tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post7375135451272544704..comments2024-03-27T13:16:32.943-05:00Comments on Western Fictioneers: NIK MORTON'S "WRITE A WESTERN IN 30 DAYS" BY JEREMY L.C. JONESWestern Fictioneershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01683314579075461026noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-37937166884352525422013-09-21T08:24:49.623-05:002013-09-21T08:24:49.623-05:00Thanks again, Jeremy, for extolling 30 Days, and y...Thanks again, Jeremy, for extolling 30 Days, and your helpful answers. Anyone who wants to write a review on Amazon, be my guest! Ginger - re your 'silent characters' - I've found that characters talk to me when I plot some obstacle for them - honest! - even if it's only "Get me out of here!" Best of luck, all, with your writing. Persevere and you will succeed.Nik Mortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10060923673065456386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-6901155366620799072013-09-19T09:18:47.547-05:002013-09-19T09:18:47.547-05:00Jeremy, I believe I'll be buying this book in ...Jeremy, I believe I'll be buying this book in paperback. I can't seem to use an ebook for research as easily as I can a paper. Wonderful review and I loved you introductory paragraph where the boy is riding away from the fire. I could feel his panic!<br /><br />Troy, if I could, I'd let that character get wounded and left behind. He could be the hero in the next book.Linda LaRoquehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16672522522233696282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-11122276393223572002013-09-18T18:46:50.479-05:002013-09-18T18:46:50.479-05:00JD -- Check out what Chuck Tyrell (some know him a...JD -- Check out what Chuck Tyrell (some know him around here as Charlie) is doing with the Nik's book:<br /><br />http://chucktyrell-outlawjournal.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-blog-of-western-in-30-days.html<br /><br />As you'll quickly see, 30 days isn't 30 consecutive days.<br /><br />I was in Kansas to give a talk at a teachers' conference and spent the whole time looking for and at Old West stuff. Couldn't really focus on what I was supposed to be there for. Great place!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04458741706056198943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-88085067329082774532013-09-18T17:51:38.225-05:002013-09-18T17:51:38.225-05:00Sounds like a great book, one I need to get, but I...Sounds like a great book, one I need to get, but I could never write anything in 30 days (except maybe this post), lol. Writing isn't something which comes naturally for me, although I enjoy doing it. I always have to start with the idea for the ending conflict resolution, then write my way toward it. <br />By the way, if you ever need to know anything more about Kansas, I've lived here for all of my 58 years. It's not much to look at, and its present societal attitudes are a bit backwards, but it is richer in Old West history than probably any other state.JD McCallnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-47089116063309957802013-09-18T16:23:45.522-05:002013-09-18T16:23:45.522-05:00Thank you for a great and helpful post, Jeremy. Ju...Thank you for a great and helpful post, Jeremy. Just bought Nic's book and can't wait to implement the 30-day method. :)Ashley Kath-Bilskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14073164133698225798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-80175698188227347952013-09-18T16:12:14.157-05:002013-09-18T16:12:14.157-05:00Troy -- we need to get a sample stitched up of tha...Troy -- we need to get a sample stitched up of that Vaughan story. Hang it over our computers. <br /><br />David -- nothing in your comment surprises me. I imagine Nik is a terrific mentor. And those stories deserve to be doing (better than) well. <br /><br />Scott -- Agreed! what I like is that Nik strips away the sheen and boils novel writing down to the nuts and bolts WITHOUT taking away any of the joy. He gives us an efficient, practical approach without killing the magic or mystery. I'm reminded of how we used to love a well-worn baseball mitt a heck of a lot more than a shiny new one.<br /><br />Cheryl -- Thanks for the kind words! I think we all know who the Boss of Review Town is and she's not me :-) I bow to Kathleen.<br /><br />Renaissance Woman -- Three words: Robert J. Randisi. Okay, the "J" isn't a word, but you get what I mean! He's the perfect balance between two worlds--dramatic dialogue and "just enough narrative". <br /><br />Ginger -- I'm tellin' ya, the plot plan gives you an alarm clock to wake up the voices. If you write a 5K plot plan for a 50K novel you still have 45K to listen to the voices with and 5K to wake up the sleepers with aaaaand who says you have to stick with 50k? <br /><br /><br /><br /> Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04458741706056198943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-84448006201455509532013-09-18T15:55:25.016-05:002013-09-18T15:55:25.016-05:00I agree, Sarah, about the Code of the West and a b...I agree, Sarah, about the Code of the West and a better planet. That's a big part of the appeal of the western for me and a lot of people, I think. Thanks for you kind words on my review. You won't be disappointed with Nik's book. I feel like I should post a picture of my copy to show how beaten up, er, well-love and well-used it is.