Comments for Denise A. Agnew's Musings http://deniseagnew.com/blog A Love To Die For.... Thu, 10 May 2012 21:19:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Plotter or Pantser? by Denise A. Agnew http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2237&cpage=1#comment-4339 Denise A. Agnew Thu, 10 May 2012 21:19:19 +0000 http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2237#comment-4339 Hey there Miss Selena! I love that quote! I think sometimes not knowing any rules can insure that you do a better job of writing what means something to you. :) It is a Catch 22 fur sure. And readers definitely don't care whether we are plotters or pantsers. They just want a darn good time while they're reading our stories. Hey there Miss Selena! I love that quote! I think sometimes not knowing any rules can insure that you do a better job of writing what means something to you. :) It is a Catch 22 fur sure. And readers definitely don’t care whether we are plotters or pantsers. They just want a darn good time while they’re reading our stories.

]]> Comment on Plotter or Pantser? by Selena Robins http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2237&cpage=1#comment-4338 Selena Robins Wed, 09 May 2012 18:28:52 +0000 http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2237#comment-4338 Great post, Denise. My favorite quote about writing is from Somerset Maughn: "There are three rules to writing fiction, unfortunately, nobody knows what they are." How-to books can be overwhelming and now with the onslaught of so many writers going the self-published route and with technology changing as it has, there are blogs upon blogs filled with how-to write and so many "rules." I saw an interview recently with the woman who wrote 50 Shades of Gray, that is now an International Best Seller. She herself said, she knows she's not a great writer, she knows the book wasn't well written, but she didn't care. She just wrote what she wanted, what pleased her and it took off. Each writer needs to decide what works for them and their comfort level. I know I'm a big time plotter, and that's part of my personality in everything I do. Be it a dinner party or an outing, I have to plan, make lists and feel organized. It's the same with my writing, I need to plan ahead, and get to know my characters extremely well, and I do this by a lot of plotting and outlining. It works for me. Does it make me a better writer? I leave that up to the readers if they enjoy my work or not. I don't think readers care whether we plot or write by the seat of our pants, they want good books to read, how we got there, is of no interest to them, in my opinion (but I could be wrong about that. :) ) I'll also add,that I'm probably the slowest writer in the world, but again, oh well, that's the way I am. LOL Great post, Denise.

My favorite quote about writing is from Somerset Maughn: “There are three rules to writing fiction, unfortunately, nobody knows what they are.”

How-to books can be overwhelming and now with the onslaught of so many writers going the self-published route and with technology changing as it has, there are blogs upon blogs filled with how-to write and so many “rules.”

I saw an interview recently with the woman who wrote 50 Shades of Gray, that is now an International Best Seller. She herself said, she knows she’s not a great writer, she knows the book wasn’t well written, but she didn’t care. She just wrote what she wanted, what pleased her and it took off.

Each writer needs to decide what works for them and their comfort level.

I know I’m a big time plotter, and that’s part of my personality in everything I do. Be it a dinner party or an outing, I have to plan, make lists and feel organized. It’s the same with my writing, I need to plan ahead, and get to know my characters extremely well, and I do this by a lot of plotting and outlining. It works for me. Does it make me a better writer? I leave that up to the readers if they enjoy my work or not.

I don’t think readers care whether we plot or write by the seat of our pants, they want good books to read, how we got there, is of no interest to them, in my opinion (but I could be wrong about that. :) )

I’ll also add,that I’m probably the slowest writer in the world, but again, oh well, that’s the way I am. LOL

]]> Comment on Plotter or Pantser? by Denise A. Agnew http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2237&cpage=1#comment-4337 Denise A. Agnew Wed, 09 May 2012 17:51:36 +0000 http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2237#comment-4337 Hi Dita, Hey, as long as you've found a method that gets you where you want to go, it's all good! Hi Dita,
Hey, as long as you’ve found a method that gets you where you want to go, it’s all good!

