I'm definitely not a speech-giver. Talker, yes. Ask anyone who knows me. Talking is easy. Making sense, staying focused -- well, that might be another issue.
However, I decided to keep things informal. I have bullet point notes and handouts about all the things I learned when I started writing for other's eyes. Maybe I'll post these here as weekly or monthly craft topics.
So, here's my 'talk.' I'm hoping it'll be an informal Q&A, and I'll let those who made the effort to attend drive the discussion.
Point of View – choosing the right head and staying there.
This is a conscious decision on the part of the author. There's no 'right' or 'wrong' but it needs to work to draw the reader in. Current convention prefers one scene, one POV. So, what's a scene?
Scenes aren't just those double spaces or cute symbols. Think theater backdrops.
Show, Don't Tell, or slow down and describe the roses.
Avoid Back Story Dumps
Description – one of my major 'skip-overs' as a reader. And, as a mystery reader, if the blouse is blue, there had better be a good reason for me to know it.
Only Trouble is Interesting.
Characters. Make your readers love 'em. Back to that show don't tell lesson.
Dialog. Get past the mechanics. Eventually, you won't have to think about commas and quote marks; your fingers will do it.
Your Words Aren't Precious. If it sounds like a writer's voice, kill it.
You Can't Fix A Blank Page. Barf it all out, clean it up later.
READ, READ, READ. WRITE, WRITE, WRITE. BICFOK.
