Comments for The Common Raven http://ravesblog.wordpress.com Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:47:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 Comment on End of Blog by Raven http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/end-of-blog/#comment-295 Raven Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:27:48 +0000 http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/?p=102#comment-295 I wish I could say it was writing that was keeping me too busy to blog. Alas, it isn't. But no one will be forgotten! :) I wish I could say it was writing that was keeping me too busy to blog. Alas, it isn’t. But no one will be forgotten! :)

]]> Comment on End of Blog by JT http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/end-of-blog/#comment-294 JT Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:12:22 +0000 http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/?p=102#comment-294 Leaving us for the big time and big money, huh? Well, it happens to the best of us.... don't forget the little people!!! :-) Leaving us for the big time and big money, huh? Well, it happens to the best of us…. don’t forget the little people!!! :-)

]]> Comment on End of Blog by Raven http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/end-of-blog/#comment-293 Raven Sun, 20 Jul 2008 03:04:36 +0000 http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/?p=102#comment-293 Thanks! :) Thanks! :)

]]> Comment on End of Blog by Tia http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/end-of-blog/#comment-292 Tia Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:49:30 +0000 http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/?p=102#comment-292 Sorry to see this blog come to an end! I'll Google reader your other blog. Sorry to see this blog come to an end! I’ll Google reader your other blog.

]]> Comment on Contact me! by Raven http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/contact-me/#comment-291 Raven Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:58:52 +0000 http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/contact-me/#comment-291 Thanks for the congrats. I do like the job, but it's a little short in the "million dollars a year" department. ;) I'm glad you found a good second pair of eyes. The feedback you can get from somebody who knows what they're doing is invaluable. As I get older I'm finding more themes from my life creeping into my writing. I've never exported whole incidents from my life into my fiction, although I know some writers do, but certain issues I might be dealing with come through in some of the larger themes in whatever I'm writing at the time. I've also become more interested in writing more realistic fiction, which for this former epic fantasy fan is a big switch. I still write speculative fiction, but the settings are a lot closer to the setting I live in in real life. That change just happened within the past year, and I haven't been able to explain it, but it seems to fit into the "themes from my life" category. It's very natural for writers to include their personal life in their writing. Many writers start with a thinly fictionalized autobiographical work. Thanks for the congrats. I do like the job, but it’s a little short in the “million dollars a year” department. ;)

I’m glad you found a good second pair of eyes. The feedback you can get from somebody who knows what they’re doing is invaluable.

As I get older I’m finding more themes from my life creeping into my writing. I’ve never exported whole incidents from my life into my fiction, although I know some writers do, but certain issues I might be dealing with come through in some of the larger themes in whatever I’m writing at the time. I’ve also become more interested in writing more realistic fiction, which for this former epic fantasy fan is a big switch. I still write speculative fiction, but the settings are a lot closer to the setting I live in in real life. That change just happened within the past year, and I haven’t been able to explain it, but it seems to fit into the “themes from my life” category.

It’s very natural for writers to include their personal life in their writing. Many writers start with a thinly fictionalized autobiographical work.

]]> Comment on Contact me! by JT http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/contact-me/#comment-290 JT Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:26:30 +0000 http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/contact-me/#comment-290 Hey Raven, First off, congrats on the full-time job. I hope it's something that you are enjoying and that your writing will not be a casualty of making a million dollars a year. '-) As for rewriting my drafts, oh trust me, I know how to rewrite. Part of being a lawyer was writing briefs for court and rewriting and rewriting and rewriting until the story was clear and the argument was cohesive. You'd be surprised how much of a storyteller you have to be to be a good lawyer. As for a second pair of eyes, I have been very blessed to meet a director of shorts here in NYC who has become a friend. He has been very helpful in all aspects: dialog, story, themes. And of course, Blake Snyder (who you recommended) has proven invaluable in getting the "beats" of my stories just right. Do you find a lot of your personal life (or at least themes from your life) creeping into your writing? I find it's happening (subconsciously) in my writing and wondering if this is a natural thing... lol... Hey Raven,

First off, congrats on the full-time job. I hope it’s something that you are enjoying and that your writing will not be a casualty of making a million dollars a year. ‘ ;-)

As for rewriting my drafts, oh trust me, I know how to rewrite. Part of being a lawyer was writing briefs for court and rewriting and rewriting and rewriting until the story was clear and the argument was cohesive. You’d be surprised how much of a storyteller you have to be to be a good lawyer.

