tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post8897719209209662370..comments2023-09-05T08:36:25.033-07:00Comments on Author Lisa Gail Green: Write What You KnowLisa Gail Greenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-1422163652198648172011-02-20T08:44:14.479-08:002011-02-20T08:44:14.479-08:00This is great advice. I definitely need to use Goo...This is great advice. I definitely need to use Google maps street view more often. What you said about recreating your experiences and emotions in your story reminds me of Donald Maass' speech at the Writer's Digest Conference last month. He gave us an exercise that had us do just that and it really helped me!Ghenet Myrthilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12621168379560585094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-95243545966212722011-02-18T15:43:32.816-08:002011-02-18T15:43:32.816-08:00Great advice as always, Lisa. It's cool when ...Great advice as always, Lisa. It's cool when research leads you somewhere you didn't know you were going. I love writing the way things SHOULD have been. Two words...High School.Leslie S. Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17122865337924270039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-49939420266507788562011-02-18T09:31:03.978-08:002011-02-18T09:31:03.978-08:00Stina - ROFL I can't personally vouch for Step...Stina - ROFL I can't personally vouch for Stephanie's love life...Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-84172057614872602912011-02-18T09:29:00.286-08:002011-02-18T09:29:00.286-08:00Great post as always, Lisa.
What? You mean Steph...Great post as always, Lisa. <br /><br />What? You mean Stephanie Meyers didn't fall in love with a sparkly vampire and get attacked by a hotter looking vampire (at least in the movie)? :D<br /><br />For the sake of credibility, you definitely have to be careful with your story world, especially when it isn't based on fantasy.Stinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11415189347501942340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-49445560849257275102011-02-17T14:49:29.360-08:002011-02-17T14:49:29.360-08:00Kathy - I love it when the characters take on a li...Kathy - I love it when the characters take on a life of their own and surprise me!<br /><br />Megan - Dont' let yourself get sidetracked too much! Sit down and force yourself to write (even if you think it's awful) for a half an hour. That usually helps me. :DLisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-23179081289640976382011-02-17T14:30:15.677-08:002011-02-17T14:30:15.677-08:00Great post. The quality of verisimilitude is very ...Great post. The quality of verisimilitude is very important in fiction - even when the setting is an imagined world. I tend to get a little lost in research too. My WIP hasn't made much progress lately.Megan Frances Abrahamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02259684930983493989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-39907020017140117812011-02-17T13:52:23.670-08:002011-02-17T13:52:23.670-08:00I agree. It's about using emotional details, a...I agree. It's about using emotional details, and what you know (or learn) about how things/places/systems work, and using that to build your own world, which ends up coming to life in ways you could not predict. :)Kathy McCulloughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02241700558365544977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-4977860665418572892011-02-17T11:42:09.557-08:002011-02-17T11:42:09.557-08:00Ack, yes! The research is fun - but luckily the w...Ack, yes! The research is fun - but luckily the writing is (you thought I was gonna say "funner" didn't you?) Seriously though, it's a good idea to research first because if you goof and something pivotal hitches on that one thing... I hate having to restructure!Lisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-70117715694101760262011-02-17T11:23:18.084-08:002011-02-17T11:23:18.084-08:00Good point about going with experiences we've ...Good point about going with experiences we've had an extrapolating them. <br /><br />I'm writing a historical fantasy right now, good advice about Not writing what you DON't now. It's really scary writing about a place and time I've never been (Greece, AD 340). In my first draft I am doing a lot of extrapolating from experience! Next draft: sticking in realistic bits from research. Hopefully.Margo Berendsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03476308235642890474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-72152792183584695382011-02-17T10:48:57.517-08:002011-02-17T10:48:57.517-08:00So true. When I wrote my military story I spent a...So true. When I wrote my military story I spent a lot of time researching the culture and maps of the base before even starting. The research was fun, and yes, I could easily get sidetracked while doing it. I've never caught an error in an author's book, but watching a firefighting movie with my husband is torture. He catches every wrong detail.Julie Musilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02150454913885915017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-73239503605781678332011-02-17T08:51:26.380-08:002011-02-17T08:51:26.380-08:00You're right, Lisa, when you say it's all ...You're right, Lisa, when you say it's all about balance. Lots of research, but only the details or impressions drawn from those details need to go into the writing. <br /><br />One danger for me is that I love research and I can lose myself in it. When I look up after hours online or in the library I've learned a lot, but written very little that's new!cleemckenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15456109243453726483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-76853823851069149662011-02-17T08:45:24.559-08:002011-02-17T08:45:24.559-08:00Susan - but that's a whole different situation...Susan - but that's a whole different situation, and what it means is your characters are coming to life. So good job!! :DLisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-65285686537897443642011-02-17T08:40:27.704-08:002011-02-17T08:40:27.704-08:00You know what scary...when you start to talk in re...You know what scary...when you start to talk in real life as if your paranormal creature truly does exist! They become so real to me. But, you're absolutely right. It's the emotions and characters that have to ring true.<br /><br />And thanks Laura for the info about Google earth giving names of businesses if you hover! I didn't know that. Off to research!....S.P. Sipalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17943968424012034217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-81763434001114025772011-02-17T07:42:43.192-08:002011-02-17T07:42:43.192-08:00Glad to see I'm not the only one who uses thes...Glad to see I'm not the only one who uses these tools! What did writers do before the internet? LOLLisa Gail Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03648323153868702165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-1983062461535397992011-02-17T05:29:28.179-08:002011-02-17T05:29:28.179-08:00You're so right about doing your research! Tha...You're so right about doing your research! Thanks for the reminder--my WIP involves some research and sometimes it's tempting to fudge details a little in the name of "fiction."Jesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14121018905141253640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-54911072069169970602011-02-17T04:51:44.184-08:002011-02-17T04:51:44.184-08:00Wonderful post, writing what you know is always be...Wonderful post, writing what you know is always best. Inconsistencies come through in the writing if you don't. However, research helps to smooth over the areas that you may not know well to put the writer into character or a setting.LM Prestonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16624508396760965680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-66155647726440121692011-02-17T03:54:15.446-08:002011-02-17T03:54:15.446-08:00Google earth and the street view has been the best...Google earth and the street view has been the best ever. I think it was created just for writers. Especially when you hover over a main street and it gives the names of businesses! Love it. And I agree it's writing what you know is about the emotion!Laura Paulinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06503090226508079501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6734108232999147338.post-55758773187665794492011-02-17T03:49:15.071-08:002011-02-17T03:49:15.071-08:00Great post--I use google street view and realty li...Great post--I use google street view and realty listings as well, because they help me visualize the setting. It's also pretty amazing what you can find with a simple google search--makes research a lot easier!Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06636585111057799728noreply@blogger.com