Comments on: Verily, the shower shall set you free! http://www.lynnrayeharris.com/2006/08/31/verily-the-shower-shall-set-you-free/ Author of Glamorous, Sexy Romance Thu, 09 Sep 2010 01:35:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Lynn Raye Harris http://www.lynnrayeharris.com/2006/08/31/verily-the-shower-shall-set-you-free/comment-page-1/#comment-663 Lynn Raye Harris Thu, 31 Aug 2006 18:50:00 +0000 http://authorlynnrayeharris.wordpress.com/2006/08/31/verily-the-shower-shall-set-you-free/#comment-663 Oh hell, I never outline a thing! Dr. Atkins would be horrified, of course. I didn't even outline my thesis. I was forced to do a very rough preliminary sketch of it for the pre-proposal. When I wrote the proposal, I had to do a literature review and write the first chapter. The hardest part for me was doing the sketch of how I thought the thesis would be divided (for the table of contents). My mentor instantly nixed the way I divided it, though he approved the proposal.<br/><br/>I finally figured it all out, based on the intro, and wrote each chapter with no plan in mind. Gawd, I don't recommend that to anyone!<br/><br/>I wish I could do it, I really do. I've tried. I even used a plotting board, which actually works for me to a point. I plan out the next chapter, sometimes even the next three, but no farther ahead than that. Right now, I've just figured out the next scene, which I hope will lead to the next and the next. I know I need a dead body, and I know who. :) Oh hell, I never outline a thing! Dr. Atkins would be horrified, of course. I didn’t even outline my thesis. I was forced to do a very rough preliminary sketch of it for the pre-proposal. When I wrote the proposal, I had to do a literature review and write the first chapter. The hardest part for me was doing the sketch of how I thought the thesis would be divided (for the table of contents). My mentor instantly nixed the way I divided it, though he approved the proposal.

I finally figured it all out, based on the intro, and wrote each chapter with no plan in mind. Gawd, I don’t recommend that to anyone!

I wish I could do it, I really do. I’ve tried. I even used a plotting board, which actually works for me to a point. I plan out the next chapter, sometimes even the next three, but no farther ahead than that. Right now, I’ve just figured out the next scene, which I hope will lead to the next and the next. I know I need a dead body, and I know who. :)

]]> By: Cynthia E. Bagley http://www.lynnrayeharris.com/2006/08/31/verily-the-shower-shall-set-you-free/comment-page-1/#comment-662 Cynthia E. Bagley Thu, 31 Aug 2006 18:12:00 +0000 http://authorlynnrayeharris.wordpress.com/2006/08/31/verily-the-shower-shall-set-you-free/#comment-662 So true Lynn about Outlining... I used to do it with my English papers.. But my finished product never looked like the outline... I guess it is my security blanket to keep me writing...<br/><br/>And I am known to change my outline as I go along. LOL So true Lynn about Outlining… I used to do it with my English papers.. But my finished product never looked like the outline… I guess it is my security blanket to keep me writing…

And I am known to change my outline as I go along. LOL

]]> By: Lynn Raye Harris http://www.lynnrayeharris.com/2006/08/31/verily-the-shower-shall-set-you-free/comment-page-1/#comment-661 Lynn Raye Harris Thu, 31 Aug 2006 17:41:00 +0000 http://authorlynnrayeharris.wordpress.com/2006/08/31/verily-the-shower-shall-set-you-free/#comment-661 Terry: I should clarify that the reason I asked about Dorchester was because they seem more open to different ideas. One of my chapter mates has sold them a trilogy of novels set in the WW1 and WW2 eras, which are usually hard sells. She has won awards with the first two: <a HREF="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Moon-Over-Bengal/dp/0843954523/sr=8-1/qid=1157045549/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-3099420-0483828?ie=UTF8" REL="nofollow">Blood Moon Over Bengal</a> and <a HREF="http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Britain-Morag-McKendrick-Pippin/dp/0843955821/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b/103-3099420-0483828?ie=UTF8" REL="nofollow">Blood Moon Over Britain</a>. Check out the absolutely GORGEOUS covers! <br/><br/>She just turned in the next book, Blood Moon Over Berlin, so I don't know when it will be out.<br/><br/>Oh, and my understanding it that they are also more open to western historicals now than other pubs. You have one or two of those on the ol' harddrive, right? :) Terry: I should clarify that the reason I asked about Dorchester was because they seem more open to different ideas. One of my chapter mates has sold them a trilogy of novels set in the WW1 and WW2 eras, which are usually hard sells. She has won awards with the first two: Blood Moon Over Bengal and Blood Moon Over Britain. Check out the absolutely GORGEOUS covers!