As for a second pair of eyes, I have been very blessed to meet a director of shorts here in NYC who has become a friend. He has been very helpful in all aspects: dialog, story, themes. And of course, Blake Snyder (who you recommended) has proven invaluable in getting the “beats” of my stories just right.

Do you find a lot of your personal life (or at least themes from your life) creeping into your writing? I find it’s happening (subconsciously) in my writing and wondering if this is a natural thing… lol…

]]> Comment on Contact me! by Raven http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/contact-me/#comment-289 Raven Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:29:27 +0000 http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/contact-me/#comment-289 I wish I could say I'd been busy on the trilogy, but the truth is I'm now working full-time, so most of the spare time I do have is going toward script reads, friends, DVDs, and attempts to work on the trilogy (emphasis on "attempts," since I've managed about one chapter in the past month). Blogging has sort of gone by the wayside for the moment. Congrats on finishing script #2! I'm glad I inspired you to start screenwriting (but yeah, writing can sometimes cut into one's social life). Before you start looking for an agent I'd strongly recommend getting notes from someone who knows something about scripts (or from several someones) and probably doing another draft or two. It's helpful to have a second pair of eyes. We writers can get so close to our work that it's hard to be objective. I wish I could say I’d been busy on the trilogy, but the truth is I’m now working full-time, so most of the spare time I do have is going toward script reads, friends, DVDs, and attempts to work on the trilogy (emphasis on “attempts,” since I’ve managed about one chapter in the past month). Blogging has sort of gone by the wayside for the moment.

Congrats on finishing script #2! I’m glad I inspired you to start screenwriting (but yeah, writing can sometimes cut into one’s social life). Before you start looking for an agent I’d strongly recommend getting notes from someone who knows something about scripts (or from several someones) and probably doing another draft or two. It’s helpful to have a second pair of eyes. We writers can get so close to our work that it’s hard to be objective.

]]> Comment on Contact me! by JT http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/contact-me/#comment-288 JT Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:41:46 +0000 http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/contact-me/#comment-288 ooops... meant to say NOW finished... lol ooops… meant to say NOW finished… lol

]]> Comment on Contact me! by JT http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/contact-me/#comment-287 JT Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:52:46 +0000 http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/contact-me/#comment-287 Hey Raven, Haven't seen a new post from you in a while on this blog. You must be busy busy busy with the trilogy. Well, I just wanted to let you know that my second screenplay is not finished. When I finished the first one, I thought it was such an accomplishment. This second one has turned out to be no less satisfying. Again, I don't know how it was that you inspired me to start writing screenplays, but you did. And for that I am really grateful. (Screenplay writing has replaced the crossword and sudoku for me when it comes to mental exercise. On the other hand, I have no life on the weekends now...) I think I will try to complete a third one before I start actively looking for an agent. I hope all is well with you! Hey Raven,

Haven’t seen a new post from you in a while on this blog. You must be busy busy busy with the trilogy. Well, I just wanted to let you know that my second screenplay is not finished. When I finished the first one, I thought it was such an accomplishment. This second one has turned out to be no less satisfying. Again, I don’t know how it was that you inspired me to start writing screenplays, but you did. And for that I am really grateful. (Screenplay writing has replaced the crossword and sudoku for me when it comes to mental exercise. On the other hand, I have no life on the weekends now… ;)

I think I will try to complete a third one before I start actively looking for an agent. I hope all is well with you!

]]> Comment on Character Voices by Raven http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/2008/05/02/character-voices/#comment-257 Raven Tue, 13 May 2008 19:06:33 +0000 http://ravesblog.wordpress.com/?p=61#comment-257 It really was! It really was!

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