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1). How do you know what you write is good? Really good?

There's no recipe for what a page turner is. There are many different types of books that makes you turn the page. But something new, something you recognise and resonate with so that you know you're not on your own or something brand new that you learn. Pieces that manage to put words to things you thought were impossible to express. That's really good to me.

2). How do you use structure? (In fiction, non-fiction, novels, poetry…)

I keep questions in my head that I'm trying to answer for non-fiction and for fiction a structure that tells a story. I'm trying to use outlines, but at this point the preferred method is freestyle, ie let the story unfold, (no structure).

3). Who is the one person who pops up in your mind when you write?

I don't have one. But whether it's a post or a Note, I always think of a special reader who would like this particular piece. And when they comment to my surprise that's bingo time right there!

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

That's very interesting. It's definitely good to let stories unfold organically, and let them go where they need to go. That's a great technique. Everything else, such as organising the structure and so on, and the order of things, you can sort out during the Edit phase... 😎

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It’s probably giving me more work to write this way. But that’s what works. I think structure through an outline can be liberating but also restricting. But if that works for a writer than who am I to say anything. It’s all about finding how to use the different methods and practice what clicks with you.

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Absolutley! It's all about experimenting and finding what works best for you... 😎

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Hello everyone!

I hope your week is going well! I’ve been getting into a new routine. I’m getting up earlier and exercising. I’m not staying up as late to balance things out. I’m trying to be consistent with my posts. My goal is one newsletter-type post weekly and poems as they come to me.

Questions:

1. Honestly, I don’t know when it’s good. I publish work I’m proud of and I believe will resonate. It doesn’t always work. The posts I’m least sure about often get the best response. I just stay true to myself.

2. Structure is something I experiment with in poetry and in other writings. I believe it’s about consistency within any given project.

3. Well, I think about my characters when I’m working on a book or a short story. For a poem, I’m thinking about the people I’m writing about if there is someone.

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

That's something so many people experience on here. The things you think have come out really great tend to not do as well as the ones you're not as sure about. It's strange. But readers see different things in the work than we do. Which is all part of the fun of it... 😎

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I’m with you on that point about the pieces you’re least “sure“ about ending up having the most impact. I often wonder why that is.

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It’s a special week for you Rod and here’s to new beginnings! Well done on taking the leap to freedom and creativity.

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

1. When I’ve taken the reader to a place that they couldn’t get to on their own.

2. Depends. I like circular stories, which is what I think Metanoia will be. What I choose to talk about first in a paragraph and how long the sentences are depends on the scene.

3. No one. I’m in my fictional world or in an ephemeral space. I use it as an escape.

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That first answer is priceless and so so true. “When I’ve taken the reader to a place that they couldn’t get to on their own.“ Top tip Kerry, thank you!

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Thank you. 🙏

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

I completely agree. That is an amazing way of describing stories. Taking readers to a place they couldn't get to on their own. That's just beautiful... 😎

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Sep 5·edited Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Hi everyone!

No new Post from me this week. However, I did just put up a Note I'm really pleased with, which you might all enjoy. It's about 'National Be Late For Something Day'. You can find it here: https://substack.com/@chrisjfranklin/note/c-67924847

Anyway, on to the questions... How do you know something's good? If it makes you feel something and moves you in some way, that's always a good sign. Whether you're laughing or crying, these are the emotions that are going to resonate with readers and make them feel those things, too.

How do I use structure? I play around with structure a lot, and jump around in time, and often show things in the wrong order, if that's what serves the story best. Sometimes in life, we don't always get the information in a linear way, and we have to piece things together, and it's fun to try and reflect and emulate that experience in Fiction. We see things differently through different prisms, and sometimes withholding those prisms until the right moment in a story, can be a very effective tool.

Who pops in my mind when I write? That is an amazing question. I think Adam Duritz puts it best in one of his songs when he says, "There's a piece of Maria, in every song that I sing. And the price of a memory, is the memory of the sorrow it brings." I think that's how it is for most writers. There's fragments of people we've loved, and people we've lost, in everything we write. Some of them good memories, and some of them bad ones. But it's a way of keeping those memories alive, and sometimes, even of resolving them in some way and making peace with them.

What have you all been up to? 😎

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I've been star exploring from earth for the last month and have come to the conclusion I need to upgrade the telescope. I've managed to see Jupiter and its moons and patterns, Mars, the moon and its craters, Saturn and some stars but I want to bring them closer and see them clearer. It's not brought out any poetry, strangely enough so that is surprising. Then again, I've been learning something new here and focus has been on that instead of the creative side, at least for now.