She just turned in the next book, Blood Moon Over Berlin, so I don’t know when it will be out.

Oh, and my understanding it that they are also more open to western historicals now than other pubs. You have one or two of those on the ol’ harddrive, right? :)

]]> By: Lynn Raye Harris http://www.lynnrayeharris.com/2006/08/31/verily-the-shower-shall-set-you-free/comment-page-1/#comment-660 Lynn Raye Harris Thu, 31 Aug 2006 17:34:00 +0000 http://authorlynnrayeharris.wordpress.com/2006/08/31/verily-the-shower-shall-set-you-free/#comment-660 Hey, Cyn! So one of the major things you may have discovered about yourself in this process is that you are an outliner. I am not, unfortunately. I think it makes things easier, but my mind doesn't work that way. May explain why I'm currently looking at my story and going, "What next?" ;)<br/><br/>Congratulations on your rewrite. Getting over that hurdle of throwing out writing is hard at first, but once you can do it, it makes things easier in the long run. I think it was Thomas Wolfe who said (paraphrase here) that a paragraph (scene, chapter) may be the best work you've ever done but have absolutely no place in your finished manuscript. You have to learn to kill your darlings, basically. Hey, Cyn! So one of the major things you may have discovered about yourself in this process is that you are an outliner. I am not, unfortunately. I think it makes things easier, but my mind doesn’t work that way. May explain why I’m currently looking at my story and going, “What next?” ;)

Congratulations on your rewrite. Getting over that hurdle of throwing out writing is hard at first, but once you can do it, it makes things easier in the long run. I think it was Thomas Wolfe who said (paraphrase here) that a paragraph (scene, chapter) may be the best work you’ve ever done but have absolutely no place in your finished manuscript. You have to learn to kill your darlings, basically.

]]> By: Lynn Raye Harris http://www.lynnrayeharris.com/2006/08/31/verily-the-shower-shall-set-you-free/comment-page-1/#comment-659 Lynn Raye Harris Thu, 31 Aug 2006 17:30:00 +0000 http://authorlynnrayeharris.wordpress.com/2006/08/31/verily-the-shower-shall-set-you-free/#comment-659 Too funny, Terry! I haven't succumbed to killing my characters yet. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with major DS files. :) I still have them for LOTM as well, and that is amazing, let me tell you. The original clocked in around 800 pages. And then I cut over 200 for the agent who was interested. I sure was disappointed back then, but I know why she didn't take it on now. Sheesh. <br/><br/>Hey, I really enjoyed UV. Have you thought of going to one of the e-presses with it? Did you ever try Dorchester? You were much better at boiling a story into its essential elements than I was. Too funny, Terry! I haven’t succumbed to killing my characters yet. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one with major DS files. :) I still have them for LOTM as well, and that is amazing, let me tell you. The original clocked in around 800 pages. And then I cut over 200 for the agent who was interested. I sure was disappointed back then, but I know why she didn’t take it on now. Sheesh.

Hey, I really enjoyed UV. Have you thought of going to one of the e-presses with it? Did you ever try Dorchester? You were much better at boiling a story into its essential elements than I was.

]]> By: Cynthia E. Bagley http://www.lynnrayeharris.com/2006/08/31/verily-the-shower-shall-set-you-free/comment-page-1/#comment-658 Cynthia E. Bagley Thu, 31 Aug 2006 16:57:00 +0000 http://authorlynnrayeharris.wordpress.com/2006/08/31/verily-the-shower-shall-set-you-free/#comment-658 LOL.. I am totally rewriting my novel... I was originally about 10,000 words. I have taken an outline and completely started over and today I am at 4,000 words.<br/>But hey... I am more energized about it :-)<br/><br/>Know what you mean. And I am meeting new characters and incorporating old characters... and the next time around I will put in a lot more descriptions. LOL.. I am totally rewriting my novel… I was originally about 10,000 words. I have taken an outline and completely started over and today I am at 4,000 words.
But hey… I am more energized about it :-)

Know what you mean. And I am meeting new characters and incorporating old characters… and the next time around I will put in a lot more descriptions.

]]> By: Terry http://www.lynnrayeharris.com/2006/08/31/verily-the-shower-shall-set-you-free/comment-page-1/#comment-657 Terry Thu, 31 Aug 2006 02:51:00 +0000 http://authorlynnrayeharris.wordpress.com/2006/08/31/verily-the-shower-shall-set-you-free/#comment-657 On Uncommon Virtues, my outtakes file was 200 pages. On Promises, it was nearly 250. Of course, a great deal of those where the many times I killed them off. :) On Uncommon Virtues, my outtakes file was 200 pages. On Promises, it was nearly 250. Of course, a great deal of those where the many times I killed them off. :)

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