Tuesday, June 25, 2013

In A Nutshell

sxc.hu
"A story is a tale with a beginning, a middle, and an end. It's a quest...Whether it's returning to Kansas (Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz) or killing the witch (Hansel and Gretel), this journey is the story, the plot, the means by which your characters' strengths and weaknesses are unveiled, his or her lessons learned." --Barbara Shapiro



That's it in a nutshell. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it?

I for one am looking for a super-duper novel-writing nutcracker. What kitchen gadget do you think would help you on your quest to "crack" the story code?

_____________________________________

12 comments:

  1. A bottle opener? Pop the cap and see what fizzes out?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love it! Thanks, Elizabeth. I'll add bottle opener to my story writing tools :-)

      Delete
  2. A simple knife. Writing a novel is very much the same as "peeling the onion," and so you need a knife to slice into each successive layer. You also need an onion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, a knife--and the onion. You have to grow the idea before peeling back its layers. Thanks, Cathy :-) My kitchen drawer of writing tools is getting well stocked!

      Delete
  3. Maybe a long-handled spoon - as in "mix well." :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, a spoon! Thanks to you, too, Peggy, for adding to my kitchen drawer :-) Now it looks like I need a coffee maker on my counter, as in let all these ideas *percolate* to come up with a good story brew...

      Oh, dear. Getting too carried away here???

      Enjoy the rest of the week!

      Delete
  4. How about a corkscrew - to add the twists in the story. :) It's the only thing I could think of to get the twist part, since I love doing those myself. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Another great suggestion, Kimberly :-) I like trying to figure out twists, too, but haven't gotten that far yet in my latest work, so I definitely need a corkscrew. Thanks for the idea!

      Delete
  5. Okay, it's not a "gadget" per se, but we have to add a recipe - AKA, storyboard???? (I love metaphors.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha, ha--keep the ideas coming! A recipe/storyboard is a definite need in this writer's kitchen :-)

      Delete
  6. Uh...how about a jello mold? A story needs to gel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fantastic suggestion, Sharon, thank you for adding to the "collection"! I'll never look at a jello mold the same again... :-)

      This has been such fun. Have a great weekend.

      Delete