Re: RARA-AVIS: writing noir fast

From: Charlie Williams ( cs_will@hotmail.com)
Date: 09 Oct 2007


Anyone here tried this? I've always meant to have a crack. Methinks a very different kind of novel would come out the other end.

Charlie

---------- charliewilliams.net

--- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, Patrick King <abrasax93@...> wrote:
>
> Well, the classic method is: Rent a room in a seedy
> motel or hotel for 72 hours. Bring three bottles of
> rhye whiskey, a can of instant coffee, and a PLOT.
> Don't start with characters. Come up with a good plot
> and let the characters fill themselves in. If you're
> writing a whodunit, figure out what happened and how
> it will be resolved, then tell it, starting in the
> middle, from the point of view of someone coming into
> the story with no previous information about the
> circumstances. Write for 72 hours with only bathroom
> breaks until the book is complete, then go to sleep.
> Don't re-read until it's finished. Now go through it
> for inconsistencies and places where the whole thing
> falls apart or where the action breaks down. Cut out
> 10% of everything you've written. Knock off anything
> that isn't exciting or titilating. If you're uncertain
> of any chapter. Rewrite it without reference to the
> original and see which one works best. Then let a
> trusted third party read it and see if they think it
> works and what changes they'd like to see. Consider
> what they say and make the changes that seem logical
> and send it off. The publisher or agent will have
> their own ideas. Don't turn in a MS less than 300
> pages for todays market, so shoot for a first draft of
> at least 330 pages, so you'll have that 10% to cut. If
> you're going to write fast you have to keep your will
> strong on the project. Block distractions. No cell
> phone, no pets, no musical instruments including ipods
> or radios or tvs. Don't tell your friends and
> relatives where you are. Just tell them you'll be
> unreachable for 72 hours. Unless you're a certified
> alcoholic, alter your consciousness while you work.
> It's what all the best of them did. Why argue with
> success? Good luck!
>
> Patrick King
> --- Don Lee <donthepoet@...> wrote:
>
> > I am about to do the November novel writing contest,
> > and I am going to write a noir novel, so I have been
> > reading the Hard Case Crime books and otherwise just
> > immersing myself in the whole mindset. Does anyone
> > reading this have any pointers for writing noir
> > fast,
> > or know any good links, or just have any feedback at
> > all? Am shooting for 50K words, and have Nov. 1st to
> > the end of the month to finish it.
> >
> > Don
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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