They run together in my mind.
However, being reminded that this blog is intended for readers meant getting rid of the post I'd already written. It was about that picture up there in the corner. About having stories rejected and how it feels and about why stories get rejected. I'll use it later, on another blog.
That's what we do with stories that don't quite work in a certain place or a certain time. When you hear one of us complain (who, us, complain?) about having to dump a whole scene because it was crap, we don't really dump it--we put it into a file folder with a businesslike label that says something like "crap I've dumped" and then we pull it out and use it later. In another time and place.
In the post that isn't here, I was whining about being told I didn't start my story in the right place and about how I use too much backstory. I was pretty devastated by that because I love backstory. Not just writing it, but reading it, too. And there I go again, having readers and writers running together in my mind. But, hey, as a reader, how do you feel about backstory?
I hope you readers (who aren't writers) understand how we feel about you. You're girlfriends who go to the beach with us, who sit in tearooms and coffeehouses and the occasional pub with us. You build us up, support us and our writing habit, and sympathize when that thing up in the corner happens. We thank you for all of it. I can't begin to tell you how much we appreciate you.
My goodness, I do go on, don't I? Thanks for listening to me complain. But, come on, girlfriends, lets head on down to Last Chance Beach. It's Summer's End and there are 14 good stories I was talking about just waiting for you. And a free book of cocktails. Sit still and read--we'll fix you one.
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As a reader, I'm always fascinated by the process, by the lives, actually, of writers. We want to know--we have inquiring minds. We know those stories come from somewhere and hearing about your lives, what happens to you, how you feel, brings us into your world and thus further into the stories you write. Thanks for sharing, Liz!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting, Nan. It really is a blurred line for me!
DeleteI think we've all (all meaning writers in this case) received that feedback...too much backstory and starting in the wrong place. I find the words I agonize over...right down to one particular word sometimes...is typically what needs to go. It's always the place my critique partners says, "Yeah...this isn't working. Get rid of it." And, she's right! You take it out, and voilà! Sure is tough sometimes though.
ReplyDeleteOne last thought... Reader are absolutely, hands down THE BEST!!! Thank you ALL for being the most important part of Romance Gems! ❤️
DeleteThey are the best, for sure.
DeleteScenes I cut? "Dead on the cutting room floor." Sorry, about your already written post, but the one you did instead is really great. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteLol. Are they really dead, though, or will they come back another day?
DeleteIt's so hard to hear that something is wrong with a story we wrote. It's our baby and we think it's perfect the way it is. I know I write books that are very long and often need to cut anywhere from 1 - 25K words before getting it published. Ouch!
ReplyDeleteI don't mind some things--I understand some of my own weaknesses--but others...yeah, ouch!
DeleteWonderful post, as always, Liz. So relateable. Is that a word? I hope so.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathleen.
DeleteI am a reader. When I was in college I was told that I write like I speak. I ended up with an A in that course so my writing must not have to awful. deborahdumm(at)yahoo(dot)com.
ReplyDeleteI’ve always been told that, too—I decided it was a good thing, and it must be for you, too!
DeleteI'm sure a lot of writers face that, it's good to celebrate any type of failure as it's when you learn from the experience :).
ReplyDeletepores(at)live(dot)com
That's a hard pill to swallow, but I'm sure you're right!
DeleteThanks for sharing! I can't even imagine what writers go through picking different thoughts and ideas to make wonderful stories for us. I appreciate it! :)
ReplyDeletesassijackatgmaildotcom
Thank you!
DeleteI always imagine that writers write what they like to read. Go for it.
ReplyDeletemarypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
We do and we don’t. Many org us read almost exclusively in different sub genres tha we write in. Thank you!
DeleteWill you publish all your cut scenes?
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
No. Some of them, as Joan said, deserve a place ONLY on the cutting room floor! But I do use a lot of them, usually in pieces rather than as a whole.
DeleteI think rejections deserve a day of whining. It's healthy so that we don't brood and fester. And I agree. Readers are pretty darned wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI definitely have the whining part down well! :-)
DeleteI would not have minded reading a blog post about rejection. I always thought failure is part of succeeding.
ReplyDeletedebby236 at hotmail dot com
It is! 😊
DeleteAh, but rejected stories as you said, can have another life. Always nice to pull the rejects out, polish them up a bit and use them at another time.
ReplyDeleteI used mine on Word Wranglers today! Hope you stop by.
DeleteI'm a reader. Sometimes, the info dump is important. You can't just drop into the middle, and always understand character motivation. For me the problem is when it turns into all explanation, and no action/interaction.
ReplyDeleteThat’s a sticky wicket sometimes!
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