I meant to post the other day to let you all know, but now I'm glad I held off until today. (Cryptic enough? :P) Why? Because I just realised today I have something for a giveaway! Read to the end for details... :o)
Anyway, I've mentioned it a couple of times, but now I have an end date for you: the LAST day you will be able to sign up for How To Think Sideways (12 month version) is MARCH 31. After that, it WILL be available on other platforms (Holly is transferring all her stuff to kindle, nook, etc etc) BUT I will NOT be able to offer you the 20% rebate after March 31. So if you've been thinking of joining and want a no-questions-asked 20% discount off the total price, NOW is the time to do it. The 12 month version has all the same content as the 6 month, but delivered at a slower pace. The price is $37.95/month, and that price is going to increase when it heads to other platforms. Remember, you can drop out at ANY time and you'll receive a refund for any month you're part way through, so you really only have to commit to... well, potentially nothing, if you dropped out in the first month and that was refunded. But let's assume the maximum you're committing to is $37.95 less the 20% which is $30.36.
How to Revise Your Novel and How To Think Sideways (6 month version) are also going the same way, but I think there's a little more leeway on the timeframe there.
Holly's website-based shop is also closing, and it currently has a HUGE SALE on! 25 - 30% off everything, from what I can see, and again, if you buy through my link and send me your receipt, you'll get a no-questions-asked 20% rebate of what you paid.
And if you've been wanting to test out some of Holly's non-fic work but have been holding off, I have good news! It seems I have a spare copy of the Create-a-Plot Clinic (version 2)! Yay! This is my second favourite of all her short courses (favourite is How To Write Page Turning Scenes), so I'm excited to discover I have a copy to give away :o) To enter, just leave a note in the comments saying you're interested. And note that I've turned the captcha off, so leaving a comment should be easier ;)
Yay!
PS All links in this post are affiliate links and are good for the 20% rebate ;)
Showing posts with label How to Write Page-Turning Scenes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label How to Write Page-Turning Scenes. Show all posts
22 March 2012
02 November 2008
And The Winner Is....
*grin*
Thanks to everyone who entered the October Competition :) I hope that you got something out of your purchases, and that it was worthwhile, and made you feel warm, and fuzzy, and writerly, and.... I'll stop stringing you along now, shall I? O:)
The draw has been made, the judge's decision is final, and the winner of How to Write Page-Turning Scenes is.......
*drumroll*
WULFIE!!!
Yay! *cheers*
I'll send you a message through CC as well, but contact me at blot.of.ink(at)gmail(dot)com to collect your prize :)
Thanks, everyone! I loveth you all! :)
Thanks to everyone who entered the October Competition :) I hope that you got something out of your purchases, and that it was worthwhile, and made you feel warm, and fuzzy, and writerly, and.... I'll stop stringing you along now, shall I? O:)
The draw has been made, the judge's decision is final, and the winner of How to Write Page-Turning Scenes is.......
*drumroll*
WULFIE!!!
Yay! *cheers*
I'll send you a message through CC as well, but contact me at blot.of.ink(at)gmail(dot)com to collect your prize :)
Thanks, everyone! I loveth you all! :)
15 October 2008
Competition for You!
So, it's October :) This is my final month of uni for the year, and unlike dear September, I haven't had time to stockpile a few posts, so I may get a little behind. Sorry in advance.
But! In honour of the fact that it's my last month of my masters course, I've decided to have a competition.
This month, anyone who buys anything from Holly Lisle's shop through my link over there on the sidebar will be entered into a draw to win a free copy of How To Write Page-Turning Scenes! Yay!
To enter, just email me a copy of your receipt and I'll enter you into the draw. One entry per receipt, but you can enter multiple times with different receipts. I'll draw and announce the prize at some point on November 2.
But! In honour of the fact that it's my last month of my masters course, I've decided to have a competition.
This month, anyone who buys anything from Holly Lisle's shop through my link over there on the sidebar will be entered into a draw to win a free copy of How To Write Page-Turning Scenes! Yay!
To enter, just email me a copy of your receipt and I'll enter you into the draw. One entry per receipt, but you can enter multiple times with different receipts. I'll draw and announce the prize at some point on November 2.