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

That's amazing! You're finding some great things. I think obtaining the right telescope is hugely important, though, for sure. Having the right equipment, that's comfortable and works for you, is going to make you enjoy it more and want to use it more... 😎

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I thought a tripod was useless… until I realised I was breaking my neck. I also realised that my hands are not steady enough to hold the telescope. You need precision to find these stars and a tripod is as crucial as the telescope. The one I have is very flimsy. At some point I’ll research better equipment. This is the beginning.

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

These things take time to get everything set up right. Things do need to be still and precise for the best viewing experience. Apparently, there's a way to attach a camera (even a phone) to the telescope and display the image on a screen, which is a great way to record them, too. That might be something to look into... 😎

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Tell me about it! The telescope I have does not allow for that and it is so damn hard to catch an image on a phone camera because of lense and eye piece positions. That alone takes time. So yet another reason why the telescope purchase is imminent.

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Thank you for these wonderful answers. The last one in particular is very romantic and poetic. I don't know this song but relate to the "piece of Maria in every song I sing."

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

That's a very powerful line, for sure. Billy Corgan actually says something similar in one of his songs, too. "Have you ever heard the words I'm singing in these songs? It's for the girl I've loved all along..." 😎

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Be late for something? How hard can it be?

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

My parents were always late, often by an hour or more. My parents-in-law were always early. Like ridiculously early. I learned to either fudge the start time for them or be ready for them earlier in the day. I would rather be somewhere 15 minutes early, my husband prefers to be bang on time but never late, so skews a bit early as well. I’m trying to unravel that a bit in retirement, but doctors appointments or meeting a friend still has that “got to be there”.

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1 hour is a lot for the waiting person, but not enough time for the person running late.

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It's definitely not hard for me. I'm late all the time! Haha. But it's just about not pressurising yourself to always be on time, and learning to take things more leisurely... 😎

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author

Honesty in one short answer. I guess some people call later comers time optimists... I get heads turning when I'm on time. With you on this one!

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Haha! Yes, people are often surprised when I'm early, too... 😎

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Hey Chris! I hope you’re having a great week! I’ll be sure to check out your note. I struggle with being late so maybe I can learn something. 😎

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Hi Rod! It's just a quick little joke. But yes, I'm often late, too. I think most creative people are... 😎

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

I worded that wrong. Haha. I am almost never late - so I struggle to be late. I am nothing if not a mixed bag differing from expectations. Haha

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Ahh, I see. I struggle to be on time! Haha. I try not to be late for important things, though, but I am often there very last minute... 😎

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Struggle to be late? I wish that were me!

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Hello, everyone,

It looks like still only a few people joining us today, but that's ok.

For the questions...

1. How do I know that my writing is good? Its hard to say. I guess if plenty of people view and / or post a comment then I'd say it was pretty good. On the other hand, if my writing makes ME feel good, I am also happy.

2. How do I use structure? I think my biggest use of structure would be the use of headings and photos to break up my work. Seeing endless paragraphs without breaks can be a turn-off for some. When I come up with the ideas, I usually have some sort of outline in mind but sometimes, the headings only come to me after the work is written.

3. Is there a person that ops into my head? No really. Unless I write an article with a specific person in mind, (and I might tag them), most of my work is meant for a general audience who might benefit from my thoughts or recommendations.

I think I am still at the point where I write what comes into my head, or an article that someone might benefit from my knowledge. If it works and resonates with others, I am happy.

Being consistent, whether the articles are well shared or commented, or not, is a step towards being a better writer. Any growth in that direction, makes me feel happy.

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I often wonder who we write for. Instantly you've pinpointed that we also have to be happy with what we write ourselves. Even though that's hard to achieve. It is the ultimate thing to do, write what resonates with you. Thank you for putting that in writing!

Pauses are really important!

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Sep 5·edited Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Also, we should probably mention the changes they've recently made to Notes and how Notifications work that everyone's talking about.

For some reason, it now notifies you every time someone replies to a note you're mentioned in, even if the reply isn't for you, which is going to make running the Events on there very tricky. As one Note, with 50 Tags or so, could now cause hundreds of Notifications if lots of people start to reply to it.

It's a real shame, because it's going to make it harder to enjoy the work during the Events, and some are already talking about moving to Chat and away from Notes, which is a quick fix for now, but of course, it means the work won't be as widely visible to anyone who isn't regularly checking the Chat.

Hopefully, Substack will reconsider, and sort this issue out... 😎

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

And is it just me and my iPad, but has the Explore/Following option also disappeared from Notes? Taking it to Chat definitely decreases the noise, but I also don’t get to see what everyone’s sharing. Even if I’m not tagged in an event, someone I follow would be and it’d get to see something new. It would actually make way more sense for the leadership to do a call-out thread and follow it up with a round-up post that people could restack to their heart’s content. Kind of like how Erica does “Top in Fiction”. Taking it to Chat is not a solution if you want new people to read your work.

