tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post6227730537513723937..comments2024-03-29T10:25:17.813-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: What We're Writing--Debs and Garden(s)Jungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-43942989894404731542016-04-01T22:12:16.694-04:002016-04-01T22:12:16.694-04:00I'm delighted to hear that another quilter suf...I'm delighted to hear that another quilter suffers from "ugly quilt syndrome" too! Thanks, FChurch. I'm always well into the quilting phase when I decide nobody with any taste would allow even their dog to sleep under a quilt as ugly as mine. But, as you say, it generally turns out to be very pretty in the end. I think the quilt metaphor works for Debs' books, too, since she always stitches together so many different colors and patterns, personalities and story lines into a fabulous and deeply satisfying whole. I can't wait to read this one.Gigi Norwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00495357787099352860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-25714843611134100542016-04-01T20:21:55.738-04:002016-04-01T20:21:55.738-04:00It happens to me in television stories, too, ever... It happens to me in television stories, too, every single time. every single time! And I finally realized that the "this is the worst thing ever" feeling always happens… But it is always followed by a solution. So I have tried to embrace that moment as just part of the process. <br /> Sometimes that actually works :-) <br /><br /> In fact, I am right there, right now. I will have to look for a fabulous secret Garden of my own… <br /><br /> Debs, you never cease to amaze me. Your writing is so multi layered. And I have to say, selfishly, it is very reassuring to hear that even you have doubts .Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-81325230674096521982016-04-01T19:59:07.355-04:002016-04-01T19:59:07.355-04:00Oh, Debs, like Susan, you had me at secret locked ...Oh, Debs, like Susan, you had me at secret locked garden near Notting Hill. Of course, I'm not surprised, as you have thrilled me with all the settings in your previous books. This passage was such a treat to read today. Thinking of Gemma with her little notebook has gotten me so ready to read this book, but I can wait because I know I'm waiting for something special. <br /><br />Lucy, I have to tell you, in reference to writing problems, that I thought of Haley and her boss, Palamina, when my son told me he was having trouble with a part of his writing. I advised him that he can't fix anything he hasn't written, so to just keep writing. I didn't get to finish up Killer Takeout after my gallbladder surgery yesterday, which went wonderfully, as a generous friend was staying with me, and I felt it would be rude to read and ignore her. So, I'm finishing it tonight (just put it down to write here), and it is such a fun, exciting book. Thanks! Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-25996873998896888972016-04-01T16:02:22.969-04:002016-04-01T16:02:22.969-04:00Isn't that weird, what Julia says? But true. N...Isn't that weird, what Julia says? But true. Nothing is ever as bad when I read it the next day as I thought it was while I was writing it. And sometimes I actually think it's pretty good.<br /><br />By the way, I totally disagree with that adage--who said this? Stephen King?--that if you think something you've written is good, you should throw it out. Bollocks, I say. If you're a professional novelist and you can't recognize when you've written something that is good, you should probably look for another job.Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-42440078034125758842016-04-01T15:12:04.763-04:002016-04-01T15:12:04.763-04:00As long as Thomas Pynchon keeps publishing, I'...As long as Thomas Pynchon keeps publishing, I'm not the <i>slowest</i> writer around. Slow, I'll grant you. Very slow, even.<br /><br />I love the phrase "ugly quilt" - it perfectly describes that stage of the book when you think everything is shite, you have no way to end the story, and you're convinced you'll have to get a REAL job to support yourself. It's always a struggle for me. The best way through it, I've found, is to give yourself permission to write badly. Get the daily word count done, knowing that you can delete the whole thing if it still seems awful when you reread it the next morning. Often, I find it wasn't as bad as I thought...maybe even sort of good. Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-70669621295309360712016-04-01T11:38:54.574-04:002016-04-01T11:38:54.574-04:00I paint and there is always that point where I won...I paint and there is always that point where I wonder what on earth I am doing! The painting is "a disaster" and will never recover.<br />The solution? Keep painting, knowing that this is just a phase I have to work through.Libby Doddhttp://www.libbydoddart.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-68526620306925451452016-04-01T11:22:04.322-04:002016-04-01T11:22:04.322-04:00I'm at the ugly quilt stage right now, Debs. B...I'm at the ugly quilt stage right now, Debs. Before the murder, still setting up and sure everything is boring biting boring. But we need it! Ugh<br />And I adore locked gardens in London. One of my friends is a docent at the Chelsea Physik Garden and they have the best cafe as well as fabulous garden.Rhysnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-64859031325513369562016-04-01T10:55:39.217-04:002016-04-01T10:55:39.217-04:00Thanks, all! I really do love it when I can't ...Thanks, all! I really do love it when I can't wait to get up and write every day. I just wish it didn't take me so long to get to that point. I think this must be my life challenge:-) For me, outlining is the big key. I worked non-stop the month I was in London, and I know everyone was disappointed when I didn't come back with finished pages. BUT I had twelve chapters blocked out, scene by scene, and that's just a few short of the end of the book. Since then, writing has been a joy.<br /><br />But I desperately needed that block of completely uninterrupted time in order to work out the structure of the book. And I badly needed a London fix.<br /><br />It seems obvious, doesn't it, that I just need to go to London more often...<br /><br />PS Karen, looking for your email.<br />PSS Wren's mom and dad are taking her 2 Month picture on Sunday, so I will post on my author page!Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-37445031630878938992016-04-01T10:44:34.060-04:002016-04-01T10:44:34.060-04:00You had me at secret locked garden near Notting Hi...You had me at secret locked garden near Notting Hill...