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Jo Emmerson
Happily living in London with my girlfriend & my cat.
Turns out, I am a writer! Working on my 1st novel, with help from this course and fellow learners.
http://mybi-line.blogspot.co.uk/
@jolucys_biline
Location london
Activity
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
Thanks everyone for your encouragement and support, it's been great working alongside all of you brilliant and inspiring people! I've just signed up on scribophile.com where there is a great online writing community, if anyone wants to come say hi and see how my book is coming along/continue sharing your work - best of luck and remember to enjoy!
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
I came across this today - some fantastic, encouraging tips from some of my favourite authors
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-one -
Jo Emmerson replied to Wendy Knee
oh, i'm with you there Wendy!
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
Dougie Dudgeon - thanks so much! I wondered if I'd laid it on a bit thick with this story, and your feedback has confirmed that! And you were right - this is (hopefully) part of a longer story, so character description and her background would be developed - but again I wondered how well it would stand up on its own. Your feedback is really helpful, thank you! :)
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
i don't know if what I've submitted will be enough to interest people and make them want to read on. its not really a stand alone story, but part of a bigger story I've been working on. I don't know if, without the background info I have about the character, this is going to read as quite boring. we'll see!
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
before I do the thing we're meant to be doing - was anyone else annoyed that we couldn't actually use the formatting guidance we were given?
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
ooh! exciting! and really sad. I may have to start the course again next week ;)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Jo Emmerson
hehe, yeah, not with these two! but I know what you mean, i was looking back at my note book yesterday at a character I'd been describing and realised that I could build them and the scene into a different character/project I'm working on :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Charley Billy
love that idea Linda! :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Jo Emmerson
Hi Lois, thanks so much for your feedback! This was just a writing exercise, where the task was initially to write my facebook entry for 2019, and I was just messing about with some ideas - there's no character here, just me putting words on a page - so you are absolutely spot on - I am telling and there's no individual to be having an experience as such!...
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
ooh, I'm done early! so.... I think I'll start looking at my book, working out which scenes I fancy writing in the next few weeks!
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Jo Emmerson replied to Eric Robinson
if something's not working in my writing, I'd always want to know, as long as the reader is being honest and not just rude or malicious with feedback - and that doesn't strike me as your style Eric. We all like to know what works, of course, but in order to get better, we need to know which bits we can, well, get better at!
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
how enthusiastic is 'too enthusiastic' exactly :/ If i love a piece of writing I would say so - is that wrong? I agree with all the other guidance, but that's just a bit weird frankly.
that said, I look forward to giving and receiving feedback. I love seeing the work other people have poured themselves into, and seeing their imaginations in action, and if I...
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Jo Emmerson replied to Pauline Murawska
totally stealing your list, thanks :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Lesley T
i was told to write something that you would want to read, and write with your audience in mind. Even if your audience is just you :)
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
i liked this quote, it seemed appropriate:
"You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page."― Jodi Picoult -
Jo Emmerson replied to E White
I just did that E, and I think it has brought my story to life a bit - it certainly made me realise that there were some things I'd put in which were unnecessary, whilst other explanations were missing. good luck with your edit :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Charley Billy
ah, i think i met your characters yesterday! Look forward to reading your story Charly :)
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
soooooooo interesting! I was thinking about some of the books I've enjoyed most and they are usually 1st person. The story I've been working on is a scene from the book I am drafting, and I'd been resisting using 1st person as I have several character's stories to tell - but I have just rewritten my scene in 1st person and it feels so much more engaging. I'm...
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Jo Emmerson replied to Charley Billy
Charly and Kate, I hope you guys manage to get something down on paper without too much trauma or stress
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Jo Emmerson replied to Charley Billy
glad it wasn't just me!
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
Some stunning imagery in this, and I am definitely drawn to anything in 1st person narrative - I suspect it's because I was too busy looking at the structure and techniques, but I did get a little bit lost when the narrator started talking it being 'as bas as jail' for Violet - my immediate reaction was to puzzle over why it was Violet who was deserving of...
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Jo Emmerson replied to aarti sharma
I had to get quite stern with myself, and there were a few bits which I really liked which just weren't necessary to the story at this point, so I have saved them to see if I can use them later on :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Craig Colligan
yep, I will need to re-read bits of the last book I read to see what the author did that was so compelling - there was no way I was going to break the magic to get my red pen out and start analysing once I was engaged in the story, but I would now really love to go back and have another look at a couple of random chapters, armed with this list, and see what I...
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
what a great list! I've copied into my note book, so that I can refer back to it next time i get to read anything :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Charley Billy
that is an extreme version of over-editing Charly!
