tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post1587619982552924742..comments2008-06-12T06:13:09.251-07:00C.W. Gortnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11881402758065602605noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post-78867398808564905082008-06-12T06:13:00.000-07:002008-06-12T06:13:00.000-07:00Good luck! I already have this on my "advance review wishlist". You pick some great people to write about!<BR/><BR/>Lezlie<BR/>Books 'N Border Collies<BR/>http://booksnbordercollies.blogspot.comLezliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05747969193923246804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post-54420095988506128232008-06-06T20:03:00.000-07:002008-06-06T20:03:00.000-07:00Oh, I hadn't thought about posting the deleted stuff. Thanks, Catherine! Great idea.<BR/><BR/>And hi to Martha Alderson! It has been years; hope to see you soon. Everyone, Martha offers writers terrific plot and writing technique workshops. Check her out!C.W. Gortnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11881402758065602605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post-19953477940926945072008-06-04T14:16:00.000-07:002008-06-04T14:16:00.000-07:00Agree with Anne! My second novel has a male protagonist, and so will the third one. Good luck for the edits. It is tough to cut stuff you love and know is good, but there's no other way. And the fun thing about having a blog is that you can post the deleted scenes once the book is published.<BR/><BR/>Best of luck!Catherine Delorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08737845394982542863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post-71151856104847204402008-06-03T19:54:00.000-07:002008-06-03T19:54:00.000-07:00PS - I've added both your blog and your URL to my blog.<BR/>fondly,<BR/>martha<BR/>http://plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/Martha Aldersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11184614830165104670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post-79515256760261546752008-06-03T19:48:00.000-07:002008-06-03T19:48:00.000-07:00Hi Christopher,<BR/>I received your email about the release of The Last Queen and upcoming book talks. Congratulations!!! You must be so pleased!<BR/><BR/>I'll definitely try to make the West Portal event. Would love to see you again. I think the last time we saw each other was in SF a few years ago. Yikes!! Where has the time gone?? I guess to our writing lives.......<BR/><BR/>Congratulations on cutting so much out of your latest project. What a daunting task.<BR/><BR/>All the best, Christopher.<BR/><BR/>Fondly,<BR/>Martha Alderson<BR/>http://plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/Martha Aldersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11184614830165104670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post-62697754613280280512008-05-27T09:38:00.000-07:002008-05-27T09:38:00.000-07:00Oh, in answer to Julianne's question: I'm focusing on her entire life (gulp) - which is probably why this cut is proving a challenge. What to keep? What must go? Who to keep? There are so many people in her life . . . But thus far, I must admit, I'm taking a page from Catherine herself, pun intended, and being ruthless when it comes to this edit.C.W. Gortnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11881402758065602605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post-86057980965546808962008-05-27T09:33:00.000-07:002008-05-27T09:33:00.000-07:00Your encouragement means a lot to me! Thanks so much. 84 pages gone so far . . .C.W. Gortnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11881402758065602605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post-58461685320739310642008-05-27T03:36:00.000-07:002008-05-27T03:36:00.000-07:00A one-third cut must be something of a challenge! Good luck!Carlahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11901028520813891575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post-23068673151555745812008-05-23T17:44:00.000-07:002008-05-23T17:44:00.000-07:00CW,<BR/><BR/>I'm thrilled to learn of your novel about Catherine de Medici. Do you focus on a specific span of her life? She appears in my novel, which takes place in 1551. I can't wait to see how you've characterized her.<BR/><BR/>The more books about Renaissance France, the better!Julianne Douglashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10190332417986785920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post-31886650083331986762008-05-22T11:21:00.000-07:002008-05-22T11:21:00.000-07:00Most definitely. Each project is a stepping stone for the next. Lessons are learned and you learn more about the craft and yourself as a writer.<BR/><BR/>I have a similar outlook on writing and try to incorporate what I learned from the last story (either my own epiphanies or advice from others) into the next story.<BR/><BR/>Always have to learn, grow, and adapt, right?<BR/><BR/>Keep us posted on how it all goes!justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08689686806863268501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post-91874900540101138412008-05-22T11:12:00.000-07:002008-05-22T11:12:00.000-07:00Hi Justin and Daphne, thanks for your kind wishes! Yep, 200 pages is a lot to cut. I was working on it last night and all of a sudden it hit me: here goes a chunk of the book. But, I'm focusing on it becoming a tighter read, rather than a lengthier one. The trick is to balance the historical account within a finite amount of words. It's hard work, but, hey, it'll serve me in good stead for future projects. That's the thing about revisions and edits: I've found that I always learn something that helps me improve my writing.C.W. Gortnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11881402758065602605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post-65414548183858766902008-05-22T11:07:00.000-07:002008-05-22T11:07:00.000-07:00Hi Anne, welcome! Good to hear that someone shares my belief that writers can embody any character, providing we do our homework and check our ego at the door :) The great medieval scifi novel sounds very cool. I'll be happy to link with you, too.C.W. Gortnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11881402758065602605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post-24680348488887055432008-05-22T07:28:00.000-07:002008-05-22T07:28:00.000-07:00I can't wait to read it! 200 pages does seem like a lot to have to cut though.Daphnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12838072651419264066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post-52131270665104697032008-05-21T21:36:00.000-07:002008-05-21T21:36:00.000-07:00Hi! <BR/><BR/>I saw you over in the Historical Novels forum, and I found your comments extremely interesting, so I decided to check out your website and blog. I was very impressed, so I have now decided to link both your blog and your website to my blog. I'm writing a Great Medieval Science Fiction Masterpiece, and part of this blog is about my progress as a writer. Anyway, I like your idea that men can write about strong, interesting women, as well as men. In my experience, this is true, just as women can(and do)write about strong and interesting men. Personally, I try to emphasize the women, but I refuse to leave out the men! That would not be fair!<BR/>Anne GAnne Gilberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03045500116098233731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2677127201060358858.post-13324490408796521212008-05-21T06:17:00.000-07:002008-05-21T06:17:00.000-07:00Eeks! 200 pages, eh? That's almost a book in itself. That'll be a challenging and interesting journey, I'm sure. :-) <BR/><BR/>Good to hear it's getting lots of praise though. Best of luck with the editing!justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08689686806863268501noreply@blogger.com