<br /><br />Has anyone else seen Finding Nemo? I love Dory's little song: "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, what do we do? We swim, swim....." Just substitute writing.Susan Elia MacNealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00349842866995778987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-51031724958127256492016-04-01T09:39:01.902-04:002016-04-01T09:39:01.902-04:00"It had been a very private place to die.&quo...<br />"It had been a very private place to die."<br /><br />wow.<br /><br />I love this!<br /><br />And who isn't intrigued by a secret locked garden?!<br /><br />Thanks for sharing this, Debs AND thank you for sharing the wonderful pictures of your lovely Wren at Facebook. She is a perfect little beauty.<br /><br /><br />Kaye Wilkinson Barley - Meanderings and Museshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07486129009717476920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-34634422330378690962016-04-01T09:35:53.165-04:002016-04-01T09:35:53.165-04:00The entire passage is lovely, Deborah. Such balanc...The entire passage is lovely, Deborah. Such balance and contrast. And the last line is perfect. I have been looking forward to this book since I heard you speak about it at Bouchercon. <br /><br />Thank you for writing about your process. It's always good to hear reassurance from writers I admire that the self-doubt stage is both inevitable and conquerable.<br /><br />Congratulations again on your new grandchild with the beautiful name.<br />Brenda Buchananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14161539130987122737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-70484053477980084082016-04-01T09:22:46.485-04:002016-04-01T09:22:46.485-04:00P.S. I sent an email via your author page. P.S. I sent an email via your author page. Karen in Ohiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18002794561817071780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-27514706860696115252016-04-01T09:19:09.000-04:002016-04-01T09:19:09.000-04:00Oh, thank you, Lucy/Roberta! How will it get to me...Oh, thank you, Lucy/Roberta! How will it get to me? <br /><br />Debs, the contrast of a murdered woman in a fresh, green and blooming garden is delicious. What a great foil. <br /><br />Long before I ever made a single quilt I used to read quilting articles obsessively. One author talked about adding "ugly colors" to the quilt to make the patterns pop; yellow and orange and ocher are lumped into the ugly spectrum. Sometimes you just have to make decisions that seem counter-intuitive, whether making a quilt or writing a compelling story.Karen in Ohiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18002794561817071780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-43111944657771125482016-04-01T08:59:52.760-04:002016-04-01T08:59:52.760-04:00What a lovely visual - and yes, a very private pla...What a lovely visual - and yes, a very private place to die. I also think it's a great contrast, the beauty of the garden against the ugliness of murder.<br /><br />As for the "ugly quilt stage," that's when Hallie's advice comes in handy for me. Just hold your nose and write!Liz Millironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919409969263609919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-47478907083417789142016-04-01T08:36:08.776-04:002016-04-01T08:36:08.776-04:00Gemma is so clever Debs! Like Hallie, I love how y...Gemma is so clever Debs! Like Hallie, I love how you weave the details of the garden into her questions about the murder. No info dump here!<br /><br />And I'm surprised Hallie didn't say her famous line: "Just hold your nose and write!" Because there's really no other way. Although Susan earlier this week showed us how sometimes a quilt really is homely and has to be scrapped, as FChurch described so beautifully. Gosh writing is a hard business!<br /><br />Keep at it Debs (and Julia, too)--your rabid fans await you!<br /><br />And ps Karen in Ohio won KILLER TAKEOUT yesterday. Yay!Lucy Burdette aka Roberta Isleibhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04660402177299546055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-51256632229334910102016-04-01T08:21:11.400-04:002016-04-01T08:21:11.400-04:00Looking forward to this one, as usual.Looking forward to this one, as usual.Gramhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01027824918114690029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-87755338368187908812016-04-01T08:01:19.333-04:002016-04-01T08:01:19.333-04:00This must be where you have to trust yourself--bec...This must be where you have to trust yourself--because you need to know the difference between 'the ugly quilt stage' and 'this is just plain not working'! I've started a quilt project only to realize that it's not just ugly, it's not 'right' and unpieced the whole thing and tried again (and again) until it looks right. But there does come that moment, after it's pieced and on the frames and I'm slogging along that I think, 'this is awful,' no one would want it, and I keep going anyway, because by then I just want it off the frames. Then I get to finish the edges, and I realize it's turned out fine. And your garden theme here is appropriate, because I find a session outside watching the bluebirds and wandering around looking at the flowers in bloom, along with a cold drink, works wonders for seeing the beauty around me.<br /><br />And I can't wait for this book! I miss Duncan and Gemma and their family and friends--and London, too. Thanks for sharing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-51478197288792148452016-04-01T07:54:12.201-04:002016-04-01T07:54:12.201-04:00What's so perfect about this is how you use th...What's so perfect about this is how you use the garden-ness almost as a foil for what's going on - a murder investigation. Such a pleasure to read. Thanks, for sharing, Deb. And so happy to hear you're on the downhill side, from one slowpoke to another.Hallie Ephronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04759439029582054503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-74136485328794537872016-04-01T07:16:45.878-04:002016-04-01T07:16:45.878-04:00I'm in the "take a deep breath and keep w...I'm in the "take a deep breath and keep writing" camp. And selfishly glad you got through it - because I want to read the book!Edith Maxwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01388006370860482509noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-42533245213998980122016-04-01T02:09:35.371-04:002016-04-01T02:09:35.371-04:00Ugly quilt stages, I think, respond most effective...Ugly quilt stages, I think, respond most effectively to continued perseverance. <br />I do believe I would enjoy joining Gemma on her stroll through that lovely garden. Looking forward to reading this book . . . . <br />Joan Emersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06810313925049108163noreply@blogger.com