tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post4880013558506215581..comments2024-03-19T08:18:28.694-06:00Comments on The Dashner Dude: Q&A: Get out of StucklandJames Dashnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09858761509340907465noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-84697184116663693362008-05-19T08:22:00.000-06:002008-05-19T08:22:00.000-06:00Hey, I appreciate everyone's comments and advice. ...Hey, I appreciate everyone's comments and advice. You guys are awesome.James Dashnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09858761509340907465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-25815509548913982852008-05-18T07:14:00.000-06:002008-05-18T07:14:00.000-06:00James,Hope you had a great time in San Antonio. I ...James,<BR/><BR/>Hope you had a great time in San Antonio. I wanted to try to make your book signing, but it just turned into one of those days, and I couldn't go. Sorry. Hope it went well. You had great weather while you were here, I think and hope you got to see some stuff.Marcia Mickelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04571348788192273191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-13606787698845280922008-05-17T20:12:00.000-06:002008-05-17T20:12:00.000-06:00er, I decided to post something thats a sample of ...er, I decided to post something thats a sample of writing. could someone criticize it, and tell me what i could do to improve?<BR/><BR/>(its on my blog, i didn't want to waste space)J.N. Future Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11272091026545783041noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-7280542292283552802008-05-17T17:20:00.000-06:002008-05-17T17:20:00.000-06:00the picture of the cat is awesome;)I just wonder h...the picture of the cat is awesome;)<BR/>I just wonder how you tell us to get out of that!<BR/>Aaron B.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-31115464927008996722008-05-16T00:39:00.000-06:002008-05-16T00:39:00.000-06:00Great blog! But my favorite part is that picture o...Great blog! But my favorite part is that picture of the cat! Making that my desktop pic.Crystal Liechtyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13346646529401267901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-8627594262515579812008-05-15T21:50:00.000-06:002008-05-15T21:50:00.000-06:00Sara,Great comments. I'm really good at staring in...Sara,<BR/><BR/>Great comments. I'm really good at staring into space. I look like my brain has checked out, but really I'm in the middle of some really deep and creative thinking. My kids will say, what are you staring at, and I'll reply, nothing, just thinking.Melindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13626019594744434870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-72578799918641188012008-05-15T18:01:00.000-06:002008-05-15T18:01:00.000-06:00Keep the advice coming everybody. Sara, thank you ...Keep the advice coming everybody. Sara, thank you for saying that you get inspiration from movies and CD's. I don't feel guilty for it now, even though I realized a long time ago that it wasn't copying.Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00343977076898153093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-5284720977363351612008-05-15T17:23:00.000-06:002008-05-15T17:23:00.000-06:00Oh, and I second Tamra. Driving (or riding in a pl...Oh, and I second Tamra. Driving (or riding in a plane/train/automobile/city bus) is one of the best things ever for breakthroughs. Your creativity is kind of like a muscle, and like a muscle it can get overworked and seize up, and if you've ever trained for anything athletic you've heard the term "active rest." For me, active rest for my creativity is staring into space and staring into space while moving seems best. Walking is good, too. The brain seems to unclench.<BR/><BR/>Other kinds of active rest that work for me are seeing movies, listening to a CD I love, reading a book. One of my favorite quotes, allegedly from Flannery O'Connor, is "the only adequate response to a work of art is another work of art," and if you see a great movie or read a great book or look at a beautiful piece of art in a museum, pretty soon you'll be itching to work with your own ideas. (OTOH, reading a bad book can be motivating, too. You start thinking, "If this crap can get published, so can I! Woohoo!")<BR/><BR/>But...also like a muscle, if you don't put it back to work soon (doing the ACTUAL WRITING, not the thinking about writing), it will atrophy and turn to flab and pretty soon you won't fit into your jeans any more. <BR/><BR/>Speaking of overuse, I think I've exhausted this metaphor.Sara Z.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11759783678042291757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-43456088814673845132008-05-15T13:41:00.000-06:002008-05-15T13:41:00.000-06:00James, your advice is lucid and, believe it or not...James, your advice is lucid and, believe it or not, constructive. I can't imagine where it came from. Can't wait to hear your agent news.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, Anna, pay particular attention to two things James said: <BR/><BR/>"...if I get stuck, I just write a different scene or start writing dreck until the muse flows again."<BR/><BR/>Writing has been proven to be a form of thought-interaction. It's a metacognitive tool, something that helps stimulate thought and lets you understand how and why you think as you do. So write more, think better and more clearly. Also:<BR/><BR/>"I WILL NOT ALLOW MYSELF TO EDIT while I write the first draft. Not at all. I go from beginning to end without stopping, without looking back. This has helped me so much. Creativity and storytelling is all that matters that first go around. Fix all the jive later." <BR/><BR/>Nothing is ever wrong in storytelling. Everything and anything can be changed and improved. By keeping that in mind, you can write a whole draft without feeling bad about some problems or weaknesses. In fact, the only thing that can ruin your ability to write stories is not writing. (See Ms. Zarr's comment)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-58631225506710424062008-05-15T11:05:00.000-06:002008-05-15T11:05:00.000-06:00Loved this post. I'm ready to get going on finishi...Loved this post. I'm ready to get going on finishing up my 5th novel and I really think I've improved a ton with each book.