tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post4911271452175692990..comments2024-02-23T02:45:27.134-08:00Comments on Brodi Ashton: The Awesomeness that is the First Draft: The Top Three Crappy Things I do in First DraftsBrodi Ashtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13895732483547245372noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-58300926029021160532011-07-15T10:38:37.808-07:002011-07-15T10:38:37.808-07:00Jenni- Maybe google reader judges my posts. And it...Jenni- Maybe google reader judges my posts. And it determined this one wasn't worth your time. Glad you found it!Brodi Ashtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13895732483547245372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-81928568660106293202011-07-15T10:36:02.172-07:002011-07-15T10:36:02.172-07:00How did I miss this post? Seriously, I think my Go...How did I miss this post? Seriously, I think my Google Reader is hiding posts from me.<br /><br />"The cool air washed over me like a donkey in heat, high on huffing glue." - LOL. This sounds like something I'd say in real life. I mix up, make up, slaughter, however you want to describe it, metaphors all the time!Jenni Elysehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08403700912436098391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-62189661870348079312011-07-11T16:08:30.698-07:002011-07-11T16:08:30.698-07:00Olivia- The key is to stop making your characters ...Olivia- The key is to stop making your characters so happy. It solves the smiling problem. Kill some people off. That'll make 'em frown.Brodi Ashtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13895732483547245372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-15754616642166553992011-07-11T16:03:57.369-07:002011-07-11T16:03:57.369-07:00Yeah, here I thought you were going to tell me how...Yeah, here I thought you were going to tell me how to fix these problems. Espeically the smile problem. Please oh please... everyone in my book is smiling too & it's all terrible!! Save me Brodi, tell me how to fix this!Olivia Carterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14215218666225556567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-6818453005938636462011-07-11T15:21:32.463-07:002011-07-11T15:21:32.463-07:00FictionFairy- You totally made my week with that r...FictionFairy- You totally made my week with that review! :)Brodi Ashtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13895732483547245372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-13588506471976954342011-07-11T14:25:15.767-07:002011-07-11T14:25:15.767-07:00Brodi-
Thank you for mentioning me!!!! You totally...Brodi-<br />Thank you for mentioning me!!!! You totally just made me day!TheFictionFairyhttp://www.thefictionfairy.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-54850311705375726142011-07-11T14:17:27.494-07:002011-07-11T14:17:27.494-07:00Cath- I totally can sign it "Michael Jackson&...Cath- I totally can sign it "Michael Jackson"! Thanks for noticing I signed my book "Betsy Ross". Nobody else noticed. :)Brodi Ashtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13895732483547245372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-31305267956756354512011-07-11T14:08:53.198-07:002011-07-11T14:08:53.198-07:00"Ohmyheck, I'm too stupid to live." ..."Ohmyheck, I'm too stupid to live." - NOT true. But made me laugh so hard. And seriously, I bow to you fiction writers. How do you do it?? My characters would all be high on huffing glue and smiling from to ear to ear the entire book. You amaze me. Great writer advice. And I was wondering... can you sign my copy - "Michael Jackson?" Just curious. ;)Cathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12266580814892668109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-63395216256013471822011-07-11T12:00:28.836-07:002011-07-11T12:00:28.836-07:00Rachel- I'm the exact same way! The only ideas...Rachel- I'm the exact same way! The only ideas that ever come to me come when I'm in the middle of writing the darn thing!<br /><br />Your comment made me laugh.<br /><br />Robin- That's where screenwriters have it so much easier. They just have to do the dialogue, and then they can say stuff like "He walks over to the counter, obviously frustrated."Brodi Ashtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13895732483547245372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-68920462111324475842011-07-11T11:53:49.115-07:002011-07-11T11:53:49.115-07:00Argh! The smile thing! People smile in real life! ...Argh! The smile thing! People smile in real life! WHAT are they supposed to do in my book? I haven't been brave enough to check, but I bet I use the word smile an average of once a page. Is that too much? :(<br /><br />Why can't we just use emoticons in our novels?