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04458741706056198943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-41624130231227492862013-09-18T15:30:32.569-05:002013-09-18T15:30:32.569-05:00I was so engaged in your revuew of this book, I be...I was so engaged in your revuew of this book, I became disappointed when it was over. If everyone obeyed the code of the west, we might have a better planet.<br />I have some other western writer's books, but this book sounds fantastic.<br />Thank you so much for the information on this book. It's on my buy list.Sarah J. McNealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-26470414302450494292013-09-18T15:12:43.336-05:002013-09-18T15:12:43.336-05:00I enjoyed the post and it made me wish I was a &qu...I enjoyed the post and it made me wish I was a "plotter." For those who of who follow voices in our heads, we'd be killing off people left and right because my characters tell me their story, and their tangents are part of my everyday life...at least every day they are talking to me. Seems lately they've all gone mute. Hate when that happens.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09683064637626718318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-43508196233312613812013-09-18T14:37:51.428-05:002013-09-18T14:37:51.428-05:00Sounds like a must have kind of book. I've add...Sounds like a must have kind of book. I've added it to my "to buy" list. <br /><br />Troy---I had to chuckle...Kill the character that's going off on his own tangent. Too funny!Karen Michelle Nutthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04083893569523248900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-79063261241771248692013-09-18T14:16:17.813-05:002013-09-18T14:16:17.813-05:00I have the book but have yet to finish reading it....I have the book but have yet to finish reading it. For myself, moving from scripts, which are basically all dialogue to short story and novels is somewhat of a challenge. I have to stop myself when I realize everything is spoken. Sigh. Thanks for the review, now to finish the book and see what happens. DorisRenaissance Womenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09045401344374224512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-21539642664905197452013-09-18T13:33:47.082-05:002013-09-18T13:33:47.082-05:00I picked up this book and learned a whole lot of t...I picked up this book and learned a whole lot of things that will help me write my next novel. Best part about this book: it takes away the sheen of writing and boils it down the nuts and bolts. It also makes the writing of a novel--any novel--seem a whole lot less daunting.Scott D. Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293540073601809197noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-85565335706259074882013-09-18T12:55:57.535-05:002013-09-18T12:55:57.535-05:00Nik Morton has been a very helpful mentor to me an...Nik Morton has been a very helpful mentor to me and my Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles Series. They are doing quite well on Amazon and I only say that because I highly recommend Write a Western in 30 Days with Plenty of Bullet-Points. David Cranmerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04749857752139212888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-65945811038767482252013-09-18T12:16:01.899-05:002013-09-18T12:16:01.899-05:00Many thanks, Jeremy for this review. I loved your ...Many thanks, Jeremy for this review. I loved your Robert Vaughan quote, Troy (I'd probably be tempted to do the same!) Thanks for the promotion, Cheryl.Nik Mortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10060923673065456386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-41239072029640791762013-09-18T11:56:22.376-05:002013-09-18T11:56:22.376-05:00Jeremy, this is a wonderful post about Nik's b...Jeremy, this is a wonderful post about Nik's book. You and Kathleen are singlehandedly keeping Amazon in business, you know, with these reviews of so many fantastic books! Of course, this is a must-have, by the way you've described it and talked about how much it helped you. Thanks for your insights!<br />CherylCheryl Piersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18116526340220274282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409887812566625284.post-45224663283326745362013-09-18T08:31:29.444-05:002013-09-18T08:31:29.444-05:00Whenever I think about characters going off on the...Whenever I think about characters going off on their own tangents, I remember a story Robert Vaughan once told... about one of his supporting characters who took on a life of his own and started dominating the story.<br /><br />"what did you do?" someone asked.<br /><br />"I killed him."Troy D. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07744762061580915223noreply@blogger.com