Dear friends, This is the place for you to share your thoughts about my books as well as your tips on writing. Please don't use this as a forum to discuss works by other authors, pro or con. There are plenty of places you can go for general book discussions. I'd like this to be a friendly place where you can get to know others who enjoy my books. Stir up a little controversy if something in a book bugged you, as long as it's done in a reasonably gentle way. Feel free to ask questions of me and each other. I'll sign on as frequently as possible to answer your questions. Okay, then...jump in anytime. Sherryl

Subject: "Set the scene"

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Sherryl Member since Mar-19-03 206 posts Mar-20-03, 11:42 AM (EST)   "Set the scene"   How important do you think the setting is to establishing the tone of a book? What elements go into making the setting work? Are there particular settings that you just can't resist? And why? Just a few things for all of you to think about and chime in on.   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Subject	Author	Message Date	ID
Set the scene [View All]	Sherryl	Mar-20-03	TOP
RE: Set the scene	Marie	Apr-01-03	1
RE: Set the scene	Sherryl	Apr-05-03	2
RE: Set the scene	msavoy	Apr-07-03	3
RE: Set the scene	Sherryl	Apr-07-03	4
RE: Set the scene	msavoy	Apr-08-03	5
RE: Set the scene	Sherryl	Apr-09-03	6
RE: Set the scene	msavoy	Apr-10-03	7
RE: Set the scene	Sherryl	Apr-11-03	8
RE: Set the scene	Marie	Apr-15-03	9
RE: Set the scene	Marmc	Jun-16-03	10
RE: Set the scene	noel	Oct-17-03	11
RE: Set the scene	Sherryl	Oct-25-03	13
RE: Set the scene	noel	Nov-18-03	15
RE: Set the scene	noel again	Oct-17-03	12
RE: Set the scene	Sherryl	Oct-25-03	14
RE: Set the scene	noel	Dec-10-03	16

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Marie guest Apr-01-03, 05:47 PM (EST)   1. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #0      I guess I am partial to settings that involve water ... probably because I was born in Savannah and grew up in King George! I always loved Fairview Beach and Colonial Beach! I even spent many a Saturday at Westmoreland State Park! We use to skip school in the spring and head to Colonial Beach! That was like the “city” to us! I haven't been home in twenty years...can't imagine the changes! I must admit that I never thought about using King George as a setting but you have me thinking otherwise. I can see an interesting dinner teaching someone how to eat steamed crabs. I loved your comments in the Fredericksburg newspaper about writing a story set in a western location -– even though your experience only extended to the Dallas-Ft Worth airport! Like you, I think that the characters make the story and the setting is only a backdrop. I love to write and recently took some fiction writing classes at the local community college but my husband says that was just a stall tactic on my part! He keeps telling me to stop reading and write. I have recently joined RWA and my local chapter (Heart of Carolina). I have two short drafts that need alot of editing and expanding and one that is about half way complete…any advice other than “shut up and write”?   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Sherryl Member since Mar-19-03 206 posts Apr-05-03, 06:18 AM (EST)   2. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #1   Marie... I love that you've lived in "my" area and know the setting of some of my books so well. You really do need to come back for a visit. The area's changing by the minute. As for how to motivate yourself to write, I think that it varies from author to author. Don't ever let anyone tell you that there's only one way to do it. If the problem is time, challenge yourself to write only one page a day. In a year, you have over 300 pages...even with weekends off. If the problem is not quite knowing where to take your story next, get a pad of paper and try brainstorming...just jotting down any idea that comes to you for something that could challenge the characters, add to the conflict and so on. I've read, I believe in an article by Linda Lael Miller, that you need to come up with maybe 20 ideas so that you stop thinking logically and start getting totally creative. It's even better if you can get some friends to help you. I've tried this with a writer's group and the ideas get fairly wild once the internal censor turns off and the creative juices flow. Next time I'm back on here, I'll add a couple of tips about writing a synopsis that can also work wonders when it comes to motivating you to keep writing.   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

