comment. Yes, it's a difficulty for many writers because though we may love the book we're writing (and should) we don't love all the un-climatic scenes as much.<br /><br />Jan, it's interesting as a writer that our characters can surprise us so. Perhaps it's because we have such wonderful imaginations. That may also be why I hate going to parties and having conversations with others. Very rarely do they surprise me.<br /><br />Kimberley, I'm jealous. But, I don't find all my characters boring, just some of the minor ones.<br /><br />annAnn Elle Altmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02192162600274764681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237439668554338567.post-55959733186947863532010-03-31T17:18:44.081-06:002010-03-31T17:18:44.081-06:00Good luck talking to your characters. I've nev...Good luck talking to your characters. I've never really thought about my characters being boring, but maybe that's because I haven't gotten far enough for them to be boring yet. I'm going to keep an eye on them, though. Don't want none of those boring characters prancing about my novel! ;)Kimberly Franklinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13957037411750752950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237439668554338567.post-74832772705636187212010-03-31T16:50:36.074-06:002010-03-31T16:50:36.074-06:00Very provocative post, Ann! I have this problem at...Very provocative post, Ann! I have this problem at times too and what happened is that I let my protagonist assume things about the way the people she interviews are and then be pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised when they reveal quite different parts of themselves. I suppose that I am letting my protagonist stand in for me in that case - as in 'oh, this woman is a obviously a gold-digger' and find out that she isn't at all. Being still and letting my characters come forward is the key for me!Jan Morrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01771180344305042855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4237439668554338567.post-33626039957793914242010-03-31T16:23:37.759-06:002010-03-31T16:23:37.759-06:00Ann - Thank you so much for mentioning my blog :)....Ann - Thank you so much for mentioning my blog :). I truly appreciate it!<br /><br />I know exactly what you mean about making characters interesting, and keeping oneself from being bored and boring. To me, it's a question of finding the depths in one's characters. That's not always easy to do, especially, as you say, because we writers know how the story ends. But it is really important. Your post comes at a good time for me, because as I look at my own WIP, I'm trying to figure out how and why the characters act as they do, and what makes them interesting. In fact, I had to laugh when I read what you said about one of your characters having an affair with another. That happens in my WIP, too, and I, too, am trying to make both of those people more interesting. Why should the reader care about them?? Thanks for bringing that up; good to know I'm not the only one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com