tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post1833956395130587131..comments2023-10-31T10:59:03.023-04:00Comments on INKSPOT Crime Fiction Blog | A Place for Mystery, Mayhem, Writing and Life: The Long and the Short of ItLinda O. Johnstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01512430135042480450noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-43849619671734648002010-03-31T01:21:30.728-04:002010-03-31T01:21:30.728-04:00Elizabeth- For me, it's anytime the story dive...Elizabeth- For me, it's anytime the story dives into a deeply emotional valley. I can sometimes spend days on a single scene, trying to find the etrue motional connection between the character and the plot.Darrell Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08394984700734588887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-42129151698880409882010-03-30T19:54:47.886-04:002010-03-30T19:54:47.886-04:00M Pax--I like to change my mind, too. :) That'...M Pax--I like to change my mind, too. :) That's what's nice about making it up as we go along!<br /><br />Alan--Yeah, I'm not sure what it is, either! I hear a lot about about it, though...Elizabeth Spann Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15625595247828274405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-12774428433734556012010-03-30T18:03:11.057-04:002010-03-30T18:03:11.057-04:00What's "research"?What's "research"?Alan Orloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03695574442723430347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-91523950058461108702010-03-30T17:47:43.212-04:002010-03-30T17:47:43.212-04:00The first draft is hard for me and takes longest. ...The first draft is hard for me and takes longest. I'm a perfectionist. I'm getting over it. I change my mind a lot. I've learned to make notes and move on.<br /><br />I can usually do the revisions / editing in much less time.<br /><br />I love making the characters and developing the ideas. It is the most fun. <br /><br />I've developed a more organized system for tracking story threads, but it's flexible [so I can change my mind].M Paxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14096697282530998519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-52341717088105038832010-03-30T17:07:00.792-04:002010-03-30T17:07:00.792-04:00Tamika--That internal editor is rough, isn't s...Tamika--That internal editor is rough, isn't she? <br /><br />I'm going to take the comments off, I think...too many problems for my fellow Blogger friends! <br /><br />ElizabethElizabeth Spann Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15625595247828274405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-87376403415170623192010-03-30T16:36:14.157-04:002010-03-30T16:36:14.157-04:00Hi Elizabeth! I'm commenting here because it w...Hi Elizabeth! I'm commenting here because it wouldn't let me at your home site. My Blogger doesn't isn't jiving.<br /><br />For the hardest is making it through the first draft, silencing my interal editor enough to write down the bones.<br /><br />I love coming up with ideas the most!Tamika:https://www.blogger.com/profile/04874834971492028558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-87493702939869510982010-03-30T13:38:13.104-04:002010-03-30T13:38:13.104-04:00Jan--Rebellious characters are the worst! And they...Jan--Rebellious characters are the worst! And they're the best, too, but only after the first draft is over! External conflicts is tough (except in a murder mystery, where it's easier!)<br /><br />Lisa--Well, you're right--we may GET a lot of ideas, but getting the RIGHT idea is something completely different!<br /><br />Jess--Those first 50 pages are really an experiment, aren't they? I always feel like I could just junk the whole thing at any point during the beginning of the book!<br /><br />Sue Ann--I'm right with you on that! Those characters take forever to tweak....actually, do we ever stop tweaking? Because then we're still developing the main ones for each book in the series.<br /><br />G.M.--The characters do take a ton of time, don't they? <br /><br />Beth--Good point! Making sure the book is exciting and full of conflict is really time consuming.<br /><br />Mary--Thanks!<br /><br />Keith--That is a pain, isn't it? I try to work on another project in the downtime. I'm an impatient person, so it's not easy for me!Elizabeth Spann Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15625595247828274405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-3945119730042843392010-03-30T12:07:32.559-04:002010-03-30T12:07:32.559-04:00What takes me the longest is waiting for comments!...What takes me the longest is waiting for comments! I wait for three weeks for a reader/editor and then revise three days. And on to the next one. I guess I should be working on two books at once to do away with the downtime.Keith Raffelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926077627965529183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-48244570728018375982010-03-30T12:04:57.111-04:002010-03-30T12:04:57.111-04:00Great post, gets me thinking.Great post, gets me thinking.Maryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03382042196707706507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-69892430639279840782010-03-30T11:40:47.997-04:002010-03-30T11:40:47.997-04:00The task that takes me the longest is writing the ...The task that takes me the longest is writing the first draft, from start to finish. What I find the most difficult, brainpower-wise, is plotting the mystery before I start writing, trying to hold up that sagging middle and stuff enough emotion and conflict into every scene to hold the reader's interest.Beth Groundwaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13999372882748655834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-86326908438848668572010-03-30T11:21:56.963-04:002010-03-30T11:21:56.963-04:00With Sue Ann here. I have a zillion ideas. The pro...With Sue Ann here. I have a zillion ideas. The problem is choosing one. Then getting the characters just so...G.M. Malliethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13805971625496094303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-27166820561914554012010-03-30T10:46:16.977-04:002010-03-30T10:46:16.977-04:00The easiest thing for me is coming up with the ori...The easiest thing for me is coming up with the original idea - I got a million of them! The most time consuming is character development. I'm obsessive about making my characters as real as possible, in feelings, background and action. I like to crawl inside each one's head and see things through their eyes before I write about them.<br /><br />Jess - you're spot on about the first 50 pages, but for me it takes the first 100 before I can hitch a ride.Sue Ann Jaffarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09984054116933714621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-35676873655248883182010-03-30T09:20:17.401-04:002010-03-30T09:20:17.401-04:00I love when the idea emerges and outlining the str...I love when the idea emerges and outlining the structure of the book. What takes the longest for me, however, no matter the book, is the first 50 pages. It's a head game. Once I hammer out those painful first 50 pages, I get to stop pulling the car up the hill and am allowed to ride in it instead.Jessica Loureyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11157662092822156124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-33718400748700221692010-03-30T07:05:50.730-04:002010-03-30T07:05:50.730-04:00Coming up with the idea is the hardest for me. I h...Coming up with the idea is the hardest for me. I have to really love it. I wait for it to come to me, instead of stressing about it.Lisa Borkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09174197592575631864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-34879459970209679592010-03-30T06:43:24.084-04:002010-03-30T06:43:24.084-04:00My biggest challenge is setting up the external co...My biggest challenge is setting up the external conflicts and the overall structure of the piece. I work with lots of ways to push me through this but it is still a problem. My easiest is coming up with ideas - damn they are driving me mad! Also, developing characters is pretty good for me. Listening to them is good too but they boss me around so and mess with the structure!Jan Morrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01771180344305042855noreply@blogger.com