tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post6663237175640247012..comments2024-03-29T09:03:34.140-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: I LOVE A GOOD ADVENTURE! by Daryl Wood GerberJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-9559301713594563412017-08-24T17:27:45.417-04:002017-08-24T17:27:45.417-04:00Yes, I use the spiral notebook method, too! As I&#...Yes, I use the spiral notebook method, too! As I'm typing the manuscript, I'll write "who is she calling on page 46?" Or: should she have a dog? Or: don't forget the parked car. Or: Maybe Ralph is jealous? It works...and it's really fun to go back afterward and see how all the once-seemingly-impossible questions --once I even wrote--"who took the baby?" get answered.Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07630366214207785339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-24949101119827960512017-08-24T17:24:12.964-04:002017-08-24T17:24:12.964-04:00WOW, Coralee...that's a method I haven't t...WOW, Coralee...that's a method I haven't tried! And it's fascinating . because it wouldn't specifically TELL you, right? You'd have to interpret it. Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07630366214207785339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-26346059906254806962017-08-24T17:23:05.808-04:002017-08-24T17:23:05.808-04:00That is a great way to think about it...The Gerber...That is a great way to think about it...The Gerber method! Love this...thank you. And yes, it has been WAYYY too long. xooHank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07630366214207785339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-38253750201279292442017-08-24T16:45:37.774-04:002017-08-24T16:45:37.774-04:00Jay, I work that way when I write a short story, t...Jay, I work that way when I write a short story, too. I want it to flow out of me. I'm not sure I could outline something like that. I love that your unpaid editor is Mom. :) My mother would have been mine, had she lived long enough to do so. I think she'd always wanted to be a writer but life got in the way. ~ DarylDaryl a.k.a. Averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14382135011740742170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-24398474337671094352017-08-24T15:46:48.819-04:002017-08-24T15:46:48.819-04:00I'm not a writer of long stories or anything b...I'm not a writer of long stories or anything but when I would write the little stories I sent to my niece on various holidays, I'd write off the top of my head, coming up with the various names of characters on the fly and getting the bare bones situation for why my niece was getting the letter as the words flowed from the finger tips.<br /><br />After I was done, I would then go back and read it to see if (or more accurately, WHAT) I needed to fix, tighten up and add or subtract. Once I found that I was satisfied, I'd then give it to my unpaid editor, aka Mom, who would read it and suggest tweaks.<br /><br />Finally it was done. But the initial writing was where I had the skill/luck to aggravate those around me by coming up with the majority of the story simply by sitting down in front of the computer screen and start typing.Jay Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11409350742317719903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-74462499245578043832017-08-24T14:49:27.633-04:002017-08-24T14:49:27.633-04:00I must ask, was it a pun that the man has "kn...I must ask, was it a pun that the man has "know" clue? Auto-correct can be a nightmare ;-) This is the bane of my existence because even just skimming what you had written here briefly and my eyes automatically focus on the thing that looks out of place. I really enjoy your books and I have read both Avery and Daryl works. You have great talent and it is a pleasure to learn your process in creating these fabulous books!<br />LadyRedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11870521134266852312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-85484398956415110482017-08-24T14:37:50.618-04:002017-08-24T14:37:50.618-04:00Pat, I know lots of people who write the introduct...Pat, I know lots of people who write the introduction last. You first have to figure out what you're proving! I think that often happens with a book, too. The first chapter spills out of me, but it is probably the most "revised" part of the book. You're setting up the story hoping to capture the reader's attention and hold it for another 300 pages. It's got to be gripping, funny, whatever...but good enough to lure them in. ~ Daryl PS Thanks for the compliments on the chats and readings. I have enjoyed doing them all. :)Daryl a.k.a. Averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14382135011740742170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-65546332448185549712017-08-24T14:35:49.395-04:002017-08-24T14:35:49.395-04:00Rebecca, I love to doodle! That's why I need ...Rebecca, I love to doodle! That's why I need an outline. LOL ~ DarylDaryl a.k.a. Averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14382135011740742170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-53415051402541216322017-08-24T14:35:02.540-04:002017-08-24T14:35:02.540-04:00Deborah, I like the spiral notebook idea. I think ...Deborah, I like the spiral notebook idea. I think Sue Grafton has a notebook for every one of her books. (Hank interviewed her when I heard this tidbit.) I type notes on the computer and keep them in a "Notes" file for each book. As for your storyboarding process, that sounds pretty much like my outline. I do revise about 4-5 chapters at a time. Sometimes at chapter 15, I have to reread the whole book to make sure I've stayed on point. I might add "tweaks" at that time that