Comments for http://www.maiseyyates.com Thu, 23 Feb 2012 01:12:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on The Sordid Underbelly of it All…or…My Process….Again by Paula Roe http://www.maiseyyates.com/2012/02/19/the-sordid-underbelly-of-it-all-or-my-process-again/comment-page-1/#comment-5058 Paula Roe Thu, 23 Feb 2012 01:12:44 +0000 http://www.maiseyyates.com/?p=2010#comment-5058 Dude, this is so totally me! Think I have a girl crush on you right now ;-) Dude, this is so totally me! Think I have a girl crush on you right now ;-)

]]> Comment on The Sordid Underbelly of it All…or…My Process….Again by Nina http://www.maiseyyates.com/2012/02/19/the-sordid-underbelly-of-it-all-or-my-process-again/comment-page-1/#comment-5056 Nina Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:19:37 +0000 http://www.maiseyyates.com/?p=2010#comment-5056 Hi Maisey Thank you - and yes that makes sense. I'm working through and I'm also rewriting a couple of scenes from his POV instead of hers. Whilst trying not to 'headhop' of course- but thats ANOTHER blog post....! Nina x Hi Maisey
Thank you – and yes that makes sense. I’m working through and I’m also rewriting a couple of scenes from his POV instead of hers. Whilst trying not to ‘headhop’ of course- but thats ANOTHER blog post….!
Nina x

]]> Comment on The Sordid Underbelly of it All…or…My Process….Again by Maisey Yates http://www.maiseyyates.com/2012/02/19/the-sordid-underbelly-of-it-all-or-my-process-again/comment-page-1/#comment-5054 Maisey Yates Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:31:27 +0000 http://www.maiseyyates.com/?p=2010#comment-5054 hehe! Fabby? I like that! Tough love is the best love. :) hehe! Fabby? I like that!

Tough love is the best love. :)

]]> Comment on The Sordid Underbelly of it All…or…My Process….Again by kathryn http://www.maiseyyates.com/2012/02/19/the-sordid-underbelly-of-it-all-or-my-process-again/comment-page-1/#comment-5053 kathryn Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:13:02 +0000 http://www.maiseyyates.com/?p=2010#comment-5053 Ooo great, thanks so much Maisey. Told my daughters this fabby author had said I was organised. They fell on the floor laughing... Shiny new method of working is down to wonderful Shirley Jump's class during NV last year. She's tough love, but, boy, results! Ooo great, thanks so much Maisey.
Told my daughters this fabby author had said I was organised. They fell on the floor laughing…
Shiny new method of working is down to wonderful Shirley Jump’s class during NV last year. She’s tough love, but, boy, results!

]]> Comment on The Sordid Underbelly of it All…or…My Process….Again by Maisey Yates http://www.maiseyyates.com/2012/02/19/the-sordid-underbelly-of-it-all-or-my-process-again/comment-page-1/#comment-5052 Maisey Yates Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:56:00 +0000 http://www.maiseyyates.com/?p=2010#comment-5052 Nina, thank you! My process really isn't the same every time, but that's the rough average of it. ;) For me, the change usually comes at revision stage and honestly, especially the last two times, I'm not shocked to hear it. Deep down, I KNEW which character I knew best. Who was coming through strong and clear, and who was getting shoved aside (I have had some VERY strong heroines lately, LOL!) But the way I got about fixing it is to write it, and then go back through and focus on the character who is not coming in as strong. Very often I know his story completely, but I haven't really told it. So it's a matter of weaving it in. In the instance of the last MS I did, I only added one full new scene and everything else was reaction and clearer thoughts during the conversation. Does that make sense? Nina, thank you! My process really isn’t the same every time, but that’s the rough average of it. ;)

For me, the change usually comes at revision stage and honestly, especially the last two times, I’m not shocked to hear it. Deep down, I KNEW which character I knew best. Who was coming through strong and clear, and who was getting shoved aside (I have had some VERY strong heroines lately, LOL!)

But the way I got about fixing it is to write it, and then go back through and focus on the character who is not coming in as strong. Very often I know his story completely, but I haven’t really told it. So it’s a matter of weaving it in. In the instance of the last MS I did, I only added one full new scene and everything else was reaction and clearer thoughts during the conversation.

Does that make sense?

]]> Comment on The Sordid Underbelly of it All…or…My Process….Again by Maisey Yates http://www.maiseyyates.com/2012/02/19/the-sordid-underbelly-of-it-all-or-my-process-again/comment-page-1/#comment-5051 Maisey Yates Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:49:00 +0000 http://www.maiseyyates.com/?p=2010#comment-5051 Kathryn, you sound SO organized!! Amazing. Point three is, for me, the drip feeding without ever fully demonstrating. For example, I once wrote a hero who had post traumatic stress and suffered flashbacks. If I had told the reader the hero had flashbacks, or just had him think of them and the effect PTSD had had on his life without ever showing the effects, I would have been missing a great opportunity. It was necessary to show those issues on the page so that the reader could really see how those problems play out in his life. As for drip feeding back story, sometimes I DO put too much in front just because I'm trying to explain it all to myself still. In that instance, just going back and deleting some of that, checking for the info dump is good. And when you do the revelation, best to make it as impacting as possible. Example: in the above mentioned book, from the start you know that something terrible has happened to the hero. That he was involved in an attack that killed his family and left him horrible scarred. We know he's angry and wants to be alone based on the interaction with the heroine. We don't know the extent of what his trauma has done to him. It isn't until a few chapters in, and that's when the flashback occurs which starts connecting the dots to what has been laid out. And (hopefully!) done in a way that's tangible and emotional for the reader, rather than just as paragraphs of explanation. There! I almost DID write another blog post! :D Kathryn, you sound SO organized!! Amazing. Point three is, for me, the drip feeding without ever fully demonstrating. For example, I once wrote a hero who had post traumatic stress and suffered flashbacks. If I had told the reader the hero had flashbacks, or just had him think of them and the effect PTSD had had on his life without ever showing the effects, I would have been missing a great opportunity. It was necessary to show those issues on the page so that the reader could really see how those problems play out in his life.

