Writing Excuses 5.14: Visual Components of Novels with Scott Westerfeld

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:48:00 GMT

Posted by: mbarker.livejournal.com

Writing Excuses 5.14: Visual Components of Novels with Scott Westerfeld
From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2010/11/28/writing-excuses-5-14-visual-components-of-novels-with-scott-westerfeld/

Key Points: Maps and illustrations can add a sense of immersion, but they should be meaningful. Illustrations also can force the text novelist to pay more attention to setting, clothing, and other "background" details.
( Scissors, paper, rock? )
[Brandon] All right. Well, we're out of time. Howard, I'm going to make you give us a writing prompt.
[Howard] OK. I'm going to make you draw a picture. I want you to draw, from above, draw the floor plan of the house or the building that you are in. Now write an action scene that involves knocking out one of those walls.
[Brandon] OK. You're out of excuses, now go write.

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Writing Excuses Season Four Episode 15: Visual Components of Storytelling

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:56:00 GMT

Posted by: mbarker.livejournal.com

Writing Excuses Season Four Episode 15: Visual Components of Storytelling

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2010/04/18/writing-excuses-4-15-visual-compenents-of-storytelling/

Key Points: Cohesive? Lazy shortcuts and a dash of signature elements. Lots of cool stuff, but find a way to connect them together. Underlying commonalities, like the circle template. The design of the book, maps, cover art, and other visual elements are a kind of prelude to the book, that can help set the feeling before you start reading.
( on the sketchpad )
[Howard] OK, writing prompt. First a little bit of backstory. I had Brook West design ship plans for the Integrity which was the ship that Tagon's Toughs ended up acquiring. In designing the ship plans, we arrived at some really fun anomalies where if you were to shut off the gravity, the water would suddenly flow through the ship and make a huge mess. I got a lot of mileage out of that. So your writing prompt, in order to be visual, sit down and draw yourself a spaceship. Draw some interesting bits of a spaceship. Sketch, skritch it out, whatever. Draw something, and then find interesting aspects about what you drew and work them into the story.
[Brandon] All right. This has been writing excuses. You're out of excuses, now go write.

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Writing Excuses Transcripts

Writing Excuses 5.14: Visual Components of Novels with Scott Westerfeld

Writing Excuses Season Four Episode 15: Visual Components of Storytelling