]]> Comment on Plotter or Pantser? by Denise A. Agnew http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2237&cpage=1#comment-4336 Denise A. Agnew Wed, 09 May 2012 17:50:49 +0000 http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2237#comment-4336 Hi N.J.! Sounds like you're pretty close to pantser to me. And it works for you. :) Hi N.J.!
Sounds like you’re pretty close to pantser to me. And it works for you. :)

]]> Comment on Plotter or Pantser? by Dita Parker http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2237&cpage=1#comment-4335 Dita Parker Wed, 09 May 2012 16:21:27 +0000 http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2237#comment-4335 I used to be a total pantser. I would start with a scene, write another, basically listen to my characters and learn more about them as I kept writing, see where the scene that got it all started would lead us. Really intuitive writing where I'd be sure something had to be a certain way but I wouldn't always know why. Most of the time, I was right but the why only revealed itself later. On some occasions I would run into dead ends and spend a considerable amount of time backtracking and fixing things. So I've been teaching myself plotter manners, at least some, just to save time and my poor nerves. I doubt I'll ever spreadsheet a story to perfection and only then dig in. I need room to move, some sense (or illusion?) of indefinite inspiration and that feeling I'm on the same journey as my characters. Great post. I used to be a total pantser. I would start with a scene, write another, basically listen to my characters and learn more about them as I kept writing, see where the scene that got it all started would lead us.

Really intuitive writing where I’d be sure something had to be a certain way but I wouldn’t always know why. Most of the time, I was right but the why only revealed itself later. On some occasions I would run into dead ends and spend a considerable amount of time backtracking and fixing things. So I’ve been teaching myself plotter manners, at least some, just to save time and my poor nerves.

I doubt I’ll ever spreadsheet a story to perfection and only then dig in. I need room to move, some sense (or illusion?) of indefinite inspiration and that feeling I’m on the same journey as my characters.

Great post.

]]> Comment on Plotter or Pantser? by N.J. Walters http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2237&cpage=1#comment-4334 N.J. Walters Wed, 09 May 2012 15:30:42 +0000 http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2237#comment-4334 I fall somewhere in the middle. I do character sketches on file cards. I might jot down a scene or two or have some idea of where I want to go. I start thinking about the opening scene. When I have that straight in my mind, I start writing. The characters take it from there. They often surprise me. :) I fall somewhere in the middle. I do character sketches on file cards. I might jot down a scene or two or have some idea of where I want to go. I start thinking about the opening scene. When I have that straight in my mind, I start writing. The characters take it from there. They often surprise me. :)

]]> Comment on Recommended Reads! by Denise A. Agnew http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2233&cpage=1#comment-4333 Denise A. Agnew Tue, 08 May 2012 03:57:58 +0000 http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2233#comment-4333 Hi Sharon! Your messages finally went through! Sorry about that. And I love all your books Sharon. Always have. Great to talk with you. Hope you're doing well! Hi Sharon! Your messages finally went through! Sorry about that. And I love all your books Sharon. Always have. Great to talk with you. Hope you’re doing well!

]]> Comment on Recommended Reads! by Sharon K. Garner http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2233&cpage=1#comment-4332 Sharon K. Garner Mon, 07 May 2012 22:04:23 +0000 http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2233#comment-4332 Real magic, huh? Thanks for that, I'll treasure it. What a lovely surprise to see my name on your blog. I'll happily reside on your keeper shelf! Rock On and Write On, Sharon Real magic, huh? Thanks for that, I’ll treasure it. What a lovely surprise to see my name on your blog. I’ll happily reside on your keeper shelf!

Rock On and Write On,
Sharon

]]> Comment on Recommended Reads! by Sharon K. Garner http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2233&cpage=1#comment-4331 Sharon K. Garner Mon, 07 May 2012 19:20:40 +0000 http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2233#comment-4331 What a lovely surprise, Denise, to see my name mentioned in your blog. I happy to be on your keeper shelf--and thanks for remembering me. Write on, Sharon What a lovely surprise, Denise, to see my name mentioned in your blog.

I happy to be on your keeper shelf–and thanks for remembering me.

Write on,
Sharon

]]> Comment on Print Edition! Before The Dawn by Denise A. Agnew http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2221&cpage=1#comment-4328 Denise A. Agnew Thu, 03 May 2012 15:29:22 +0000 http://deniseagnew.com/blog/?p=2221#comment-4328 Thanks so much ladies for the kudos and for stopping by. You rock! And thanks Selena for picking up a copy! Thanks so much ladies for the kudos and for stopping by. You rock! And thanks Selena for picking up a copy!

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