As noted over the last few days, I’m still in Dallas at a writing conference. It’s fun, and I’ve met a lot of people, had some good discussions with various editors and agents, etc.
But here’s what I like most about writing conferences: The other writers.
Whenever two writers get together, they inevitably get around to the magic question, “What are you working on right now?”
Every time you answer that question, your answer get’s a little more focused. Here’s why:
You can be vague when you answer, but if you’re talking to another professional, he or she is going to pin you down a bit and ask the hard questions. Or brainstorm an idea for you. Or give you an analytical technique that you can use to ask yourself the hard questions.
That’s been happening for me a LOT this week. Yesterday after blogging, I sat in on a couple of sessions taught by my buddy John Olson. He was teaching about science fiction and fantasy. And one of the things he harps on always when he teaches that is how to make it a high concept book. Or at least a higher-concept book that it was before.
I’ve been working on a high-concept idea lately. This morning when I woke up, it was clear to me how to make that pesky concept even higher. I talked it through with John, who I’m rooming with, and he really liked it. He thinks it’ll fly. I think it’ll fly.
That’s what I like about writing conferences: talking with other writers and waiting for that magic moment when 1 + 1 suddenly becomes 10.
I’ll be flying home tomorrow, so won’t have time to blog. We’ll reconvene this blog on Monday and pick up on the topic of creating characters. See ya then!
I was blessed to spend a week recently with a writer friend, and I have to admit that having that living, interacting sounding board is a great boon to the writing effort. Even chatting online and forums and blogging can never replace that give and take that happens when you have someone else right there who understands the craft and will “ask the hard questions” as Randy put it. And the immediate response required with in-person interactions requires you to put your thoughts in order in a way that online interactions never really do.
When you try to explain your story to someone who doesn’t understand the craft, you end up with very unhelpful positive encouragement. I don’t say that because encouragement is not pleasant and useful in bolstering your confidence, but it certainly won’t help you improve your story. Thank God for the fortitude of other writers who are willing to ask the hard questions and make your story better through positive critique.
So good that this was such a positive experience for you.
Are you going to cover moving from ‘low’ to ‘high’ concept, Randy. Please?
I’m going to be away from my computer for two weeks. My turn to go to a writers conference – Conflux 4 – sounds like a plumbing disease. 🙂 It’s for writers of SpecFic and it’s in Canberra, a four hour flight and four hour train ride for me.
No doubt I’ll come back equally elated!
Your ephiphany about low-to-high concept intrigues me more than character development. Would you consider a few words on concept before delving into character sketches? While both topics run kind of parallel in the writing process, I personally like having the overarching idea defined first and then have my characters introduce themselves to me.
Glad you had a good time, Randy — as if that were ever in doubt. If it doesn’t start out to be a good time, you’ll create one.
Can hardly wait for the “concept” module of this blog.
Have a safe trip home.
YES! Teach me to ask the harder questions!! Kick the writing up a few notches! I’m almost certain I’m not getting any younger.
Randy has great advice on building characters in the snowflake lecture and Fic 101. Probably 201 also, I haven’t done that course yet. [I’m waiting till they tell me I can move up to the Sophomore class. I can’t wait. This time around, I’ll pay more attention in class and not pick fights out behind the school.]
The point in the character lesson about determining your characters core values was an ‘aha!’ moment. That’s where you put your character in the hot seat and the hard questions.
Face-to-face with other writers–absolutely great!
I’m blessed to have an amazing number of gifted writers right in my very small church. We started a group a number of years ago and through (and in spite of) many changes in that church, we’ve remained good and helpful friends and colleagues. So we’re within an e-mail or telephone or even face-to-face contact at a moment’s notice. Invaluable.
I’m also looking forward to the high concept blog. You’re going to have to do it now!
Can characters themselves be high concept, something unusual? Or is something high concept integrated with plot/character/mileu? Or is it simply the premise, the idea?
And how in the world do you know if it is high concept or not? Because it has that special spark that makes you grin like a cheshire cat? Because no one else has done it? (And how do you know no one else has ever done it with all those stories floating around out there?)
I agree, being with other writers is one of the best things about the conference, especially the down time after you brain has been fried from information overload! I enjoyed getting to know you better at this conference. And thanks again for what you offer your blog readers. For those who can’t attend conferences, your teaching is invaluable!
I had a great time at the conference. Enjoyed meeting my agent. Learned a lot about elevator power naps. They were ‘power’ naps, weren’t they? LOL I love hanging with other writers. We’re so weird and I come back fully charged for writing…and rewriting. 🙂
I want to here more about this high concept business. Have a safe flight and welcome back home when you get there!
Oops. I want to HEAR more about this high concept business. Sorry for the typo! (Okay, okay, so I misspelled it, can we just pretend it was a typo?)
Randy, PLEASE don’t abandon the character blog just yet. I, for one, really NEED this information.
As a relative beginner I don’t know much, but I feel that without solid characters for readers to care about they aren’t going to stay with the story long enough to figure out if I have a concept, let alone a higher one.
Maybe I’m being selfish since I’ve listened to tapes of John Olson teaching on higher concept…speaking of tapes, did you find out if CD’s are going to be available of the conference?
The Marketing Class was worth the price of the conference. I hope you discuss High Concept also after you’ve rested up.
High-low concept, character development, I’m game for either.
I just hope you got all that metal out of your head before you went through the airport metal detectors!
I’m for sticking with character development for now, since we already started it, but after that we could go into the High Concept thing.
I’m for sticking with character development for now, since we already started it, but after that we could go into the High Concept thing.
I’ll second D.E. Hale.
So do I.
I know I am full of questions, but if you can suffer one more, a character question:
Here is my dilema. I have given myself my 20th migraine doing character charts – really, truly, simply I can’t do it. I dread it. It’s the lurking monster in the night for me. But can a writer create believable characters through story alone?
When I try and map out my characters, analyze them, they cease to be real to me. Real people to me are always a mystery, a puzzle to solve and appreciate. But in charting, half the details I try to record on my characters are blatantly wrong, different from the story and then I get confused – who are these people, why do they look different in real light versus story light and which is the right one?
But I know who they are in story and don’t worry about it during writing. Am I doomed to 2-dimensional characters here???
As iron sharpens iron …
There’s nothing like spending time with other writers. It always stokes me with ideas. My crit group will be meeting in January (we meet once a year because we live so scattered) and this year, we’re going to bring a question or a dilema, brainstorm it, break to do some writing and come back to read what we wrote and get immediate feedback. A writer’s heaven! I can’t wait.
I’m interested in a tape/CD of John’s classes, too.
Like Tami, I’ve really been looking forward to the blog on character development. I don’t think my characters are ready for higher concepts quite yet.