Quick Update, End of ROW80, and Magical Cookies

Quick update, especially since I missed posting on Wednesday.

Lots of Real Life going on, which I hope will all be revealed during the AtoZ Challenge!

This has meant that I missed doing anything constructive for the last week of ROW80. Hope all you other participants got lots of words in!

I did take time to continue rereading the seventh book in the History of Middle Earth for...

Tolkien Reading Day!

I also learned a new phrase.

Whether you're a pantster or a plotter, there are always scenes in the novel that get you really excited to write them. The ones that fill your head and make you want to start scribbling/typing Right This Second.

You know those? I never had a good term for them before, but now Kait Nolan's given us a great one:

Magical Cookies!

She links to a post by Susan Dennard, who "argues that every scene should be a magical cookie, and there's a lot of sense in this. If you're super excited to write every scene, they'll go smother, be richer, and your enthusiasm will come through to your reader. This is, in fact, one of the three legs of Rachel Aaron's work triangle as laid out in From 2k to 10k. And yo, IT WORKS." Head over to Kait's for the links!

Got a new Whisky Trench Riders song to share with you all!



Do you write stories around magical cookie scenes?

What's your favourite song at the moment?

Comments

Zan Marie said…
Oh, I need some Magical Cookies for all the holes my just complete outline has reveled. ;-)
Michael Di Gesu said…
Hi, Deniz!

How are you holding out in this insanely cold winter. Has Spring hit Montreal yet? It hasn't here in Chicago, but I did see a cardinal today, so MAYBE... LOL

Gearing up for A-Z.... I hope to start my posts after I visit a few blogs. I'm really behind. Doing the intro thing again. Have one up for the intro for the A-Z featuring Alex's book.

Have a wonderful weekend!
klahanie said…
Hey Deniz,

You had to mention the alphabet challenge! Argghhhh!!!! :)

I can tell you that Tolkien got some of his inspiration observing the locals in the town I now live. And looking at the locals, I can see why.

Canadian Greaser would be good, eh.

Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar writes stories around doggy treats....

Have fun with the A to Z.

Gary :)
Carrie-Anne said…
There have been some scenes and chapters that just came bursting out of me, after keeping them memorized and planned backwards and forwards in my head for years. I'm still proud of Chapter 41, "Union with a Snake," of my Russian novel sequel, a bit over 17,000 words over the course of three days. It was so exciting and thrilling to finally get to bring that dark moment of the story to life, and to take it in directions I hadn't conceived of originally.
Deniz Bevan said…
I always have those holes, ZanMarie!

Ooh, Michael, check out my A-Z theme! I don't have to suffer the cold for the next little while, yippee! It's great of you to feature fellow authors in your A-Z.

Thanks Gary :-)

It's always exciting to see where a story goes, isn't it, Carrie-Anne?