tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post1224967565767295064..comments2024-02-21T05:25:03.233-05:00Comments on Adventures in YA Publishing: Reworking Your Plot toward the Heart of the Story by Ki-Wing MerlinMartina Boonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-4075292726233524782013-07-25T20:55:00.955-04:002013-07-25T20:55:00.955-04:00Great post, Ki-Wing. It's got me thinking abou...Great post, Ki-Wing. It's got me thinking about that double helix for my own work in progress.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-60140211712908059902013-07-06T10:44:42.528-04:002013-07-06T10:44:42.528-04:00Excellent advice. I'm going back to find my st...Excellent advice. I'm going back to find my story's core and points now.TheWriterStuffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11204978205187305759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-10898538600116258042013-07-05T17:04:51.343-04:002013-07-05T17:04:51.343-04:00Great advice. It really resonated with what my sto...Great advice. It really resonated with what my story is going through right now.<br /><br />And I discovered a character I think I'm going to enjoy meeting in the pages of a book - Allen Mak!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17288095109846550022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-24969896785299001562013-07-03T16:49:15.010-04:002013-07-03T16:49:15.010-04:00Great post. I am envious that you were able to tak...Great post. I am envious that you were able to take Cheryl Klein's workshop. I've heard her speak at a couple conferences. She is amazing. Cynthia Chapman Willishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12408985785062180536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-64185037353377925972013-07-02T23:25:21.470-04:002013-07-02T23:25:21.470-04:00I'm so glad it resonated, Saumya! Ki-Wing real...I'm so glad it resonated, Saumya! Ki-Wing really did a fantastic job with this. :)Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-29757144701628724102013-07-02T23:24:44.093-04:002013-07-02T23:24:44.093-04:00Yay Angela! I hope you will find the application o...Yay Angela! I hope you will find the application of this to your manuscript really helpful!<br />Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-79763597873503093692013-07-02T23:23:41.812-04:002013-07-02T23:23:41.812-04:00You've hit it exactly, Carol. And you would re...You've hit it exactly, Carol. And you would really appreciate the complex, spunky character that Ki-Wing came up with. I only read the first five pages in the workshop she did with us before the Cheryl Klein course, but she definitely had "it" factor even then. :)Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-3031121574840153952013-07-02T23:22:07.296-04:002013-07-02T23:22:07.296-04:00Cheryl's workshop was the second straight work...Cheryl's workshop was the second straight workshop I had taken where the idea of putting the main character's passion front and center was a big lesson. It makes so much sense, doesn't it? Why would we care about characters who *don't* care passionately about something?Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-18247402218661409792013-07-02T23:20:11.906-04:002013-07-02T23:20:11.906-04:00Ki-Wing really tied it all up beautifully, didn...Ki-Wing really tied it all up beautifully, didn't she? She blew me away with how she recapped what Cheryl had taught us.Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-25637048803321608622013-07-02T23:18:59.165-04:002013-07-02T23:18:59.165-04:00I think it is a common problem with early manuscri...I think it is a common problem with early manuscripts. I know I threw everything including the sink and the kitchen in there. Narrowing it down is really helpful, and I hope it will help you as much as it helped me and Ki-Wing. :)Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-87302107834210841922013-07-02T23:07:20.695-04:002013-07-02T23:07:20.695-04:00Sounds like you have a ton of rich material to min...Sounds like you have a ton of rich material to mine, Kessie! Good luck with it. :)<br />Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-68979903789894971512013-07-02T23:05:45.498-04:002013-07-02T23:05:45.498-04:00Hi Deb! *Waving* That's kind of how it was for...Hi Deb! *Waving* That's kind of how it was for me. A sense of rightness snapping into place. :) Isn't it wonderful about Ki-Wing's story? I hope we'll hear great news about yours soon, too!<br />Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-38244264050376172882013-07-02T23:03:57.000-04:002013-07-02T23:03:57.000-04:00Good luck getting past it, Sheila! Good luck getting past it, Sheila! Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-58009927609612610142013-07-02T22:59:36.763-04:002013-07-02T22:59:36.763-04:00Thanks, Ki-Wing. I'm sorry about that! I'l...Thanks, Ki-Wing. I'm sorry about that! I'll put these back in right now.Martina Boonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03358736828122139189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-77277885914998454182013-07-02T21:52:54.761-04:002013-07-02T21:52:54.761-04:00This is what I really needed to read right now. I ...This is what I really needed to read right now. I love posts like these that give advice every writer can apply to his or her own story.Saumyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08517289532769906489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-55381639054502176522013-07-02T21:32:36.502-04:002013-07-02T21:32:36.502-04:00I have some great take-aways from this to consider...I have some great take-aways from this to consider for my own writing. I really enjoyed the conclusions you reached, Ki-Wing, and more importantly, how you were able to apply them toward making the story that matters, the story YOU want.Angela Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03324366495151363782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-53952531888204107832013-07-02T19:50:42.286-04:002013-07-02T19:50:42.286-04:00Whine, whine, whine. This advice just makes writin...Whine, whine, whine. This advice just makes writing so hard. LOL<br /><br />Seriously, great points here. Putting this amount of thought and effort into a book as you did will make it truly outstanding, and shine like it was meant to do! Carol Riggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14092209912983783974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-56408820897276469122013-07-02T13:14:35.712-04:002013-07-02T13:14:35.712-04:00I love that analogy of the double helix of DNA, wi...I love that analogy of the double helix of DNA, with Emotional Plot and Action plot winding around each other. Also the point about how you can't just sneak in your character's passion, you have to make it matter. Margo Berendsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03476308235642890474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-44567430075497630862013-07-02T11:08:02.047-04:002013-07-02T11:08:02.047-04:00Yes! A thousand times yes! You did a wonderful job...Yes! A thousand times yes! You did a wonderful job organizing complex thoughts. All of these elements work together to build a fabulous book--but those that tie the plot lines to the core are the ones that stick with me the longest. Thanks for a wonderful reminder!Melanie Conklinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16593672562888738055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-3539223427125237142013-07-02T11:04:05.971-04:002013-07-02T11:04:05.971-04:00I feel like I'm having the same issue with my ...I feel like I'm having the same issue with my ms.<br />Thank you so much for this post Ki-Wing.Akosshttp://akossiwaketoglo.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-31141664306252201572013-07-02T10:10:43.452-04:002013-07-02T10:10:43.452-04:00Thanks for the great post! I have a story that'...Thanks for the great post! I have a story that's on it's third complete rewrite, and I've finally got the core and the point aligned properly. I'm also working on a story about Chinese dragons disguised as humans, and the more research I do, the more I love it. When I was working, Chinese people were always my favorite, and they have such a rich cultural history! I guess it counts as multicultural, because the MC is a white American male (vampire) who knows nothing about China. :-)Kessiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15019626781634777336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-28940133150930516432013-07-02T10:03:08.818-04:002013-07-02T10:03:08.818-04:00I was in the same class with you and Martina. Find...I was in the same class with you and Martina. Finding the Core of my story was extremely helpful to me - like finding a piece to the jigsaw puzzle that had dropped on the floor and scooted under the table. It's great to hear that your story is going so well!Deb Cushmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13564044064322450488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-57294735047380150882013-07-02T09:35:45.534-04:002013-07-02T09:35:45.534-04:00Thanks for sharing this Ki-Wing! I'm in a stuc...Thanks for sharing this Ki-Wing! I'm in a stuck place right now and this may help push me through. Sheila JGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15371582292020275894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-77039806206976434782013-07-02T08:44:34.903-04:002013-07-02T08:44:34.903-04:00Just noticed that the links in note2 didn't co...Just noticed that the links in note2 didn't come through. So in case anyone wanted to follow up on that discussion...<br /><br />Lee & Low: http://blog.leeandlow.com/2013/06/17/why-hasnt-the-number-of-multicultural-books-increased-in-eighteen-years/ <br />NPR: http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/06/25/193174358/as-demographics-shift-kids-books-stay-stubbornly-white<br />Betsy Bird: http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2013/05/10/2013-middle-grade-black-boys-seriously-people/<br />Ellen Oh: http://elloecho.blogspot.com/2013/06/why-being-poc-author-sucks-sometimes.html<br />Roger Sutton: http://www.hbook.com/2013/06/blogs/read-roger/a-very-good-question/Ki-Wing Merlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07941054514974696936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005062827798430682.post-284143800844260582013-07-02T08:38:11.329-04:002013-07-02T08:38:11.329-04:00So happy to hear this was helpful!So happy to hear this was helpful!Ki-Wing Merlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07941054514974696936noreply@blogger.com