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Ok so our Home tab has a new layout. You can see who you Follow on your home page or keep scrolling scrolling to the right to find the Fiction tab. Everything seemed reasonably fictiony when I took a peek just now.

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Things do keep changing quite regularly on here, and things keep getting moved. It is very positive, though, that Fiction does seem to be finally getting more visible, and it's always wonderful when the Fiction section actually has Fiction in it! 😎

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That's absolutely right, and that's my concern, too. Because the whole point of these Events is for people to be able to enjoy a wide range of work from lots of different writers, and of course, to hopefully attract new readers. And it will be harder for everyone to stumble on things if the material isn't getting tagged on Notes... 😎

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Wow that’s annoying. I really wish we could turn off notifications for certain notes. Recently I had a silly note go viral and I’m bombarded with notifications when I just want to see comments and engagement on my work first and everything else second.

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Notes is a tricky one. Some things about it are great, but there's still a lot that needs working on. Particularly the fact that some Notes seem to get seen, and others don't. It's all very hit and miss. But it's certainly a lot better than Twitter/X! Haha... 😎

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Sep 8Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

1) I stopped thinking in terms of "good" or "bad" - these days the main goal is to enjoy. And when I feel that sense of joy at having written something, then I am happy. It arises not from judgement but from joissance. Good/bad judgements rely on an external set of qualities, etc. But joy is a feeling. It cannot be faked, or confused. Keeps me going as a poet, and since shifting that mindset my poetry has become so much more satisfying, and seems to resonate more with readers as well.

2) Structure is really important to me - it's how I think. I have a kitset/lego style approach. Each stanzaic form is like a single "brick" or "atom" - the monostich, the couplet, the tercet, the quatrain, and the cinquain. As a poem emerges, I feel my way through the structure using these as fragmentary guides. Punctuation and line-breaks sew it all together, and are often the final element to be fixed in place.

3) Probably my writing partner Laurence Stacey? He is the first person I usually think of, in terms of, I wonder what Laurence will think of this? he always notices things about my work that I haven't yet become conscious of or articulated.

Great set of questions!

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Ok you've taken this to a whole other level. Very insightful sharing and thank you so much for taken the time to guide us through the maze of structure. Well it sounds like a maze to me when you go over the lego/brick approach. I'm lost. But clearly it works for you. I will never ever forget your video for the song title poetry and how methodically you worked and had the brilliant idea to share it with su. This is quite similar but with words. As you say, joy cannot be faked. You're lucky to have a writing partner like that and thank you for this response!

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Sep 8Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Wonderful responses to the questions! This is absolutely what always has to be the foundation of what we do, for sure. That joy and passion has to be there and evident on the page, because that is what is going to attract others to it and want to be part of it. Those insights about the poetry structure are fascinating, as well. In Fiction/Screenplays, we often talk about the ‘Three Act Structure’, which builds things to a crescendo or resolution, in a very precise and methodical way. And this definitely feels very similar… 😎

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Writing my answers to these great questions, then will backtrack to read everyone else’s!

1). How do you know what you write is good? Really good?

I cry like Joan Wilder in “Romancing the Stone”? No, I don’t actually. I have a feeling of euphoria that returns on a cold read. I might drop a bleepable word of satisfaction at that point too.

2). How do you use structure? (In fiction, non-fiction, novels, poetry…)

Fiction: set-up (as short as possible usually, which means I’ve got to do some editing on the current WIP episode of “Hiraeth”), conflict, consequence, choice, consequence, payoff/resolution. Something like that. With serial fiction I end on a question or a cliffhanger. With episodic serial fiction (each is a story in their own), it needs to wrap up.

3). Who is the one person who pops up in your mind when you write? Um, the character whose voice I’m in?

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Love reading your break down of structure for serial fiction. Thank you for being here Leanne

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

That was super-simplified. There’s more rising and falling in the character arc than responding or reacting to what just happened.

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I know and that's what I liked because while it's simple, it's also short and allows you to create your own understanding. Something to build upon and make your own.

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

I would like to increase the font size. I can increase on settings the pores/story size, but cannot increase the comments size. Is there a way to do this? My eyesight is not what it used to be and would help especially when writing a response comment .

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

That's a really great point. You can increase the size through the browser itself, on Edge it's the three dots at the top, but I'm not sure you can through Substack settings... 😎

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Yes I used the three dots. But on my phone there are none indicated for adjusting the comments. I’m having a hard time reading.

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If you use the phone, you go to settings and change display to bigger font. It can be done on iphone and samsung.

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

Thanks I can now read easier.

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Sep 5Liked by Writer Pilgrim by So Elite

That's great! Glad you've managed to sort it out... 😎👍

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Did you manage to change settings and increase the font?

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Good point indeed. I think on your computer settings you can. If you have a mac, the touch pad allows you to enlarge the whole website. Not sure how it works on a PC.

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