Monday, May 16, 2016

Monday Meandering ... May 16th

First Meandering ...

Busy week but not a lot of words written. It's funny, sometimes, when I think I'm going to take a story one way, I'll be moving right along and suddenly hit a block. I realized last night I needed to change something but resisted. 

Once I finally gave in and decided to make that change, I was able to move ahead but then realized I needed some brainstorming related to the change AND I needed better motivations for the antagonist. *sigh*


Second Meandering ...

Saturday I attended a workshop put on by Tristi Pinkston who's the author of 30+ books, an editor, and now has her own publishing company--Trifecta Books. She has an excellent writing series called Write It Write. She's both entertaining and informative. 

I especially like how she can give good examples of when it's okay to do something you might have been told you shouldn't. Example; "was."

She had a couple of people come forward to demonstrate. One she had sitting, while the other she had preparing to enter a room where the first person was at. Tristi said that if she wrote (as one might think one should because one shouldn't use "was"): 

"Matt stood when Stephanie entered the room."

Matt would be sitting and then stand because Stephanie entered the room. So, Matt stood because Stephanie entered the room. Which means something completely different than:

"Matt was standing when Stephanie entered the room."

Third Meandering ...

Got to go see the grandkids who used to live in China and now live only 30 minutes away be in an Up with Kids play. Lots of fun to watch.

And the youngest grandson is walking now. He's so proud of himself


What about you? Learn anything new last week?
Do anything fun last weekend?

22 comments:

  1. Interesting demonstration. Proves it's all right to use was now and then.

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    1. Yeah. So many people are "absolutely don't use the word 'was.'"

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  2. So pleased your family is now back within the fold. Kids grow up so quickly, it's important not to miss out. I also had a busy week with not much new writing going on. Time just scoots along without a care. Must buckle down this week. Have a lovely week, Donna.

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    1. By buckling down, do you mean you'll be flying? ;)

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  3. Proves there is always an exception. Must be great having the grandkids so close too.

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    1. So very nice about the grandkids. As I told them, we're really behind in this kind of thing.

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  4. Glad you figured out one of your road blocks. And awesome that your grandkids live so close now. I'm realizing I need to work at my writing job more like 40 hours a week. I'm not ready to work part-time.

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    1. Yeah. Our day jobs are sure a time suck, aren't they? Too bad we have to eat.

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  5. I certainly know about that block thing!

    "Was" is overly condemned, methinks.

    Enjoy the grandkids!

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    Replies
    1. It's part of the all or nothing mentality, I guess. Like adverbs, "was" has its place.

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  6. I didn't know "was" shouldn't be used. I've had editors tell me to use more active verbs here and there, so maybe it's disliked. Glad you spent time with the grandkids.

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    1. And now you know why your editors said that. :D

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  7. Loved your demonstration. And grandkids are the best.

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  8. I've been in the same boat with your first meandering. I've finally given in, too. I needed to decide what the arc for my series would be and then map out each book with that in mind. I'm finally getting somewhere. :) Best of luck with it! So awesome you got to see your grandkids!

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    1. I keep thinking that as I learn more, this will get easier. um ...

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  9. that about stood and was standing is something we teach kids here in primary school, why is it news over in USA? :)

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    1. It's not news here. It's something people forget and then there's the whole passive voice issue that people freak out over in writing, whether fiction or business.

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  10. Last weekend I mainly slept. It was LOVELY.

    I like the idea of teaching writers when it's okay to bend the "rules." A lot of people follow those "rules" slavishly without understanding why, and their writing is weaker for it.

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    1. Ah, sleep. I get some of that once in a while. :D

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  11. Wow, can we say busy much? And that's crazy cool about Pickston making the jump from author to publisher. What a journey.

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    1. Yeah, and she's just getting better and better at what she does.

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