| Writers sometimes have a hard time getting | | | | Where is he? Answer: In the southwest |
| started on their great novel. I suggest a scene | | | | somewhere. There is no chaparral in Connecticut |
| that says something about the protagonist and his | | | | that I know of. The Cooper's Hawk is indigenous |
| environment. I no longer write novels because I'm | | | | to chaparral. |
| old and novels are a lot of work. If I were going | | | | What happened to him? Answer: He fell and was |
| to start a western, I might start it like this: | | | | injured when he ran away from an Apache |
| Scene | | | | attack on a sheep camp. |
| Standing on shaky legs Dusty Hollister watched | | | | What was he up to? Answer: He was trying to |
| the Apaches disappear into the chaparral. He sat | | | | steal a horse. |
| down and put his head back between his legs to | | | | What was his condition? Answer: He was dazed |
| relieve the dizziness. He thought, That was too | | | | and confused. |
| close for comfort. | | | | What do you think he will do next? Answer: He'll |
| Later, he went to the stream and washed his | | | | have to keep walking. He'll ponder on being a |
| face. His head was still bleeding from the fall-the | | | | coward. |
| fall that had saved his life. It was a bad cut. When | | | | The above scene is original because I just wrote |
| he tripped, his head hit a boulder; fortunately a | | | | it. I didn't think about what I was going to write. I |
| glancing blow, but one that had knocked him | | | | just decided it was a western. From that point on |
| senseless. He held his cold hand against the cut, | | | | Dusty took over and did whatever he wanted to |
| hoping the bleeding would stop. | | | | do. I just followed him. |
| A Cooper's hawk swished above his head. He did | | | | Now that sounds pretty dumb, right? I guess it is |
| not see the bird but he saw its shadow and heard | | | | but my idea of starting a novel is to start hitting |
| the soft noise of air moving across the wings. He | | | | the keyboard and see what comes up. If I don't |
| looked for the bird, but it was gone. He wished he | | | | like what I see, I change it. If later I find I left |
| could move like that bird, especially now. The | | | | something out that could or should have been |
| Apaches could return, castrate him like a young | | | | there, I go back and add it. |
| hog, skin him alive, and hack him to pieces. He | | | | I often dump scenes. The rule is this: If it's not |
| shuttered. | | | | needed for the progression of the novel, dump it. |
| There was no sign of the horse. He had spent | | | | Well, if you like it that much. |
| three days figuring how to steal that nag from | | | | There should be no rush in writing your novel. If |
| the sheepherder. The problem was the dogs. | | | | you crank out enough text each day to fill one |
| They were a yappy bunch. He had made friends | | | | page of the finished book, that is adequate. Most |
| with the dogs by feeding them strips of beef | | | | books of the above genre are seldom over 250 |
| jerky. It was almost time to make the snitch | | | | pages. |
| when the Apaches came. They turned the sheep | | | | Books like Love Story, Jonathan Seagull, or The |
| wagon over with the sheepherder in it, set it | | | | Old Man and the Sea show that length is not |
| afire, and laughed while the old man died in the | | | | always required but a short novel should be at |
| flames. | | | | least 50,000 words. |
| There was no fight from the sheepherder and | | | | My point is that writers write. |
| Dusty knew better than to try and help him. He | | | | I've been writing hundreds of articles. I don't |
| ran instead, fell, hit his head on the rock, and was | | | | worry too much about what to write on. If I |
| out for whatever happened next. He wondered if | | | | have nothing in mind I just write "Unknown |
| he was smart or cowardly. He knew the answer. | | | | Article" as the title and start typing. When |
| End of Scene | | | | something comes up that looks interesting, I |
| Here's the test: | | | | change the title and finish the article. If the article |
| Who is the protagonist? Answer: Dusty, possibly | | | | title still fits, I leave it. |
| an outlaw. | | | | I hope you liked the first scene of Unknown and |
| Who are the antagonists? Answer: So far it's the | | | | Unfinished Novel. |
| Apaches. | | | | |