Comments on: ISBW #56 – Nancy Kress Interview

By: This Summer « Level One Writer

This Summer « Level One Writer — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:33:00 +0000

[...] characters. I haven’t read any of her other stuff, but she’s come highly recommended by Mur Lafferty, a writer that I trust. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)How To Write A Story – [...]

By: Mig

Mig — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 18:41:38 +0000

I liked the advise you gave the fellow who’d discussed his world building and WIP with his lady friend and was troubled that she came up with so many story ideas while could’t. But I think you missed an important point. I thought that his unstated real problem was that he shouldn’t have been discussing the details of his WIP with her in the first place. I like Stephen King’s and other writer’s advise that you should not discuss with anyone your WIP until after it is done, that includes all the rewriting. Discussing the project threatens discouragement and getting sidetracked by other people’s input. Exactly what happened to your listener. If anyone should keep his WIP to himself, it was this guy.

By: Kat

Kat — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 13:46:00 +0000

Hey there.
I just randomly searched “writing” and found your blog.
I feel im very much in the same boat as you about writing except im not at the point where you are with the freelance.

By: tribalecho

tribalecho — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 04:39:52 +0000

Hi Mur. I just found Escape Pod and listened to your Christmas story. I loved it.

As one who has suffered 44 years of writer's block, I"m vaguely uncomfortable to have found your blog.

Ho, ho, ho. And a Merry, that holiday that I used to sorta like still despite the crass commercialism, until the right wingnuts ruined it for everyone.

By: Dave T

Dave T — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 21:40:35 +0000

Very inspiring and encouraging interview. Thanks, Mur, and keep plugging away on the book. I’m sure you’ll get it soon.

By: Dr. Lisa

Dr. Lisa — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 14:08:14 +0000

Imagine a short, round woman with grey hair and glasses doing the little DJ hand-hovering gesture to accompany this: "Go, go, Mur....Go, go, Mur...Go, go Mur."

It's a marathon, and you are really close to the end; the rest of us are handing you virtual cups of Gatorade to drink.

Happy holidays, too, and congratulations on getting this far.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 02:21:57 +0000

It was Neil Gaiman who worked on several project. – L-M

By: Bryan

Bryan — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 20:19:44 +0000

I have a suggestion for your caller who has 50k of his novel and doesn't know where to go from there. I was in a similar boat after Nano and looking for a way to beef up the count and make a more satisfying read.

Look for areas of possible conflict. Whether it is characters or the world in general, seek out differences and stresses where you can put things into question and create tension. Look for ways to keep people guessing and keep things unresolved.

In my fantasy novel, I had the problem of having one race of people that got along a little too well with each other. I realized this is completely unrealistic. Eutopias are boring. Even a profoundly just and ecological society is going to have factions and tensions. By exploring these possibilites, the culture became so much more rich and believable.

By: Graham

Graham — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 12:45:06 +0000

The way Mrs. Kress writes sans plan sounds like the way I write. So I’ll be picking up one of her books at the earliest oportunity. Now, just have to write a story as good as Beggars In Spain…

By: Cameron

Cameron — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 03:16:14 +0000

This was a very timely podcast for me.

I like the sound of Nancy