Comments on: Braiding Your Book's Three Parts

By: benzeknees

benzeknees — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 23:46:16 +0000

Very helpful, it gives a new way to think about your story.

By: Writing Links…8/25/14 | TraciKenworth's Blog

Writing Links…8/25/14 | TraciKenworth's Blog — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 15:08:40 +0000

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By: Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Laurie Schnebly Campbell — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 14:31:16 +0000

In reply to Lynda Jo. FOR LYNDA: Woo-hooooooooo -- congratulations on reaching The End! I hope you're in the midst of enjoying whatever reward delights you the most, whether it's diving straight into a new book or relaxing with champagne & chocolate. :) And it sounds like trusting your characters to go where they belonged led to a triumphant result...good for you!

By: Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Laurie Schnebly Campbell — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 14:29:07 +0000

In reply to barbhan. FOR BARB: Oh, boy, what a lot of great suggestions! I love doing those character interviews -- seems like it never fails to yield SOMETHING interesting, whether or not it actually winds up in the book. And the why-why-why is another winner...haven't yet tried the timer, but a friend has used it through 26 books so it's gotta be good. Thanks, Barb!

By: Lynda Jo

Lynda Jo — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 02:23:43 +0000

Hi Laurie, Just got to "The End" on my current WIP and I found that I just had to let everything go and trust my characters to get to the end of the story. When I stopped trying to fit the story into little boxes, it somehow came together. Thinking about your class - intriguing as always.

By: barbhan

barbhan — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 22:50:13 +0000

This is a great discussion!! I have so many tricks to keep my brain going when the plot doesn't line up. My mood depends on which one I go with. :-) Sometimes, I interview the character I know best. That gives me a lot of insight. Other times, I ask 'why' and force myself to answer. Then I ask 'why' again, and make myself answer. Repeat at least six times to get to something original. Still other times, I set a timer and write. The only rule is that I can't stop until the time goes off. Sometimes I need to get the junk out of my brain before the wheels turn properly again.

By: Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Laurie Schnebly Campbell — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 20:10:35 +0000

In reply to Alicia Anthony. FOR ALICIA: Whew, just recovered my WiFi! And your definition of "situation" makes a big difference in the braid -- it could range anywhere from "just finished the school year" to "just finished a ten-year prison term" to "just finished a Diet Pepsi." But assuming it's the kind of situation where "What'll she do next?" is intriguing, you've got a good system there. :)

By: Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Laurie Schnebly Campbell — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 20:00:01 +0000

In reply to aditebanerjie. FOR ADITE: Weaving is a good description of all the elements that go into a story that WORKS -- while there can sure be a different balance (for instance, think of a traditional romance vs an adventure thriller or coming-of-age vs mystery) each kind has its own Best Mix of situation, plot and character. And you know you've hit it when editors want your books!

By: Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Laurie Schnebly Campbell — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 09:47:30 +0000

In reply to Tracy Evans Poole. FOR TRACY: Love the square peg in the triangle phrase...as much as I love crit partners who can provide that detachment; aren't they the greatest? And knowing they DO have your best interests at heart makes it so much easier to accept ideas that didn't resonate originally. But of course the solution coming naturally is the best of all. <3

By: Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Laurie Schnebly Campbell — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 09:42:25 +0000

In reply to lauriegadams. FOR LAURIE: Boy, you're right about the willingness to accept when something just isn't working...I think that might be the hardest part of re-braiding. Because it's so tempting to just keep going and trust that everything will turn out okay, all the more so when we hear about that happening with other books. And yet it's clear your system WORKS. :)