tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post111812316373445277..comments2023-09-23T04:56:51.617-07:00Comments on Forensics & Faith: Cliffhangers~ Brandilyn Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04771812607327238979noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1118285571833921342005-06-08T19:52:00.000-07:002005-06-08T19:52:00.000-07:00You said someone asked, "This seems like a new way...You said someone asked, "This seems like a new way of creating suspense, or maybe a twist. Do you have a catalogue of techniques you use? Is this conscious or do you do it instinctively?"<BR/><BR/>This is where I think it's neat how we're wired as writers. Frustrating, but neat. Some techniques we use instinctively. It's just learning to capture those glimmers of brilliance (!) on purpose. Thanks for sharing how you do this! :)<BR/><BR/>I got my best friend hooked on the Hidden Faces series. She's looking forward to Web of Lies coming out, too! ~Lynette Sowellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14744849531318234556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1118194818642582302005-06-07T18:40:00.000-07:002005-06-07T18:40:00.000-07:00OK, I thought of another question--well, maybe two...OK, I thought of another question--well, maybe two. <BR/><BR/>Jason's comment spurred the first one. You said in the NES (has changed to stand for Now Ended Story) that you didn't have the advantage of the internet community of writers when you started, and I get the impression that you would have done some things differently. If you were just starting out, what would you change? And what do you think has been the most helpful thing or things in learning your craft?<BR/><BR/>OK, that was already two, but the first one morphed, so now I have a third. In marketing your books, what do you think has been the most important aspect? If you could pick, oh, I don't know, say three things and only three to do to market a book, what would they be and why?Rebecca LuElla Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06823550402103559922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1118180554383491602005-06-07T14:42:00.000-07:002005-06-07T14:42:00.000-07:00Brandilyn,I've spent about a month at work (shh, d...Brandilyn,<BR/>I've spent about a month at work (shh, don't tell) catching up with your blog and NES. Well, since the NES is over, I thought I'd login and thank you for sharing all of that. I feel like I have been called to work on my writing recently, and when I look around it is easy to get discouraged. However, your story shows two things: it WILL take time, and I need to have a long term view of it, and most importantly, God is in control and will do things in His time. <BR/><BR/>Enjoy your summer in CdA! I am in southeast Idaho, where the desert winds blow, but it still is beautiful. :D<BR/>Jason JoynerJasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18363518142334125056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1118175351915085312005-06-07T13:15:00.000-07:002005-06-07T13:15:00.000-07:00Great cliffhanger tips! I'm loving the hilarious s...Great cliffhanger tips! I'm loving the hilarious scene of all the BGs on the edge of their seats watching a fax machine spit out paper. I'm the one in the back on my tiptoes leaning over to see if I can read the fax before you tell us what it says.<BR/><BR/>A rookie would miss that opportunity to turn a boring scene (not much action) into a nail-biter. I'm so glad you're such a great teacher.<BR/><BR/>I also figured out that you couldn't be posting in the morning and I'm a central timer.<BR/><BR/>Thanks!Dominohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05698502437170233088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1118173868851452692005-06-07T12:51:00.000-07:002005-06-07T12:51:00.000-07:00The piece on cliffhangers was awesome. I never th...The piece on cliffhangers was awesome. I never thought of the clipped sentences/phrases as heart beats, but they sure do have that effect. <BR/><BR/>At the Colorado Christian Writers Conference in May (where I met Mr. Randy Ingermanson), an editor mentioned that he will toss any manuscripts with italics, underlined words, bold print, or even exclamation marks. His point was if you had to use a visual cue that stong emotion was being emmitted from a character's mouth, then your words are weak.<BR/><BR/>In some ways I understand, but in high action scenes, wouldn't someone be screaming, "PLEASE don't kill me!!" rather than, "Please don't kill me."<BR/><BR/>I know that's a lame example, but when writing fight scenes, or scence with some violence or even explosive dialogue, how do you avoid using !!'s, capitals or italics?D. Gudgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00258476859577815477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1118165251356984492005-06-07T10:27:00.000-07:002005-06-07T10:27:00.000-07:00Great info today Brandilyn!A suggestion for a topi...Great info today Brandilyn!<BR/><BR/>A suggestion for a topic you might enlighten us on; I'm curious about the tight publishing deadlines you find yourself in. Does a time crunch hinder creativity and quality? Or do writing skills speed up to make the deadline?Grady Hougerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02949228146723822079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1118164408583289192005-06-07T10:13:00.000-07:002005-06-07T10:13:00.000-07:00Yep, I've read them the night before a couple of t...Yep, I've read them the night before a couple of times . . . MST. <BR/><BR/>I'd like to know when you do your writing and do you do it in one chunk of time or go back to it several times a day. <BR/><BR/>Does blogging enhance your writing?<BR/><BR/>Looking forward to hearing from Chelsea . . . (it's so hard to wait, I wish I didn't know she was in the new book--talk about a cliffhanger!)<BR/><BR/>CQAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1118164011397380712005-06-07T10:06:00.000-07:002005-06-07T10:06:00.000-07:00I confess to knowing that you posted the night bef...I confess to knowing that you posted the night before, but I always wait--partly because looking forward to something makes it that much more satisfying (Aside: which is why I think publishers need to think about allowing for more time between books. Think Harry Potter) and partly because reading the Brandilyn Blog is a good way to start the day (motivating, informative, entertaining. It gets me thinking about writing).<BR/><BR/>I love this info on creating cliffhangers. Your point about "characters" makes total sense--you being the "protagonist" was the key reason to care what that one word was. And the idea of slowing down. I've read that action scenes should be played out near to real time. You added in specific techniques to do that. Thank you.<BR/><BR/>As to other topics. Since Mt. Hermon wasn't your first teaching experience, I'd be interested in how you came to speak and teach that very first time. What conference, what position? Was it something you sought out or were you approached a la Randy?<BR/><BR/>Seems like there was an agent question in there, too. Do you think having an agent is necessary, especially if a pre-published author does the work to meet with editors and is offered an unagented contract?Rebecca LuElla Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06823550402103559922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1118158690235251572005-06-07T08:38:00.000-07:002005-06-07T08:38:00.000-07:00Okay, I confess! I've been reading the posts the n...Okay, I confess! I've been reading the posts the night before (though I didn't last night...forgot).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1118156551416564092005-06-07T08:02:00.000-07:002005-06-07T08:02:00.000-07:00We're all hooked. Every day, for the rest of our ...We're all hooked. Every day, for the rest of our lives, we BG's will come looking for words of wisdom, how to, encouragement. I copied today's post and put it in my "best writing tips" notebook. I hope that's okay.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1118152189813276012005-06-07T06:49:00.000-07:002005-06-07T06:49:00.000-07:00I'm one of those EST folks who's glad you post at ...I'm one of those EST folks who's glad you post at night so I don't have to wait til lunch to read your post!<BR/><BR/>Regarding topics for future blog entries, I was hoping at some point you could discuss writing action/fight scenes. I know you covered some of this in your how-to book, but I'm always looking for ways to improve my action sequences.C.J. Darlingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16541599888177703695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1118147615143072132005-06-07T05:33:00.000-07:002005-06-07T05:33:00.000-07:00Wow, Brandilyn. I haven't come across anything tha...Wow, Brandilyn. I haven't come across anything that's clearly described how to create a cliffhanger like that. I'm definitely going to have to try those techniques out in my own writing...Valhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12984698615501794539noreply@blogger.com