tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post2457580457562248168..comments2024-03-11T05:57:49.436-04:00Comments on The Heroine Addicts: PerfectionSusanna Kearsleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12675951272027527098noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-83926896919313976472010-09-13T07:53:01.161-04:002010-09-13T07:53:01.161-04:00I'd love to see the different versions each pe...I'd love to see the different versions each person is picturing in their minds as they read your work. And the good thing about books is that we individually picture the perfect scenes/characters for those words in our own minds. So at the end, that fizzy wine is Champagne for the readers.Sarah Callejohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00170538674915115980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-21992850078045764942010-09-13T07:47:42.004-04:002010-09-13T07:47:42.004-04:00LOL, Cat/Kate, good point!LOL, Cat/Kate, good point!Julie Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15548233186449498920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-6080143638651421102010-09-13T07:47:20.390-04:002010-09-13T07:47:20.390-04:00Sofie, you are totally right—we all live for the m...Sofie, you are totally right—we all live for the moment that the story takes on a life of its own through writing it, don't we?Julie Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15548233186449498920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-34973986773990092102010-09-13T07:46:34.070-04:002010-09-13T07:46:34.070-04:00Donna, the point about discovery is such a good on...Donna, the point about discovery is such a good one. Though sometimes I feel like I'm writing a whole discovery book...<br /><br />I won't be in NY next year, I don't think, as it clashes with the RNA conference and my usual summer visit to the US. Can't fly to New York, then back to England, then back to Boston in one month! Well, I could, but it would be a bit excessive.Julie Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15548233186449498920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-80965950254814182752010-09-13T05:41:54.205-04:002010-09-13T05:41:54.205-04:00Ah yes, the fizz. Sometimes I sit down and think, ...Ah yes, the fizz. Sometimes I sit down and think, "This isn't the book I'd planned on writing." But sometimes I mind and sometimes I don't. I suppose that's down to how fizzy it is.Kate Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01502745299951529417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-81820154567641225152010-09-09T19:37:38.942-04:002010-09-09T19:37:38.942-04:00Thanks for posting this Julie. It's encouragin...Thanks for posting this Julie. It's encouraging to know that I'm not the only one this happens to. So often, for me, the fizz becomes a little flat when it's all measured out in complete sentences. <br /><br />But there's also that other thing that can happen - where things fall into place so well that unexpected ties get drawn and threads get carried through the writing, and magically something really special happens that makes the story richer.Sofiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14951872479480373202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-24172865310616703962010-09-09T16:40:12.861-04:002010-09-09T16:40:12.861-04:00Actually Julie, the article in the latest RWR abou...Actually Julie, the article in the latest RWR about discovery made me feel a lot better. A lot of what I've written is what *I* needed to know. The reader doesn't. And what bits of it the reader does, will be filtered in. This way everything moves forward...<br /><br />Anyway you are my guru so big hugs! Are we going to be able to catch up in NY next year?Donna Alwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18107885864783850332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-76355639134078215462010-09-09T16:15:42.434-04:002010-09-09T16:15:42.434-04:00Fabulous! Exactly what I needed to hear *wanders o...Fabulous! Exactly what I needed to hear *wanders off to harness the power of the fizz*Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09749337741234916835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-17005842680939188392010-09-09T15:00:54.246-04:002010-09-09T15:00:54.246-04:00*looks innocently away from Anna*
ggg*looks innocently away from Anna*<br /><br />gggJulie Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15548233186449498920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-23880276208685669502010-09-09T15:00:33.076-04:002010-09-09T15:00:33.076-04:00I love that quote too, Elizabeth, wherever it come...I love that quote too, Elizabeth, wherever it comes from. To me, it's a really useful way of thinking. Thank you!Julie Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15548233186449498920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-18838825286461682502010-09-09T14:59:39.302-04:002010-09-09T14:59:39.302-04:00...And Christina knows. Yup. That's it. Whe......And Christina knows. Yup. That's it. When it makes you wanna puke.Julie Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15548233186449498920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-7920677103685208692010-09-09T14:58:49.698-04:002010-09-09T14:58:49.698-04:00Amen, Seabrooke. It's good to hear that artis...Amen, Seabrooke. It's good to hear that artists feel the same way as writers (or that is, people feel the same way when they're being artists as they do when they're being writers). I used to draw a lot, and I could never, ever make anything come out the way it looked in my head. Other people might have liked it, but I rarely did, because I felt as if I'd failed my vision. It bothers me less with writing, probably because I feel more confident about writing. <br /><br />The problem, of course, is when to know when it's "good enough".Julie Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15548233186449498920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-82494737432464775952010-09-09T14:56:08.322-04:002010-09-09T14:56:08.322-04:00(PS good luck with your most complicated book ever...(PS good luck with your most complicated book ever. I know they'll think it's great.)Julie Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15548233186449498920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-35427210227762120842010-09-09T14:55:26.031-04:002010-09-09T14:55:26.031-04:00Kimberly...I *am* deep! "As sand through the...Kimberly...I *am* deep! "As sand through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives, dude."Julie Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15548233186449498920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-55492083657701936772010-09-09T14:54:25.799-04:002010-09-09T14:54:25.799-04:00Donna, being scared shitless is a good thing. Or ...Donna, being scared shitless is a good thing. Or so they keep telling me.<br /><br />I'm sorry you're beginning your project for the third time. I hope this is the right beginning this time! But one thing I've had to learn about writing longer books (as opposed to category) is that I have a lot less control. My brain isn't big enough to hold it all in, or even to make it all up, not in the first draft anyway. So my first drafts are really pretty rough and sketchy in places, and often need lots of revision just to make them make sense—let alone anywhere near as good as I wanted them to be.<br /><br />I don't know if that's relevant to you, but I've been thinking about it a lot this week since I'm working on revisions and basically rewriting the first quarter of my novel for the third time. :-)Julie Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15548233186449498920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-77759176169852686022010-09-09T14:47:20.357-04:002010-09-09T14:47:20.357-04:00Julie, I have no idea what you're talking abou...Julie, I have no idea what you're talking about *looks innocent*<br /><br />But, wow, what a great post, and what fantastic comments!<br /><br />I particularly like, "it is impossible to harness the fizz, but not to harness its power." Brilliant, Elizabeth!Anna Louise Luciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13069551559749215187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-51912318507901434432010-09-09T10:29:01.506-04:002010-09-09T10:29:01.506-04:00Great post, and absolutely true.