I'll also post a review of How To Write Page-Turning Scenes next week for you, so you know what you're entering for! :)
Have fun, and good luck :)
30 July 2008
Story Elements #3: Scenes
It came to my attention the other day that those things we writers like to call 'scenes' are neither as well-known nor as straight-forward as I'd always believed. And since they fit nicely into my Story Elements series, I thought this would be a lovely opportunity to explore my opinion on them :) Prepare yourselves...
Defining Scenes
There are lots of definitions of the word 'scene', but for the sake of brevity and focus, here are the more relevant ones.
Wikipedia:
In TV, stage plays and movies a scene is a part of the action in a single location.
In fiction, a scene is a unit of drama.
TME:
Continuous block of storytelling either set in a single location or following a particular character.
Screenwriting Info:
Action taking place in one location and in a distinct time that (hopefully) moves the story to the next element of the story.
Film/Editing Terms:
Action that occurs in one location at one time.
Screenwriting Glossary:
Continuous action with or without dialogue that takes place in one setting.
Good definitions - but note that they're all from screenwriting. Mostly, this doesn't make a difference, but let's throw in an author's definition here just to round things out.
Holly Lisle:
The simplest definition of a scene is that you've written a scene when something important changes. See her article on scenes and scene creation here.
Which means scenes can be tiny, or massive, depending on the scale of the change you're focussing on.
Scenes often line up with chapters, but they don't have to - and you can have multiple scenes in a chapter, but not multiple chapters in a scene. It's a complete, discrete unit, an event, an episode... A scene :)
However, when I said this to my friends the other day, one of them came right back with:
Oh yes you can [have multiple chapters in a scene]! I just ended Chapter three with Rick peering through a window and someone hits him from behind. Chapter 4 starts with him reacting to the blow and finding out what happened. Same scene. Different chapters. And a coat hanger in the middle.
The question is, does a chapter break equal a scene break? I think so, because it's the change that you're focussing on in the scene that determines where you break the chapter. It all depends on where you cut and why, because this will depend on what change you're trying to show. *tries to think of an example*
A guy comes into a restaurant. That's a change - he's moved positions. If that's the important change, then you could just end the scene there, and start a new scene for the next change that you wanted to show.
If, however, he comes in, and the waiter says something which irritates him, and he gets angry - maybe the change the scene is supposed to show is his change of emotion, rather than his change of position. In this case, the scene will be longer, and will be one scene even if it includes the same things that the previous two scenes would have shown... Yes? It's about figuring out which change you're emphasising.
A great resource that really helped me get my head around the whole business of what makes a scene - and more importantly, what makes a good scene is Holly Lisle's How To Write Page-Turning Scenes. It's a quick read, and for me it was well worth the money to figure out how to tell before writing which ideas had potential to become scenes, and which didn't. It's a great refresher on types on conflict, too. However, I've always struggled with structure (versus character), so if you're pretty confident you know how to plot and structure, it may not be so useful.
Defining Scenes
There are lots of definitions of the word 'scene', but for the sake of brevity and focus, here are the more relevant ones.
Wikipedia:
In TV, stage plays and movies a scene is a part of the action in a single location.
In fiction, a scene is a unit of drama.
TME:
Continuous block of storytelling either set in a single location or following a particular character.
Screenwriting Info:
Action taking place in one location and in a distinct time that (hopefully) moves the story to the next element of the story.
Film/Editing Terms:
Action that occurs in one location at one time.
Screenwriting Glossary:
Continuous action with or without dialogue that takes place in one setting.
Good definitions - but note that they're all from screenwriting. Mostly, this doesn't make a difference, but let's throw in an author's definition here just to round things out.
Holly Lisle:
The simplest definition of a scene is that you've written a scene when something important changes. See her article on scenes and scene creation here.
Which means scenes can be tiny, or massive, depending on the scale of the change you're focussing on.
Scenes often line up with chapters, but they don't have to - and you can have multiple scenes in a chapter, but not multiple chapters in a scene. It's a complete, discrete unit, an event, an episode... A scene :)
However, when I said this to my friends the other day, one of them came right back with:
Oh yes you can [have multiple chapters in a scene]! I just ended Chapter three with Rick peering through a window and someone hits him from behind. Chapter 4 starts with him reacting to the blow and finding out what happened. Same scene. Different chapters. And a coat hanger in the middle.
