Dancing Word Writers Workshop

with Brandilyn Collins

 May 8, 2001

 

Hosted by: Anne McDonald

Dancing Word Publisher/Editor

*This chat has been edited for clarity

AnneMcDonald:  Shall we go ahead and get started?

* AnnieM pulls up all the comfy seats and tells everyone to grab one. She rolls in the extra snack cart

Brandilyn Collins: Yes

* Penny smiles at everyone in the room :-)

AnneMcDonald:  Kate, would you lead us in prayer?

Kate: Dear Lord, we gather in this odd cyberspace thing to grab some fellowship and enjoy your presence. Guide our conversation tonight. Help smooth techie problems. May we focus on your infinite creativity and stretch us to be our best for you in the field of writing and in our daily walk. Amen.

AnneMcDonald: Brandilyn the floor is now yours

Brandilyn Collins: Floor is mine? Okay, any questions? I'm ready.

AnneMcDonald: Do you have any tips on getting characters to shut up when this author is trying to go to sleep?

Brandilyn Collins: Oh, dear. They won't be quiet?

AnneMcDonald: nope keep me up to the wee sma's

Brandilyn Collins: That's a tough one, really. We all need our sleep.

AnneMcDonald:  I keep a notebook by my bed, with a flashlight and pencil, but it's not enough.

Brandilyn Collins: I find too that when I'm in the middle of a book, it's hard to turn the brain off.

***Brandilyn gets booted offline by her rebellious computer

MmeTrucker: I should do that - keep a notebook and a pen by the bed....

arlette:  Hey Annie, try a hot bath and nice warm milk..LOL...I know what you mean to calm the mind

AnneMcDonald: Gail. I finally had to lock myself in the bathroom and write for an hour

MmeTrucker: I think of all this great stuff that I can't possibly forget, and then in the morning. *poof*

AnneMcDonald: yeah, I have a hard time reading my writing in the morning. Although I've gotten some fabulous scenes out of it.

MmeTrucker: Yes, but easier to read bad writing than try to remember totally forgotten great scenes...

AnneMcDonald:  so true, Gail. There are times I will think of just the right phrase and if I don't write it down, I want to kick myself the next morning.

Sandra:  Strange...some of my best ideas come when I teeter on the edge of sleep

arlette:  I get all mine at work when I am doing landscaping. It is all brawn, so my brain is free.

AnneMcDonald: that's great, arlette

MmeTrucker:  My best ideas come out of the strangest places, usually a minor mention that grows and won't go away.

Jill:  I usually go to sleep thinking about my characters and let the scenes play as I sleep.

Penny:  I'm a morning person

AnneMcDonald:  Jill, I get 3-D movies

arlette:  yes, I wonder how you all write without that no brain time

Jill:  Cool

arlette: wow

AnneMcDonald:get this, though...  The characters refused to cooperate, so I picked up another novel to work on... then, the characters started talking and won't stop

MmeTrucker:  I don't know who hear has read any of my stuff, but the squirrel in the beginning of Mike was supposed to be just a mention and he showed up 7 times in the book. Haha

AnneMcDonald: wb Brandilyn

Brandilyn Collins:  I'm so sorry, folks. I don't know how I'm going to do this workshop on this crazy computer. But let's try. Okay, Sandra, did you have a question?

Sandra:  How to prevent middle sag. *ahem* of a book, of course.

MmeTrucker:  I know!!! Diet and exercise

arlette: LOL

AnneMcDonald: lol

* MmeTrucker bows for knowing the right answer

Mimosajo: lol

Sandra: Ha! *blush*

Brandilyn Collins: Explain more, Sandra. What's the problem exactly? What's happening in your story?

Sandra:  Oh Brandilyn...same old, same old. I'm stuck like the ole stick in the mud.

Brandilyn Collins: Remind me of the story.

Sandra:  Krystoff/Danielle . His wife is murdered and he goes after the man after accepting a load of opium

Brandilyn Collins: Oh, I know, the cocaine, the ship, etc. Right?

Sandra: you got it.

Brandilyn Collins: Yes, yes. Sorry, brain sieve.

Sandra: opium

Brandilyn Collins: Gail, did you have a comment about this first?

MmeTrucker:  When I'm stuck, I make a couple of notes, leave the scene, and do another one toward the end. Then when I'm done the end, I fill in the middle, and it happens okay. (re sagging middle syndrome)

Sandra: Thx.

Brandilyn Collins: Sandra, we have discussed this, I know... Do you think you have too many subplots now?

Sandra:  I'm sorry... It's okay, take someone else's question.

Elizabeth: I find myself writing bits and pieces that are all related - but I have a lot of trouble putting them together

Sandra: Thank you...I'm not alone! Yippee!

Brandilyn Collins: Liz, you must explain more. Are you in the middle of a novel?

MmeTrucker: Brandilyn, do you outline and do character sketches?

Brandilyn Collins: Anyway, to answer your question, MT...

MmeTrucker: har dee har

Brandilyn Collins: I do know most of my story when I start out. Esp. if I'm writing suspense. The suspense/mystery is too tightly woven not to know where it's going. As for characters, I use the personalizing technique I talk about in Getting Into Character . You can certainly use a list of interview questions with that technique.

But it goes further than that -- getting to the core values or "inner truths" of the character. Would you like to hear the basic way this works? Granted, it can hardly be the whole chapter's worth, but it's something.