As for drip feeding back story, sometimes I DO put too much in front just because I’m trying to explain it all to myself still. In that instance, just going back and deleting some of that, checking for the info dump is good. And when you do the revelation, best to make it as impacting as possible. Example: in the above mentioned book, from the start you know that something terrible has happened to the hero. That he was involved in an attack that killed his family and left him horrible scarred. We know he’s angry and wants to be alone based on the interaction with the heroine. We don’t know the extent of what his trauma has done to him. It isn’t until a few chapters in, and that’s when the flashback occurs which starts connecting the dots to what has been laid out. And (hopefully!) done in a way that’s tangible and emotional for the reader, rather than just as paragraphs of explanation.

There! I almost DID write another blog post! :D

]]> Comment on The Sordid Underbelly of it All…or…My Process….Again by Maisey Yates http://www.maiseyyates.com/2012/02/19/the-sordid-underbelly-of-it-all-or-my-process-again/comment-page-1/#comment-5050 Maisey Yates Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:40:07 +0000 http://www.maiseyyates.com/?p=2010#comment-5050 Sri, I can definitely relate to that. Some characters are harder to crack then others, and, particularly at first, I've gone through whole books, called them done, sent them to my editor only to discover I'd barely scratched the surface of the conflict! But I think all you can do is work with your process and not against it, and you're very smart to realize that what works for you is right, because it works! Sri, I can definitely relate to that. Some characters are harder to crack then others, and, particularly at first, I’ve gone through whole books, called them done, sent them to my editor only to discover I’d barely scratched the surface of the conflict! But I think all you can do is work with your process and not against it, and you’re very smart to realize that what works for you is right, because it works!

]]> Comment on The Most Important Thing by Natalie Charles http://www.maiseyyates.com/2012/02/08/the-most-important-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-5049 Natalie Charles Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:44:32 +0000 http://www.maiseyyates.com/?p=1958#comment-5049 Great post, Maisey! I think Twitter is fabulous, and I agree that when I find a great writer, I want to visit that website. ('I get stabby' -- LOL). But I don't need that great writer to be a constant presence across all of my social media. Just present enough. And I wouldn't visit that website in the first place if that writer hadn't written a damn good book. @Paula - I feel your pain. Day Jobs are such a necessary evil. Great post, Maisey! I think Twitter is fabulous, and I agree that when I find a great writer, I want to visit that website. (‘I get stabby’ — LOL). But I don’t need that great writer to be a constant presence across all of my social media. Just present enough. And I wouldn’t visit that website in the first place if that writer hadn’t written a damn good book.

@Paula – I feel your pain. Day Jobs are such a necessary evil.

]]> Comment on The Sordid Underbelly of it All…or…My Process….Again by Nina http://www.maiseyyates.com/2012/02/19/the-sordid-underbelly-of-it-all-or-my-process-again/comment-page-1/#comment-5048 Nina Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:47:21 +0000 http://www.maiseyyates.com/?p=2010#comment-5048 Hi Maisey Your process sounds awesome. I do have a question. You said (point 2) that sometimes one character steals a book. I was wondering how you 'fix' the show stealing scenario. Thanks Nina x Hi Maisey
Your process sounds awesome.

I do have a question. You said (point 2) that sometimes one character steals a book. I was wondering how you ‘fix’ the show stealing scenario.

Thanks

Nina x

]]> Comment on The Sordid Underbelly of it All…or…My Process….Again by kathryn http://www.maiseyyates.com/2012/02/19/the-sordid-underbelly-of-it-all-or-my-process-again/comment-page-1/#comment-5047 kathryn Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:50:48 +0000 http://www.maiseyyates.com/?p=2010#comment-5047 Thanks for sharing, Maisey! Fast Drafting AND little editing = awesomeness. I'm trying on processes for size right now :) and have found a GMC grid (from Debra Dixon's book) for both characters is soooo focusing. I try to come up with 6 ever deeper reasons for both internal and external motivations. I've also added boxes for 2 main plot points and black moment for each. It doesn't take long and means I know where I'm going (*fingers crossed behind back*) with the essentials but doesn't kill excitement of writing. Then I write a short synopsis off it. Scenes usually crop up as I go. One thing - would you mind explaining Point 3 a bit more? Am struggling with the drip-feed thing at the mo, and would be so useful. Perhaps a whole 'nother blog?! Ta ever so Thanks for sharing, Maisey! Fast Drafting AND little editing = awesomeness.
I’m trying on processes for size right now :) and have found a GMC grid (from Debra Dixon’s book) for both characters is soooo focusing. I try to come up with 6 ever deeper reasons for both internal and external motivations. I’ve also added boxes for 2 main plot points and black moment for each. It doesn’t take long and means I know where I’m going (*fingers crossed behind back*) with the essentials but doesn’t kill excitement of writing. Then I write a short synopsis off it. Scenes usually crop up as I go.
One thing – would you mind explaining Point 3 a bit more? Am struggling with the drip-feed thing at the mo, and would be so useful. Perhaps a whole ‘nother blog?!
Ta ever so

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