Writers Workshop: Turning Dry Bones into Living Words

Dancing Word Writers Workshop

with Kacy Barnett-Gramckow

March 24, 2001

Hosted by Ellie Schroder

Dancing Word Publisher/Editor

* This chat has been edited for clarity and flow

Ellie Schroder: We'll open up in prayer then go over protocol. Lord, thank you for gathering us all here together. To learn more of the creative giftings you have blessed us with. Thank you for bringing Kacy into our midst to share of her wisdom. May her advice go deep and be very helpful to all. Bless us all as we participate tonight. Please heal Annie's arm from the spasms she's been having. In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Protocol reminder: when the floor is open to questions, please type ? for questions, ! for comments and ga when you are finished typing. For those new to the chat room, "ga" means "go ahead" and keeps us from stepping on each others' toes. Please wait to be called on in turn.

Tonight I'm delighted to introduce Kacy Barnett-Gramckow as our guest speaker. Kacy has written the awesome Genesis Trilogy. If you haven't already read these books you simply MUST! Welcome, Kacy.

Kacy Barnett-Gramckow: Hi! Blushing . . .

* EllieSchroder hands the microphone over to Kacy

* Annie claps enthusiastically

Kacy Barnett-Gramckow: Okay, Quick question: How many here LOVE research?? Yea? Groan?

wanderer: yes

Ellie Schroder: It's ok, depends what it is.

Anne McDonald: definitely

* Voronwe groans

* Bat groans with Vor

robert: I do! It is all I get done

Noelle: not sure yet

Ellie Schroder: LOL Robert

Kacy Barnett-Gramckow: Voronwe, Bat . . . Research is a treasure hunt!

Limey: Yes, within reason

writersheep: I get frustrated with research

Kacy Barnett-Gramckow: What's the worst part of research?

wanderer: it's fun!

Remade Gold: I don't like it til I get started. Then I'm obsessive.

Kacy Barnett-Gramckow: Are you like, me, Remade? Studying all the footnotes and fine print?

* Remade Gold nods

Anne McDonald: Sifting through what I really need and tossing the rest.

Remade Gold: 0=)

Ellie Schroder: The worst part is researching the boring bits.

Kacy Barnett-Gramckow: Research can be tedious. And most of it serves as the unseen foundation for your work. The bones. To paraphrase a well-known novelist--I believe it was Norah Lofts, "Research everything, then drop 90%. Write 10%"

wanderer: the worst part is knowing when enough is enough

Kacy Barnett-Gramckow: Yes. I have to pick at all my scenes and decide when the details bogging are down the story, not pushing it ahead. You want to ad texture and life, not dead wood. What are your main sources?

Anne McDonald: Google, Dogpile online

wanderer: the internet is my only options here

writersheep: I get frustrated when I can't find quite what I want, or I wind up down useless trails.

Kacy Barnett-Gramckow: A useless trail is frustrating. But up-front research can prevent you from taking a bad turn at the start, rather than when you’re halfway through the manuscript. And online research is an amazing tool, but you have to be careful. I check all my sources "sources".

Ellie Schroder: Internet, encyclopaedias.

Kacy Barnett-Gramckow: Yeah, Ellie! I lOVE encyclopedias! What about life experiences?

Anne McDonald: For specific items that have to be 100 percent accurate, I end up calling experts.

Kacy Barnett-Gramckow: You’re so right, Annie: Calling the experts is good! All they can say is, "NO!"

wanderer: personally, life experiences go along way. 20 years on the mission field and most of my life in the forest, hunting and trapping.

Kacy Barnett-Gramckow: Wow, Wanderer! What a terrific background--I’m jealous. It's wonderful that you’ll be able to pull the emotions and perceptions from your experiences and plug them into your research.

writersheep: I'm too shy to always go to experts. how do you get over that?

Read the rest of the transcript

Get unlimited access to Dancing Word Writers Network