Thanks Aussiegirl !! I'm going to have to get serious proofing from here on, including other proof readers. My apologies. Oh yes...that sentence...lol...you should have seen the first five or six variations of it... I agree, though...it should be two sentences.

I struggled with this story, it seemed like, from one end to the other and there were a couple of reasons for it. One, I picked a technical piece to write about and that can be very boring as well as confusing. Two, I had read all the writing tips and just kept finding things I needed to add in, or new techniques to try. Some worked, some I didn't do so well with.

Below are my comments...

On Characterization: This sounds like really great advice. If I ever write something of any length, or with more that just a couple of characters I will need it. Though, I’ve already noticed that I have a habit of changing things once well into the story, so I still have to go back through it all to find and make the appropriate changes. I suspect part of this is due to the fact that my story line and characters are not clearly defined at the outset and I kind of discover them myself as I go.

On Dialogue: Awesome advice. Still easier said than done.

On Conflict: The explanation, for me, was confusing, but since it’s the world I live in I think I know exactly what she means. Internal and external conflicts are linked and the tension between the two can and should be drawn upon as another driving force in the story. There really wasn't much conflict in this story...and perhaps that was a problem.


On Scene and Sequel: Transitions are key and hard for me…this helped a lot since I tend to be one who analyzes everything to death. I especially liked the paragraph:
As for those writers who spend too much time in sequel mode and tend to have their characters analyzing certain actions to death because they just don't know what comes next, consider this: after you've let the reader know the affect of the last scene in the strongest way possible, if the next action doesn't come immediately to mind, then sit back and ask that character in a loud, angry voice, "So, now what are you going to do about it?" Sometimes it might not be what you expected. That can be a bit scary but fun... --Rosalyn Alsobrook, Author
I really like the idea that the characters in the story in some way take on life and write the story.

Burn the "Deadwood" -- Strunk and White--all the way!!

Let Your Characters Lead You to Your Plot
* Who does this character care about?
* What does he/she value?
* What is the most important conflict or goal in his/her life? (inner and/or outer)
* How does the character feel about this conflict or goal? (resolving it and/or avoiding it)

I like this a lot. It ties in well with the triple “O” method in the outlining section too. In retrospect, I should have played the first two points of this up much more in this story, probably would have made it much better overall.

Dialect -- I struggle in general with dialogue. The points made here will help and somewhere else in here I read too, that we don’t usually speak in full sentences either. I know I don’t. I think I did ok here....

The Pros and Cons of Outlining -- This is great stuff here!! Though, I’ve never been a big fan of outlining, at least initially, once I get the initial creative burst on to the page (into Word), then organizing it becomes more important. Standard outlines are fine for speech writing and formal prose, because you clearly are trying to make a point and want to logically and progressively build your argument. I suppose you could say the same thing for a story, but I can’t seem to make that leap. There is a starting point and of course the climax to the story, but the progression is not so straightforward. Triple “O” seems to help solve that linear problem for me and assist me in getting that initial blast going in the right direction, or at least just one direction. More use will improve my effectiveness with this technique.


TKH