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
I have pretty much finished my piece - needing feedback on whether it works overall before I do any more editing on it. So, because I felt I needed to keep up the habit of writing, I have been playing around with this today, if anyone fancies a quick read!
http://mybi-line.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/a-message-from-2019-amwriting.html#more -
Jo Emmerson replied to Tamar Reef
you have created something - that's never worthless. xx
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Jo Emmerson replied to aarti sharma
if it helps, I had to cut about 600 words from mine, and it is MUCH better for the edit! :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Bonnie Meekums
I'm the same Bonnie, but I fear I may have gotten into a nasty habit of giving too much description, having just realised that in 1000 words of my story, nothing actually happens! :/
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
I'm reasonably happy with my story, though I don't know if that's just because I know the bigger plot that it is part of - I don;t know if it will stand up as a piece of work on its own though, I'm hoping i've not fallen into the traps i dislike in other writing!
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Oh lord, me too. Again, thank goodness for the film. LOTR film trilogy is my all time favourite (had to insist on a visit to Hobbiton during our recent trip to NZ!) My love of the Hobbit firmly cemented,after reading it several times back to back, through playing the game on my ZX Spectrum! :)
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I was the same with the Book Thief, Bex. Almost didn't bother with it, but I was so glad I did!
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I loved Curious Incident too Kenneth. If you get a chance to see the stage production I would recommend it very highly.
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I so wanted to be love the Game Of Thrones books, but the cast of a million characters was one of the things that put me off - thank heavens for the TV series!
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big fan of Neil Gaiman :)
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Loving this exercise - so many books I now want to read. Diana Gabaldon is added to my growing list :)
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yes, yes, 1 million times yes. And he is (was) so clever at weaving in cultural, religious and philosophical references without bashing the reader over the head with them. And funny too. Very sadly missed. Did you read the Long Earth series?
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Didn't love: 'The Paper Magician' by Charlie N. Holmberg. (SPOILER ALERT)
On the face of it, this sounded like my kind of book - people with interesting magical gifts, set in London, sure, why not! However, I felt that the main character was unlikable. She was a spoilt brat with a chip on her shoulder. There was a cringeworthy romance shoehorned in as though... -
Jo Emmerson made a comment
Liked: 'Fool's Assassin (Fitz and the Fool, Book 1).
I love Robin Hobb as an author, and this is the first book in a new trilogy by her - it felt like going home, and I was instantly transported back into the world she had created for her lead character, Fitz. Hobb uses a first person narrative, telling the story alternatively from the point of view of Fitz... -
I am suitably inspired to try the Murakami book, thanks Peter :)
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
I am going to struggle a bit with this, because as a rule, I don't read books that I don't enjoy! If I'm not gripped after the first 20-30 pages, I will put it down and walk away, because life is just too short.
However, I have LOTS of books I'll happily review that I have loved!
I suppose I'll have to find one of those I put down and go back, have a...
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Jo Emmerson replied to Grizabella F
just cut over 600 words using these tips and now have a less 'waffly' story!
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
Interesting! I'd been almost avoiding reading at the minutes because I don't want to accidentally plagiarise anything! And I'm still not great at reading as a writer - I get too absorbed in books to have time to stop and wonder how the author created a character or set a scene etc.
I think one thing I will do thought is to try some new genres. Fantasy...
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Jo Emmerson replied to Jo Emmerson
Ah, yes. I do know why she's like she is. She's still pretty terrifying though!
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Jo Emmerson replied to Lucy Yates
Nice! It would be easy to slide into 'geek scientist' stereotypes I guess, sounds like you've made him.a good rounded character!
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Jo Emmerson replied to Grizabella F
copied and pasted into my notes - I'm a horror for this, so thank for the tips!
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
I have three possible characters each from completely different stories. hmmm. its like picking your favourite child. i'm going to be in trouble with the other two if I don't give them the same treatment. I see my blog getting some updates next week!
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Jo Emmerson replied to Jo Emmerson
Yeah, as I was asking her the questions about who she was, there was a complete lack of empathy. She had no friends or loved ones. She had raised a son who has been killed, and her only focus is now on punishing g the person who took something that belonged to her. It's a bit scary!
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Jo Emmerson replied to Jo Emmerson
Yeah, I can see it coming - I'm going to have to find a local writing club I think - it's been (and still is, not over yet!) so lovely having all the support and conversation with everyone on here :)
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
Hmmm. I thought I'd got this sorted, that I was going to use the character I developed this week - but she has gone all shy, and in the mean time, a character from my novel has resurfaced after being silent for a month, and now I'm working on a scene with her, but it is a scene I had already started writing, so now I need to add these elements in to it!
