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Tuesday, June 13, 2006
3 Women, 23 Novels
When 3 women authors get together for an afternoon panel discussion, you know an aspiring author is bound to get some good advice, and maybe a little inspiration too, and that's exactly what happened on Sunday June 11,2006. The Masters of the Craft event hosted by San Diego Writers Ink featured three San Diego authors offering advice on writing, on writing well and on publishing.
The authors included Drusilla Campbell, Sara Lewis and Abigail Padgett. Each author read about 10 minutes of their published works before the discussion turned into "lively dialogue, passionate opinions" as promised.
The first question, "What makes good writing?" elicited sage advice for the audience of writers.
Campbell said that good writing "lifts you into a story and takes you into the world of the author," and that a good story keeps you reading. While good characters need to have some interesting traits, they should seem real, that the reader needs to be able to see "behind the blue hair, behind the irritating twitch."
Padgett, a mystery writer, added to the discussion of character, saying that setting as a character is actually a good tool for mystery writers. In her books, the desert, which she loves, plays the role of a character but a character can be "a car, a pet, or a kitchen drawer." Padgett admitted that mysteries are somewhat formulaic, but defining a character in these terms can be a good way for your mystery to stand out.
The next question was "How do you start, how do you finish and what about the middle?"
Lewis said she starts with her character, with a quirk, then journals that character, rambling around for a while before a voice comes through. "It sounds kind of mystical, and it is," she said, adding that her approach is more organic as she lets her characters tell the story.
Padgett said mysteries are more structured, and you know you're at the end when the crime is solved.
For Campbell, she starts with a "cosmic, big idea" then searches for a character and that "the answer about how to end it will come."
When asked how you get the complete story that comes so fast and so full of detail from your head to your pen before you lose it, Lewis said she "quick writes through the first draft then goes back for draft one, draft two, three, four," and admitted she will go through dozens of drafts before she gets to the end.
Padgett has a different approach, more methodical, "I delve deeply from the get-go," she said.
Campbell advised, "Don't worry about it, just keep going. The scene will stay in your head and just get richer."
I look forward to more presentations from the San Diego Writers, and admit, I hope one day to be on the other side of the table. I left feeling like it was possible.
From Lewis, "The best writing comes from your heart and your soul. That will take you where you want to go."
From Padgett,"If you're writing, you're a writer and you have something to say."
From Campbell, "I don't like being a novelist... I just can't NOT do it."
From me, "Surround yourself with successful people who encourage and inspire you."
The authors included Drusilla Campbell, Sara Lewis and Abigail Padgett. Each author read about 10 minutes of their published works before the discussion turned into "lively dialogue, passionate opinions" as promised.
The first question, "What makes good writing?" elicited sage advice for the audience of writers.
Campbell said that good writing "lifts you into a story and takes you into the world of the author," and that a good story keeps you reading. While good characters need to have some interesting traits, they should seem real, that the reader needs to be able to see "behind the blue hair, behind the irritating twitch."
Padgett, a mystery writer, added to the discussion of character, saying that setting as a character is actually a good tool for mystery writers. In her books, the desert, which she loves, plays the role of a character but a character can be "a car, a pet, or a kitchen drawer." Padgett admitted that mysteries are somewhat formulaic, but defining a character in these terms can be a good way for your mystery to stand out.
The next question was "How do you start, how do you finish and what about the middle?"
Lewis said she starts with her character, with a quirk, then journals that character, rambling around for a while before a voice comes through. "It sounds kind of mystical, and it is," she said, adding that her approach is more organic as she lets her characters tell the story.
Padgett said mysteries are more structured, and you know you're at the end when the crime is solved.
For Campbell, she starts with a "cosmic, big idea" then searches for a character and that "the answer about how to end it will come."
When asked how you get the complete story that comes so fast and so full of detail from your head to your pen before you lose it, Lewis said she "quick writes through the first draft then goes back for draft one, draft two, three, four," and admitted she will go through dozens of drafts before she gets to the end.
Padgett has a different approach, more methodical, "I delve deeply from the get-go," she said.
Campbell advised, "Don't worry about it, just keep going. The scene will stay in your head and just get richer."
I look forward to more presentations from the San Diego Writers, and admit, I hope one day to be on the other side of the table. I left feeling like it was possible.
From Lewis, "The best writing comes from your heart and your soul. That will take you where you want to go."
From Padgett,"If you're writing, you're a writer and you have something to say."
From Campbell, "I don't like being a novelist... I just can't NOT do it."
From me, "Surround yourself with successful people who encourage and inspire you."
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