https://youtu.be/GQeXSXWv-EI
Sponsor: Fairy Godmother, Inc. by Saranna DeWylde
Mentioned:
– Susan Dennard’s story a month challenge: https://susandennard.com/story-a-month-challenge/
– Roni Loren – Fighting for Focus course: https://roni-loren.teachable.com/p/fighting-for-focus-productivity-for-writersjan2021
– Editor Savannah Gilbo on year planning – https://www.savannahgilbo.com/blog/planning
Interesting discussion about research and how it really needs to fit with theme and plot. My first instinct was to say you should absolutely include the info in your chapter, but I now understand your hesitation. With everything that’s currently going on in DC, do you see that affecting your novel in any way? Especially since the city is one of your characters?
Hey Lisa! My novel starts the day before the KKK marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in August of 1925. So everything going on just reinforces my reasons for writing this and setting it in DC. And I think your first instinct was mine as well, so that’s saying something. I do tend to overthink things, LOL, but following the first instinct might not be a bad thing…
I think you need to find the happy balance between showing enough research to make the neighborhood feel like a character and not bogging the story down with details the reader doesn’t need. My first thought was this could be more easily accomplished with the actual businesses, but that does not mean you shouldn’t mention the street names at all. Easier said than done, so I shall just wish you luck. As for the short story per month, plan it for next year so you can possibly get a “running” start. At least you could pre-plan the time needed for… Read more »
Thanks! Balance is definitely the key to all things, and I’m always searching for it… And I have done my best to use real business names when I have them. I agree that adds to the fullness of the location.
The short story goal lives on. I think sometimes folks make promises as a way of trying to get accountability, like “I promised all these stories, so I’ll have to actually write them.” But that can definitely backfire. I’m trying to be more careful about setting expectations — sometimes the reach is far more than our grasp.