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Jo Emmerson replied to Lucy Yates
mine is around her having the feeling of absolute control and total disdain for everyone around her, but having had a taste of unconditional love - and having had that ripped away from her - she finds herself craving that comfort and closeness. Is she too stuck in her habits and attitudes to be able to make a basic human connection?
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
I have come to realise that my character is basically a psychopath. I found out what her dilemma is though, and had a vague idea of *what* she was, but couldn't see how to make a story work for her - until I asked her about her son, and now we have it, I have a rough idea of where she is from and what her story is. Thank goodness for that, because I do NOT...
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Jo Emmerson replied to Jo Emmerson
* Can you find examples of the characters’ interpersonal/cultural aspects?
they grew up together, she was the 'forbidden fruit' of his childhood, and now as an adult, he thinks maybe she was the 'one that got away'
'i carried you like a cannon ball inside'
interesting that they kiss, without the actual kiss ever being mentioned, just the build up and the... -
Jo Emmerson made a comment
A bit jumbled I'm afraid, I'm jotting this down as I read!
* Does he use any of the methods described by Novakovich – in combination or on their own?
* Can you find examples of the characters’ physical/biological aspects?
'healthy' 'blood flowed back into his finger tips' - the sense of his fingers hovering over the name in the printed phone book, they... -
Jo Emmerson replied to Jo Emmerson
Hehe! Glad you enjoyed Betty!
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
I'm not a big fan of the summary technique, feel like it leaves too much of a gap between me and the character, both as a reader and a writer.
** just had to go back and have a look at some of my writing to see if I made that last comment up!***
I think it will be interesting this week to have a play about with different ways of interacting with and...
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
I love this kind of exercise, and use these kinds of lists a lot when working with my characters - I've been putting together one for the character I developed on a previous assignment on here, and have started to include 'what if' questions as I'm working through the list. It's made for some interesting discoveries. I also realised that I dont know much about...
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Jo Emmerson replied to Robert Hay
yes, me too!
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Jo Emmerson replied to Vivienne Burgess
If it helps at all - when I use one of these lists, it's not to create a brand new character, there's no way I could do that! It's usually someone i've already been thinking about, and probably someone i've written about a little bit, so I have gotten to know them a bit first, then i will start asking them some of these questions, and see how their responses...
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oh fantastic! I just finished my psych degree with the OU, so you have my sympathy and respect. It's not an easy way to study, and transcription is a pain! good luck with it :)
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you don't have to use all the questions- and some are the same asked in a different way - but some might be useful to help get under a character's skin :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Jo Emmerson
I'm glad you like it! pick and choose which bits might be of use, there's no rule that says you have to answer every question for every character :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Jo Emmerson
http://mybi-line.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/character-development-questions.html here you go ladies :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Karin Jäzosch
glad to hear it Erica xx
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Jo Emmerson replied to Renee Conoulty
yes! (i HATED Frankenstein!) I read Ursule Le Guin at school, had forgotten all about her, thank you :)
and Jean Ure too!
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Jo Emmerson replied to Lina Persson
I love the idea of a mood board for your characters Lina :)
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
really interesting viewpoints in this. I have a character directory too, which has 130ish questions that I would ask my main characters, and also use a MUCH edited version of so that I don't lose track of my minor characters - but for the characters in my novel and all of the work I've done here, i started writing as and for the characters before i could use...
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Jo Emmerson replied to Elle H
i think you have summed it up perfectly :)
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it's just a practice run ladies, don't let it freak you out!
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What are you studying Katy, and how far along are you?
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
sounds like a pretty exciting week! I hope everyone's still holding it all together, enjoying the writing? I saw a few people saying they felt a bit daunted by the idea of writing 'the final story' - I'd just say to relax and enjoy the experience.
This doesn't have to the the last thing you ever write, neither does it have to be perfect. It's a draft to...
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pretty sure something like this might come up in the next few days, but if this list is of any help, then feel free to use:
http://mybi-line.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/character-development-questions.html
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as long as you're enjoying it, that's the most important thing - because the rest will come with practice.
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Don't write them off yet, you might find that with some development they turn into people you can do something with :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Karin Jäzosch
I wonder how many of the people we think of as being 'evil' actually consider themselves to be evil? writing from inside the head of someone who can justify their actions, and thinks that the rest of the world is out of touch, that would be both interesting and terrifying i think.
Erica, I hope you're OK now and have left your ex and that part of your life...
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Jo Emmerson replied to Renee Conoulty
Hmm, I am really struggling to think of any female sci-fi authors! I can think of hundreds of fantasy authors, but not a single one in sci-fi. I'm sure that there must be plenty, but I have drawn a blank. If anyone can suggest any I'd be interested too! And Kieran, i say give it a go and find a couple of female friends who can have a read and give you some...
