To celebrate the holiday season, (well, besides giving away tons of books) we're sharing our
100
200 (and counting!) followers with some fantastic guest bloggers. Next up in our New Voices series is Paul Greci, writing about one of our very favorite animals.
A little about Paul:
Paul Greci lives in Fairbanks, Alaska, where he taught English in an Alternative school for fifteen years. Now he is writing full-time and is represented by Jennifer DeChiara. When Paul isn’t writing, you can find him roaming the Alaska backcountry. To learn more about Paul and his writing, check out his blog, Northwriter.
When I see a moose, I stop what I’m doing and pay attention. I almost always learn something new. Last winter I watched one gnaw on shell fungus that was growing on a birch tree.
Several years ago I watched a mother and two calves as they ate the jack-o-lanterns perched on our deck railing.
With writing, I think of a moose-on-the-loose as being struck by a different idea. It wasn’t in the picture a moment ago, but now there it is. And, it’s huge.
So, do you check out the idea? It might be just what your story needs. You never know. Do you just make a note of it and move on, or do you run with it?
I wouldn’t want to use a moose-on-the-loose as an excuse to abandon my story idea, or to procrastinate, but it could be just what my story needs.
I’ve been observing a moose-on-the-loose in my current WIP for a few days now. I’ve just decided to follow it because I think it will deepen an already existing plot thread and add complexity to both the protagonist and two major secondary characters. Hopefully, this moose-on-the-loose isn’t just leading me into a dead end swamp.
What do you do when a moose-on-the-loose suddenly appears in your manuscript?
~Paul Greci
100
200 (and counting!) followers with some fantastic guest bloggers. Next up in our New Voices series is Paul Greci, writing about one of our very favorite animals.
A little about Paul:
Moose on the Loose!
Moose are huge. And outside my house, sometimes it seems like they appear out of nowhere.
When I see a moose, I stop what I’m doing and pay attention. I almost always learn something new. Last winter I watched one gnaw on shell fungus that was growing on a birch tree.
Several years ago I watched a mother and two calves as they ate the jack-o-lanterns perched on our deck railing.With writing, I think of a moose-on-the-loose as being struck by a different idea. It wasn’t in the picture a moment ago, but now there it is. And, it’s huge.
So, do you check out the idea? It might be just what your story needs. You never know. Do you just make a note of it and move on, or do you run with it?
I wouldn’t want to use a moose-on-the-loose as an excuse to abandon my story idea, or to procrastinate, but it could be just what my story needs.
I’ve been observing a moose-on-the-loose in my current WIP for a few days now. I’ve just decided to follow it because I think it will deepen an already existing plot thread and add complexity to both the protagonist and two major secondary characters. Hopefully, this moose-on-the-loose isn’t just leading me into a dead end swamp.What do you do when a moose-on-the-loose suddenly appears in your manuscript?
~Paul Greci
Great post!
ReplyDeleteI tend to run with it when a moose-on-the-loose appears. But I'm somewhat allergic to deep outlining, so I depend on the loose meese for keeping me invested and in love with my story. Even if it doesn't work out in the end, it's always worth observing for a bit.
This post is just made of win.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post! Especially with YA Highway's strange love of moose :)
ReplyDeleteI always outline thoroughly, and something like this always happens to make my outline semi-pointless by the middle. I don't fend off the stray ideas, though, because they're usually great.
Awesome post, Paul. I'm a bit jealous of the wildlife in your back yard, though :p
ReplyDeleteAw, I love your moose pics! I'm not much of an outliner, with the exception of the outline in my head, but I'm always open to those ideas that take my story in new directions. Why not be willing to embrace them? Great post. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments. And a big thanks to the bloggers at YA Highway for inviting me over. I'm glad you all enjoyed the photos and story.
ReplyDeleteSorry I didn't respond sooner. I didn't realize the post was up until a couple days ago.
There appear to be lots of moose chasers on the YA highway!