There's a qu...Great post, and absolutely true.<br /><br />There's a quote I've always liked, but could never figure out who to attribute it to (probably it was a marketing slogan for my power company years ago): "It is impossible to harness the wind, but not to harness its power."<br /><br />Substitute wind with fizz and there you go.Lizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06376697563995394878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-16818867073443868752010-09-09T10:04:42.850-04:002010-09-09T10:04:42.850-04:00I think you're so right, Julie, and we can onl...I think you're so right, Julie, and we can only hope to capture the essence of that first fizz of an idea. It might not work the first time, but thank goodness for revision! I can go through a manuscript umpteen times (usually after leaving it for a while so I can see it with fresh eyes), but when I get to the stage where I'm sick of the sight of it, that's when I let it go. If it's not good enough by then, it never will be.Christina Courtenayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03647397808446248913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-15579437277704484322010-09-09T09:37:23.835-04:002010-09-09T09:37:23.835-04:00Before I ever tried my hand at writing fiction (hi...Before I ever tried my hand at writing fiction (high school creative writing class doesn't count) I considered myself more of an artist. That imperfection of transferring idea to paper was incredibly frustrating - even more than writing, I've found, creating a visual piece that looks just like what you saw in your head is nearly impossible. Very early on I came to terms with the notion that perfection was impossible and I had to be happy with "good enough", because otherwise you'd never be happy with anything. At some point you have to call it done and move on, and since, as you pointed out, the person on the other end can never know what you saw in your head, and most of them are incapable of producing such a piece of work themselves anyway, they'll think it's done fabulously and won't see the flaws you see. The mindset has very easily transferred to creative writing; I give my work a couple of passes of edits/revisions, fix the most glaring deficiencies, but then call it done, send it out to my beta/wherever, and move on to the next project.Seabrookehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09400079400485962650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-7532488459217248772010-09-09T09:06:18.852-04:002010-09-09T09:06:18.852-04:00Whoa. Deep. But good to hear while I await judgm...Whoa. Deep. But good to hear while I await judgment on my most complicated heroine and plot ever. The fizz I need right now is Alka-Seltzer...Kimberly Langhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11715051114395194301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-35610246151598954992010-09-09T06:40:12.867-04:002010-09-09T06:40:12.867-04:00Julie I keep saying it but your posts always seem ...Julie I keep saying it but your posts always seem to hit me at the right time. I'm starting a new project for the THIRD time, because the fizz in my head just isn't translating through my fingers. And I'm feeling a lot of pressure to get this "perfect".<br /><br />So I'm kind of enjoying the fizzy champagne with a wild look in my eye that says I'm scared shitless, lol!<br /><br />And in a bit of haha, my verification word is "mucking". As in mucking about, or mucking it up maybe? LOLDonna Alwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18107885864783850332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-57181518028982989072010-09-09T04:02:13.462-04:002010-09-09T04:02:13.462-04:00Oh, I like that analogy, Liz: sometimes you don...Oh, I like that analogy, Liz: sometimes you don't get Champagne, sometimes you only get fizzy wine. <br /><br />And sometimes you only get fizzy water, and sometimes you just get a drip, drip, drip of tepid water you don't even want to use for your bath.<br /><br />But you never know until you write it down.Julie Cohenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15548233186449498920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3762860554634548712.post-9874718603718381662010-09-09T03:46:26.100-04:002010-09-09T03:46:26.100-04:00Oh, yes. The fizz, the joy and then the hard work...Oh, yes. The fizz, the joy and then the hard work. It's never quite what I envisaged. Sometimes it's a very long way from what I thought I would write. The fizz is the inspiration that takes me to the computer. I don't always get Champagne. Sometimes I just get jolly fizzy wine. But unless you apply your butt to the chair and write you'll never know.Liz Fieldinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10464889663853976327noreply@blogger.com