msavoy Member since Apr-1-03 4 posts Apr-07-03, 08:39 AM (EST)   3. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #2      Sherryl: I got a copy of Amazing Gracie from the library this weekend and just started it. I love the line about driving through King George and about the only excitement was the stop light at 205! I am really enjoying it! Thanks for the advice...it is a time issue. With a family and a full time job (and my love for reading) it is just a matter of making time! Ideas are not my problem - my head is full of them! Marie   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Sherryl Member since Mar-19-03 206 posts Apr-07-03, 02:18 PM (EST)   4. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #3   Marie...Alas, that tidbit is dated. There are FOUR stoplights in King George now. That's growth for you. The time factor is a tricky one, especially when you are juggling so many things. When I first started, I was fortunate enough to work a job that allowed me to work four long -- okay, seemingly endless -- days, then take three off. I only wrote on those three days, but I found that some of my most creative time was driving to and from work, so by the weekend I always had lots of little notes as starting points. When I began to write fulltime, I had to build that thinking time back into my schedule in some other way. Another tip...I believe strongly in writing a book start to finish as fast as you can. In other words, no censoring, no editing along the way. I think that gives the story an energy than can be lost if you keep laboring over the same sentence, paragraph or chapter for too long. THEN on the next draft, take the time to flesh out the story, polish up the language and so on. When I first start a book, I will go back to chapter one and read it through before writing each day till I'm up to chapter three or so. From that point on, though, I only read and fiddle with what I wrote the day before. That has two benefits...I'm always moving forward and not going over and over the same material AND by the time I am ready to polish, I have some distance from those early chapters and can more readily see mistakes. And one last tip, if you don't belong to a critique group, think of joining one. It's not necessarily for the insights you might gain into your book, but because it will force you to have a few pages or so done for every meeting. I have a small writers' group at my store and several of them have finished a book a year, just by having to be ready for those every-other-week meetings. And I haven't forgotten the promise to talk about synopses and how those can help. Next time...   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

msavoy Member since Apr-1-03 4 posts Apr-08-03, 01:08 PM (EST)   5. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #4      Sherryl: I am plowing through Amazing Gracie and loving it! You have me revisiting a lot of memories. My parents had a boat that they kept at the marina at Colonial Beach years ago and I remember taking it out and we would go to a restaurant somewhere - we would pull up and dock and eat crabs - for hours! I think I remember hearing something about a fire at that damaged the mariana a few years back...sound familiar? I also remember a hotel - I think it might have been in Fairfiew Beach (I think I am getting the two beaches mixed up in my memories) but it was big and white and sat up on a grassy hill overlooking the water. I am sure it is not nearly as big or grand as I remember! With regard to change...I remember the year I went off to college the 7-11 arrived at the intersection of Rt. 3 and Inst. 301. We thought we had "arrived"!! It was not long after that the Stuckey's closed....progress - I guess! Thanks for all the great advise! I do have another question for you...If you are writing a scene and you are using a crab house for example, you change the name from the real place, say "Tim's" to a fictitious place, say "Charlie's"? When do you use the real names versus fictitious names? Are the real names only the towns, etc. for reference? Do you ever have to get permission to use a name? Thanks Sherryl! It's great being able to chat with you like this! Marie   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Sherryl Member since Mar-19-03 206 posts Apr-09-03, 10:47 AM (EST)   6. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #5   Marie...Actually your memory is pretty good. The hotel was here, up on the top of a hill facing the Potomac River. Very historical and I always thought very charming, but it was knocked down many years ago. We now do lots of town events on that hill. As for the marina fire, there was a huge one last year that destroyed not only the docks but many very valuable yachts. It was tragic, but the rebuilding is underway and it's going to be better than ever. As for when to use real names versus fictional ones. I use fictional ones if they're actually a place that's central to the plot because I don't want to get some detail wrong or make the real owners furious, etc. I tend to use the names of real places to set a scene or add some point of reference to the story. Thus Wilkerson's restaurant, a longtime crab place in town, appears as a mention in ASK ANYONE, but the restaurant where everyone always gathers in that Trinity Harbor series is fictional. Other authors may choose to do it differently. And my rule of thumb is to never use a real place if there is to be any negative connotation attached to it in the book. Seems to me like a good way to get sued.   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