<BR/>By the way, to have that many ideas, you're probably psychotic. But that means most of us are right?Rachelle Christensenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05522589944408062365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-88010571211844284992008-05-15T11:02:00.000-06:002008-05-15T11:02:00.000-06:00thanks for the advice everyone! every little bit h...thanks for the advice everyone! every little bit helps. keep it coming. =DAnnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00343977076898153093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-47420150200545259012008-05-15T10:52:00.000-06:002008-05-15T10:52:00.000-06:00Along the lines of getting unstuck (LOVED the pict...Along the lines of getting unstuck (LOVED the picture of the cat, BTW), Kirby Larson, Newberry Honor winner of Hattie Big Sky spoke at a recent conference at UVSC. She gave a great quote, that no writing is ever wasted. <BR/><BR/>Sometimes I get stuck when I think I'm writing something that I won't use or is boring drivel, but sometimes we have to write through the bad to find the good. -That is what Kirby said.<BR/>-and she is much more credible than I am. :-)Melindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13626019594744434870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-61423488945050416952008-05-15T10:25:00.000-06:002008-05-15T10:25:00.000-06:00As for having a plethora of ideas, please write th...As for having a plethora of ideas, please <I>write them down</I>. I can't tell you how many great ideas I've had and lost because I didn't write them down, because, well, I didn't write them down. But it's a lot.<BR/><BR/>Can't decide between ideas? Write them down. I can just about guarantee that one of them will strike your fancy as especially interesting and/or itching to be written, and off you go.<BR/><BR/>The important thing, as Mr. Dashner said (can I call him James?), is to just write. Write often. And don't worry about editing, at least not until you have the "skeleton" of the novel done.<BR/><BR/>My current problem, it seems, is getting back on that horse and going through with the editing that I know my novel sorely needs. I've finished my second draft, and I know it needs at least a third before I can even think about sending to publishers (gasp!). But somehow I'm doing something else when my brief windows of writing time come up. I guess I don't really need advice on what to do for that, just encouragement. :)Worldbuilder Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12140787971134518302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-27538116156870734402008-05-15T08:19:00.000-06:002008-05-15T08:19:00.000-06:00I love what you have to say here, especially:-fini...I love what you have to say here, especially:<BR/><BR/>-finish no matter how bad or boring<BR/> and <BR/>-don't worry about editing on first drafts<BR/><BR/>These two things hold me up a lot so I'm going to be saying them to myself over and over again!Sueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926501219758538615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-81642974848699220262008-05-14T23:27:00.000-06:002008-05-14T23:27:00.000-06:00My favorite places to think through storylines and...My favorite places to think through storylines and get "unstuck"<BR/><BR/>*The bathtub<BR/>*Driving (radio off, no kids)<BR/>*Laying/Lying in bed (I never remember the rule here, but it's a great place to work out ideas.)<BR/><BR/>Have fun in San Antonio!Tamra Nortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07101691943374446121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-36890386732030082592008-05-14T21:36:00.000-06:002008-05-14T21:36:00.000-06:00hello James, thank you for answering my question!!...hello James, thank you for answering my question!!!! <BR/><BR/>it helps that you stressed again that I need to finish ONE NOVEL, even if it is the worst thing ever written. Which, it probably will be at least one of the worst for a very long time. <BR/><BR/>I have lots of ideas.....and it is very hard to find the right one. But I think that you're right....if I finish one draft of one idea thing, I'll be able to work from that so much easier! Thanks.Annahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00343977076898153093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-55107671062294424172008-05-14T21:03:00.000-06:002008-05-14T21:03:00.000-06:00JN, pick and go, dude, pick and go.Folks, that is ...JN, pick and go, dude, pick and go.<BR/><BR/>Folks, that is SARA ZARR, 2007 National Book Award finalist for STORY OF A GIRL. Yeah, she's my friend.James Dashnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09858761509340907465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-40286465934147817582008-05-14T17:33:00.000-06:002008-05-14T17:33:00.000-06:00...and if none of Dashner's methods work, try the ......and if none of Dashner's methods work, try the opposite.<BR/><BR/>Really, so much of this is experimenting and finding what works for you. But yeah, to be a writer, write. That's the main thing. Think less, write more, and a lot of problems will magically solve themselves in the process.<BR/><BR/>(TM Sara: Giving unsolicited advice since 1985. You're welcome.)Sara Z.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11759783678042291757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8648274871264107501.post-9208039642664876642008-05-14T17:06:00.000-06:002008-05-14T17:06:00.000-06:00hmmm, that clears things up a bit.but i still cant...hmmm, that clears things up a bit.<BR/><BR/>but i still cant figure out WHAT idea to go with...i have so many. but when you think to hard about them, you see holes in your story.<BR/><BR/>frustratingJ.N. Future Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11272091026545783041noreply@blogger.com