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Jo Emmerson replied to Gill Malpass
johanne, this may be of interest to you for your notebook:
http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/culture/literature-and-creative-writing/creative-writing/writing-what-you-know/content-section-3.1 -
Jo Emmerson replied to Jo Emmerson
thanks very much for your kind feedback! I hope you enjoyed writing your character too?
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
goodness, another week over! where is the time going?! It's interesting to discover that the things I thought were going to really challenge me (i thought i was dreadful at describing scenes and people) are the areas i'm ok on. it's the damned procrastination and fear of messing it up that are going to be my issues.
Is anyone dreading the end of the...
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Jo Emmerson replied to Charley Billy
you have to write it wearing a trench coat and standing on a street corner ;)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Bob A
Oh! i'm impressed, i'd assumed there was some biographical elements in there Bob! :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Jo Emmerson
ooh, i love her stuff - It's my kind of genre. big epic character driven fantasy. pure escapism! I sat up until 3am two nights ago to finish one of her books :)
And absolutely, it's why we're all here i guess :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Jo Emmerson
I did actually Irene! It wasn't as hard as I'd thought - possibly because I was just writing about an ordinary person, in an ordinary situation, not some kind of high-adrenalin muscle-filled action thriller! I've not read that one - I will add it to my list, thank you :)
I love Robin Hobb as an author, and she has some fantastic male main characters, whom...
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
I hope everyone enjoyed the exercise? I thinking i'm getting better at writing characters, now I need to start working on writing anything that goes past 900 words! my brain just keeps saying 'ok, that will do now, don't get overconfident' and making me shut my stories down whenever i approach 1000 words. And that, quite frankly, aint going to get this book...
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Jo Emmerson replied to Erin Munzenberger
Ooh, may i join in too?
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Jo Emmerson replied to Ostara S. Hollyoak
Mine was the same - Just a guy sat in a coffee shop. Nothing happened except his phone rang - I was focussed more on trying to capture a feel for his character, not create a gripping story or even a plot of any kind. Lots of different approaches though, so as long as you're happy with what you produced, I wouldn't worry! :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Irene Keenan
I've not read your story Irene, but I'd love to - I was born on Friday 13th! ;)
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
Thanks Trevor, Eric and Bob for your feedback and help with this assignment! Bob, it was interesting that you got a bit bored! I hadn't given any thought to this being something more than a short character sketch so I guess I didn't think about keeping him interesting beyond the phone call. That's certainly something I need to be aware of though so thank you...
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yes! ooh, interesting, I'd love to see how that pans out! :)
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i like to think of it as the 'stew pot' method, which Novakovich clearly forgot to mention! I have only just graduated from my Psych degree, and am finding that i'm ACTUALLY able to use bits of it! who knew? I especially like the 'Big 5' personality types as a way of thinking about who my characters were, and how they would respond to situations. I don't know...
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
very comforting that even EM Forster doesn't feel 'comfortable in his craft' - that's very reassuring. in a 'oh god, this feeling may never go away' way...
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controversial! but well written :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Elle H
i think we can often and easily talk ourselves out of writing because we think we're not good enough - im beginning to think that confidence is at least half the battle with this, plus a good dose of friendly supportive feedback. Don't put yourself off, you've got this :)
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Jo Emmerson made a comment
I use a comnbination of these techniques I think, for different characters. My main character that I'm working on has a lot of my 'flaws' - which makes her hard to write as I get annoyed with her! I also have a number of strong female characters who are either how i would like to be, or how I remember feeling as a know-it-all 20-something, before life got a...
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Jo Emmerson replied to Gwen EVANS
do they look really similar and agree to do a job swap without telling their respective employers? Maybe the bike mechanic turns out to be a phenomenal singer, and relaunches the dying career of the opera singer, but the singer is a dreadful mechanic, accidentally causes death/injury to his customer through negligent repairs and is tried for manslaughter?
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Jo Emmerson replied to Johanne Winwood
I like the story Johanne! I thought your character was interesting, and had real potential for development. My only suggestion for your story would be to add in more info about the real reason he is talking to himself - maybe have voice of god or angels or aliens (or whoever he is protecting the world for/from) included so that the reader can feel that his...
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Jo Emmerson replied to Renee Conoulty
i really enjoyed your story Renee, nicely done :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Paige Sinkler
I agree Paige :)
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Jo Emmerson replied to Lorna Sloan
reminds me of 'i shall wear purple' by Jenny Joseph - a fabulous image!