msavoy Member since Apr-1-03 4 posts Apr-10-03, 08:28 AM (EST)   7. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #6      Sherryl - How funny! I am reading Amazing Gracie right now and last night I read how Aunt Deliah almost bought the old Colonial Beach Hotel before it was torn down! I remember Wilkerson's - they had a crab newburg that was to die for! So what should I read next - Ask Anyone? Marie   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Sherryl Member since Mar-19-03 206 posts Apr-11-03, 10:47 AM (EST)   8. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #7   Marie... Hopefully you'll get suggestions from others in the other forum, but I'd suggest you read the other two Trinity Harbor books -- ABOUT THAT MAN and ASK ANYONE. More familiar turf for you.   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Marie guest Apr-15-03, 01:18 PM (EST)   9. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #8      Sherryl: I am half way through Ask Anyone! It's great. I now understand the incident prompting the youth center in Here Comes Trouble. Yes -- the familiar turf is great! I'm enjoying it more than I can tell you. It's so funny. Growing up there, in such a small town, I couldn't wait to get away and I certainly never would have thought of using the area as a setting. But now, thanks to you (and the fact that I am a few years wiser), I remember some wonderful things about the area. THANKS!   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Marmc guest Jun-16-03, 10:37 PM (EST)   10. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #9      So, have any of you guys, including Sherryl's book club folks published yet? If so, let us know.   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

noel guest Oct-17-03, 08:46 AM (EST)   11. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #10      hey sherryl! i love your book 'Flamingo diner'! its awesome! i am reading it for a school report and when i give my speech i know that everyone with want to read it too. I am 14 years old and i write poems all the time that my friends and teachers think are great! i am a bookworm and just started to get into your books!   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Sherryl Member since Mar-19-03 206 posts Oct-25-03, 07:50 AM (EST)   13. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #11   Hi Noel.... It's wonderful that you're a bookworm. I was, too, at your age and still am. I can't imagine not having a book with me at all times. Hope you continue to write poetry, too. That takes a very unique and special talent. So much emotion gets packed into so few words. I could never do it. It's fabulous that you can. Nurture that talent.   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

noel guest Nov-18-03, 11:26 AM (EST)   15. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #13      hey! i just got done with flamingo Diner and it was AWESOME! i dont know how you do it sherrly but wow it was just cool. it really spoke to me and has helped me a lot because i am goin through family issues right now. thanks   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

noel again guest Oct-17-03, 10:41 AM (EST)   12. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #0      i was just wondering how you a\started out writing? i mean did you do a lot of it in high school or what? i was just wondering!   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

Sherryl Member since Mar-19-03 206 posts Oct-25-03, 07:53 AM (EST)   14. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #12   Noel, actually writing was the furthest thing from my mind in high school. I hated doing essays, though I knew I had some skill at writing "around" the facts I didn't know on tests. Even when I went into journalism at Ohio State, I planned to do graphic design. But life takes interesting twists and here I am, almost a hundred books later. No one is more surprised than I am.   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

noel guest Dec-10-03, 11:28 AM (EST)   16. "RE: Set the scene" In response to message #14      hey there sherryl! For my english class we are making books. i am finished already and everything and everyone says its awesome. But i dont think it is. so i judge my writing on what i think or on what other think? Just wondering. New year i am going to be wrting with our school newspaper and i really want to do it but it seems like so much work. i mean the style books get so confusing plus i cant spell as you can probablly see. do you use and A.P. style book in write books or not? i'm just wondering on that too. thanks Noel   Alert | IP Printer-friendly page | Edit | Reply | Reply With Quote | Top

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