came to me along the way. It is a process, and one I'm thrilled to able to enjoy. ~ DarylDaryl a.k.a. Averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14382135011740742170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-90519006688530637242017-08-24T14:32:18.633-04:002017-08-24T14:32:18.633-04:00Ingrid, thanks for the questions. The setting for ...Ingrid, thanks for the questions. The setting for the new series was my idea. I love Napa Valley and the wine country. My agent suggested a foodie mystery featuring a French bistro, and I lapped it up. Doing the food research for this series has been amazing. One fan said she believes I've stepped up my game as far as my culinary talents go. (I've always been a cook; I think my photography is getting better!) As for the cheese shop, that was my editor's idea. My publisher at the time wanted a story about a cheese shop in Ohio. (She came from Ohio.) So I did a lot of research for that. I had a friend who lived in Ohio and she raved about Holmes County. I visited and toured and enjoyed. As for the cheese, I knew the basics. That was intensive study that my husband and I relished. We must have tasted over 1,000 cheeses during the writing of that series. As for the Cookbook Nook mysteries, I wrote those because I fell in love with a cookbook shop in Virginia and knew that would be my next series. I wanted to write about the coast of California, one of my all-time favorite places, so I created a town and set up shop. Fiction is so much fun! ~ DarylDaryl a.k.a. Averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14382135011740742170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-29134980455133297132017-08-24T14:15:57.646-04:002017-08-24T14:15:57.646-04:00Daryl, thanks. Why did I think Mimi was Charlotte...Daryl, thanks. Why did I think Mimi was Charlotte's grandmother in the Cheese Shop? I am looking forward to Marie's cozy book club too. I get what you mean about SAG. Thanks for the tip re: YouTube Channel. - DianaBibliophilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07764234701385787238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-50945545985513123912017-08-24T14:15:03.228-04:002017-08-24T14:15:03.228-04:00You are a busy lady! I do enjoy your Facebook chat...You are a busy lady! I do enjoy your Facebook chats when I can catch them. It is always great when Sparky makes an appearance. And your mystery book readings are also entertaining. Way back in high school when we had a writing assignment we were required to make an outline first. Okay. Not hard to do. Then write the paper following the outline. I always had trouble with the introduction so I wrote it last. After the paper was finished. Hey. It worked for me.<br />I am looking forward to your new series.Pat Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12732230586783432052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-77062810773438726482017-08-24T13:40:18.713-04:002017-08-24T13:40:18.713-04:00Yes! Signing at the Pen together in Nov - can'...Yes! Signing at the Pen together in Nov - can't wait! XOXOJenn McKinlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214926031147370862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-6201586158769465132017-08-24T13:39:09.179-04:002017-08-24T13:39:09.179-04:00Good for you, Cathy. I so admire people who write ...Good for you, Cathy. I so admire people who write by the seat of their pants, alas, I am not one of them. Welcome to the illusion of order ;)Jenn McKinlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214926031147370862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-31493385778929497402017-08-24T13:37:58.043-04:002017-08-24T13:37:58.043-04:00Lucy - I am the complete opposite. I am outlining ...Lucy - I am the complete opposite. I am outlining more and more with each book. Weird.Jenn McKinlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214926031147370862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-85816020755126098452017-08-24T13:36:37.318-04:002017-08-24T13:36:37.318-04:00And yet, I always try to get it right in one go. L...And yet, I always try to get it right in one go. LOL.Jenn McKinlayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03214926031147370862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-72964357617292665342017-08-24T13:27:14.259-04:002017-08-24T13:27:14.259-04:00I started to write, 'I am a connoisseur of out...I started to write, 'I am a connoisseur of outlines,' but I changed my mind. In a nutshell, that's how I write pretty much everything. <br /> Still, I taught outlining for over thirty years, and I do really love to see anyone's working outlines. I have a "first-chapter-and-last-chapter" sketch-outline of the novel I'm working on now, as well as biographies of major characters. Like Edith, I plan/outline three scenes ahead as I write.<br />May I say, from experience, the "plotter-pantser' binary choice seems a false one, two extremes, neither of which alone will get a novel written. But taken together, with lots of other doodling, voila!Rebeccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14412145712561180422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-65203641619812060912017-08-24T13:23:36.886-04:002017-08-24T13:23:36.886-04:00Hi Daryl! So great to have you here--under any nam...Hi Daryl! So great to have you here--under any name! Everything comes in degrees, doesn't it? I call myself an outliner, but I'm not compared to some writers I know, who outline every scene in every chapter before they write anything.