Saturday, September 08, 2012

Writer Myths: Three Little Foxes

Hi, folks, I hope you are moving forward with your projects. I'm going to tackle three more writing myths this week. Last week, I wrote about the big fish myths in writing.  This week I'm going to hit what I call the the three little foxes.  The reference comes from the Song of Solomon: Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards.... I think these little myths may hinder writers. Anyway, I hope you find this helpful. Take what you need and toss the rest.

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:

Laurie Thompson said...

Great post, Molly! I have especially had to learn and relearn #3--the hard way. ;)

Vijaya said...

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.

Molly/Cece said...

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. :)

Unknown said...

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.

Molly/Cece said...

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.

Vijaya said...

Oh, I do remember that story, Molly. You should resub it ... ummm, I've had acceptances after a resub (editors change, different day, etc.)