  Noticing Newbies
This week: Sustainable Writing--One Scene at a Time Edited by: esprit  
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Welcome to the Noticing Newbies Newsletter! Our goal is to showcase some of our newest Writing.Com Authors and their items. We will feature "how to" advice and items that will help to jump start the creation process.
Impatience is not wanting to understand that you don't understand.
James Richardson
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Sustainable Writing--Write a Novel One Scene at a Time
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Welcome and enjoy Writing.Com. by Writing.
Writers dream of writing a novel, becoming famous and making a lot of money. And it's true that first time writers have succeeded with their first novel. It can be done. Submitting the work to the right place at the right time, and having the right person read it is all it takes. Simple? Absolutely not.
When I see a new writer announce that he's writing a novel, I admire him-then I sympathize. He has a rocky mountain to climb. It can be done though, as long as he's prepared himself by learning and practicing good writing skills. It's hard work.
But breaking it down to the lowest denominator could help the writer who is learning the craft. I've heard that even experienced writers work this way, especially if they're working on contract. You know, putting out a lot of genre stories for one publisher.
Even a novel is nothing more than a series of scenes, a series of significant events. It's just that the most important scene, the most significant event doesn't play out until the last third of the book. Writing scenes is writing a novel--one step at a time.
Do you catch the drift of where I'm going? Yeah-flash fiction. Scenes.
Start with writing the theme of your book at the top of a notebook.
An example of a theme: Love conquers Evil.
If you are thinking of sub-themes, write those down too, Depending on the length of the project, three to six are standard. You can have more, of course--it's your story--but keeping too many sub-plots interweaving smoothly could prove difficult. Problems of sequence and continuity often appear when juggling too many. Just be aware so you can look for it during revision.
Write down what the book is about in a very short paragraph.
Vampires fight for equal rights, and at a terrible cost, bring freedom to their world.
Write down the info for the main characters, including their goals, quirks, etc.,and a paragraph of no more than 250 words describing the story.
Remember the blurb on the back of a paperback? You need to know where you're going and what you hope to accomplish. You should have this information clearly in mind to keep your stories/scenes on track and in focus.
Each scene is complete.
A scene is simply a cohesive block without which the novel will not stand. Do you doubt this? Pick up a popular book and study it, one scene at a time. It contains everything that a novel has to have, but in miniature. A scene has a start, a purpose, and a clear ending. They will have characters and dialogue. It engages at least one and sometimes all five senses, conflict and a definite point of change. It takes place in one time and in one place. It's interesting and holds the readers attention. It's usually written from only one point of view. It may be simple narration or description, but it will be complete, and without it the story will not progress smoothly.
You may have one or several scenes per chapter. They may be as short as a paragraph, or as long as twenty-five or thirty pages. However, time and place will not change within the scene. A scene in any type of writing isn't a scene until something changes; and once something changes, it's time to move to a new scene.
A novel can be written as a series of flash fiction stories that are connected by theme and plot with the most important event in the last third of the book.
Sub-plots can be written in the same way. Writing each as separate scenes will help keep them from conflicting with each other and the main plot. Sub-plots will follow their own path, separate from the main plot, but their paths will intersect and zig-zag. Everything will move the story forward to the climax. Sub-plots will climax and conclude first, then the main plot.
Working on subs separately also keeps the writer from forgetting about one and failing to end it properly. Readers won't forget, they'll want to know whatever happened to so-and-so way back there.
So you see-flash fiction is one of the most versatile genres of creative writing. You can enter the shortest story contests or write a novel. The complexity of the plot is up to you. Just because it's called flash doesn't mean it's simple.
If I were going to enter Nanowrimo this year, I would probably write it by scenes. It would be so much easier to stay focused, and with less stress than tackling a 50,000 word novel. I'd have the same number of words to do, but my mind can handle one scene at a time. This is sustainable writing---a way to succeed by creating good, long-term writing habits. Relax and enjoy writing again.
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Comments on "Invalid Entry"
Submitted By: NickiD89 
Submitted Comment: Great Newsletter, Esprit! It's a wonderful idea to invite members (new or not) to visit the staffs' portfolios. I remember the first time I peeked in -- I wasn't sure I should have been in there! I was glad I did, though, because I learned how the Sms found one of their cats, and discovered what a hoot Diane's slice-of-life stories are. It's been a while since I was there, thanks for the reminder to pay them a visit.
 That's funny, Nicki! I know what you mean though. It's kinda like peeking in the boss's desk.
Submitted By: sarahreed
Submitted Comment: I completely agree that WDC is a great place to be. It took me a couple of months before I signed up, I just wasn't sure, and now I regret wasting those two months! On the other hand, I got a little too deeply involved in WDC the first few months; my real life kinda got left behind. Now, I am a much more balanced person, though I still want to spend all my time here. lol.
Submitted By: Christopher Eastman-Nagle
Submitted Comment: Oh Mild editor, I am not being contrarian so much as lamenting the truncation of our language. I lament a consumer culture where good education has been dumbed down and truncated in the name of 'progress'. I lament the day when foreign speakers and writers of our language can handle it better than us because they have been properly trained in it.
Finally, my final comment about 'license to be ponderous' was aimed at my own work, not flash. Being 'generous' with English is not an excuse for ponderous and self indulgent writing.
Personally I like longer sentences, not just because I can do them, but because they enable a greater degree of thinking density and connectedness. They are certainly harder to read, but they give out more to those who are willing to work for their knowledge and educational enrichment.
I have no time for Consumerbabelets who have turned banal speed readable superficiality into a pervasive and profitable commodity.
Regards Kiffit
Thanks for reading and commenting, Christopher. 
Submitted By: 4theLoveofWriting
Submitted Comment: I can't agree more. WDC is a one-of-a-kind site. I have spent much time on the internet and I have joined several sites. None of them compares to WDC.
Submitted By: mARi☠StressedAtWork 
Submitted Comment: That was so true!! --the thing you said about WDC being the best Writing Community there is... ever!! I've been to other Writing Sites before... But nothing comes close to WDC's greatness... And they all bore me out after a while... (also because of un-supportive members... They don't really review and give criticisms like WDC.) Thank you for a great Newsletter!! ~mARi~
We appreciate the feedback, thanks!
Editors:
Cubby 
laurencia
Your host this week is esprit
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Noticing Newbies: September 23, 2009 Issue [#3287]
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