tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post7646761851169861400..comments2023-12-09T00:33:24.572-08:00Comments on Novel Matters: The Cruciformity of Storytelling- A Novel Matters VideoBonnie Grovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-56508710066979448562011-06-08T12:39:55.809-07:002011-06-08T12:39:55.809-07:00Latayne,
Funny thing is, I feel that way too!Latayne,<br /><br />Funny thing is, I feel that way too!Steve Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02332880875202358601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-55187095303921453932011-06-08T05:30:57.052-07:002011-06-08T05:30:57.052-07:00Precious Bonnie, you on whom I have only laid my e...Precious Bonnie, you on whom I have only laid my eyes that one time. I like others could hardly hear your words for just looking on you. <br /><br />I hate to say that it reminds me of something I've written (wish somehow I could quote someone else, but...) I wrote a poem years ago about leaving a place I dearly loved, and one line in it echoed as I watched your video:<br /><br />My eyes are greedy. I cannot see enough.Latayne C Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06133535124591010838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-36977040982024929172011-06-08T05:28:38.272-07:002011-06-08T05:28:38.272-07:00Marian, I am proud of you for being disciplined en...Marian, I am proud of you for being disciplined enough to use the Marshall Plan. And I wonder if the problem you're feeling with your WIP could be helped with some of Evan Marshall's advice: Put everyone into danger. Raise the stakes earlier. If the baby is in the way, put the baby into peril. (We all understand I'm talking about a fictional baby, right?) Give every character or situation which is annoying you a higher price tag.<br /><br />Let us know how you deal with this problem. And blessings on you.Latayne C Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06133535124591010838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-51537495199402203362011-06-07T17:24:01.388-07:002011-06-07T17:24:01.388-07:00Marian: It's nearly impossible to know what th...Marian: It's nearly impossible to know what there is a market for out there anymore. ;)<br />At the end of the day, you're the master of your manuscript. What does your gut tell you about your story? Deep down, you know what you need to do with it. Getting to that might take some digging, might take some time, but it's worth the effort. I think the fact that you hate the novel is telling you something. It is difficult to do this kind of assessment. We're cheering you on!Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-38995548967693920782011-06-07T07:34:47.908-07:002011-06-07T07:34:47.908-07:00I know this is not exactly on topic, but I have a ...I know this is not exactly on topic, but I have a question and I know you ladies at Novel Matters have a lot of collective wisdom and have maybe experienced something like this....<br />I haven't had time or motivation to write lately so my novel in progress has just been sitting for several months. Today I finally started writing again. To do that I had to read what I have written. I've written about 80 pages and I've plotted out the whole novel...according to "The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing."<br />I hate this novel. I would never choose to read a book like this. It's almost sappy and the characters are shallow and I don't care about them. And, there is a baby in this book. She keeps getting in the way with her diapers and crying and sleeping, but she is essential to the plot. What would you advise in a situation like this? <br />Maybe I could change the tone. Is there a market for comic melodrama?Marianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990101542996298555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-62135744952330722232011-06-07T05:13:12.175-07:002011-06-07T05:13:12.175-07:00Yes to the bloopers reel at the end of the year! T...Yes to the bloopers reel at the end of the year! That would be hilarious.<br /><br />Megan, you totally weren't the only one... please refer to my comment...Karen @ a house full of sunshinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17787916466155321686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-26748592142426554182011-06-06T20:27:44.954-07:002011-06-06T20:27:44.954-07:00Katy: I feel the same way about working with you. ...Katy: I feel the same way about working with you. You ALWAYS keep me thinking.<br /><br />Sharon, I agree, you hit this note well in your just finished project. The authenticity rings clear on every page. Mwah<br /><br />Megan: You are very kind to say such sweet things. Interestingly, my voice makes my husband sleepy. If I read to him for more than a minute, he's out! Funny thing about my Canadian accent. I don't think I have an accent. A few years ago I was in California at a writer's conference and all the Americans were saying, "I love your accent!" I kept saying, "Thanks! I don't have one." Seems I do.Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-10166925524898478272011-06-06T15:33:15.593-07:002011-06-06T15:33:15.593-07:00I wasn't going to say anything because it was ...I wasn't going to say anything because it was just a bit embarrassing to admit, but I'm probably not the only one. I was really struck by the beauty of your voice Bonnie, and found is so distracting I couldn't take in anything you said!<br /><br />Oh, and you sound VERY Canadian, and I feel quite pleased that I'm really not crazy in imagining that Canadians talk different. <br /><br />So there you go. Thank you. 'll read it soon and make sense of the content too : )Megan Sayerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15410068162701570057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-33535194816948899932011-06-06T14:55:40.727-07:002011-06-06T14:55:40.727-07:00Bonnie, I loved this! Loved seeing you, loved what...Bonnie, I loved this! Loved seeing you, loved what you said. I think the manuscript I just completed -- a difficult 2-year project -- was that kind of story for me. Hard? Whoa! I can't even tell you. But I think I went deep, and didn't hide from the light. But I'm glad it's finished.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-28061715267805826872011-06-06T14:35:15.973-07:002011-06-06T14:35:15.973-07:00This really was amazing, wasn't it? Working wi...This really was amazing, wasn't it? Working with Bonnie is an inspiring, mind expanding experience.Kathleen Popahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03682046279211463305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-75904064307196836232011-06-06T13:56:42.584-07:002011-06-06T13:56:42.584-07:00Christa: Thank you, my friend! Anytime you want to...Christa: Thank you, my friend! Anytime you want to chew something over. . . :)<br /><br />Ariel: Mwah! Back at ya.Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-83065677578686578032011-06-06T13:55:43.868-07:002011-06-06T13:55:43.868-07:00Jan: I so understand what you mean by "hiding...Jan: I so understand what you mean by "hiding". We hide from ourselves all the time. Poking around feels strange at first, then liberating, then becomes the only option. I'm still working toward the goal of absolute truth to myself. Glad for the company.<br /><br />Meg: Very nice. And very true. The beloved outcast also speaks, I think, to the very human idea of tribe-making and exclusiveness, rather than throwing the doors open to each other and inviting people in on their terms. If God is love, then where is our beloved community? Who have excluded? How do we let that person in?Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-66368914206918691142011-06-06T12:47:24.862-07:002011-06-06T12:47:24.862-07:00Ah, I love you Bonnie.Ah, I love you Bonnie.Ariel Allison Lawhonhttp://www.arielallison.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-74805829485087537762011-06-06T12:30:12.313-07:002011-06-06T12:30:12.313-07:00Your voice is as soothing and passionate as your w...Your voice is as soothing and passionate as your writing. <br /><br />I feel like I just sat down at an all you can eat buffet...but I have to start one choice, one bite at a time.Christa Allanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12620389675433700944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-28383090420699422592011-06-06T12:11:40.167-07:002011-06-06T12:11:40.167-07:00I'll try to explain why I love that phrase, &q...I'll try to explain why I love that phrase, "beloved outcast." <br /><br />Adam and Eve? Beloved outcasts.<br /><br />Zacchaeus? A beloved outcast.<br /><br />The prodigal son? A beloved outcast.<br /><br />The woman at the well? A beloved outcast.<br /><br />The thief on the cross? A beloved outcast.<br /><br />Even Jesus, when He cried out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me" was a beloved outcast. <br /><br />When you combine those two words, you show the pain of sin and the beauty of redemption, all in one person. It's not profound, but it sure does make me want to dig deeper.Meg Moseleyhttp://www.megmoseley.