<br /><br />I have to start out knowing who did what, and why, and how. Then I do what I call "storyboarding", which is figuring out the major plot lines and what has to happen to get each one from where the story starts to where I want it to end. Then I do chapter/scene outlining four or five chapters at a time. Any more than that and the story shifts too much for the outline to be useful, although I do usually end up where I meant to go. Does that make sense? I also make loads and loads of notes in a spiral notebook, which I carry up to bed with me at night in case I get those "just before sleep" or "middle of the night" ideas. Some of my best scenes and dialogue start out in that notebook. But I think I'm going to start using my phone to record ideas, as you suggested. <br /><br />Good luck with the new series--can't wait to read it!Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-75338129963162645742017-08-24T13:14:06.954-04:002017-08-24T13:14:06.954-04:00Daryl, Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing ...Daryl, Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your outline approach. I am generally an outliner, but taking a more freeform approach with my WIP. I think one of the things that rings true for all writers is that there is no magic bullet. It's hard work either way, and I don't think one is inherently faster than the other, just that you spend more time on different parts of the process.<br /><br />I'm curious about how you choose the settings for your series. Did a love of cheese lead to your cheese shop series? What was the inspiration for the new book?Ingrid Thofthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04063912686011336076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-53082624331492269412017-08-24T12:20:15.232-04:002017-08-24T12:20:15.232-04:00Whoa, thinking of the outlining involved in a Ken ...Whoa, thinking of the outlining involved in a Ken Follett opus that will run 800 pages and that's just one book of a trilogy. Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14187856103924954287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-61465055571065244732017-08-24T11:48:40.321-04:002017-08-24T11:48:40.321-04:00Mark, I agree. I do like to know where I'm goi...Mark, I agree. I do like to know where I'm going, even on a trip. Though when I hitchhiked around Ireland, I didn't quite know where I was going. Well, I did. There's one main road. But I didn't know how long I would stay in each area. It was quite an adventure - one I should probably write. I'm lucky I survived that trip, and sometimes when I'm writing a novel, I feel lucky (when it's finished) that I survived THAT trip, too. LOL. ~ DarylDaryl a.k.a. Averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14382135011740742170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-6397203846876779172017-08-24T11:47:20.340-04:002017-08-24T11:47:20.340-04:00Ah, hello, Ginger Snap! Love the name. Bet he/she ...Ah, hello, Ginger Snap! Love the name. Bet he/she is that warm honey brown? Sparky is all white and filled with energy. RE: ideas that pop in your head. I keep my cell phone by my bed, and if something comes to me in the middle of the night, I hit the record button and say it out loud. Of course, Sparky thinks I'm nuts, but I don't want to forget things. I'll do that while walking him, too, and while driving (though I pull to the side so I'm not impairing my driving ability). Love recorded conversations! ~ DarylDaryl a.k.a. Averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14382135011740742170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-83647429726061577612017-08-24T11:45:36.886-04:002017-08-24T11:45:36.886-04:00Karen, I know what you mean. Slippery is part of t...Karen, I know what you mean. Slippery is part of the game. But that's when I take my pen to the outline, make notes, change things, and then proceed. It's a road map. Even the roads on a cross country trip can be slipper. Good luck! ~ DarylDaryl a.k.a. Averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14382135011740742170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-24508888018373215552017-08-24T11:42:48.792-04:002017-08-24T11:42:48.792-04:00Hi, Diana, thanks for stopping in. Mimi Rousseau ...Hi, Diana, thanks for stopping in. Mimi Rousseau is her own individual. Charlotte's grandmother in the Cheese Shops was Bernadette Bessette. :) As for Marie's Cozy book club...I'm looking forward to that!! What fun it will be. We're reading Stirring the Plot, the 3rd Cookbook Nook Mystery. And as for acting in my own movie...well, that's just too much work at this point. And Screen Actors Guild prohibits me from working in non-union material. For now, I'll just do my live chats on Facebook (which I do almost every 2 weeks - one this Saturday coming up) and I talk about writing and life and all sorts of fun stuff. That gives me an audience. PS I also did a few live readings of mysteries - they're on my Youtube Channel. Those were fun "acting" sessions, too. ~ DarylDaryl a.k.a. Averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14382135011740742170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-19772724908918242072017-08-24T11:39:46.741-04:002017-08-24T11:39:46.741-04:00Jenn, I've never taught a "workshop"...Jenn, I've never taught a "workshop" per se. I've done a one-hour panel on outlining, which went well. I'm not sure people could handle me talking about screenwriting. I think it requires having sold a screenplay. I created the format TV show "Out of this World," but that doesn't give me expertise, either. As for deadlines...yes, you of all people know about time management. Plus you have teens! Yipes. I don't know how you do it. Thanks for inviting me to participate on Jungle Reds. What a great group this is. Hugs and can't wait to see you in November. ~ DarylDaryl a.k.a. Averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14382135011740742170noreply@blogger.com