tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140630815526406811.post755826970053252368..comments2015-08-04T11:22:09.720-05:00Comments on Reading, Writing, and Rambling: Five Things House-Hunting Teaches about WritingPat O'Dea Rosenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18221195882816387110noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140630815526406811.post-78886529902682903852013-08-13T08:52:52.876-05:002013-08-13T08:52:52.876-05:00Hi, Coleen,
Voice is important, and we shouldn'...Hi, Coleen,<br />Voice is important, and we shouldn't (and maybe we can't) muffle it, but we have to consider tone and its effect on readers. I'm reading chapters for a friend and was stopped dead by the heroine's comment about her co-workers' sexual orientation. The tone was one of disdain and makes the heroine unlikeable. I realize learning tolerance may be part of this heroine's character arc, but I'm afraid readers will close the book before she gets there. I've got to convince my friend to neutralize that comment or may it clear the comment is a reflection of the heroine's narrow-until-now life.Pat O'Dea Rosenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18221195882816387110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140630815526406811.post-24242128386995089032013-08-11T15:32:36.409-05:002013-08-11T15:32:36.409-05:00I did a little research on house selling for a cha...I did a little research on house selling for a character. For her, the thing that stood out was having to remove the "life" from her house, ie changing the bright happy colors to something more neutral. I love how you made the comparison with selling fiction! Coleen Patrickhttp://coleenpatrick.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140630815526406811.post-26683674782230253002013-08-09T08:33:17.029-05:002013-08-09T08:33:17.029-05:00Hi, Kay,
I've done nothing but write and look ...Hi, Kay,<br />I've done nothing but write and look at houses in the last week, so it was this topic or nothing. Wait, I'll amend that to say I considered critiquing the free-in-the-lobby coffee at hotel chains like Hampton Suites, Candlewood Suites and La Quinta. I may save that sizzler for next week. <br /><br />Kay, if I lived near the water like you do, I wouldn't be moving.<br />Pat O'Dea Rosenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18221195882816387110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140630815526406811.post-53316125095211265632013-08-09T08:26:16.806-05:002013-08-09T08:26:16.806-05:00Hi, Lark,
You've given me food for thought wit...Hi, Lark,<br />You've given me food for thought with this: "As writers I think we often spend way too much time trying to fix a story that's just not good and never will be. And sometimes we know in our heart that our WIP is worth all the blood, sweat and tears. Figuring out when to renovate and when to move on--that's the challenge for me."<br /><br />Meanwhile, if your experience with the 100 houses holds true for me, I only have 40 to go. Yikes!Pat O'Dea Rosenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18221195882816387110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140630815526406811.post-59099855359511292742013-08-08T23:14:45.342-05:002013-08-08T23:14:45.342-05:00Pat, you come up with the most interesting compari...Pat, you come up with the most interesting comparisons. (And I would much rather write--or do just about anything--than even think about either selling my house or looking for another one.)Kay Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02110717056625274954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140630815526406811.post-88745785898568838122013-08-08T23:14:44.168-05:002013-08-08T23:14:44.168-05:00Pat, you come up with the most interesting compari...Pat, you come up with the most interesting comparisons. (And I would much rather write--or do just about anything--than even think about either selling my house or looking for another one.)Kay Hudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02110717056625274954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140630815526406811.post-19948490415576510512013-08-08T16:12:13.966-05:002013-08-08T16:12:13.966-05:00Interesting post, Pat. Before we bought our house,...Interesting post, Pat. Before we bought our house, we must have walked through a couple hundred (yes, 100) over the previous 10 years from old to still in construction, highrises, townhomes and stand-alones. Like books, some were charming and other were absolutely not for me. (At least with books, price is almost never a barrier to purchase.) <br /><br />When we walked into the house we live in now, I told my husband "I want this house" and we made an offer that day, even though we already had a house that wasn't even on the market yet. The house we bought needed lots of work but it had great bones/spaces so I knew when Steve did his magic, it would be wonderful and it is. <br /><br />As writers I think we often spend way too much time trying to fix a story that's just not good and never will be. And sometimes we know in our heart that our WIP is worth all the blood, sweat and tears. Figuring out when to renovate and when to move on--that's the challenge for me.Lark Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13363455770588651569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140630815526406811.post-90658213763365624502013-08-08T13:53:00.398-05:002013-08-08T13:53:00.398-05:00My pantry's really a cabinet, Patricia/Jansen....My pantry's really a cabinet, Patricia/Jansen. Other women dream of walk-in closets, but I want a walk-in pantry.<br /><br />I can't tour a house without wondering about the people who lived there. Some houses strike me as happy places, and others seem sad. <br /><br />Maybe you'll get a story idea from your house tonight. I hope so.<br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br />Pat O'Dea Rosenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18221195882816387110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2140630815526406811.post-82292809982169911122013-08-08T12:07:12.858-05:002013-08-08T12:07:12.858-05:00Now here's a topic I wouldn't have to thou...Now here's a topic I wouldn't have to thought to write a comparison about. Good for you, Pat for thinking outside the box yet keeping it interesting and on point. <br /><br />I like to have a nice scent in the house, but if it's overbearing, I do wonder what someone is trying to cover up.<br /><br />I like carpet, hardwood and tile so I'm pretty easy to please in that department. <br /><br />Now I'm wondering what a fiction writer would think about if they happened to explore my home. I guess when I get home tonight I'll see things in a different way as well. Although no one, not even a mouse could hide in my pantry. It's way to small and cluttered.<br /><br />Patricia Rickrode<br />w/a Jansen SchmidtPatricia Rickrode w/a Jansen Schmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09634429564028179643noreply@blogger.com