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-10503395403188135402011-06-06T09:00:40.112-07:002011-06-06T09:00:40.112-07:00Bonnie, this message is an eyeopener for me. I hav...Bonnie, this message is an eyeopener for me. I have struggled with finding realism in my characters. I think it comes from my own hiding. It's always about going deeper and throwing off the fear of reality. My new blog moto is "a heart out of hiding" and now, hearing you say all this, it makes even more sense. <br />Thank you...as always a great post. <br />JanJan Clinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16617976979678082323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-79819707016296560372011-06-06T08:09:51.845-07:002011-06-06T08:09:51.845-07:00Marian: Ah the application of it all. It takes a l...Marian: Ah the application of it all. It takes a lifetime to perfect, I suspect. But that's the fun, too. :)<br /><br />Susie: Being startled by your own work! That HAS to be an amazing feeling. When it shakes the writer up, rattles your cage in unexpected ways, you KNOW you're onto something bigger than what you started out after.Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-79805840660484667382011-06-06T08:07:58.847-07:002011-06-06T08:07:58.847-07:00Karen: Aw shucks, woman. You make me blush. So gla...Karen: Aw shucks, woman. You make me blush. So glad you enjoyed the post. It's was hilarious to make, really. So many bloopers. I think if NM keeps making these (hint, hint ladies!), we'll have to show a bloopers reel at the end of the year. :) <br />All fiction (and I think "Christian fiction" suffers from this in particular), we need to keep in mind that there IS a smorgasbord of moral choices out there. Our goal isn't to turn a blind eye--it's to shine a light.<br /><br />Meg: I too have been thinking about the beloved outcast a lot lately. Once you've pulled some thoughts together, I'd love to hear your thoughts.<br /><br />Wendy: Thank you! I'm learning to trust the story more and more--and in this, I'm learning that I need to reach for the story that I don't believe I can actually write. The one that is bigger than my ability. In this, I think, is my hardest lesson of letting go of what I think the message of any story should be.Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-62575969640700913922011-06-06T07:27:48.260-07:002011-06-06T07:27:48.260-07:00I love this format! I felt like I was sitting acro...I love this format! I felt like I was sitting across the table from you. <br /><br />I think I may have experienced what you described the other day. I'm working on a collection of short stories. Well, I battled against one of the stories. It got bloody and ugly for a few moments. I've never struggled so hard while writing. But when it was done I knew that it was truth. It startled me a little.<br /><br />Thank you for putting words to our lives in this art!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-43213929655258750382011-06-06T06:15:39.849-07:002011-06-06T06:15:39.849-07:00That makes sense. Now to apply it.That makes sense. Now to apply it.Marianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990101542996298555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-39216507631552192502011-06-06T06:14:30.166-07:002011-06-06T06:14:30.166-07:00The eloquence you speak with, Bonnie completely ca...The eloquence you speak with, Bonnie completely captivated me. This is so utterly beautiful!<br /><br />So many things I will come back here to quote in the future. I love the part about the storyteller abandoning her message in order to explore God’s message.<br /><br />This is a powerful message, made even more so by the reading of it.<br />~ WendyWendy Paine Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15136235074351188350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-11030480112406768052011-06-06T05:02:50.800-07:002011-06-06T05:02:50.800-07:00This brought tears to my eyes. It's all beauti...This brought tears to my eyes. It's all beautiful, but the two words that gripped me every time I read them were "beloved outcast." Look at the contrast between those two concepts. I can't articulate exactly why, but I know I'll be thinking about it all day. Thank you.Meg Moseleyhttp://www.megmoseley.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-38825383991987032362011-06-06T04:23:11.239-07:002011-06-06T04:23:11.239-07:00Oh, my. Bonnie, so lovely to see and hear you. I c...Oh, my. Bonnie, so lovely to see and hear you. I can't believe how... okay, this is going to sound weird... but how beautiful and how <i>articulate</i> you are!! I actually sat in front of my laptop completely transfixed by all those amazing words just rippling out of your mouth. Then I had to go back and read the transcript in order to process everything you said.<br /><br />I'm still in awe. Seriously. I mean, I know writers are supposed to be good with words and everything, but there's some sort of faulty wiring between my brain and my mouth. I could never do what you just did.<br /><br />Anyhow... I loved everything you said. Particularly the bit about characters revealing the various facets of moral choice. And every other single word you uttered as well.<br /><br />=)Karen @ a house full of sunshinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17787916466155321686noreply@blogger.com