tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16743003.post1090357872291681766..comments2024-03-28T01:06:38.596-07:00Comments on Maya Reynolds: Bump It UpMaya Reynoldshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12791278987339976101noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16743003.post-51324889709705660302007-05-21T16:30:00.000-07:002007-05-21T16:30:00.000-07:00Laura: Of course, in the case of Jane who is writ...Laura: Of course, in the case of Jane who is writing comedy, she's working in broad strokes. However, conflict doesn't necessarily have to be a big thing. It's the ongoing tension that keeps things moving.<BR/><BR/>It took me a while to learn that if my characters were comfortable, my readers were asleep. That's why good critique partners are so valuable. Mine taught me to end chapters on action, not with everyone going to bed at the end of the day (encourages the reader to close the book and go to bed, too). <BR/><BR/>Donald Maass, the agent, does an exercise in his classes on writing where he has the students open their manuscripts to a random page and then asks if there is conflict on the page. He does the same thing over and over to point out to them that they want to keep the plot moving. <BR/><BR/>Keeping a plot moving does not have to happen at the expense of characterization. I agree; it often does, but it doesn't have to happen.<BR/><BR/>Regards,<BR/><BR/>MayaMaya Reynoldshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12791278987339976101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16743003.post-17577320137936839662007-05-21T15:27:00.000-07:002007-05-21T15:27:00.000-07:00I think this 'bump it up' advice may work for some...I think this 'bump it up' advice may work for some authors and readers and not for others. Same goes for 'have C*O*N*F*L*I*C*T on every page'. Readers' tastes vary, as do different authors' voices and what suits one person may not suit another.<BR/><BR/>As a reader I can get tired of conflict. And I worry that the conflict and bumping might get in the way of nuanced characterisation. It doesn't have to, but if an author didn't quite know how to handle it, she could be so busy bumping the plot and escalating conflict that the characters end up frantically rushing around and behaving in an over-the-top manner.Laura Vivancohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00906661869372622821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16743003.post-25026311680628991322007-05-21T07:20:00.000-07:002007-05-21T07:20:00.000-07:00Marie: I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Jane, who is ...Marie: I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Jane, who is as funny in person as she on the printed page.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for posting.Maya Reynoldshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12791278987339976101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16743003.post-75634533413810499152007-05-21T06:11:00.000-07:002007-05-21T06:11:00.000-07:00I love this blog today, Maya. Mainly because at m...I love this blog today, Maya. Mainly because at my RWA meeting on Saturday the speaker said the same thing about conflict. She's a YA author and talked about how she started writing romance. But that conflict was everything. And you have to get the conflict in early, and make worse and worse and worse yet.Marie Tuharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12507785078680105577noreply@blogger.com