Janet’s Comments (group member since Sep 05, 2019)

Janet’s comments from the The Insecure Writer's Support Group Book Club group.

Just about to finish High Risks: Stories of Pregnancy and the Unexpected by Chavi Eve Karkowsky. It's excellent.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

I'm reading BACK TO THE GARDEN by Laurie R. King (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...) and it is wonderful! I'd forgotten just how good her mysteries are.

1. I don't read Westerns regularly, but I enjoy them when I do, and I like stories from other genres with Western settings (romance, suspense, horror). My first novel (which I'm getting ready to query) includes some time travel back to 1910 Arizona, so it has a bit of a Western vibe.

2. Other elements of Westerns: outlaws, especially robbers, the kind of hospitality to strangers that seems bizarre in today's world, and, of course, horses, all of which are present in this story. Oh, and rural settings or small towns.

3. The most common Western mash-ups I know of are Western romances. I've also read time travel stories that involve modern-day people traveling back to the Old West (these are often romances). I've also heard of vampire stories set in the Old West. I'd love to read a thriller with a serial killer in a Western setting (maybe he bumps off prostitutes, and the local madam teams up with the sheriff to catch him?). Hmm... I might have to write that :-)

1. Stephen King says, “You can read anywhere, almost, but when it comes to writing, library carrels, park benches, and rented flats should be courts of last resort."
QUESTIONS: Where do you like to write? Have you written in the places King says should be last resorts and found them to work better for you?

I prefer to write in a quiet space, alone and without distractions. I can write in libraries and coffee shops if I have earbuds in and listen to some kind of white noise (the Nature Noise Spotify playlist is my go-to).

2. QUESTION: King states that story comes first, never theme. I disagree. Do you think a theme only develops after the story has come together or can a good story be developed from a theme?

I'm 100% with King on this. My stories all end up having themes, but they start as stories. As a reader, I'm not interested in reading something that hits me over the head with theme. Plot and characters are the essentials. Theme adds depth and richness if it's handled with a light touch.

3. QUESTIONS: What "tools" do you find most indispensable when you write? Are there any you would add to King's toolbox (which includes grammar, vocabulary, elements of style and form, character development, descriptions, dialogue, tools for revision help)?

I think he has it covered here, though I'd add - read books about these tools. Take time to learn the craft and keep learning. Writing is a skill that can and should be learned, not some magic fairy dust sprinkled on your head.

4. QUESTIONS: King believes that stories are "found things, like fossils in the ground." Let’s discuss King's extended metaphor of "writing as excavation." Do you agree with this theory? How would you describe writing if different from his point-of-view?

My stories are all found, though I find them in different places (people I meet, images from dreams, "what if..." musings, conversations... stories are everywhere). And yeah, the excavation metaphor works for me. Dig 'em out, clean 'em up, shape 'em into something others will enjoy.

5. QUESTIONS: Was this your first time reading a book by Stephen King or were you a fan before? Either way, what did you think of his book On Writing?

I have been a Stephen King fan since I read The Stand at the ripe ol' age of 16 (mumble mumble years ago). He is an incredibly gifted storyteller, and that comes through in On Writing, which is one of my favorite books of all time.

Chrys wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "I read The Long Walk, and that was it. It pissed me off, how poorly it was done, but it kept me reading. That alone fascinated me."

Poor writing but you kept reading? That is fasc..."

Yeah, The Long Walk was one of his very early works. Cool premise but didn't thrill me. I love many of his other works though.

Steven wrote: "On Writing is my go-to writing book. I read it every couple of years to remind myself of little things.

The questions!
1. Stephen King says, “You can read anywhere, almost, but when it comes to wr..."

I agree completely with your take on theme. Story first, always. Theme can enrich, but story is primary.