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09413777557796110450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-22909378603683787652011-07-11T11:31:14.784-07:002011-07-11T11:31:14.784-07:00so funny! things that find themselves into my firs...so funny! things that find themselves into my first drafts:<br /><br />1. "by me" "at me" "towards me" "away from me"... you get the idea. once i went back and deleted all that unnecessary choreography my book was 1/2 as long (possibly a slight exaggeration, but really, it's so embarrassing how much of this there always is in my first drafts.)<br /><br />2. overly wordy phrases, which my writer's group so kindly points out.<br />1st draft: i inhaled sharply without meaning to.<br />critique partner correction: i gasped.<br /><br />3. disappearing plot threads and characters. perhaps if i could create a story while i outlined this would not happen, and writing would take up far less time, but so far, my best ideas continue to stubbornly come only WHILE i write.<br /><br />aw well. first drafts are fun to mock, and i LOVE revising. i say get the crappy draft over quick and then put in the time on the revisions.Rachel+Cohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01932780419139715504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-78034721710103248942011-07-11T10:58:02.596-07:002011-07-11T10:58:02.596-07:00Lesli- That is a good rule! Never make a character...Lesli- That is a good rule! Never make a character as crazy as the writer. Nobody would ever believe someone could be THAT crazy.<br /><br />Debbie- Don't forget the wry smile!Brodi Ashtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13895732483547245372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-5810738522843615672011-07-11T10:37:04.386-07:002011-07-11T10:37:04.386-07:00I just keep telling myself that. Mine for sure is ...I just keep telling myself that. Mine for sure is the smile too. The cocky smile, the knowing smile, the coy smile, but of course all these ways described without the punch word.Cranberryfrieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04384164423414892482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-275542646959551702011-07-11T10:28:35.434-07:002011-07-11T10:28:35.434-07:00I have a problem with emotional rollercoasters. So...I have a problem with emotional rollercoasters. Some characters are surprised, happy, and furious all in half a page. I need to remember my characters shouldn't be as crazy as I am.L.L. Muirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05479212854384361721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-56119199378906054522011-07-11T10:19:21.830-07:002011-07-11T10:19:21.830-07:00L.T.- Sometimes a high donkey is the only metaphor...L.T.- Sometimes a high donkey is the only metaphor out there. :)<br /><br />Sam- You should totally write my next book!Brodi Ashtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13895732483547245372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-81121291203973977762011-07-11T10:17:58.735-07:002011-07-11T10:17:58.735-07:00To describe a smile, I like the typical and easy d...To describe a smile, I like the typical and easy description: "She could tell he was excited to see her because he looked at her with a frown, but it wasn't a frown, it was the exact opposite of a frown and she did the exact opposite of a frown face back to him and both were full of joy."Samhttp://www.samandbrodi.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-57756798737787783072011-07-11T10:17:30.049-07:002011-07-11T10:17:30.049-07:00You had me a "donkey in heat, high on huffing...You had me a "donkey in heat, high on huffing glue." Seriously, Brodi. You crack me up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-36543622419280789272011-07-11T09:43:42.739-07:002011-07-11T09:43:42.739-07:00Jenilyn- Sadly, I've used "smiled like a ...Jenilyn- Sadly, I've used "smiled like a cheshire cat" on more than a few occasions! <br /><br />Donna- These are awesomely bad, yes. The easy part is getting rid of them. The hard part is figuring out what to replace them with!Brodi Ashtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13895732483547245372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-38924143110700292072011-07-11T09:14:40.977-07:002011-07-11T09:14:40.977-07:00ROFL - these are awesome. Yes. Get them out of you...ROFL - these are awesome. Yes. Get them out of your system in the first draft.Donna K. Weaverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15763832177263927311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6131409629757210790.post-23520343591089119222011-07-11T09:14:21.099-07:002011-07-11T09:14:21.099-07:00I've noticed that I just can't stop using ...I've noticed that I just can't stop using "that" and "just." And my characters smile too. They're like Cheshire Cats. :)Jenilyn Collingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13166139358513659892noreply@blogger.com