The question is, does a chapter break equal a scene break? I think so, because it's the change that you're focussing on in the scene that determines where you break the chapter. It all depends on where you cut and why, because this will depend on what change you're trying to show. *tries to think of an example*
A guy comes into a restaurant. That's a change - he's moved positions. If that's the important change, then you could just end the scene there, and start a new scene for the next change that you wanted to show.
If, however, he comes in, and the waiter says something which irritates him, and he gets angry - maybe the change the scene is supposed to show is his change of emotion, rather than his change of position. In this case, the scene will be longer, and will be one scene even if it includes the same things that the previous two scenes would have shown... Yes? It's about figuring out which change you're emphasising.
A great resource that really helped me get my head around the whole business of what makes a scene - and more importantly, what makes a good scene is Holly Lisle's How To Write Page-Turning Scenes. It's a quick read, and for me it was well worth the money to figure out how to tell before writing which ideas had potential to become scenes, and which didn't. It's a great refresher on types on conflict, too. However, I've always struggled with structure (versus character), so if you're pretty confident you know how to plot and structure, it may not be so useful.
22 November 2007
How To Write Page-Turning Scenes
Quick Stats
Genre - Non-fic, writing help
Length - ~120 pages
Author - Holly Lisle
Overview
This is a fabulous book on the art of scene creation, and raising the stakes to make every scene conflicty and juicy. Holly takes a couple of chapters to give a working definition of a scene, and to define the different types of conflict (complete with exercises to practice the different types), before moving on to things like the art of storytelling through scenes, pacing, transitions and trouble-shooting for common problems.
High Points
Practical, easy to use, lots of exercises. I really like Holly's non-fic work on writing, and her style resonantes with me, so I usually find her books helpful :)
Low Points
? None come to mind.
Rating
This is a book for your writing desk, something you can quickly flick through when you need a refresher, and to keep handy both while plotting and drafting your novel ;)
Genre - Non-fic, writing help
Length - ~120 pages
Author - Holly Lisle
Overview
This is a fabulous book on the art of scene creation, and raising the stakes to make every scene conflicty and juicy. Holly takes a couple of chapters to give a working definition of a scene, and to define the different types of conflict (complete with exercises to practice the different types), before moving on to things like the art of storytelling through scenes, pacing, transitions and trouble-shooting for common problems.
High Points
Practical, easy to use, lots of exercises. I really like Holly's non-fic work on writing, and her style resonantes with me, so I usually find her books helpful :)
Low Points
? None come to mind.
Rating
This is a book for your writing desk, something you can quickly flick through when you need a refresher, and to keep handy both while plotting and drafting your novel ;)
02 November 2007
20% Rebate Scheme
I offer a no-questions-asked 20% rebate on any item from the HollyShop purchased through links on this website. The rebate also applies to Holly Lisle's How To Think Sideways and How To Revise Your Novel courses.
How it works: buy through my link in the sidebar (or on this page), email me a copy of your receipt, and at the end of the month in which you made your purchase I'll refund you 20% of the purchase price.
Why?
Because I'm part of her affiliate program, and I get a commission on all sales. To thank you for buying through my link, I want to share that commission with you.
Why at the end of each month? Because that's when I get paid.
How will I pay you? Payments will be made only via paypal.
So, to summarise:
* Buy any product from the HollyShop through my link in the sidebar, or sign up to Think Sideways or HTRYN;
* Email me your receipt;
* At the end of that calendar month, receive a no-questions-asked 20% refund to your paypal account, just for buying through my link.
How it works: buy through my link in the sidebar (or on this page), email me a copy of your receipt, and at the end of the month in which you made your purchase I'll refund you 20% of the purchase price.
Why?
Because I'm part of her affiliate program, and I get a commission on all sales. To thank you for buying through my link, I want to share that commission with you.
Why at the end of each month? Because that's when I get paid.
How will I pay you? Payments will be made only via paypal.
So, to summarise:
* Buy any product from the HollyShop through my link in the sidebar, or sign up to Think Sideways or HTRYN;
* Email me your receipt;
* At the end of that calendar month, receive a no-questions-asked 20% refund to your paypal account, just for buying through my link.
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