Myth 1: There is best age for protagonists of children's stories. Many say 12 for middle grade and 16 for YA. Whatever. This little myth gets pushed around some. I STRONGLY believe that you should not let "what is selling,", "how things are shelved", or "what expert say" choose the age of your characters. You should choose the age of your characters based on what provides the most authenticity to your story.
Myth 2: Pansters vs. Outliners. Yes, there are lots of folks on both sides of this argument. The myth is: there is a WAY to write a book. There isn't one. Follow your soul's muse, mind's genius, your philosophical demon, and your deepest heart. I have a big recommendation on this though. If you are a panster -- learn how outliners work. And the same goes for outliners. Hint: You may have more in common than you thought.
Myth 3: Edit Ruthlessly. Don't get me wrong. You are going to edit and edit your books. It will be work. I do think if you are ruthless, you will wash out some of the voice. Sometimes a little rambling might serve the purpose of revealing something about your character. So I say edit delicately. Shape and reshape. Form, and reform. Be bold. Be inventive. If you are a ruthless sort of person, I guess you might edit ruthlessly, otherwise edit with virtuosity and elegance.
I hope you write something wonderful this week. I hope you find your way. I'll be back with some more myth's next week.
This week's doodle is called: "Longhorn."
And finally to close it all off. I add a quote for the week:
If my world were to cave in tomorrow, I would look back on all the pleasures, excitements and worthwhilenesses I have been lucky enough to have had. Not the sadness, not my miscarriages or my father leaving home, but the joy of everything else. It will have been enough. Audrey Hepburn
6 comments:
Great post, Molly! I have especially had to learn and relearn #3--the hard way. ;)
I just love foxes ... and the title of this post. One word not only stuck like Velcro to me, but is burrowing deep into my heart: virtuosity.
Hi, Laurie! I know -- the long hard way.
Hi, Vijaya, do you remember my retelling of fox and crow? I have an affinty for foxes. I am also enamored with virtuosity. :)
Happy Sunday post day! I wake up most Sunday mornings with the though, "Oh! It's Molly's post day!" I enjoyed your post today. For me #3 makes me crazy. I believe sometimes when I'm editing, I find that I can edit out much needed information. I can be rather chatty in my writing, but don't you think sometimes chatty works? Especially if the character him/herself is chatty.
Hi Candi,
Glad you enjoy the blog. I think you are awesome. Yes, I do think you leave touches of chattiness if that suits your purpose.
Oh, I do remember that story, Molly. You should resub it ... ummm, I've had acceptances after a resub (editors change, different day, etc.)
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